CNZR - Armory Branch

[FLRailFan1]

Larry, so true... I don't think that G&W cares about the East hartford cluster. I would bet AJ - get busnesses to be served by rail. I'd love to see the state buy East Hartford to Vernon and the Armory branch, and I bet AJ would have businesses using rail on the line...I know it's a dream, but on my model, the Rockville Railroad goes to Ellington and it serves the juice company up there (tank cars and reefers), Ellington airport (av fuel (tank cars) and airplane parts (boxcars and Flat cars), Agway (tractors on flat cars, hopper cars of feed) and in Rockville a few industries (including tank cars of fibreglass resins). Of course, a model railroad don't make a profit or lose money - it is fun...

[Larry]

Saw signals at Wintonbury ave crossing being worked on, gates also finally added to crossbucks. Great news for this stretch of track in Bloomfield CT.

[Sir Ray]

This seems like a good place to link to this recent (posted May 2021) YouTube Video-tour of the north end of the Amory Branch 'restoration'. (Its more a series of videos taken from various rail crossings along the branch, showing the state of trackage along with some notations about current and recent activity)

Abandoned railroad line being restored - CNZR Armory Branch - 2021

[Hux]

So what is the story here? A new or potential customer(s)?

[Ale Rider1]

Now that the Home Depot DC has decamped across the river to South Windsor, are there any prospects for the Griffin Line? Be nice to see if the old Home Depot DC can be revived for another rail customer, but I feel that is unlikely.

A transload facility at end of track on the WIndsor / Bloomfield line would seem feasible But I suspect there are other facilities in CT to Western Mass to satisfy any demand there...

Griffin was dead for three decades until Home Depot set up shop, might be 30 years before another customer sets up on line. Hope not....

[GP40MC1118]

I was surprised by the move across the river. If only because of the CSOR bridge across the river. Any issues with it and there's everything is isolated. Is the original
Home Deport warehouse now totally unused?

[Ale Rider1]

I was surprised by the move across the river. If only because of the CSOR bridge across the river. Any issues with it and there's everything is isolated. Is the original
Home Deport warehouse now totally unused?

I believe the original DC in Bloomfield is completely empty.

It is owned by Winstanley a company that bought the former JC Penney DC in Manchester that has been converted to a DC for Stop & Shop Supermarkets.

I have never heard of any issues with the CT River bride in Hartford - but stuff happens....

[shepaug]

Been away so missed allot of info ...


For curiosity...I see a youtube video about rebuilding the line to the Massachusetts border...WHY ? Has not the MA section been built over the ex-tracks ?

[Jedijk88]

There's still a very large gap in the line at Enfield Transit Mix.

[GaryGP40]

This is interesting! I wonder if once they reach the MA border they are going to continue? Perhaps it was planned and now with Covid setbacks, etc. the plans are up in the air?

I love seeing old rail lines come back to life! I hope that is the case here.

[Sir Ray]

Has not the MA section been built over the ex-tracks ?

Well, yes and no. Technically (that famous weasel word) nothing is really encumbering the ROW, you can more or less trace it from the MA/CT line north (part of the ROW within East LongMeadow is the Redstone Rail Trail bike path) up into Springfield (the RR bridge across what is labeled S. Branch Mill River is still there - it needs redecking of course), the ROW gets a bit hard to follow through Springfield College, but north of that there is a decent tree-line following the ROW which turns West to match with the existing mainline thru Springfield. There seem to be no buildings obstructing the ROW, but there are paths, parks, parking lots, fence and so on. In any case there seem to be only 5 or 6 industrial sites in MA south of Springfield that could conceivably use rail freight (looking at Historic Aerials, only 2 or 3 actually did in PC days).
So, I doubt that the line will go much past the MA/CT boarder. Sorry.

[Red Wing]

My opinion the only way it gets reactivated the whole way is if CDOT does a full build out of commuter rail and Amtrak becomes more hostile towards freights. Then this line becomes the gateway for freight into Connecticut.

[Train60]

Keep in mind that there is an active project underway to convert part of this corridor, north of the CT-MA state-line, into a rail trail.

Details on this link:
https://www.springfield-ma.gov/dpw/dpw- ... nity-trail

And this video
https://youtu.be/O6jG2czV6lA

[Ale Rider1]

Yes - the Massachusetts segment is as dead as a door nail.

[CVRA7]

Information I received from a trusted source - potential business on the original CNE (Griffins) in a warehouse - it won't replace the Home Depot volume but it will be something. Pole line replacement along part of this line is largely completed, mostly cleanup remains.
On the Armory branch work scheduled to resume on the rebuilding - there are two existing customers are at the South WIndsor end of the line but supposedly there is at least one "definite" customer up in the Hazardville (Enfield) area.
I wonder if the truck driver shortage will help generate rail carload business? Let's hope the big railroads don't drop the ball if there is opportunity - I know the shortlines would be very happy.