Eastern Route questions

If I recall correctly there is a hold out rule at the station. Are you sure it wasn't just because of that?

Yes, We are an express inbound train. We slowed down per usually when crossing the bridge then slammed on the breaks and stopped. Control car probably stopped on the bridge Then we inched forwarded again and hit the brakes again. We were stopped for a couple minutes then continued on.

The Outbound train was stopped exactly where their drawbridge starts on the south side of the bridge.

So we are already passed the riverworks station when we stopped / held

The engineer didn't "hit" or "slam on" the brakes, these are sensationalist terms that the modern media loves but they don't mean anything. You're referring to a hard application, and it sounds like it was caused by a PC hit (the noun, not the verb). A PC hit is a fault on the locomotive that results in a power knockout and an involuntary brake application. That would explain the second abrupt stop.

Interesting. That makes since.

Still doesn't explain why the outbound train waited on the other side of the drawbridge for us to completely clear it before preceding.

If any part of the inbound train was still thought to be in the passenger station, the outbound train would have to wait until your train cleared the station.

RenegadeMonster wrote:Interesting. That makes since.

Still doesn't explain why the outbound train waited on the other side of the drawbridge for us to completely clear it before preceding.

The reason is that by holding west of the interlocking he is looking at a clear signal. If he passed that signal, and then stopped to wait for the train in the station; he would have to, according to rule, proceed at Restricted Speed to the next signal. By waiting where he can see the signal, that requirement is moot.

The last few weeks they have been doing a lot of track work through Chelsea.

Essentially they have been removing all the rails and ties from the old sidings on either side of the row, even the ones that are still connected to the main line.

Are they just cleaning things up or is a more extensive project about to get underway, such as extending the Silver Line to the casino which may require them shifting the main line over to make room?

I think they've started on the new CR Station @ Silver Line terminus (Market Basket). Maybe they are prepping to move the tracks temporarily away from the site or align with new platform?

Contract was awarded in May.

https://www.mbta.com/projects/chelsea-c ... il-station

Nice renders showing SL3-style station design at link above (too wide for rr.net primative img tags)