Yard 21 - Somerville

CRail wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:26 pm Mod Note: Merged with existing Yard 21 topic, thanks dieciduej for the link!

Ruh roh raggy!

Work has been going on with the Yard 21 lead tracks.

Last month they cut all the brush and cleaned everything up.

Today I noticed that the removed the set of rails closest to the retaining wall.

Are they removing it for the sake of removing it? Do they need to remove them to to repair the retaining wall?

Or are they planning some thing else. Such as redoing this section of rail to make it usable again?

I wonder if the set of rails closest to the Orange line will be coming out soon as well.

Thanks. Please keep us informed. This is all very interesting.

I see they are building new housing right next to the Mystic Wharf Branch. Just what we need . . . more NIMBYS to block the reactivation whenever it might happen.

RenegadeMonster wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:39 pm Work has been going on with the Yard 21 lead tracks.

Last month they cut all the brush and cleaned everything up.

Today I noticed that the removed the set of rails closest to the retaining wall.

I took this picture from an Orange Line train this morning of the Yard 21 Lead track removal. They were using the trackage next to the OL for Hyrailers.

The Yard 21 leads - 3rd & 4th Irons are being rehabbed for service. There will be about a three engine length
stub at the Assembly Square end for an engine/engines to runaround their train.

D

Is this for the PAR freights that will now have to use the Yard 10 lead to get to the Eastern Route, because of the GLX?

Primarily for PAR to store cars or runaround trains in the FX area. They literally have no yard space
anymore since GLX took away Yard 8. There is space out to Everett now that CSX is out of there.
MBTA also uses these tracks to access the T-Pad which is inside the wye at FX.

D

"T-Pad"?

MBTA3247 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:09 pm"T-Pad"?

I believe he is referring to what the T calls tracks that have a section paved like a crossing so a hy-rail vehicle can drive on to the track and lower its hy-rail gear. They are necessary where there are not grade crossings within a reasonable distance. Usually called a truck pad.

No, the T-Pad is the fenced in area inside the wye at FX. Top end is just off Innerbelt Road, its
the fenced-in area between the two legs of the wye.

D

Both Yard 21 tracks are supposed to be rebuilt.

Both Yard 21 tracks have now been removed.

All ties form track 1 have now been removed as well.

What are they doing further down. Are they making a connection to the mainline heading towards North Station?

There is no need to make a connection to North Station. A crossover known as the 645 has always
been in place within FX Interlocking that allows a westward move towards Tower A via Mainlines 1-3.

D

Here is a photo, I took on Sunday (1/12/20), of ROW where the Yard 21 leads were. Can someone clarify the track numbers, please.

3rd Iron is along the retaining wall, the 4th Iron is next to the Orange Line