Fitchburg Line Upgrade Discussion

I was on the 408 this morning and it was on the new #1 track when it arrived at Littleton. There were 15-20 workers assembled with some track equipment in the old Littleton station parking lot. We hit speed restrictions east of Concord and again in places through Lincoln and Weston. It appeared to me that 1 grade crossing in Lincoln had been rebuilt over the weekend. The crossing at Hastings was guarded as there appeared to be work being done to the gates. Otherwise I could not see the point of the speed restrictions - perhaps some work done over the weekend that I could not see from the train. In any care, we were about 15 minutes late into North Station.

CPF363 wrote:Is there any plan to install a universal cross-over at CPF-WL? This would allow trains to cross over from main to main from both the Fitchburg Main Line and the Stoney Brook at CPF-WL.

Educated guess, but I believe so. This photo (taken with permission as a journalist) shows the interlocking looking east. The gap between the searchlight signals protecting the interlocking and their replacements (triangular Type G, turned to the field) is about the length of a crossover.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee26 ... G_3292.jpg

(Apologies for quality, this was shot through a very dirty cab car window and is mostly unedited.)

Rather rough ride on the Fitchburg Route this morning (9/17) due to signal issues and speed restrictions. The first delay Train 408 hit was near the Willows- we ran at restricted speed from CPF-WL all the way to Littleton-495 station using the "original" track (Track 1). Boarded on the "inbound" side at Littleton. From there, normal speed through S Acton and into Concord. Once we hit Concord, we got stabbed for what appeared to be a 20-25 mph speed restriction through Concord Station and well into Lincoln. Lots of construction vehicles around the Great Road grade crossing. We picked up the pace through Weston, but then ended up stopped east of Brandeis/Roberts on account of Train 453 occupying the single track through Waltham. Once 453 was in the clear, normal track speed to Boston. Train 408 arrived at North Station at approximately 8:15. The conductor said that the speed restrictions might be in place for the foreseeable future and to plan accordingly.

-Mike

mdamico23 wrote:Rather rough ride on the Fitchburg Route this morning (9/17) due to signal issues and speed restrictions. The first delay Train 408 hit was near the Willows- we ran at restricted speed from CPF-WL all the way to Littleton-495 station using the "original" track (Track 1). Boarded on the "inbound" side at Littleton. From there, normal speed through S Acton and into Concord. Once we hit Concord, we got stabbed for what appeared to be a 20-25 mph speed restriction through Concord Station and well into Lincoln. Lots of construction vehicles around the Great Road grade crossing. We picked up the pace through Weston, but then ended up stopped east of Brandeis/Roberts on account of Train 453 occupying the single track through Waltham. Once 453 was in the clear, normal track speed to Boston. Train 408 arrived at North Station at approximately 8:15. The conductor said that the speed restrictions might be in place for the foreseeable future and to plan accordingly.

-Mike

Right with you there Mike. It was awful this morning. Apparently there was a new bulletin put out by PAR about cars at the Willow crossing no longer causing speed restrictions (yesterday I believe). The word was, this wasn't passed along correctly so the engineer (rightfully so) went full stop and then ran at full restricted caution until the next signal

Let me clarify a bit, when the now #2 track was placed into service at CPF-WL a bulletin was put out for all trains to provide on ground warning at willows road due to rusty rail conditions which in turn was just canceled Monday. I will not elaborate any further as to what possibly happened this am because we are at risk of potentially getting someone in trouble.

There is a lot speculation to what happened and no facts. Lets move on.

No need to get anybody in trouble. Commuting on the Fitchburg has been rough this week - I had a 2.5 hour commute yesterday (Green line contributed - missed the 5:40 out of North Station). However, the way I look at it, the Fitchburg is finally getting some long needed lovin from the MBTA. It'll be good once all the work is done. Until then delays can be expected as track, signals and crossings get worked on. Yes, it's a hassle, but anything worthwhile is. I choose to keep my eyes on the prize - which is why I am on this board - I want to know what that prize is going to look like!

Nothing wrong about it. Whatever happened there was such a minor part of the delays.

You have to take the bad to get the good. Plus us "newtimers" to the line need a taste of the good old days before we are spoiled like the Lowell line

There was a work crew at the Central St. Acton crossing nearest the station...not sure what they were doing, but perhaps they are finally looking to running the new track through the crossing soon.

Looked like a big pile of ballast on the station side of the crossing that I don't recall being there, but it has been a while since I've been by.

A little bit blurry, but here's what Wachusett looked like from the air on Sunday.

Just west of Lincoln station, where the tracks separate with enough room for a third track in between, they are doing just that. There is a couple hundred feet of new track on the far west of the gap and a switch installed on the inbound track (can feel it as we go over it) to reach it. Anybody know what this is all about?

They are building an interlocking just west of the station. The gap was an old "middle track" that was a common passing siding design found throughout the Boston and Maine. The new track will be the new number one track and the existing number one track will be removed. Using this gap speeds up the construction process.

Thanks Sery. As always, appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share it.

Lincoln's middle track rails were removed a long time ago. The ties were there when I first started running on the tracks (I think people here call it "trespassing") in the early seventies, but I cannot remember when they disappeared.

The footbridge about a quarter mile west of the station is a relic of the easement from Codman farm when the line was laid in 1844. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codman_House" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The current bridge has supports in the center and will need to be altered/removed. I was there a few months ago and the bridge seems to be in good condition. Its predecessor arched over all three tracks and was in very rough shape when it was replaced sometime between 1970 and 1972 (only half was accessable- the other half had been boarded off). Some of the foundation work is probably original.

I'm a just too young to remember Lincoln's station, which was replaced around 1963 by the current office building/stores east of Lincoln Road (formerly Richardson's and then Three S Drug store).

The bridge supports are not in the way. The number one track will shift to the south after it passes under the bridge. When they are done with this section you will not be able to tell there was a middle track here, it will just look like a stretch of double track everywhere else on the line.