Abandoned loco? (Bay Colony GP9 #1701)

[craven]

Stopped by today and the 1701 has moved, To where I don't know. Looking west 1 1/2 miles on the spur, to the Old GAF plant, no sight of it.

I didn't drive down to the distribution center off Rt. 109 to check there.

The (6) Slurry/Hopper cars are still parked on the siding and the derailer is set on entrance/exit of the spur

Appears that a Gravel Company has set up shop next to the secondary and Spur. Some surveyor markings on a tie but looks like it was to find property boundary.

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Stopped by today and the 1701 has moved, To where I don't know. Looking west 1 1/2 miles on the spur, to the Old GAF plant, no sight of it.

I didn't drive down to the distribution center off Rt. 109 to check there.

The (6) Slurry/Hopper cars are still parked on the siding and the derailer is set on entrance/exit of the spur

Appears that a Gravel Company has set up shop next to the secondary and Spur. Some surveyor markings on a tie but looks like it was to find property boundary.

Might have finally been hauled to the Wattupa Branch where they'll actually use it. These new drop-offs at Medfield Jct. are CSX-to-trackside-truck loading, not BC.

I have family living just off Reed Rd. in Dartmouth; visited over Thanksgiving. Last week it was same power as always parked there by the Old Reed Rd. crossing + sidings, so it's not there. Didn't check the Harvey Industries siding on the other side of Reed Rd. because it's blocked from the road by trees, but they usually only store their work equipment on that one as-needed. If it's still smashed-up and out-of-service that seldom-used Harvey siding is probably the best place for them to stuff the unit while keeping it close to home. Could also check the New Bedford wye for 1701's whereabouts. Both legs of it are back in-service now that MassCoastal has rebuilt the embankment on the SB leg, so they might have a little odds-and-sods storage space there that doesn't block the MC interchange.


Or it's just been shoved by trackmobile somewhere else on the Millis to give some new vandals a turn at it. Wouldn't surprise me; this is Bay Colony we're talking.

[GP40MC1118]

Wherever it moved, it suffered a burned out traction motor recently according to my sources.
It hasn't moved on CSX as it doesn't show up on the trace.

D

[craven]

"These new drop-offs at Medfield Jct. are CSX-to-trackside-truck loading"

There is no place for a truck to unload these cars unless this new Gravel Company is involved. They have carved out the brush beside the Spur for about 100 yards. The 1701 must be involved in this process . I can't imagine CSX dispatching a GP40-2 from Framingham to switch these cars around.

I'll check back next weekend and travel down to the warehouse to see if I can find it.

[fl9m2004]

Wonder if 1701 would be good for a torurist railroad one day
Or is it just a freight engine and not passenger

[craven]

Found the 1701

She is parked at the crossing on Union St. This crossing exits the now closed GAF Yard.

Interestingly, I also found 2 -3 Slurry cars parked ~1/2 mile down the spur from Union St., heading towards the secondary. There is a dirt road named Island Rd which passes by these cars. This is where the off-loading is taking place.

The 1701 then pushes the empty cars down to the secondary. Grabs a few full ones from the siding and pulls them back up the spur to be unloaded.

[fogg1703]

When you refer to them as "slurry cars" are they tank cars or covered hoppers? Maybe Tresca found a new unload site for cement.

[craven]

Stopped by the Millis spur today and the 1701 has moved back to the Waste Water Treatment plant and the (6) cement cars are gone.

[StefanW]

Stopped by the Millis spur today and the 1701 has moved back to the Waste Water Treatment plant and the (6) cement cars are gone.

Here's a link to it in Google Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/rYQQ7

Is that still the current location? (I can't find the date of that satellite photo so I'm not sure how old it is.)

[fl9m2004]

While looking at the link I was looking at the track where 1701 is
Looks like there is 2 switches there mostly single track
How often does 1701 get inspected before moving freight cars

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

While looking at the link I was looking at the track where 1701 is
Looks like there is 2 switches there mostly single track
How often does 1701 get inspected before moving freight cars

A better question might be..."How does a loco so vandalized and neglected still move on its own power?"

[fl9m2004]

That's a very good question I'll bet once bay colony was done with it they left the prime mover for other railroads to use and took spare parts for other engines that they had at the time
Or could 1701 be just a lucky engine to surrive being scrapped if it came down to it
Speaking of Bay Colony any engines besides 1701 still roaming around on different railroads

[tahawus84]

Huh ??

[Narrowgauger]

Left the prime mover?? Just because its been tagged and beaten doesnt mean it wont start. Did you see what the CF-7 And GP-9 looked like when they went to the G&U? Im sure if it starts you could push or pull a few cars a 1/4 of a mile with the door open or even with a brakeman standing on the car. As far as the rest of his question, I dont know if Bay Colony has any trackage left. Maybe someone else can answer if there is any other locos left in Massachusetts.

[Cosmo]

That's a very good question I'll bet once bay colony was done with it they left the prime mover for other railroads to use and took spare parts for other engines that they had at the time
Or could 1701 be just a lucky engine to surrive being scrapped if it came down to it
Speaking of Bay Colony any engines besides 1701 still roaming around on different railroads

I think you need to spend more time reading the previous posts and paying attention to the details and thinking more about what you post than you do typing, but that's just me.