MBTA (Keolis) crew qualifications on non-revenue lines

I'm curious as to what lines have MBTA crews qualified to operate on them but are not a revenue line.

I know the most obvious one is the Grand Junction. There is also Pan Am's Freight Mainline between Lowell and Willows, which sees somewhat regular MOW movements as I understand it.

BostonUrbEx wrote:I'm curious as to what lines have MBTA crews qualified to operate on them but are not a revenue line.

I know the most obvious one is the Grand Junction. There is also Pan Am's Freight Mainline between Lowell and Willows, which sees somewhat regular MOW movements as I understand it.

I think they still require a PAR crewmember to accompany on the Lowell Branch and Stony Brook Branch. Stony Brook definitely, since that's how they staged the public safety drill in Fitchburg on one of the service outage weekends where the mainline inside 128 was being worked on. Though neither of those lines would be hard to get PAR permission for qualification if they needed to use them more often.

Worcester Branch (and the P&W-ownership Gardner Branch overlap in downtown Worcester) they have been able to move solo on for few years now. Framingham Secondary end-to-end Framingham to Mansfield also fair game now that sale transaction's been closed.

BostonUrbEx wrote:I'm curious as to what lines have MBTA crews qualified to operate on them but are not a revenue line.

I know the most obvious one is the Grand Junction. There is also Pan Am's Freight Mainline between Lowell and Willows, which sees somewhat regular MOW movements as I understand it.

With the exception of the grand junction 90% of T&E crews aren't qualified on any of the non revenue lines. The non revenue is extra and normally only open to a select few to qualify on.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:Worcester Branch (and the P&W-ownership Gardner Branch overlap in downtown Worcester) they have been able to move solo on for few years now.

Huh, so those hospital trains during the Grand Junction shutdown were operated by an MBTA crew?

8th Notch wrote:

BostonUrbEx wrote:I'm curious as to what lines have MBTA crews qualified to operate on them but are not a revenue line.

I know the most obvious one is the Grand Junction. There is also Pan Am's Freight Mainline between Lowell and Willows, which sees somewhat regular MOW movements as I understand it.

With the exception of the grand junction 90% of T&E crews aren't qualified on any of the non revenue lines. The non revenue is extra and normally only open to a select few to qualify on.

Figured as much, didn't mean to imply or seem I was inquiring which lines are a part of standard qualifying procedure. Also, as I understand it, to qualify you must qualify on 100% of a revenue side (North or South), is that right? And if so, does one side (or both?) have to qualify on the Grand Junction? Or is that not necessary, but just common to be qualified on?

During the Grand Jct shutdown they did run with a pilot for a short period until 1 or 2 dedicated crews became qualified. They normally ran with the crew qualified on both north and south side that way they could take the equipment for the duration of the trip. As far as normal qualifying practices, if the company is paying you to do it then you are required to complete one entire side (Grand Jct is part of south side territory).

BostonUrbEx wrote:
Figured as much, didn't mean to imply or seem I was inquiring which lines are a part of standard qualifying procedure. Also, as I understand it, to qualify you must qualify on 100% of a revenue side (North or South), is that right? And if so, does one side (or both?) have to qualify on the Grand Junction? Or is that not necessary, but just common to be qualified on?

There are Conductors that are qualified on individual lines. If you are fully qualified South then you have the Grand Junction Branch to get to BET. North Side qualified crews do not qualify the Grand Junction. There are a few Conductors qualified on both side. There are more engineers qualified North and South. But the longer you work the harder it is keep qualified on all the lines. So many give up one side at some point.

sery2831 wrote:

BostonUrbEx wrote:
Figured as much, didn't mean to imply or seem I was inquiring which lines are a part of standard qualifying procedure. Also, as I understand it, to qualify you must qualify on 100% of a revenue side (North or South), is that right? And if so, does one side (or both?) have to qualify on the Grand Junction? Or is that not necessary, but just common to be qualified on?

There are Conductors that are qualified on individual lines. If you are fully qualified South then you have the Grand Junction Branch to get to BET. North Side qualified crews do not qualify the Grand Junction. There are a few Conductors qualified on both side. There are more engineers qualified North and South. But the longer you work the harder it is keep qualified on all the lines. So many give up one side at some point.

How long's it take to 1) get the full slate of qualifications on a side, and 2) refresh said qualifications?

Two to three months North and about five to six months South doing it full time. To requal probably about half that since you have to start all over if you lapsed. So it's not worth letting lapse if you want it. Plus you only get paid to do it once.

Is there anyone qualified to run on perhaps the most obscure MBTA-owned non-revenue line, The Greenville Branch? I can not imagine there ever be a reason to run on the Greenville, other than some MOW car storage past the end of the active line in Ayer (perhaps once the Green Line Extension really gets under way), but just curious that if the call ever comes, if they could go up the Greenville if need be?

Thanks...

-Mike

mdamico23 wrote:Is there anyone qualified to run on perhaps the most obscure MBTA-owned non-revenue line, The Greenville Branch? I can not imagine there ever be a reason to run on the Greenville, other than some MOW car storage past the end of the active line in Ayer (perhaps once the Green Line Extension really gets under way), but just curious that if the call ever comes, if they could go up the Greenville if need be?

Thanks...

-Mike

Track inspections. MassDOT borrows an F40, cab car, and Amfleet's Corridor Clipper inspection car when it's due to run an inspection of any state-owned line. Including passenger-zero places like the Yarmouth stub of the Cape Main, the Ware Secondary out in Central MA, the Milford Branch (it's T lease even though CSX is landlord, and NERail has pics of Purple Line trains pulling the Clipper through Bellingham Jct. within last 2 years). And now that they've bought the Berkshire Line...seeing what safety horrors Housatonic RR has clipped to its rotting ties. But I have no idea who those crews are since they'd have to carry all the special inspection staff to run the inspection equipment in the Clipper car. That's probably the only time the G'ville ever sees T equipment. If they need MOW storage there's too many yards in Ayer with 24/7 onsite security they can borrow a parking spot in to ever bother going that far afield.

G'ville, Millis Industrial, Peabody, and the Bedford Branch (+ Shop Interlocking leads) are the very last active freight-only lines that are T-owned and not MassDOT-owned. East Boston Branch being an OOS one that's non-abandoned and could come to life again. Highly doubt they ever touch G'ville or Millis (especially now that it's severed from Needham Jct.). They do make occasional trips to Billerica Shops, and I guess could have to use the Bedford Branch if Shop Interlocking was down for maint. Peabody's convenient for stuffing MOW equipment in the North St. Yard area, but that's not even venturing out of eyeshot from the mainline.