Winter 2017-2018 Readiness and Operations

[StefanW]

Today all the top brass had a press briefing to announce the winter preparedness...

http://sampan.org/2017/12/baker-polito-administration-prepared-for-winter-weather/

https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/2017-12-15-gov-baker-mbta-is-ready-for-winter/

Even though the presentation included MassDOT highway, the focus appeared to be on MBTA & Keolis. In fact the event was held at BET.

The first photo in the WBZ article was taken behind BET, basically on top of the Callahan track and facing the CSX east/west and 4th. You can see the blue loco in the background.
This is the area: https://goo.gl/maps/YaSbcaNAEx62 https://goo.gl/maps/LFRZCckt9dU2
The second WBZ photo shows one of the plows over the Governor's shoulder.

[StefanW]

Here's clearer versions of those photos:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRHKAlyVQAIKbWg.jpg:large


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRG_OPnVoAACd2j.jpg:large


That's from https://twitter.com/Lanawbz

[Dick H]

Photo of MBTA plow rig at BET on 12/17. Photo by David Hutchinson.
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plows are ex-B&M rebuilt by the Hobo RR in Lincoln NH in the 1990<s.

[StefanW]

At the press conference this afternoon Stephanie Pollack announced that the Braintree branch would be shut down at 10PM from JFK south. Bus shuttles will replace service so that snow removal can take place before everything freezes up overnight. I think that's a really good plan! IIRC some of the most significant issues recovering from the 2015 blizzards were due to the depressed RoW through Quincy and Braintree. If they get an extra 3+ hours head start by bustituting at 10PM on a night when most people were (probably) staying home, that's a win.

[Type 7 3684]

They're also doing this from Wellington to Oak Grove. The alert I received mentioned that they will be using a single-track shuttle train instead of buses.

[Disney Guy]

What rules and/or guidelines are there regarding road plows blocking trolley tracks with snow?

Could "see something say something" be used against plow drivers?

[CRail]

The burden is on the street railway to keep their tracks clear. Such has always been the case.