CSX Track Upgrades & Infrastructure of Pan Am

When you look at the mileage between NH state line and switch in Andover it is probably about 12 miles, than on their own track to Lowell about 10 miles than 4-5 miles to N Chelmsford than about 15 miles to Ayer total about 40 miles with multiple switches to go through AND slow spots on curves, so it really is not worth going 60 mph you would be on and off the throttle.Is the bridge in haverhill still 10 mph.Does anyone have the exact mileage for these segments.

I see post under CSX milepost the new csx mileposts on csx.NH state line MP 91 AND Littleton MP127 ,SO 36 MILES STATE LINE TO LITTLETON.Littleton to Ayer should be less than 4 miles. TOTAL NH STATE LINE TO AYER IS LESS THAN 40 MILES.

If CSX is upgrading the track to 60 will that make the Downeaster have a faster route? How do these things normally go?

CSX isn't upgrading the track. It is currently class 4 track that allows passenger trains to run at 80 mph and freight at 60 mph. CSX wants its trains to run at the max allowed speed.

The tamper and regulator that have been sitting in Portsmouth Yard since last October have been trucked out. The tamper left last night and the regulator this morning, it went southbound on Rte-95

There is another loaded rail train on the way.

Friday afternoon in Dover Yard there were Four pieces of MOW equipment sitting by the trailer. looked like a tie inserter, tie handler with cart of ties, spiker and something else. Not sure where they are working but guessing close by.

Probably be five grade crosing incidents before drivers learn that trains will be MUCH faster.

taracer wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 12:52 pm There is another loaded rail train on the way.

Nice! That will be #4

eustis22 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:16 pm Probably be five grade crossing incidents before drivers learn that trains will be MUCH faster.

Back when I was a fresh-faced young man in the 90's, I drove for UPS. One of the things I can never unsee is the wreckage of some kind of Buick that was driven through the Central Ave., Dover crossing gates in front of a long freight coming from Portland. The car was just crumpled ball of steel and plastic that had been tossed onto 4th street in front of the Dunkin Donuts parking lot.

Not sure if this goes here but it LOOKED like there was tie work done on the Portsmouth Branch on the northbound side of 95

On Monday 4/10/23, PAS MoW crew were dropping ballast, regulating, and tamping the area of the Camp track in Ayer where the double stacked trash containers toppled over a week or so ago. It looks like the track work was only performed at the derailment site as the much of the Camp track has not been touched even though it could use the work. Also is the switch to the Newco Warehouse still in use for transloading from covered hoppers? It looks like the turnout has been removed. Perhaps this is all a work in progress?

Last I knew that was still an active customer, but now that I think about it that was at least a year ago, maybe more. If they are still a customer, given that Moore’s isn’t, I suppose they could rip out the Moore’s track and re-angle the Newco tracks to a switch on the shop track (I think that’s what it’s called- the very short double ended track by Moore’s). That would eliminate the switch on a curve, and maybe let them still get at Newco with more stuff sitting on the camp track.

Molumco (Newco) is still a rail customer. They don't get as many cars as they used to.

On the other side of the main from the camp track, are there still customers on the spur the used to extend to Groton and beyond? There used to be a couple not that far up that branch