Canadian American Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Canadian American Railroad was a railroad that operated between Brownville Junction, Maine and Lennoxville, Quebec
(later extended west to Farnham, Quebec
and eventually Montreal, Quebec) between 1994 and 2002. It was owned by transportation holding company Iron Road Railways
.
(CPR) announced its intention to abandon or sell its entire Canadian Atlantic Railway
(CAR) subsidiary which operated routes in eastern Quebec, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The sale or abandonment of the CAR was ostensibly due to declining traffic levels.
In early January 1995 the eastern portion of the CAR mainline from Saint John, New Brunswick
to Brownville Junction, Maine was sold to industrial conglomerate J.D. Irving Limited (JDI) which created the New Brunswick Southern Railway
(NBSR) and Eastern Maine Railway
as subsidiaries. Owning this section gave JDI access to interchange points with Canadian National Railway
at Saint John, NB
, Guilford Rail System at Mattawamkeag, ME
, and Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
at Brownville Junction, ME.
Also in early January 1995, the western portion of the CAR mainline from Brownville Junction to Lennoxville, Quebec
saw operation transferred to the Canadian American Railroad (CDAC) which was a joint venture of Iron Road Railways
and Fieldcrest Cannon Inc. established in mid-1994. In March 1995, CDAC completed purchase of this portion of the CAR mainline from CP Rail; at that time, Iron Road Railways bought out the interest of Fieldcrest Cannon to assume complete control. Also in March 1995, Iron Road Railways purchased the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
, creating a "T shaped" system focused on the interchange point at Brownville Junction. Iron Road Railways also entered into an agreement with J.D. Irving to market the entire line from Lennoxville to Saint John, however NBSR remained the operator for the line east of Brownville Junction.
For the remainder of the 1990s, CDAC was able to dramatically increase the amount of freight traffic handled from what CP had carried, largely due to aggressive marketing and customized service, particularly for the forestry industry. After several years CDAC operations extended west from Lennoxville to a junction in Farnham, Quebec
after Iron Road Railways purchased a former CP route in northern Vermont
. CDAC trains also handled traffic from the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
and intermodal
traffic from Saint John. The growth of intermodal traffic saw CDAC receive trackage rights over CP from Farnham to Montreal
where trains terminated at Cote St. Luc Yard.
Despite this early success, CDAC's physical plant suffered due to deferred maintenance
, as the holding company Iron Road Railways encountered financial difficulties by the early 2000s. Though plans had been in place to improve much of the infrastructure for the Brownville Junction to Farnham mainline during 1999, this never happened, and in 2001 the CDAC, as well as the BAR and its affiliates, filed for bankruptcy. On 8 October 2002, the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
acquired all of the assets of Iron Road Railways' operations in Maine, Quebec, and Vermont including the CDAC and BAR.
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
(later extended west to Farnham, Quebec
Farnham, Quebec
Farnham is a town located in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality, in the administrative region of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,809, making it the second most populated community in the RCM.- History :The...
and eventually Montreal, Quebec) between 1994 and 2002. It was owned by transportation holding company Iron Road Railways
Iron Road Railways
Iron Road Railways Incorporated was a railroad holding company which owned several short line railroads in the U.S. state of Maine, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia....
.
History
Beginning in 1993, Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) announced its intention to abandon or sell its entire Canadian Atlantic Railway
Canadian Atlantic Railway
The Canadian Atlantic Railway is a historic Canadian and U.S. railway that existed from 1988 to 1994.The CAR was created in September 1988 as a business unit of CP Rail System to serve the Maritime Provinces and state of Maine...
(CAR) subsidiary which operated routes in eastern Quebec, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The sale or abandonment of the CAR was ostensibly due to declining traffic levels.
In early January 1995 the eastern portion of the CAR mainline from Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
to Brownville Junction, Maine was sold to industrial conglomerate J.D. Irving Limited (JDI) which created the New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
(NBSR) and Eastern Maine Railway
Eastern Maine Railway
Eastern Maine Railway can refer to two separate railroad companies:*Eastern Maine Railway *Eastern Maine Railway , the U.S. half of the New Brunswick Southern Railway...
as subsidiaries. Owning this section gave JDI access to interchange points with Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
at Saint John, NB
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, Guilford Rail System at Mattawamkeag, ME
Mattawamkeag, Maine
Mattawamkeag is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States located where the Mattawamkeag River joins the Penobscot River. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.-Railroad history:Mattawamkeag's history is inextricably linked to the railroad....
, and Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad is a defunct United States railroad company, that brought rail service to Aroostook County, Maine. Brightly painted BAR box cars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives operated on BAR until they were museum pieces...
at Brownville Junction, ME.
Also in early January 1995, the western portion of the CAR mainline from Brownville Junction to Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
saw operation transferred to the Canadian American Railroad (CDAC) which was a joint venture of Iron Road Railways
Iron Road Railways
Iron Road Railways Incorporated was a railroad holding company which owned several short line railroads in the U.S. state of Maine, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia....
and Fieldcrest Cannon Inc. established in mid-1994. In March 1995, CDAC completed purchase of this portion of the CAR mainline from CP Rail; at that time, Iron Road Railways bought out the interest of Fieldcrest Cannon to assume complete control. Also in March 1995, Iron Road Railways purchased the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad is a defunct United States railroad company, that brought rail service to Aroostook County, Maine. Brightly painted BAR box cars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives operated on BAR until they were museum pieces...
, creating a "T shaped" system focused on the interchange point at Brownville Junction. Iron Road Railways also entered into an agreement with J.D. Irving to market the entire line from Lennoxville to Saint John, however NBSR remained the operator for the line east of Brownville Junction.
For the remainder of the 1990s, CDAC was able to dramatically increase the amount of freight traffic handled from what CP had carried, largely due to aggressive marketing and customized service, particularly for the forestry industry. After several years CDAC operations extended west from Lennoxville to a junction in Farnham, Quebec
Farnham, Quebec
Farnham is a town located in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality, in the administrative region of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,809, making it the second most populated community in the RCM.- History :The...
after Iron Road Railways purchased a former CP route in northern Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. CDAC trains also handled traffic from the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad is a defunct United States railroad company, that brought rail service to Aroostook County, Maine. Brightly painted BAR box cars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives operated on BAR until they were museum pieces...
and intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
traffic from Saint John. The growth of intermodal traffic saw CDAC receive trackage rights over CP from Farnham to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where trains terminated at Cote St. Luc Yard.
Despite this early success, CDAC's physical plant suffered due to deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property in order to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration...
, as the holding company Iron Road Railways encountered financial difficulties by the early 2000s. Though plans had been in place to improve much of the infrastructure for the Brownville Junction to Farnham mainline during 1999, this never happened, and in 2001 the CDAC, as well as the BAR and its affiliates, filed for bankruptcy. On 8 October 2002, the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway is a Class II freight railroad operating in the U.S. states of Maine and Vermont and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. Its Canadian subsidiary is the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada Company. The entire system is owned by Rail World,...
acquired all of the assets of Iron Road Railways' operations in Maine, Quebec, and Vermont including the CDAC and BAR.