Connecticut River Line (Pan Am)

Stp243 wrote:Theres a lot of tree clearing going on from Mt. Tom Junction, past the power plant and south along route 5. Anyone know what the purpose is?

MassDOT (by contractor) is completely clearing the RofW of decades worth of growth from one end to the other for safety purposes.

Makes sense, there were some sizable trees that would have blocked the tracks had they fallen. Thanks Bill

Lately, elsewhere in the state, on the RR, I've seen that they've installed a new pole line with fiber after cutting back the overgrowth...

That would be for PTC, and as far as I'm aware there will not be PTC on the Conn River.

Looks like an accident at the box plant crossing.
http://wwlp.com/2018/03/16/car-struck-b ... rthampton/

Edit.

Latest news. Driver drunk. Warning lights were flashing.

Rich

Not the first time there's been an incident here by any means. There's been numerous close-calls, as well. Seems there's always drunk drivers failing to see trains here. I feel for the crews that have to make that switch, must be daunting.

We used to put fusees down on each side of the xing. Now they have lights right?

Yes they do and they were working. Mass Live News. Around 12:30 AM.
I drive that way a lot for twenty years and bike Rt 5 a lot during good weather. A few times I had to stop for a freight delivering, picking up. Waited until they were back on the main. Never in a hurry when train watching. Got to be careful crossing rails with a bicycle.

Rich

Work being done on the siding near the former Mt. Tom power station. Seems to be concentrated on the bridge over the outlet for the oxbow. From what I can see from the road it's new ties across the bridge. Is the whole siding getting new ties?

Drove by the bridge over the oxbow mid day today. There was a truck on each side of the bridge with crews working on the siding. There was also a swingmaster (?) on the main on the bridge. I was driving, so didn’t get a detailed look at the work they were performing, but seems consistent with replacing the ties.

Crew was surfacing in the immediate area of the bridge today. Equipment was active on the siding, but there was also some fresh ballast & disturbance around the mainline switch for PCA.
The tie bundle with the “Stop” painted on it blocking the siding has been removed.
There was a BM gondola on the Mt Tom siding. Probably related to the track maintenance as I don’t believe any scrap from the plant is to be removed by rail.

Can you get some pictures next pass?

"On Thursday, as Pan Am employees worked to get the locomotives back on the tracks, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart wrote to the railroad and asked what it planned to do to prevent further derailments in the area.

“There is obviously a problem with the condition of the railroad tracks which needs to be addressed by Pan Am immediately,” Stewart wrote. “In addition, these derailments are having an economic effect on businesses on Columbus Boulevard.”"

http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check out the tie under the coupler! Looks like it's crumbling to pieces. You have a few of these in a row, what's left to keep a piece of stick rail spiked down?

This line is in desperate need of ties ,ballast and surfacing.
As a track inspector they just put in Columbus Ave crossing I could not believe that they surfaced the xing but just north of it was a huge warp( track looks like it is twisted) in the track. This could be seen from the road!
I was thinking why did they not take care of that !!
Also looks like EDPL and PLED are alternating runs every night now.

That's the modus operandi unfortunately. Why do it right one time for $20 when you can half ass it for $15 and fix it later.