Bay Colony RR operations

tonight, 4/9, i was driving on Summer st. in Taunton, MA, and i saw the Bay Colony engine sittin on the track below with its train behind the engine (the cars were in the direction of the CSX Middleboro Sec. and the engine was facing in the Stoughton direction)

ok my question is, does the Bay Colony always leave their train here on week nights to interchange w/ CSX the next morning, and then the crew picks it up there?

what days does the Bay Colony work? M-F's?

That's a very odd place to leave their engine, since its always tied down at
end of track up at Ventura Grain. Wonder if its derailed or some cars are
derailed? You're sure it was Summer St (which is Route 140)?

BCLR works the Dean Street Industrial as needed, maybe a couple of times a week. It might be the same crew that does the Watuppa line,
which is back to mostly Tuesday/Thursday.

It's hard to say when and what time they work the line though. Haven't
railfanned this line in a while. Taunton is hard to get around and this line
doesn't have the best access in a lot of spots either.

Dave

yea this was the 140 overpass, and i found it very odd to see the engine and the train there

where is the Watuppa line?

The Watuppa Line is acutally the old NH branch from New Bedford to
Fall River (13 miles). Now BCLR's Westport Line...

D

there is an engine that they store on the Watuppa line correct? and the other one they keep on Dean St. branch?

now that you mention it, as of today 4/12 CSX has not gone down the New Bedford Sec. since at least last friday the rails are all rusty from the last rail fall, sat. so what does BLCR do in these situations when they dont' get cars from CSX, just wait and suspend operations till they get some ?

Here's some past and present shots of the Dean Street Branch (as the Conrail crews used to refer to this line...):

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ydate%3A45

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ydate%3A45

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 1%3ACSX/NH

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... Bay_Colony

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... Bay_Colony

I don't think the Bay Colony Crews would let the engine sit below Summer Street overnight for threat of vandalism (surrounding neighborhoods not so great from Summer Street south to Weir Junction - - As "D" said, Ventura Grain is the place for tie-up. Perhaps there was a mechanical problem - - maybe even a derailment. There is a section of rail just south of Summer Street that has been known to derail a train.

Around the time I took those pictures of the branch in the early 80s, I watched the train crawl up toward Weir Jct and suddenly stop. No movement for some time. Later in the day, I decided to hop on my bike and ride up to the overpass, there the train sat just south of Summer Street. As I cautiously approached the engine, I saw the engineer resting, eyes closed, feet up. I asked him what was the matter, and he pointed down to the wheels - -off the track. He invited me up into the cab and introduced himself as Edward Smith. He explained they were waiting for a block and tackle to re-rail the engine. "D", have you ever met Mistah Smith? He most likely retired in the mid-late 80s.

Rumor has it (from the local neighborhood kid population that has taken over that age-group railfanning job from myself ) that Bay Colony does operate some nights, too. I fully respect the credibility of this statement from one particular young individual -- he knows his trains, and I know from personal experience that he is paying attention.

The 1704 is on the Watuppa Branch. I know CSX was down Tuesday to NB and might've been down today. I heard them Tuesday on the scanner.
As far as BCLR waiting for CSX, BCLR probably runs the cars down to NB
whether CSX shows or not. This probably accounts for cars being left on the north leg of the wye.

Dont's remember an engineer named Ed Smith, but then again he could've been a spare working the job that day. I am more familiar with
the New Bedford crews - Tweedy, Joe Zibrick (sp?), Hubba Hubba Ryan,
John Jason, Joe Kitchen, etc...

D

how does the interchagne work in NB? does CSX leave the cars for the bay colony on teh south leg of the WYE and then switch engines and take the north loaded cars back to Cotely?

How they work the interchange depends on what types of cars CSX has got in their train. In other words, if B727 has E.Freetown, Wainer or sludge cars there are extra moves made.

When BCLR first came to town, the usual move was:

BCLR arrived at Deane Street on the south leg of the wye, back their
cars off on the mainline north of the wye switch, put the engine back
on the south leg and waited for B727.

B727 would arrive and nose on to the BCLR delivery, then shove
everything south of the wye switch at Deane Street. CSX would
then shove the BCLR delivery on to the south leg. If there was no
local CSX traffic in the mix, B727 then just backed off the wye and
head north up the mainline back to Taunton (Cotely).

Having Freetown or Wainer (New Bedford) cars in the train causes
an extra move. What would happen was that B727 would back off
the wye, then take their train north on the mainline to clear the
wye switch. BCLR would then shove the Freetown/Wainer cars off
the wye to the mainline south of the switch for B727 to tie on later.

But I digress because BCLR sometimes leaves their CSX delivery
on the north leg of the wye at Nash Road. Also adding to variables
is when the sludge traffic starts up in New Bedford yard. Last summer
B727 would just drop its BCLR block in the usual spot, but then head
down to NB yard. BCLR, in this scenario, leaves its CSX delivery on
the north leg for CSX to pickup on the way out of town.

Confused yet?

D

hahaha yes, yes i am, you lost me, i just will have to draw it out, and read it over and over, lol

when you said Deane St., do you mean somehting else, whcih street is Deane St. in NB? In taunton, is that the Dean St. branch (diff. spelling?)

Deane Street in New Bedford - no relation to Dean St Industrial Track in
Taunton.

Deane Street is an undergrade bridge, north end of the elevated track.
Also where the south leg of the Watuppa wye connects to the mainline.

FYI - Bridges north to south on the elevated or viaduct in New Bedford
are Deane St, Sawyer St, Coggeshal St, Cedar Grove (closed), Weld
Square/St, Logan St.

d

ahhh ok thanks a lot