Back in the CSX days, the manual activation of the Concord Street crossing gates and CP 21 signal was controlled by a push button inside a locked switch box mounted close to the east end of each platform (one for track 1, one for track 2). Conductors would sometimes let kids push the button. The manual activation of the signal is now controlled by DTMF tones keyed over the 'road' radio frequency. Conductors no longer have to hike all the way to the end of the platform to push the button, esp. when the only occupied cars are at the west end of the platform (e.g. all non-rush hour trains). I have no idea if the switch boxes are still there or if they still work as a backup / alternate to the DTMF tones. Just haven't looked in a while.
Based on my observations, having the dispatcher pull in the signal so that the inbound trains see a clear at CP-21 would not really make any meaningful changes to the schedule. The increase in dwell times due to having to punch in the DTMF codes is very minimal - maybe a minute on average. According to my info, the speed limit is 40 mph from Fountain Street to the west end of CP-22, then 30 mph from the west end of CP-22 to CP-21 (and I think all the way to Bishop Street). So with a clear signal at CP-21, inbound trains could go a little faster into the station, but I wouldn't think it would amount to more than a few seconds of schedule time.
But the real reason I wanted to post was about the high level platforms in Framingham. I recently learned at an "ask the manager" event at South Station is that there are frequent wide load freight trains from Worcester to Boston - this manager thought it was about once a month. He claims Keolis has to go out and drop the mini-highs at Worcester, Grafton, Westboro, Southboro and Ashland to accommodate these moves - hence his knowledge of the frequency. However, once the wide loads reach Framingham, they eventually go up into the North Yard where they then go out on the Framingham or Fitchburg subdivisions. This is the 'natural' routing of most freight around Framingham - the north yard is where the freight trains are assembled for the Fitchburg and Framingham subs. And departing from the North Yard, they never have to pass by the actual Framingham station platform to get where they're going. The point of the discussion that the manager and I were having is that they very rarely have to drop the mini-highs at Framingham. So a practical freight runaround for Framingham already exists - not that it would allow legal full high platforms at Framingham, but interesting nonetheless.
Based on my observations, having the dispatcher pull in the signal so that the inbound trains see a clear at CP-21 would not really make any meaningful changes to the schedule. The increase in dwell times due to having to punch in the DTMF codes is very minimal - maybe a minute on average. According to my info, the speed limit is 40 mph from Fountain Street to the west end of CP-22, then 30 mph from the west end of CP-22 to CP-21 (and I think all the way to Bishop Street). So with a clear signal at CP-21, inbound trains could go a little faster into the station, but I wouldn't think it would amount to more than a few seconds of schedule time.
But the real reason I wanted to post was about the high level platforms in Framingham. I recently learned at an "ask the manager" event at South Station is that there are frequent wide load freight trains from Worcester to Boston - this manager thought it was about once a month. He claims Keolis has to go out and drop the mini-highs at Worcester, Grafton, Westboro, Southboro and Ashland to accommodate these moves - hence his knowledge of the frequency. However, once the wide loads reach Framingham, they eventually go up into the North Yard where they then go out on the Framingham or Fitchburg subdivisions. This is the 'natural' routing of most freight around Framingham - the north yard is where the freight trains are assembled for the Fitchburg and Framingham subs. And departing from the North Yard, they never have to pass by the actual Framingham station platform to get where they're going. The point of the discussion that the manager and I were having is that they very rarely have to drop the mini-highs at Framingham. So a practical freight runaround for Framingham already exists - not that it would allow legal full high platforms at Framingham, but interesting nonetheless.
