Bangor, Portland and Northern (BP&N)

[David Collins]

The Bangor, Portland and Northern (BP&N) is a small shortline, handling traffic for Bangor and Portland, Pennsylvania on NS’ Portland Secondary. It took over Erie Lackawanna operations after the EL ceased operations.

Power used by the BP&N:

BP&N SD9 #345 (nee N&W 345, nee NKP 345)
BP&N GP9 #4108 (nee CN #4108)

Customers are:

Bangor Paper (Bangor, PA): 1-2 cars per switch, they receive loaded boxcars loaded with Container Board. Cars come from the CSX interchange in Philipsburg, NJ.

Blarney Castle Oil (Bangor, PA): 1-2 cars per switch, loaded tanks with Oil arrive for transload to tanks. Cars come from ADM in Philipsburg, NJ.

Phosphate transload: 1-2 cars per switch, empty Phosphate hoppers arrive for transloading from trucks. Cars arrive either from the CSX in Philipsburg, or empty from Martin’s Creek, PA.

Sand transload: 2-4 cars per switch (consistently been 2-3 per switch). Loaded sand hoppers off the CSX for transload to trucks.

Ferrous Processing & Trading (Bangor, PA): 3-5 scrap hoppers per switch, loaded scrap from Cresson Steel east and west branches in Martin’s Creek, Pennsylvania.

Green For Life (Bartonsville, PA): 1 boxcar per switch, ships out compacted plastic for Appree Plastics in Philipsburg, NJ.

All traffic comes from the NS interchange in Bangor on train H76.

More to come soon.

[David Collins]

With the BP&N’s trains becoming quite large as of late and to reduce wear and tear on the 345 and 4108 due to their age, the BP&N has acquired a former Chessie System/CSX SD50-2 #8557. This unit will be used as an RCO locomotive for classifying cars. This unit was picked up from Larry’s Truck and Electric out of Lordstown, Ohio.

[David Collins]

#4108 suffered a severe mechanical failure 3 weeks after the BP&N began operations, where it chucked two rods straight out of the engine block.

4108 is a very important engine for the BP&N as it’s the only locomotive they have which is fitted with PTC (required for the occasional runs to Philipsburg, NJ on the CSAO). Thus the decision to keep 4108 and convert it to a road slug was made. NKP #345 is to become the motherslug. This work will be done by Bay City Locomotive Works.

While the 4108 was out of service and the higher-ups were making a decision about its future, the decision was made to pick up a new locomotive to be used for Portland area switching. A CN SW7RM #1200 (SW7 rebuilt by Relco). While the 345 and 4108 are gone however, it will serve double duty as the industry switcher in Bangor and Portland.

SD50-2 8557 is still around, it is still being used to classify cars at Bangor yard.