Haverhill Line Upgrades (Western Route)

Today (I think), four flats of rail (maybe 160' strings) were spotted on the unballasted stub of Track 17 at Frost. But they haven't connected that to the chunk between the stations yet.

jbvb wrote:
Other activity observed: Guilford has removed rail from the yard track that got torn up in the perchlorate derailment last year. Somebody is digging under the Rt. 28 underpass west of the yard. Could be drainage improvements, but since neither GTI nor the MBTA has a history of fixing mud holes in the roadbed (cf. the Ward Hill underpass), I wonder if they're going to extend the west yard lead toward the I-495 overpass. The RoW has room AFAICT.

The only underpass west of the yard in Lawrence that I know of is in Shawsheen and it's Rt. 133. Rt. 28 has an overpass just east of Andover station.
The roundhouse used to be just west of the S. Union St. overpass. It's possible, then, they could probably put a third [lead] track there, but I'm not sure. The current Running Track, AKA the former Eastward Main, starts at Frye, right by the old Shawsheen Station, so the question is, could a new yard lead track start there if there is room. My feeling is that it would take a lot of fill and grading on the east side of the ROW to do it.

I believe Rockingham Racer is referring to the tracks passing under S. Union St (where JK is). Rumor has it with the double-track project the yard lead will indeed be extended down to the I-495 bridge - with a crossover and interlocking. CPF-JK anyone?

Sorry about the lack of clarity. I meant the Rt. 28 above-grade bridge between the yard and the former S. Lawrence engine house. The RoW is wide enough to accommodate a lead west as far as the I-495 above-grade bridge, but not beyond it. After the Shawsheen River culvert there's room on the west side, where there used to be a lead for the Shawsheen mill and it's coal pile, but substantial work would be required for a 3rd track from 495 across the river.

The bridge you are referring to is not Route 28, it is South Union St. If you were heading north on 28 from 495 and stayed straight to go over the tracks you actually leave route 28 and are on South Union St (skating rink on the right as you cross the tracks). Route 28 turns left over South St to get to South Broadway - staying west (railroad north) of the main through Lawrence. Hence 28 doesn't cross the main except just east of Andover station. That's where the confusion came in.

Track 17 is now assembled but unballasted from Frost past the new and old stations almost to the Salem St. overbridge. The MBTX flats were empty when I was looking at the right time a day or two ago. Digging continues at the So. Union St. overbridge between the yard and the old engine terminal. Some ditch has been backfilled and there is what appears to be a new manhole. No visible progress between Shawsheen and Ballardvale.

jbvb wrote:Track 17 is now assembled but unballasted from Frost past the new and old stations almost to the Salem St. overbridge. The MBTX flats were empty when I was looking at the right time a day or two ago. Digging continues at the So. Union St. overbridge between the yard and the old engine terminal. Some ditch has been backfilled and there is what appears to be a new manhole. No visible progress between Shawsheen and Ballardvale.

Here's another point of confusion... The tracks cross under 485 and South Union Street both twice. Going Railroad west to east the line 1) crosses under 495, 2) crosses under South Union Street, 3) comes to the yard, 4) crosses Andover Street, 5) crosses under Salem Street, 6) comes to the M&L wye, 7) crosses over Parker Street, 8) comes to the MBTA stop, 9) crosses under South Union Street, and 10) crosses under 495.

So, which South Union Street overbridg are you referring to (# 2 or # 9)? One other question, where was the engine terminal?
Thanks,
Stephen

I believe he's referring to #2. The engine house was located behind the Enterprise Car rental place on S. Union [where Rt. 28 North splits left to go to South Broadway], on the other side of the tracks from Enterprise..

Is there a date to look forward to when the work means faster speeds or less delays, or something?

When this was announced, some of us hoped that the actual double-tracking (restoring and extending the present yard/running track from just west of Shawsheen to about MP 22) would start within a few weeks of the ground breaking. No such luck. When they get Track 17 ballasted and tamped, then GTI freights gain a little flexibility. But the work that will improve commuter and DE capacity/reliability seems unlikely to even begin before the ground freezes - the first indication will be when somebody starts addressing the manhole covers in the former easterly track's roadbed at and east of the Rt. 28 overbridge in Andover.

Rockingham Racer wrote:I believe he's referring to #2. The engine house was located behind the Enterprise Car rental place on S. Union [where Rt. 28 North splits left to go to South Broadway], on the other side of the tracks from Enterprise..

Ok, thank you.
Stephen

Today's scene isn't common anymore (except maybe on partly-volunteer-manned tourist/preservation RRs): At the Frost end of Track 17, the loader was fetching ballast from a pile beside the new track, and three guys with hand tools were distributing it near the turnout. The 6-axle flats are still sitting closer to the new station. At the AS end, 8 or 10 more employees were lining and assembling track, again with hand tools. It wasn't clear as my train passed what they'd do when they needed more ties or rail; maybe the loader will drive around and fetch them.

A freight on the running track prevented me from checking on the ditching west of the yard. In the yard itself, Guilford has removed the ties and rail from the track that was demolished in the chemical derailment/fire a few years back. Today a little tracked excavator was digging out old dirt/cinder ballast from its roadbed at the East (Andover St.) end. No activity Shawsheen - Ballardvale.

Three cheers to the MBTA for double-tracking the Western Route so shovel-ready that its hard to find any project description or project map online.

But the one thing this project seems to lack is the one thing those non-shovel-ready projects have going for them: pictures online from the public hearing process.

What's the best available schematic of the double tracking thats being done?

Stephen wrote:Here's another point of confusion... The tracks cross under 495 and South Union Street both twice. Going Railroad west to east the line 1) crosses under 495, 2) crosses under South Union Street, 3) comes to the yard, 4) crosses Andover Street, 5) crosses under Salem Street, 6) comes to the M&L wye, 7) crosses over Parker Street, 8) comes to the MBTA stop, 9) crosses under South Union Street, and 10) crosses under 495.

8 and 9 are reversed here, as info. The new MBTA station is just east of the 2nd (going east) South Union St bridge on the north side of the tracks. What you see there is the old platform in the center of the RoW.

Arlington, all I've read about the overall design was what someone on [email protected] heard from a foreman on site back in May.

Just to prove it, this evening I see that the track laying crew has continued on past the former Track 17 switch at CP AS, which I (and probably most other observers) thought was their destination. Ties and one rail now reach Andover St. itself, but there's no evidence of what might be done about the grade crossing. At the other end of the job, ballast has reached the new station platform. Ditching and backfilling continues under So. Union St. at the west end of the yard. Nothing else visible.