Connecticut Southern (CSOR) Discussion

I thought East Windsor was thinking of building an industrial park near Crop Production. Enfield Transit Mix would be another great customer and East Longmeadow had rail service to their industrial park. Milton Bradley was located (or is) there.

Went by Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks CT and went to where CSOR comes through Camp Hartel and saw about 7 flat cars with Military equipment loaded on them, like Gas trucks etc. Not sure if they were going to be dropped off or taken away somewhere? Also saw where switch in that yard had just been worked on with new ballast applied. Then drove back towards Windsor and where track crosses rte 75 and goes between the buildings crews had removed two of the switches to that area. There were about 8 ties that were on the side still waiting to go in. CSOR just removing two leads that have not been used in years just leaving the main yard lead trough the middle of the yard and buildings.

Larry: If I'm not mistaken, I believe from what you are saying, the railroad crosses 75 and they are removing the rails where Park Place parking is now. It used to the Choice Vend factory. Choice Vend - a vending machine maker - left about '85. I hope some industries still have rail. What is served by CSO in Windsor Locks now?

To FLRailFan1

I do not know who CSO services at this time. I believe past posts may have a breakdown of each customer they still have. Yesterday only two cars were parked on the siding that is still used between those buildings. Sometimes though I have seen up to 10 or more cars there. Changes with the weather I guess. If Camp Hartel is moving items out then they maybe losing that customer which is the US Army. I know this base has changed quite a bit over the years and part of it has two Metro North Cars and a Tanker that they use for First Responders practice drills. To me there is so much potential up there but is not being used or the customers don't ship by rail. There is a UPS presence up there as well that I would think could use the rail but doesn't as it uses the airport instead. The State of CT needs to help draw more customers to this area that can ship by rail.

The state needs to draw more customers on all rail lines. G&W should promote NECR and CSO and the state needs to tell the HRR (Housatonic) to either promote itself or they'll get another operator. The HRR could be a great line.

FLRailFan1 wrote:The state needs to draw more customers on all rail lines. G&W should promote NECR and CSO and the state needs to tell the HRR (Housatonic) to either promote itself or they'll get another operator. The HRR could be a great line.

Have you considered a run for State Senate? Maybe Malloy can give you a job in his cabinet.

I doubt Malloy would give me a job, and if I ever move back to CT (and we are thinking of it (missing some things about CT - like the history and the hills especially in fall), we might move to a more right of center area of CT like Ellington. Here, even the local Dems think I'm to Liberal...

I hear you there man. I try my best to be a realistic centrist, which means by right-centrists I'm a left-wing commie pinko (and PROUD to be called that by them!) Although, I more likely fall into Phil Och's definition of "Liberal," that is: "10deg left of center when it comes to politics, 10 deg RIGHT of center when it comes to my own affairs."
But yes, I agree. CT, hills, history... and if you listen to the right politicians, we have it better here than anywhere else in the world!
So, back to topic:
being as "10 deg to the left" as I am, I would LOVE to see as much truck-traffic taken off the roads as anyone else on this forum (except Ken, of course,) and it sure would be cool to see the midland re-laid, ... but the side of me that's "10 deg right of center" says we'll likely colonize Mars first.
Now, that being said, I did some research, and I found out the most direct routing from New London/Groton/Norwich area to Hartford would be a NECR/Midland/CSOR routing via Wilimantic and Manchester. The next most direct would be via Amtrak to Saybrook and up the Valley line. And of course, there's the only other viable option, the now existing NLON-NH change for Amtrak to Hartford.
...so if you run, I just MIGHT vote for you!

[EDIT: I forgot to say: "the most direct COMMUTER/PAX routing..." ]

Larry wrote:Went by Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks CT and went to where CSOR comes through Camp Hartel and saw about 7 flat cars with Military equipment loaded on them, like Gas trucks etc. Not sure if they were going to be dropped off or taken away somewhere?

Twice last week I saw the local coming South from the Suffield branch, one had 17 loaded military flat cars and the other had 8 more. I haven't seen the local each day so I don't know if there have been more cars going out.

Brendan

FLRailFan1 wrote:I doubt Malloy would give me a job, and if I ever move back to CT (and we are thinking of it (missing some things about CT - like the history and the hills especially in fall), we might move to a more right of center area of CT like Ellington. Here, even the local Dems think I'm to Liberal...

No, please don't tell me you'd move to SMELLington! Although, most of their old farms are now probably strip malls like the rest of the area. There used to be a cool barn down there on Route 140 that read "Trespassers will be shot on sight, and we aim to kill." It caused such an uproar after WFSB 3 carried a story on it. Don't want to offend anybody! Not like it used to be. I for one would never go back to deal with the yuppie scum that has taken over. I very much miss the rail variety though!

Can we PLEASE stop with this political crap and get back on topic? This is a railfan site, and there are PLENTY of better places to discuss politics. Myself, I don't care one way or the other whether you folks are Republicans, Democrats, or whatever. My point is, this is not only off-topic, but a huge waste of everyone's time.
Thank you for allowing me to vent.
Peace,
Jonathan

I don't appreciate you disrespecting my residence of Ellington. Especially since I cannot tell whether your greatest contempt is recent arrivals like me (2001, though I am not urban, and not so young), or old time New Englanders who don't appreciate outsiders. We still have many farms (cattle and tobacco) whose fertilizers delight at least one sense.

I'm still amazed that there was once trolley service "downtown" as the area was rural even during the golden age of trolleys. I don't think anything remains of the Rockville-East Windsor spur that was torn up around 1952. I guess my dream of commuting via high-speed rail to my employer will never be realized, and I will have to continue to travel to see CSOR.

In East Hartford, where the old round house was, there is construction going on that is taking away the last piece of evidence where the rail pits were situated in the round house. The round House burned down many years ago but you could still see the rail in the ground where the tracks were inside the round house. All will be forgiven if who ever is doing the construction uses rail for a service but today it just doesn't ever seem to go that way.

Larry wrote:In East Hartford, where the old round house was, there is construction going on that is taking away the last piece of evidence where the rail pits were situated in the round house. The round House burned down many years ago but you could still see the rail in the ground where the tracks were inside the round house. All will be forgiven if who ever is doing the construction uses rail for a service but today it just doesn't ever seem to go that way.

Larry:

The roundhouse was going to be used as a museum for East Hartford's railroad history. I can't believe that it went up in flames, but the owner was leasing it to an auto towing/recovery outfit. If the museum happened (IIRC before Rentschlar was built) if would be nice to see museums in East Hartford before or after a UConn football game.

I was active in East Hartford's politics, since it is my hometown.

Lincoln78 wrote:I don't appreciate you disrespecting my residence of Ellington. Especially since I cannot tell whether your greatest contempt is recent arrivals like me (2001, though I am not urban, and not so young), or old time New Englanders who don't appreciate outsiders. We still have many farms (cattle and tobacco) whose fertilizers delight at least one sense.

I'm still amazed that there was once trolley service "downtown" as the area was rural even during the golden age of trolleys. I don't think anything remains of the Rockville-East Windsor spur that was torn up around 1952. I guess my dream of commuting via high-speed rail to my employer will never be realized, and I will have to continue to travel to see CSOR.

Chill on the nose in the air bit. I was born and raised right outside Ellington. Went to school at their rival town even. So, I don't need any lessons on the farms and such. My parents are still in Tolland. My poke was all in fun, and I don't care how new you are. Even if you had been there 20 years, I still would have poked the joke at you

I worked right near the Manchester Secondary when it was Conrail right through today's Connecticut Southern. When I left CT in 2007, the housing boom hadn't tanked quite yet. The writing was on the wall though. At the time, the Farmers Cooperative was still taking hoppers. Sanford & Hawley was so busy, they were using their track and the brick company's as well for all the lumber and drywall that was pouring in. I can recall the old Agway being served when I was younger. All those Conrail B23-7s! I can't even remember all the names of the area roads any more.

The only thing I ever remember from the Rockville-East Windsor Melrose Branch was the bridge that was over 83 way back. If you go by the town's(Vernon) waste water place during Winter, you can maybe still see where the branch used to cross the Hockanum River.