Watertown branch action

BO-1 goes to Salem/Peabody 2-3 times a week. The other days are
spent in the Somerville area including the Medford Branch or out to
Prolizer New England in Everett.

The train you heard was the MBTA Northside Work Train with leased
LLPX GP38-2 2032 (ex-Conrail). Passed through the Alewife area
around 720AM Thursday morning. They went to Fitchburg.

Dave

Headed over to the Watertown around noon, nothing happening. Rode down to Sullivan Sq, where an ARMN reefer and some MEC cars of scrap were waiting to be delivered. There was also a vodka tanker at MS Walker.

I read somewhere that the Medford Branch was dead. So Crystal Cold Storage must still be taking cars.

Can someone clarify who owns the track through Everett/Chelsea? I know that for the most part CSX delivers reefers and GRS handles stone and scrap. Is it state owned?

Off-MBTA mainline trackage is a mish-mash of CSX (CR/B&A) and GRS
ownership. I believe most of it is CSX owned. New England Produce is
only switched by CSX.

CSX also handles all auto fluff loads out of Prolerized New England.
Guilford does limited scrap business there, which is where those two
scrap gondola loads are headed. Up to two years ago, GRS also
had cement, sand & gravel business.

Dave

Ok.. Update time.. I used to live in watertown from birth til the start of high school.. Moved 3 years ago? Is it still active?

Dave, while on the subway this weekend, I saw 3 reefers and a string of or 6 covered hoppers out behind BET/FX (I think the track is theThoroughfare?).

Are these hoppers for Newlyweds?

Those cars were on the 3rd Iron at FX. We have no track called the
Thoroughfare. The two non-mainline tracks are the 3rd & 4th Irons,
which lead east to old Yard 21. BO-1 leaves SALO's pickup on the 3rd
Iron. LOSA usually drops his train for BO-1 on the siding off the Willey
Track in old Yard 8 or on the 3rd Iron across from Sullivan Square.

Newlywed cars are still coming out of Ayer. The Boston experiment
did not last very long!

Dave

Thanks Dave, I remember that 2 tracks through there were the 3rd and 4th iron, but for sme reason I thought one of the remaining tracks was a thoroughfare.

Thanks again

Cuts of covered hoppers parked near the BET are for Eastman Gelatin in Peabody, on Guilford's LOSA/SALO job.

I was killing some time yesterday afternoon, and was hanging out down by Hill's Crossing to see the afternoon parade of purple, and around the corner from West Cambridge came the AY with 2 5xx's push pull style, and about 4 empties...It caught me by suprise...Those big G's look pretty good running at speed...Lots of smoke, though.... edit to mention that it was about 4:25 pm thurs afternoon....for the record...

kwf wrote:I was killing some time yesterday afternoon, and was hanging out down by Hill's Crossing to see the afternoon parade of purple, and around the corner from West Cambridge came the AY with 2 5xx's push pull style, and about 4 empties...It caught me by suprise...Those big G's look pretty good running at speed...Lots of smoke, though....

6000 HP for four empties -- I should hope they were up to speed pretty quick!

I have to admit, I miss the the Fitchburg Line local of a few years ago -- when I worked in Waltham I used to see it coming through town with an often high-nose GP-35 or 40 running long hood forward and a caboose on the end. Like being in a time warp.

Oh pooo! My boyfriend was home underneath his Jeep when he heard a non-MBTA horn from the crossing. He said it was at about 4:30!! But since he was installing a gas tank, he couldn't do much about it... I thought they worked Cambridge earlier in the day!

Oh double poo!!! Nells has a boyfriend already LOL

You should know by now that ya can't predict freight.

HA! Yup... took a while, but I found a man 2.5 years ago. And he's been living a block away from me my whole life! (He's 10 years older) Go figure... Todd's the one who got me into trains. Now I think I know more that HE does! Though he was around to see the B&M... AND action on the Watertown Branch!!!

So it seems Thurdsay is still the day to watch out for Guilford in the area. May have to start calling in "sick" on Thursdays

As I said, the AY took me by suprize. I didn't have my camera...As it rounded the corner, all I could say was POO! I don't have my camera Now, If the AY isn't switching the Co-op, is it safe to say that the local gets there later in the day than it used to? For example, In the past, the AY would arrive before lunch, switch the Co-op, break for lunch, the head down the branch after lunch...Now, It doesn't need to start as early, and it was even later than the last time I saw it (sept 2003 around 3:30 on a fri) (the reason I remember was I had just left the Dentist office, which is located at Hill's Crossing. Again, without a camera ). I do have pics from catching it on the branch, just not on the mainline. I need a picture of it rounding the curve inbound at Belmont Ctr. in the AM. I've waited for it, but never caught it.

Hello Group:
I was in Cambridge today and caught the local getting ready to head down the branch at about 10:30 am, Dec. 1, 2004.
I have not caught them in quite a while so I am not sure what the schedule is but the time (mid morning) has not changed.
Who knows how long this train will be trundleing down this old branch, so catch it while you can!
Places to photograph the local....

Fresh Pond water works (Cambridge)

Star Market parking lot. (all the way to the end near the brick apartment building)

Newly Wed Foods in Watertown.

Good Luck!
Jerry Kelley