Lowell Line - Winchester, Woburn, Wilmington Spottings

[l008com]

So if it goes from lawrence to lowell, why is it still called LOwell_SAlem ?

[GP40MC1118]

LOSA/SALO is Guilford's symbol for this "glorified" road freight. The
crew is based out of Lowell. Power is off LO-1.

LOSA/SALO has running rights probably as far west as Ayer, east to
Plaistow and south to Boston/Salem. So it can run where-ever
directed. The symbol is almost irrelevent.

As I stated, its usual trip itinerary is Lowell to Lawrence via the
Freight Main (Wamesit/CPF-LJ), where it assembles its train,
then works south to Boston. And lately, it turns at Winchester
instead of coming into the Big City.

The return trip 99% of the time goes directly back to Lowell via
the MBTA New Hampshire mainline.

D

[GP40MC 1116]

LOSA/SALO is Guilford's symbol for this "glorified" road freight. The
crew is based out of Lowell. Power is off LO-1.

LOSA/SALO has running rights probably as far west as Ayer, east to
Plaistow and south to Boston/Salem. So it can run where-ever
directed. The symbol is almost irrelevent.

As I stated, its usual trip itinerary is Lowell to Lawrence via the
Freight Main (Wamesit/CPF-LJ), where it assembles its train,
then works south to Boston. And lately, it turns at Winchester
instead of coming into the Big City.

The return trip 99% of the time goes directly back to Lowell via
the MBTA New Hampshire mainline.

D

SO minus BO-1, LOSA/SALO is the main Boston Area/Eastern MA Freight Train. How many customers do they handle and how long is the train usually?

[GP40MC1118]

Well, yes, LOSA/SALO is the only Boston manifest freight under GRS's
moniker. However, DOBO/BODO could be included, even though its a
unit train and rarely, if ever handles anything but BS&G cars south of
Lawrence.

As far as customers for LOSA:
Cement at N.Woburn Jct
Atlantic Plywood
Rothsteins/Tighe Warehouse
Cold Storage (maybe gone now)
Walnut Hill team track (maybe dead too).

The rest of the train is Boston are stuff (Salems/Everetts).
Train size rarely goes over 20 cars anymore and is more like
8-15 cars.

D

[asdfjkl]

what about the gillette plant in andover? do they still take some tank cars?

[GP40MC1118]

I don't know for sure, but I can't remember the last time LOSA
worked that place. LA-1 might do it.

MBCR MW probably uses it more to store equipment overnight!

dave

[l008com]

So I saw losa tonight. It was parked out in front of Atlantic Plywood for at least an hour and a half while I was there, and who knows how long it was there before and after. Anyone know what the problem was? Assuming there was one and they weren't just hanging out BTW it was VERY short, looked like about 8 or so cars. Odd.


ALSO, check this out:
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20060 ... n&BOOL=ANY
According to that, they are rebuilding the bridge at the end of New Boston St. That will be sweet, anyone know anything about this?

[l008com]

Oh yeah the other thing i wanted to mention. It didn't look like a train actually went to wilmington cold storage, but it looks like someone went out there with a jack hammer and cut out the asphault along the inside of the rails, and removed all the sand and dirt that had built up. So it looks like they'll be getting service again soon, although they were getting cars right up until they started repaving that road they're on.

[GP40MC1118]

LOSA is spotting 1 load for the Cold Storage tonight around 845pm.

That was their entire train and they will head back to Lawrence with
a lite engine. Jeez...

d

[rb]

This is pathetic. 10 more years and the state will have to find a contractor to "build up" rail freight on the MBTA lines. They said it would never happen with the LIRR...

[l008com]

I'm convinced that the customers are there, we just need a railroad that wants to service customers. I have my hopes pinned on the wilmington & woburn railroad, if they ever get off the ground. Hopefully they will start switching customers up and down the line and who knows, they might grow to service all of the boston area customers that guilford wants nothing to do with.

Yeah, now is the appropriate time to slap me in the forehead

[l008com]

This post is about a week old, I posted it on the wrong thread... ooops

No clear sign of bridge construction on new boston road yet :-/ This bridge will be a great place to train spot, especially if they built the W&W Rail Road terminal there. The New England Resins driveway had some work done to it that could be related to building this bridge, just don't know.

That boxcar at Wilmington Cold Storage is gone.

There is a blue pan am box car at the spur behind rhostiens in woburn. No need to trespass to see it though, you can very clearly see nearly the whole car from the bridge on Olympia ave.

I think I heard the gravel train but thats about as close as I got to that :-/

Also I am amazed at how quiet the welded rail side of the track is going through mishwam. If the locomotive is at the back of the train, those trains really can sneak up on you if you're not right near the track. I can see why neighbors of the rail lines would like them so much.

[l008com]

So I was crossing over the tracks where the new boston st bridge used to be, just north of Anderson RTC, as is my regular route (and i was being very careful not to get run over my a train, thank you for your concern) And I noticed that the switch was switched so that a train coming south on the wrong track would ride over to the right track. I looked past the station and the west track as let up green. Then as I headed north down that road past the signlals that are right there (and facing north, i'm trying to not be confusing but I don't think its working) the west track was all red, but the east track, what would have been the wrong site, was lit up red, flashing green, red. I've never seen that before. As I thought about it, I don't think I'd ever seen a track signal flashing before. What did this mean? I figured it was a freight train coming down the wrong track after maybe switching out wilmington cold storage, but i went up that way and there was no sign of anything. I came back because i was freezing my ass off and there was still no sign of anything. I headed back to mishwuam station a mile or so down the road, and while i was on the platform an outbound mbta train flew by (and i mean flew). So nothing interesting every came by and they must have reswitched the switch when that train went through. It was a strange and oh so cold night.

[GP40MC1118]

That is Wilbur Interlocking on the north end of Anderson RTC. The
flashing indication allows for a slightly higher speed.

D

[l008com]

A higher speed even though any trains that came would have been going over the interlocking and switching tracks?