Connecticut Southern (CSOR) Discussion

Went out to Manchester CT today and saw that something went over the rails to the end of the line to clear the snow but saw no cars or equipment anywhere. I have not seen anything on the line in the last few months. If no new customers come forward I am scared to think CTDOT gets the line and makes it a busway. It is theirs for the taking if CSOR can't get anything else started on this line.

CSOR owns it lock, stock. Seeing as how sale negotiations over the abandoned Suffield Branch have been delayed for years now over asking price, G&W doesn't seem to be in any mood to part with property. Very unlikely there'd be a change in status here. They're actively maintaining the line and it isn't totally devoid of industrial abutters who could reel in a new customer.

One empty centerbeam parked in the Manchester yard as of yesterday.

Must have been for Sanford and Holly. Didn't know they were still getting any shipments in. Do they use the ramp for Brick deliveries to unload?

Was in Springfield yesterday and saw CSOR roll out twice at about 12:40 and 12:55 headed for Hartford. Probably not 20 cars between the two unfortunately, old CSOR yellows leading the first train and old NECRs leading the second.

The brick company (south side of the siding) appears to have a portable ramp. The lumber company (north side) has a loading dock but the tracks are disconnected. There is a paved drive that should be able to accommodate a forklift, as the centerbeams are also parked on the siding instead of just leaving them on the mainline (not a lot of through traffic...).

I saw a boxcar there about a week ago, no longer there today. Yesterday afternoon there were three hoppers parked at the CNZR interchange in South Windsor.

I watched Friday 4-28-17 CSO-1 go South to New Haven at Island Road in Windsor CT with two engines and two cars followed up by CSO-4 going south to Hartford yard with two engines and two cars only. Slim pickings for a Friday for both trains. Island road is also going to be shut down for rail crossing work. Ties and rail already in place for this to happen for the Amtrak Htfd-Sprg line track two project. Amtrak 56 then came by 1/2 hour later going North about 7 minutes late.

Only 4 cars that whole day? One day in 2002, I remember a train going south with 78 cars, including 5 flat cars with steel beams. I guess CSO don't use the East Hartford yard anymore.

How long will Island Road be closed? Double tracking it?

Google imagery was updated only a few months ago and shows East Hartford about half full with about 50 empty gons and a quartet of boxcars. Fuller than the 2016 imagery on 3D View, FWIW, even though the '17 view shows Hartford-proper yard a little less full than '16 and also sporting mostly empty gons. I guess it depends what time you look, but available evidence doesn't point to any dramatic dropoff in usage of the east-of-river storage.

CSO can still haul the large train but it is usually on Monday and Tuesday, then it slowly goes down from there during the rest of the week. CSO - 1 the other day had 35 and CSO-4 came down from West Springfield with 16 or so. All depends on the day.

As for East Hartford, just storage of the gondolas and one team track with the four box cars along with a car for the South Windsor Armory branch which is for produce usually. I heard now that they take and put the Manchester line OOS until they get a car of bricks or wood for S&H and then they run the truck up the line to make sure ok and then send the cars up the line. When the done and cars are removed it goes back to OOS. I also found out that the wood ties in Hartford yard that were placed there in the fall by Amtrak are for CSO. Not sure where they will use them as the yard was worked over all last fall. There is about 2500 wood ties set aside on the Manchester lead that Amtrak delivered.

As for Island road, yes they put in the second track crossing last weekend and this weekend they are placing in the second track at Meadow Street in Windsor CT(weather does not look to good though) so we shall have to see.

I was just in East Hartford CT yard and there is a new company moving in where the SW line breaks from the Manchester line. I saw a gentlemen walking by and asked him what the company was and he said it was going to be a cleaning supply company. I asked if he would be getting and rail service and he said no, the have 6 semi trucks deliver it all around New England. The building they are now housed in has rail siding but a gain will not be used for rail, trucks win out again.

That is Hillyard-Rovic. They are moving from Manchester to EaHa. They wouldn't use rail service as they are basically a distribution company for small quantities of cleaning and janitorial supplies.

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CSO - 1 today had 61 cars in tow going South to New Haven from West Springfield and the bulk of it was C&D cars. CSO-4 had 82 cars in tow and again most were C&D cars headed to the Hartford yard. What surprised me though was about 8 TTX cars that were empty. Not sure why these cars are coming this way south and who are they for, does anyone know.

I should have said that the TTX cars are flat cars that hold Tractor Trailers and I see they parked them on the farthest track over next to where there can be lots of trucks parked. Not sure what this is all about.

I would love to see CT get an intermodal facility. Neither Worcester nor West Springfield are convenient to CT's center of gravity. Lacking any deep wisdom I would think that New Haven, New Britain/Meriden or even Plainville (PAR) could be a decent addition to the state's broke infrastructure. The NHHS line should be able to handle more traffic when the double tracking is complete.