Seacoast Line was started by a group of investors after a Maine state bond issue was passed to upgrade a state-owned rail corridor running about 120 miles up the coast from Rockland to Calais; in order to revitalize rail service to the area. The $50M bond issue allowed the corridor to be rebuilt with all new continuous welded rail and bringing the line up to modern specifications. The investors teamed up with Cape Ann's purchasing dept. to acquire a suitable locomotive and rolling stock. Cape Ann was also in the market for a good deal on a road switcher, so they bid on two EMD F9's and a pair of servicable EMD BL-2's which were up for auction. For rolling stock, they acquired a quantity of older 40-foot refrigerated potato boxcars which had been stored for years on the Bangor & Aroostook.
The F9's and BL-2's were then rebuilt in Cape Ann's shops to become Seacoast Line 412, 423, 957 and Cape Ann 402. Refrigeration units were rebuilt or replaced. The locos and cars were painted in Cape Ann's Bolton shops, using the same paint scheme for simplicity, but with different colors.
Seacoast Line does not currently offer passenger service.
F9 412 seen north of Pamola
Seacoast Line has two primary sources of traffic: seafood bound the Boston market, and marine engines and associated parts for service at Leslie Marine Services at Marias Industrial Park. The daily run brings seafood south each evening, to interchange with Cape Ann overnight. This allows fresh seafood to reach the Boston market each morning, in less than 24 hours after being pulled from the Atlantic.
Typical 40' Seacoast Line boxcar
The Cape Ann requires cabooses on any freight trains entering its system. Seacoast Line has their own, and also has access to pool cabooses which are under joint ownership of the three roads, and are denoted by a large "P" in place of a roadname.
Rockland Line uses Cape Ann's Bolton Shops at Kenton for major maintenance and repair.
Seacoast Line caboose 2152
Home • Revised Dec 13 2018