Newlywed

[camster202]

On the photo archive this morning there were posts of Newlywed getting truckloads. I would imagine they, along with many other businesses, have switched to trucks completely. You wouldn't think they've moved, but the only reason I could think of them taking trucks would be for GRS to put some new rail in but I doubt that would happen.

A thriving business like that likely wouldn't move, am I wrong? This isn't of that much importance personally to me in the fact that I don't follow much in the realm of Boston, but still interesting, nonetheless.

[NellsChoo]

I'm just mads because I learned about Newlyweds too late to catch Guilford down there That was the last local freight spot near my home

[FatNoah]

Have they completely switched to trucks? I live about a mile from Newlyweds and drive by it every day on my way to the gym in Boston. For the last 1.5 years (as long as I've been in Watertown) I've seen them receiving trucks. I don't think this is anything new.

[OHanrahan]

Just recently, i talked to one of the guys on the crew bringing five cars to Newlyweds. They were stopped at concord ave. awaiting a cop to flag the train. He told me that this would be one of the last day runs to this place and wasn't sure who was taking over the duties if anybody. At this time, they would get two trains per week but trucks also. I'd say this was within the last two or three months. Today there was a single covered hopper over in the yard.

[CSX Conductor]

Guilford probably finds that servicing them is more of a nuisance than anything else. mainly due to $$$

1). maintaining the track vs. # of car loads

2) time consumed by sending a crew down that rickety ol track

3) if there is no runaround at the end of the track, they have to pay the conductor an extra 2 hours pay for riding the shove in excess of a mile per union agreement.

could be many other reasons, especially since there aren't any other rail customers left in the area, they probably want to get rid of this one too.

I know it sounds foolish, but the railroads are not managed with the idea of customers..........they are mainly concerned with finding ways to cut costs.

[Cowford]

CSX, you make it sound like railroads will not be happy until all business is gone from the railroad. You also make it sound like railroads should serve customers without consideration of making a profit. Take your points and apply them to a kid's lemonade stand...

You sell lemonade and limeade for $.25/cup. It costs you $.17/cup for ingredients and the cup and the kid you have working for you to make and sell the drinks (by the way, 25/17 is about the revenue to variable cost ratio railroads experience). You have to pay for the stand (your parents charge you to rent space at the end of your driveway) and the juicer (again, your mean parents are deducting $ from your allowance to pay for the juicer they bought for you). Rent and your juicer payment are your fixed costs and cost you $30/month. You're in this to make money, and you really want that new skateboard. Well, you gotta sell 375 cups per month before you see a penny.

But wait, your helper is represented by the United Lemonade Workers. They've decided that squeezing limes deserves an extra $.01 /cup in pay. People on the street will only pay $.25/cup, so you've gotta sell 15% more limeade just to break even. If you can't sell that additional volume, you've got two choices: discontinue limeade sales, or sell your limeade business to little Billy Shortline next door that who will work cheaper and so can economically afford to continue producing and selling limeade and still make a little pocket money.

[mick]

ST conductors

[TPR37777]

Just imagine, the doorbell rings. You get up and answer it. It is the mailman. He throws the mail at you. It is several weeks late. He tells you to sell your house and move closer to the post office and storms off.

[NellsChoo]

HAHHAHHAAA!!

Oh, sorry.....

[CSX Conductor]

ck and Cowford, I was not meaning that they would like to see the business go because they want less business, but rather they don't wan to send a crew down from Ayer or Lowell just to service the one customer.......since they would be gone most of the day.

Cowford, are you familiar with this customer, and the track conditions etc? For some reason I always feel that you are from the South.....but perhaps you are a former New Englander transplated to the south?

[NellsChoo]

There's a different hopper parked at West Cambridge, most likely for Newlywed. I think it says NORTH DAKOTA MILLING or something like that. Never seen one like that before.

So folks, lets make this all plain and simple:

YES - Guilford is still serving Newlywed
NO - Guilford is not serving Newlywed
WELL... - Guilford does serve Newlywed for now but doesn't want to

Which is it?? I am not trying to be pushy, But I sure would like to watch them go down that line! It seems there are conflicting opinions on the matter. I came very close a few days ago to just pulling into the place and asking!

I guess I am just not good with mysteries...

Jonelle

[Steve Wagner]

Early in July there were five covered hoppers in the "yard" at West Cambridge. One disappeared, then two more, and on July 29 the remaining two were gone and the North Dakota Mills pressure-differential car was there. It was still there this morning.

North Dakota Mills cars have shown up there quite often in recent years. That's a state-owned business and probably the most successful socialist operation in the United States.

All of the covered hoppers sent to Newlyweds in recent years have been either pressure-differentials or Airslides. The two types get spotted at different unloading sites.

Meanwhile, what has happened to Rex Lumber, the only customer that has received cars at West Cambridge in recent years? There hasn't been a freight car there since late June, and no stacks of wrapped lumber are on the ground. They've nearly always had at least one boxcar or centerbeam flatcar since I started commuting on the Fitchburg Route in 1990. Have they moved or closed?

[GP40MC1118]

Coop or Rex Lumber moved to N. Billerica this summer, so Newlyweds is the only customer left between Somerville and Acton on the Fitchburg mainline.

Dave

[Ron Newman]

When I lived on Kent Street in Somerville, there was a freight customer on the north side of the Fitchburg mainline right at Kent Street. But that was over 12 years ago and the customer is long gone. I don't remember who it was -- anyone know?

[NellsChoo]

How about the other large lumber supplier there, I think it's Anderson McQuaid or something similar. They seem to have a need for lumber brought it by rail. Also, I thought I saw some type of mill building in the track area last time I was around there. Who are they and do they also no longer need freight?

PS: Just heard the MBTA toot... probably heading down past all this stuff!!