Final Customers - Boston Area

[BostonUrbEx]

Yes, the Grand Jct was taken out on Friday-ish, but the siding was cut from the Fort Washington Crossing before that. B721's final run over the Grand Jct was without much fanfare on Thursday, May 3rd. They ran lite from Framingham to Everett, passed a dead BO-1 strung across the Mystic River, grabbed a Preferred Freezer Services car off Track 9 at the market, went over to PFS, pulled two empties, spotted one load which was hanging plus the load from Track 9, then pulled a couple cars from Schnitzer, waited for LA-3 to shove BO-1 into the clear on the runaround, and finally headed home.

[bostontrainguy]

So are they rebuilding the Grand Junction also?

[BandA]

Are they just doing that spot or a larger area? Perhaps get it up to passenger standards? Looks like there is a need for some ballast!

[Area4]

That was the last B721?

Yes, the Grand Jct was taken out on Friday-ish, but the siding was cut from the Fort Washington Crossing before that. B721's final run over the Grand Jct was without much fanfare on Thursday, May 3rd. They ran lite from Framingham to Everett, passed a dead BO-1 strung across the Mystic River, grabbed a Preferred Freezer Services car off Track 9 at the market, went over to PFS, pulled two empties, spotted one load which was hanging plus the load from Track 9, then pulled a couple cars from Schnitzer, waited for LA-3 to shove BO-1 into the clear on the runaround, and finally headed home.

[BostonUrbEx]

Until the Grand Jct is back, yes. Possibly forever, but its not clear.

Are they just doing that spot or a larger area?

As far as I know, just the one spot, although the entire siding is pretty bad as far as wide gauge goes. I was told there was going to be some sort of culvert replacement in that area, but I don't see any trace of a conduit in that area, past or present. What came to mind for me was maybe they would put the pedestrian crossing into a pedestrian culvert, which would be great. Something along the lines of Yerxa Rd in Cambridge or Sacremento St in Somerville. I would think we would have heard about it, though.

[b&m 1566]

Didn't they just rebuild the bridge over the Charles for the Grand Junction branch? And now the branch is gone, Talk about a waste of money.

[bostontrainguy]

It will be back. They need it to transfer cars and engines between the north and south sides.

Looking at those pictures reminds me of the last time I saw the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus train parked on that siding. They used to park most of the train there.

[b&m 1566]

So, how will CSX serve it's customers? Is CSX taking this opportunity to dump it or will they be back?

[GP40MC1118]

Pan Am will service CSX's customers in Everett during the Swift/Grand Jct outage. From what
we are hearing, CSX has every intention of returning to Everett.

D

[Area4]

They were working on the Grand Junction tracks today. By chance, also saw 2813 Switching in the Houghton Chemical yard with a few tank cars. Are Houghton moving? 2813 left two cars in the yard there.

[GP40MC1118]

Well Mass DOT and Harvard would love to get Houghton out, but they are staying for now. Unfortunately,
they will end rail service sometime this summer. Trucks will handle all the materials from then on.

D

[bostontrainguy]

Should put them on the East Boston branch. I believe their main customer is the airport.

[BostonUrbEx]

Now you're talkin'! That's an idea I've been thinking for a while now.

However, I think it'd be more likely (and more ops efficient for BO-1) for Houghton to land a spot along the mainline in Chelsea, near Eastern Ave. That said, I don't know what obligations they have other than the airport and how much volume they handle for those customers. As far as rail goes, they don't seem to even receive a whole lot, maybe a tank every couple days? At least that fits into Pan Am's modus operandi for BO-1, they'd run by on Tuesdays and Thursdays on their way to Salem and Peabody.

[GP40MC1118]

Not enough room on the train sheets for more UN numbers!

D

[Area4]

Interestingly, now Mass ave GJ crossing is dug up, on Mass Ave itself. Could be unrelated but the tracks are up, hole dug, water or sewer related, I'm guessing. Also track being replaced between Mass Ave and Main St. Slowing moving, there will be no GJ running for a while.