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With yet another mill closure, Maine railroads brace for change
I guess there is something missing in this equation of raw materials coming into the plants versus the increased productivity creating as much product as there was 20 years ago inasmuch does that mean less raw product is needed to be brought in which needs to be transported, or is it by truck, or some other variation?
So all that talk about the new torrefied wood business is toast?
The majority of the mills in our part of U.S. use a higher percentage of used newspaper in their paper making process.
In my area, raw material in is typically wood (roundwood or chips), clay, pulping chemicals, coal, and sometimes purchased pulp. Finished product typically goes by truck. If it doesn’t go by truck all the way to the destination, it goes via container on truck to Chicago and then doublestack.
Down here on the Gulf coast we’ve lost a few paper mills also. Ive not seen any pulpwood on the rail around here in 15 years or so. Chip cars are mostly for the OSB plants. Mostly dry pulp hauled in box cars or on trucks. Very little if any finished paper products hauled out by rail.
Actually just another example of the changing economy which is both bad and good for the railroads. Obviously printed media is rapidly being replaced by electronic media which means less demand for putting ink on paper and less demand for the kinds of printing paper the Bucksport mill produced. However, the flip side is that the new economy is also changing the way people shop from bricks-and-mortar stores to online retailers. The growth in online retail has created enormous demand for brown paper like the kind used to make boxes and other disposable shipping containers. So the economy continues to produce winners and losers the way it always has.
I worked on the Bangor and Aroostook for 45 years its too bad watching Maine railroads die soon there will be only 3 railroads here because there’s no business.
Greg from Wisconsin: Do you know about how many paper mills are left in Wisconsin today? We lived in Wis. from 1972 to 2003 I remember the power of paper mills in the Wis. economy, especially on the Wisconsin River. At one time I believe that about 55 mills existed in the Badger State from the 1970’s forward BBfrom Texas…
The Bucksport branch has an interesting history, having been broad (5’6’‘) and narrow (3’) gauge in its ~140 year history. Also interesting is that trains going from Bangor to Bucksport have to change directions, as the branch connects with the mainline in the “wrong” direction. Would certainly be worth a short story in the Magazine.
What is wrong with lumber in this country?? I had to call Home Depot in Atlanta to ask why I had to buy lumber from Finland? Nobody could answer the question. I was told that they also buy stuff from China … It is all this FSC stuff and the “Green” movement …
Not sure of the total number of mills left in Wisconsin. Off the top of my head, we’ve lost about about 6-8 mills in the last 10-15 years, probably more. From what I see, I think Maine is going to be in for more closures going forward. The mills out there seem to be smaller, less well-maintained, and higher cost than the mills in the upper midwest and south. We’ve got a number of smaller, older mills here as well, but most have transitioned into more specialty products that have higher selling prices.