Old & New Readville yard

Use my (still in progress) track diagram for reference if you'd like

Can someone tell me the story about Old Readville yard, which is connected to the Franklin Branch? The tracks are still there, but it looks like it hasn't been used in ages. What was it used for when it was still active?

And New Readville yard - I know there's a barn there, but what does it get used for? Do they have refueling there, or is that all done at Southampton (and on a related note, does Pawtucket yard have fueling?)

Finally, do the Readville NEC platforms get ANY use? I don't see any NEC trains which make a stop there.....

What you call the old Readville Yard was the car shop side of the New Haven's Readville Shops, which operated from 1903 to 1958 (an earlier New York & New England shop facility stood on the same site until it burned down in 1874). There was also a 1907-built locomotive shop on the opposite side of the Franklin Line, but I don't think anything remains of that except the Franklin Line bridge over the long-gone access track. The CSX yard presumably dates back to the 1800s. I assume by new Readville Yard you mean the commuter rail maintenance facility. That handles a lot of the maintenance for the coaches on the south side.

Wow, so that old Readville yard has been sitting there unused for 50 years???

There's not too much left in the old yard (railroad-wise). So it's not that big of a surprise that it's been unused for almost 50 years.

checkthedoorlight wrote:Wow, so that old Readville yard has been sitting there unused for 50 years???

It has been, and continues to be, used for MW purposes by both Amtrak and MBCR. This activity is wildly variable depending on the level of ongoing MW work.

DAW

During my pre-1960 high-school days (daze?), visible from the street overpass, there were a few steamers awaiting torch-time.
Sorry, true historians, no numbers.

Why isn't this thread bumping? I'd like to know EVERYTHING about the entire Readville situation...

Nitpicking alert! Your limits of Sprague St. and Hill interlockings are incorrect. Sprague St. includes the turnout where the Franklin Branch splits to go to Read or Hill. Hill interlocking starts at the east end of the Readville platform on the Dorchester Branch.

Also, Dana Interlocking is shown as extending too far. It does not include the yard turnout as shown. Dana has one turnout to the yard, and a crossover from #1 to #2 in a westbound direction.

DAW

Anyone have some good pictures of the Readville yards? I can't find any.

[Anyone have some good pictures of the Readville yards? I can't find any.Posts: 284

Type in Readville in the nerail and you'll find a few. I have been going to Readville yard for 30 plus years. I remember as a kid sitting in the new gran torinos when they unloaded them under the sprague st bridge. Later i bought my first house across from the yard on the other side of Sprague pond. A trains story claimed Readville was one of the busiest hot spots in the USA. 125 trains a day thru there.While nowhere the amount of freight it once had (all threw conrail) it still boeasts 5 gp40s assigned to the yard . A pity because with the talk of beacon park closing ,Readville could handle much more than it does now.

I wrote a comprehensive illustrated history of the Readville Shops that was published in three or four issues of the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association's Shoreliner magazine a couple of years ago. You may still be able to purchase back issues through the NHRHTA's web site at http://www.nhrhta.org. The articles covered everything you'd ever want to know about the car and locomotive shops at Readville and the freight yards, towers, and passenger stations in the area too.

Readville's 1 Yard is now handling cars for Franklin & Milford which used to be out of walpole. The Walpole locals (B735 & B736) are now out of Readville. Very soon B732 (aka RE10) will be moved from Readville to Framingham & the night job B731 (aka RE2) will be abolished altogether. Just another attempt by the new trainmaster from down south who is always changing things around to try to save $$.

MBTA3247 wrote:There was also a 1907-built locomotive shop on the opposite side of the Franklin Line,

I believe, but could be wrong, that building is still there and in the 1980's was the Gold Seal Shoes building....now offices I believe.

mbta3247 wrote: but I don't think anything remains of that except the Franklin Line bridge over the long-gone access track.

I forget exactly when it was done, but the underpass under the franklin Main was filled in. This was done when I was still with CSXT working as a conductor out of Readville. I would say about 2004/2005 if not earlier.

CSX Conductor wrote:

mbta3247 wrote: but I don't think anything remains of that except the Franklin Line bridge over the long-gone access track.

I forget exactly when it was done, but the underpass under the franklin Main was filled in. This was done when I was still with CSXT working as a conductor out of Readville. I would say about 2004/2005 if not earlier.

There were actually two underpasses under the Franklin Branch; one at each end of the loco shop building. You are correct that the one on the east end was removed, and filled in. The one on the west end is still there. There is a good picture of it in the NHRHTA's Shoreliner, Vol. 30, No.1 inside the front cover. It also has part 3 of a series of articles on Readville.

DAW

I actually drove out to 5 Yard last Sunday and got some pics, which I'll try to post soon. MBCR has a few MofW cars there and the Loram RailVac as well. I also got a pic of the old underpass which was filled in.