W. Cambridge Freight Yard Demolished?

[cpf354]

Nells and others: Try to enjoy what you have in your backyard. The commuter trains may all look alike after awhile, but they are still trains. Beacon Park, although it's due to phased out over the next several years, is still around. Nobody has a crystal ball, but it seems clear that the trend towards almost strictly passenger rail within the Route 128 belt is gaining momentum. The economic woes forecast for this year also will have an impact on the freight railroads that could hasten that. For example, if CSX has a bad year, they may look to accelerate retrenchment on their branch line cluster in Mass., and who knows how Pan Am will weather traffic downturns. Carloadings and IM took big hits in the last quarter all over North America. Now is a bad time to be hoping for traffic growth, anyplace.

[NellsChoo]

True, but I like to think positive (did I say that??)

By the way, we looked at the yard the other night and nothing appears to have changed since the last time I was there. The two B&M cars are still there (but the lot isn't next to a post office anymore, now Iggy's bread), and the sidings are still there. Oddly enough, there are still lumber companies there, too.

JD

[NRGeep]

Carloadings and IM took big hits in the last quarter all over North America. Now is a bad time to be hoping for traffic growth, anyplace.

While not wanting to devolve into politics, who knows what the giant upcoming economic stimulus package could bring to US railroads? It may be minimal or if it is a serious attempt at rebuilding/building transportation infrastructure in this country we may see an upturn in freight traffic. Time will tell...

[Mcoov]

Now that the Beacon Park yard in Allston has been sold to the MBTA or MBCR (I don't know which) and will be shut down soon, this leaves Boston with no direct connection with freight railroads. If Pan Am rebuilt the W. Cambridge yard, they would have a virtual monopoly of freight traffic in Boston.

[b&m 1566]

There aren't many customers left in the Boston area, minus Boston Sand and Gravel, so I don't see Pan Am doing much. It will be interesting to see what Newlyweds does though do they go back to Pan Am or truck in from Worcester?
To answer your question, the MBTA bough the line, MBCR is just the contract operator.

[newpylong]

There aren't many customers left in the Boston area, minus Boston Sand and Gravel, so I don't see Pan Am doing much. It will be interesting to see what Newlyweds does though do they go back to Pan Am or truck in from Worcester?
To answer your question, the MBTA bough the line, MBCR is just the contract operator.

I don't know who they are, but there has to be quite a few left - Beacon Park is packed daily. That's all we need here, more road traffic.

[atsf sp]

Now that the Beacon Park yard in Allston has been sold to the MBTA or MBCR (I don't know which) and will be shut down soon, this leaves Boston with no direct connection with freight railroads. If Pan Am rebuilt the W. Cambridge yard, they would have a virtual monopoly of freight traffic in Boston.

I fyou are talking about the yard near the BET, that cannot be rebuilt upon. There are condo projects and beautification projects occuring on that land plus the bridges and all rails are gone. Beacon Parks land is owned by Harvard University but the tracks in some parts cannot ever be torn up by the University because it is a necessary part of the Mass Transportation Department. There is one customer in Boston that Pan Am serves. The trucks are shipped out west and CSX's line even if trucked to is faster and more reliable than PAR's line. Boston freight is dying, cherish it while it lasts.

[mick]

Pan Am could not put a yard back in W. Cambridge even if they wanted to. MBTA owns the property, now uses it as a maintenence facility for MOW equip. Also, think of all the NIMBYS that would cause an uproar if any rail freight yards were proposed to be built anywhere around Boston. Look at all the problems PAR is having in Ayer with NIMBY's at the new Auto Facility, and a proposed rail facility in Woburn by another company is pretty much dead in the water due to NIMBYism.CSX also has problems with NIMBY's in Framingham. Rail freight in Boston is done, over, a relic of the past. The people in Metro Boston will get what they deserve, more trucks clogging their streets.

[GP40MC1118]

1) PAR/ST services four customers in "Boston" - BS&G, Boston Paperboard (who got 1 car last week
after months of inactivity), MS Walker and Schnitzer Steel (scrap - the old Prolerizer NE) in Everett.
They have two customers in the Salem area (Eastman, Univar).

2) West Cambridge - there are actually two yards there. The North Yard, off No.1 Track, is now a
MBTA MW facility. The East Yard, off No.2 Track is dead including the Watertown Branch.
Ownership of the East Yard is unclear, but it was never much of a "yard" compared to the
North Yard.

3) Mick is right about Boston area freight. They deserve what they get.

4) CSX is not out of Beacon Park until a suitable replacement facility is found.

5) Guilford/ST/PAR doesn't want back into Metro Boston freight service anyway. They spent decades
downgrading and selling real estate off.

For the history books: MBTA recently retired three sidings that once were ST customers long ago:
Fitchburg Route: Slide-A-Door in West Concord (at Conant St)
Western Route: TWA siding at the Fells (Wyoming Hill, off No.2 Track)
Deering-Mason Brick in Melrose (off No.1 Track)

D

[b&m 1566]

There aren't many customers left in the Boston area, minus Boston Sand and Gravel, so I don't see Pan Am doing much. It will be interesting to see what Newlyweds does though do they go back to Pan Am or truck in from Worcester?
To answer your question, the MBTA bough the line, MBCR is just the contract operator.

I don't know who they are, but there has to be quite a few left - Beacon Park is packed daily. That's all we need here, more road traffic.

If you’re referring to Newlyweds, they're a bakery located off of the Watertown Branch. Up until early 2008 Pan Am was servicing them directly until they switched to trucks, coming from Beacon Park I believe. Although there is no foreseeable future for when Beacon Park will close as CSX will need a replacement yard the day will come. When the closure happens, I’m wondering if Newlyweds will truck in from the west or go back to Pan Am?

[tom18287]

the deering siding in melrose was actually just removed last week, its too bad. does anyone know when they last got service?

[Mcoov]

That last post by GP40MC1118 was actually very informative. I thought there was only one yard, but apparently there were two.

What's going to happen is the week CSX leaves Beacon Park, diesel prices will go up 175%, and Boston will want their freight yards back.

4) CSX is not out of Beacon Park until a suitable replacement facility is found.

Wasn't CSX going to move their "Boston" yard back to Worcester and truck everything in?

[QB 52.32]

CSX is going to build a new TOFC/COFC facility somewhere between the Brookfields and Westborough, supposedly within the next 5 years according to MA transportation officials. They also will need to find a new home for their bulk transload operation and the G&U has publically stated they'd like to be the new home. Then of course, whatever may be done with the engine and car facilities at Beacon Park. After that, there's the issue whether private companies like Romar or Houghton Chemical would also move...if not, I suspect they'd have to have continued service. And, of course, local service out of Framingham to Chelsea/Everett via the Grand Jct. will have to remain.

What's going on with rail facilities shifting westward has happened in other cities, too...its part of the transportation/distribution evolution as metro land prices rise it drives these activities out in lieue of housing, colleges and high technology. And, the costs of additional trucking into Boston are small in relation to the overall picture and even then, that's declining as the end-customers move outward and away from the city.

[NellsChoo]

Just goes to show what happens when people stop manufacturing... You'd think Boston, being a coastal city, would be prime for getting shipping business. But NOOOOOO... not here in Massachusetts. Let's build more and more condos...

Don't get me going...

[FatNoah]

The city and state are trying to develop more industry and freight business at the seaport in Boston, including expanding rail access to the seaport area and the container terminal (http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority ... ressID=504).

Also, it looks like the Moran terminal in Charlestown is now serving nearly 100% as an auto unloading facility. I drive over the Tobin every day and there's at least one or two vessels a week that unload there. I'm not sure what the ultimate destinations of those cars are.