On December 27th all operations on CAS were shut down after a blizzard the day after Christmas.

 

Suleski Transportation had to suspend its joint Intermodal Service to the port of Salem, MA.  This caused our yards to fill up with container trains.

On December 30th after clearing our own trackage, we sent MoW Plow Extra SP-1 with SD45 ST # 6114 to clear the CAS right-of-way to continue the joint Intermodal service to the port of Salem. We can't hold up the ships in port because of a little snow.  Our Intermodal service must continue if we are to compete against CSX.

Coming across the bridge over the snow filled canyon.

Taking a second trip to check clearances
.

Clearing the curve a second time.

Heading over the plate girder bridge over the frozen falls and pond.

Photo of same location this fall. Pretty amazing the difference in just a few months.

After plowing Intermodal service resumed. Since there was a back up of trains from the two days we were out of service CEO’s decided to run some very long trains. The longest ever attempted by either railroad.

A single stack order was in effect for this run due to some high snow walls along the route. Here a 4 engine lash up waits while yard crews check over the six 5 car Gunderson well unit trains. Two empty single well cars were placed on the end of the train also.

ST #6114 a SD45 headed up power of ST #28 a GP38-2 and two ST U25B's #638 & #22.
Here the train pulls out of the yard

Heading across the arch bridge

Heading up the hill to the tunnel

You can see the reason for the single stack order as the high walls of snow almost touch the tops of the containers.

Heading around the turn with the front of the train passing the end.

Including the four engines, 6 - 5 well car units and two single well cars, the over all length of 80'0".

While climbing the hill for the first time with such a long train and a 4 engine lash-up on the head end the engineer was working the consist very hard and forgot the slow order over the last code 250 switch on the right-of-way.  The lead engine derailed and plowed up quiet a long furrow in the roadbed as it fell slightly on its side.  The second engine derailed its front truck, but stayed upright.  The 2-U25B's stayed on the rails and the Intermodal train was OK because it was coming uphill.

The ST wreck train was called out and the two cranes were able to remove the SD45 ST #6114 and rerail the front truck of the GP38-2 ST #28.  The Intermodal train was able to continue on with just three engines in the lead.  Crews took the SD45 into the siding to inspect it.

The only damage was a bent front railing, everything else would be OK after a good washing.  Since their was no injuries to anyone the FRA was not involved.

Following photos courtesy of Larry Mosher, CEO of CAS.

Even with the slight damage to our SD45 the long Intermodal runs of the day were a success.  On later runs we found that even just the 2 U25B's could handle the train upgrade.

 

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