Manchester, N.H., June 15, 2009****A substation in Conway will be the final stop for a massive piece of electrical equipment that has traveled from half-a-world away. A two-piece electrical transformer, manufactured in China and weighing about 411 tons (822,000 pounds), is currently being moved from Searsport, Maine and is expected to arrive at a North Conway rail siding around June 20.
The transformer is part of a planned upgrade by PSNH of its Saco Valley Substation in Conway. The equipment will help to ensure that current and future customer demand can be met by facilitating the movement of energy throughout the northern New England region.
A Mix of New and Old
While the new transformer is state-of-the-art technology, it is being delivered with the help of historic and reliable transportation sources. It will travel by rail through Maine, Canada, and Vermont to New Hampshire on a “Schnabel Car,”—a uniquely designed rail car that suspends its oversized cargo between two ends, thus making the load itself part of the car. From Whitefield, NH the transformer will begin a historic journey through the spectacular Crawford Notch as it is transported under special partnership and cooperation with the Conway Scenic Railroad, Inc.
“We are pleased and proud to be a part of this unique project,” said Russ Seybold, Conway Scenic Railroad, Inc. General Manager. “It’s incredibly exciting to experience the use of such an historic railroad with such modern technology.”
The final rail destination will be at a rail siding on Depot Street in North Conway, where the two pieces will be separately off-loaded onto a 12-axle Goldhofer heavy hauler, operated by Marino Crane, for a final four mile over-the-road journey down Routes 16 and 302, ending at the PSNH substation on East Conway Road in Conway. Exact dates of delivery are being determined with the various transportation agencies.
New Hampshire communities along the rail route include North Stratford, Northumberland, Groveton, Lancaster, Jefferson, Whitefield, Carroll, Twin Mountain, Bretton Woods, Bartlett, North Conway, and Conway.
The transportation project has been undertaken by PSNH and its vendor Marino Crane while working closely with state and local government agencies, as well as CR England Trucking, the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, New Hampshire Central Railroad, and Conway Scenic Railroad, Inc.