Lowell Line - Winchester, Woburn, Wilmington Spottings

The NHN power made it back to Dover. However, PAR ordered the NHN 3825 to
be left at Dover, which it was. Perhaps some damage issues from the Mystic Jct
derailment that need to be addressed by PAR.

MEC 514 and a box, low gon, tank and bulkhead flat of lumber through Wilmington off the Wildcat at 14:36.

Yesterday around 15:00 306 was switching the NHN sand loads at Boston Sand and Gravel. The loads alon he siding at Anderson where gone this morning. The yard at Tighe in Winchester was empty this morning. The lead to yard 8 is OOS with a rolled section of rail.

Two loads at Atlantic Plywood. Tighe in Woburn had 3 cars. Tighe in Winchester had both tracks full. Yard 8 lead has new ties and rail in place but still OOS. Work has started to tear up the 3rd track (not sure what it’s called) in Somerville, probably a couple hundred feet removed so far. 316 was parked behind BET.

514 at Iron Horse this morning with 4-5 tank cars. Eight loads at Tighe in Winchester. Yard 8 lead is in service and has a string of cars parked. 317 was behind BET.

Not a lot going on tonight. Though I did get a perfect view of the gravel train going over Cross St in Winchester. Perfect timing. A few cars in the normal spots.
Oh and that tractor trailer that had been parked on top of the Wilmington Cold Storage branch has finally been moved. Moved because a train is on the way? Probably not.

Also, slightly off topic, but I got to Reading station around 12:58 and the Woburn St gates were down and dinging, loudly. The pedestrian warning lights were also flashing and dinging loudly. The other gates at the other end were not down. But the thing is... there was no train. I waited at least 10 minutes, nothing. As I pedaled away, those things kept on dinging. Clearly a malfunctioning gate. Must be really annoying for people that live right there and wanted to sleep. Bummerrrrrr.

There are rumors of a customer going in at Industrial Way Park(where Cold Storage is located).

D

oooh that would be very cool.

GP40MC1118 wrote:There are rumors of a customer going in at Industrial Way Park(where Cold Storage is located).

D

That would be good news (both new business and to keep the spur active).
They have been doing a lot of work rebuilding the warehouse opposite WCS (it is the first building on the spur). I have been wondering about that one too and if maybe, just maybe they were going to be getting rail service. Either one would be good news...

Stephen

I had the same thoughts about that newly renovated warehouse. But once they wrapped it up, it no longer looks like the kind of place that would have any need for rail service. But who knows. But WCS-area activity would make me happy.

Well, that spur will need a lot of sprucing up if any service is going to be rendered. The tracks leading to WCS are obstructed by a down tree and a lot of brush. The track that leads behind Wilmington Builders' door and window warehouse is now a forest of maple and oak in the gauge.

They can take care of that brush in no time. The siding was used less than 10 years ago. An hour or two with a saw will clear that all right out. And the crossing are still in place. I assume the switch connection to the mainline is, though I've never poked around over there. It should take no time it app to whip it into passable 3mph condition.

... says the guy that's only ever cut trails for mountain bike and hiking use :D

No sign of life on the wilmington cold storage spur yet. The flanges on both road crossings are filled in wish fresh asphalt. Not a whole layer, more like pothole-filling around the rails. If that siding comes back to life, I will be very excited!

Scrap dealer at beginning of spur is supposed to start using rail.

Too, or is that the only one? They still have a box car way back there on their own disconnected sub-siding.