CSX Fitchburg Secondary Discussion

[NashuaActon&Boston]

I know the answer is posted up here somewhere but does anyone know offhand when the section between Leominster and Fitchburg was taken OOS? My guess would be early 1990s, likely even before?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

I know the answer is posted up here somewhere but does anyone know offhand when the section between Leominster and Fitchburg was taken OOS? My guess would be early 1990s, likely even before?

Pre-1990, but not by much. 1988, perhaps?

[NashuaActon&Boston]

I know the answer is posted up here somewhere but does anyone know offhand when the section between Leominster and Fitchburg was taken OOS? My guess would be early 1990s, likely even before?

Pre-1990, but not by much. 1988, perhaps?

Thanks. That sounds about right to me.

Found an odd statement on a CSXradio reference site today -

"The former Fitchburg Subdivision has been removed and is considered a running track between QBU 4.3 TO QBU 34.9 (Fitchburg) to QBU 34.9 (Framingham) and under control of the Fitchburg Yardmaster on channel 64"

The author must've meant Framingham Yardmaster as opposed to Fitchburg Yardmaster>? I doubt even Conrail would've had a yardmaster based at Fitchburg in the 1980s, when the late Subdivision was still intact. I don't get the impression it was a busy interchange point in its final years.

[newpylong]

25 miles at restricted speed, that must be fun.

[Clo131]

Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong place, but does anyone know how often, and roughly at what times, the freight trains run through Sherborn on the Framingham Secondary line? I'm looking at buying a house in that area and the plot is right near the tracks. If the train runs very early in the morning or late at night that would be an issue.

I've also learned that the state bought this line and are upgrading it to possibly increase the frequency of freight trains and maybe run a passenger service from Framingham to Foxborough on game days. Does anyone have a sense of how likely these two things would be?

Thanks in advance.

[dbperry]

Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong place, but does anyone know how often, and roughly at what times, the freight trains run through Sherborn on the Framingham Secondary line? I'm looking at buying a house in that area and the plot is right near the tracks. If the train runs very early in the morning or late at night that would be an issue.

I've also learned that the state bought this line and are upgrading it to possibly increase the frequency of freight trains and maybe run a passenger service from Framingham to Foxborough on game days. Does anyone have a sense of how likely these two things would be?

Thanks in advance.

Answered here:

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=165789" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[johnhenry]

Reisner Scrap in Clinton is now out of business, based on my observation of the rusty rail there, the clean-out of the scrap yard, and my searching the closing story in the local paper.

[Knucklehead]

I recently came across an interesting post on a local blog regarding a proposed Boston Worcester Airline Trail, a multi-use path running from Framingham to Worcester: http://www.mysouthborough.com/2018/01/2 ... ent-322845" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It appears as if a portion of the path is proposed over the former Boston to Worcester Trolly line which was abandoned in the late 1930s or early 1940s. What really struck my eye was a map of the proposal depicting a portion of the path to run along the current (and active) CSXT Fitchburg Running Track right-of-way, starting in Framingham Center, and running through Southborough to Marlborough Junction. Here is a link to the entire proposal (see sections which reference the railroad right-of-way 4.3, 5.1 S4.1):

https://www.town.westborough.ma.us/site ... alt_v2.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have a hard time believing that CSXT would allow such a mixed use of their right-of-way. Granted, this is a low volume, FRA Class 1 track, but still, they are generally concerned with liability. I did find the following language within the proposal: "The Framingham section of the trail depends on a lease from CSX for a rail with trail. CSX has resisted this on other trail projects, but the value of connecting to Framingham makes this worth pursuing."

I could be wrong, but as F-Line to Dudley has stated in the past, I believe there is still enough business on this line (Safety Kleen, Ken's Foods, Mass Container, NewCorr, Bestway) to ensure it will not be abandoned in the near future, although the track conditions are deplorable at best. I will be interested in seeing where this proposal ends up.

[johnhenry]

There is a dbperry post on another forum stating that 724 no longer outlaws in Clinton when serving customers north of there. What is the new schedule then (it used to be Tues and Thurs to go north after sitting overnight at Clinton)?

[Knucklehead]

There is a dbperry post on another forum stating that 724 no longer outlaws in Clinton when serving customers north of there. What is the new schedule then (it used to be Tues and Thurs to go north after sitting overnight at Clinton)?

I believe with a change in designation as a "running track" from a "subdivision", as well as a change in work rules since the arrival of EHH, switching operations are not as cumbersome and time consuming on the crew, and they are able to switch the line's industries quicker, which results in running to Clinton (and even Bestway) most days and returning to Framingham. From what I understand, if they have to go all of the way to Leominster (which still occasionally receives a car or two), then they may outlaw on the line.

[Milepost20]

On Thursday (3/22) I caught Sperry Rail Service truck 0765 and a CSX track patrol at the Bearfoot Rd crossing in Northboro. They got on in Framingham I assume and cleared up for B724. The next morning, I saw the SRS truck at a gas station in Berlin and I’m guessing went North the rest of the way.

DBD

[johnhenry]

On Wednesday March 28, I saw the train heading north after switching the lumber customer in Sterling. I think that may have been the only move to Leominster that week. I used to see the train tied down (or at least cars parked on the passing siding) in Clinton on Tues and Thurs, but haven't seen that lately.

[Milepost20]

I took a ride through Leominster last Friday. There was 3 covered hoppers and a tank at Teknor. Also B724 that day worked Newcorr in Northboro before heading back to Framingham. They use the siding and a number of moves by splitting the power to switch ends instead of heading to Clinton to use the runaround track.

[SpiderHill]

I took a ride through Leominster last Friday. There was 3 covered hoppers and a tank at Teknor. Also B724 that day worked Newcorr in Northboro before heading back to Framingham. They use the siding and a number of moves by splitting the power to switch ends instead of heading to Clinton to use the runaround track.

They ran to Leominster on Monday. There were two covered hoppers and the rest were all tanks. I don't know what they dropped or picked up there as I did not catch the return. They bypassed the lumber yard so the six empties are still sitting there as of yesterday late morning. It is a bit surprising there isn't any lumber. At this time of year they always very consistently received untreated lumber to process into PT for the upcoming construction season.

[Milepost20]

Caught B724 northbound through West Berlin today 4/5 with CSX 6230 - CSX 6225 - 1 covered hopper - 4 tanks and 5 or 6 lumber loads.