CSX Framingham Secondary Discussion

[AmtrakLocomotiveEngineer]

Yes. The Framingham Secondary begins right where it splits off the Amtrak NEC at Mansfield interlocking.

[Teamdriver]

ok thnx

[QB 52.32]

Speaking of CSX traffic decline around Framingham, it's surprising to me that the Agriculture branch to Leominster hasn't been sold off to a short line (eg, G&U).

CSXT has driven away most of the business on the Ag Line. I believe the only active customers are Safety Kleen and Ken's Foods in Marlboro, New Corr Packaging in Northborough, and Bestway in Lancaster. Suburban Propane and Mass Container were disheartened customers no longer receive freight, and I know that several others on the north end of the line no longer receive rail traffic.

When you look at the Fitchburg or Framingham Secondaries, or the entire franchise which hubs at Framingham, it's overwhelmingly much bigger factors at play in traffic loss than anything CSX (or predecessor Conrail) controls(ed). Starting with overall economic activity and changes there's the loss of Toys R Us, the Boston Globe, Herald and Patriot Ledger resulting from the reduction in the demand for printed newspapers, and Ardagh Group due to reduction in the demand for glass bottles. Shifting production and supply chain logistics led to the loss of Boise Cascade, Suburban Propane, GAF, GM Framingham Assembly, the GM Westwood Parts DC, Stop & Shop, Continental Baking, Sygna Network, Mass Container's use of a CSX-served DC to take advantage of large raw material production runs and loss of corn syrup distribution with Coke production moving out of state. JJ Folding Box, Reiser Scrap, Somerville Lumber, Grossmans, and Plymouth Rubber went out of business. NS made a strategic decision to invest in PAS which has led to the loss/re-routing to the Rotterdam Jct gateway of the Leominster plastics traffic, corn syrup distribution, Siegel Egg and some of Tighe's distribution business. Additionally, you have the pressures of rising real estate values upending distribution activity like Foxboro Terminals and the Westwood Industrial Park (and Beacon Park) and shifts from carload to intermodal and out-of-New England distribution centers. On the plus-side, you've got an aggressive G&U partner who has established chemical and LPG transloads and picked up business that fled Beacon Park when it closed and a growth-oriented distributor in Readville. Despite the changes, which all area carriers deal with, the franchise remains strong and has good core traffic characteristics.

[WorldwideRailfan (Youtube)]

For the last few weeks there has been no SD40 for B725 but as of yesterday, I saw Ex-Seaboard 8141 in North Framingham Yard. That should be some of the new B725 power for the next week or so.

[Crossbuck Mann]

Does anyone know what the schedule is for this Saturday?

[johnhenry]

Work Train - Clinton Tues Sept 29 around 5:30pm.
Northbound passing Bolton rd grade crossing.
Engine was a large CSX truck (3 rear axles) on steel-wheels pulling 7 open gondola cars with a John Deere backhoe perched on the last one. Truck had a horn as loud as an loco.

[F74265A]

Dropping ties for additional future track work or picking up discarded materials from the recent tie job? Presumably the latter since winter is fast approaching. The line from Clinton north to Leominster has been in poor condition for decades and could use almost all new ties. Mid to late 1980s is the last time I recall it looking in decent shape.

[Crossbuck Mann]

I’m thinking of catching a train in Foxboro this Saturday anyone know when trains go through there?

[NHV 669]

Based on old posts in this forum, and the Framingham thread below this one, you're probably not going to get much of anything on a Saturday, freight wise. As of last year, it appears wine is the only thing being shipped to Foxboro, and I have no idea if that is still happening. Old posts seem to indicate that it was a trip made late at night as well.

[Crossbuck Mann]

Do trains on the Framingham Secondary Schedule change for holidays?

[bostontrainguy]

The line from Clinton north to Leominster has been in poor condition for decades and could use almost all new ties. Mid to late 1980s is the last time I recall it looking in decent shape.

We've been discussing on the Pan Am Sale Thread the idea that the state might buy the B&A for its East-West Passenger Project. There have been rumors and suggestions that CSX may then want to use the PAS for most of its trains if that happens. Rebuilding the Leominster line all the way to the B&M would make sense if this comes to fruition but right now it is just one for the fantasy list.

Not advocating. Just some food for thought.

UPDATE: Yeah kind of posted to the wrong thread. I'll leave it so that the following text and quoted post makes sense.

[jaymac]

Coupla comments--
The northern end of the Framingham Secondary is Framingham, and the northern end of theFitchburg Secondary is Leominster, the southern end being Framingham, so mebbe continuations of Fitchburg Secondary posts belong elsewhere.
While it mebbemightbecouldbe rebuilt, The UGB that carried the long-dead Leominster-Fitchburg leg of the Fitchburg Secondary over Rte. 2 is gone, as has been documented. Oh yeah, there might also be NIMBYism on steroids if the Fitchburg Secondary ended up with traffic levels that would be greater than the NH ever saw.
Before the Commonwealth gets fiscally involved in this --cuz CSXT and/or NS and/or CN and/or CP (not to mention venture capitalists and/or corporate raiders) sure won't -- the Great and General Court is gonna have to come up with a number of new lottery games to fund such a Hoover of money.

[west point]

I'm confused Isn't the PAS route double stack limited thru Hossack ?

[bostontrainguy]

I'm confused Isn't the PAS route double stack limited thru Hossack ?

Right now tri-level autoracks and first generation double stacks will clear or even one domestic and one international I believe.

[Commuterrail1050]

As of today, for foxboro traffic, B733 runs during the week in the morning to Mansfield coming through around 8:30AM and returns to Walpole passing through about 2:30ish or so. I’ve heard it’s horn both of these times plus I’ve caught it. B731 has been arriving at readville around 7pm or so. It seems that it goes to framingham about noontime or so. Maybe early afternoon. Haven’t caught it leaving in a while so idk but that would be my guess as it keeps changing frequently.