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Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

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 #1333811  by Watchman318
 
craven wrote:Update Sat. 30 May 2015
NAHX 94731 (Empty)
NAHX 94731 was one of (I think) four that went down to the MERR/PAR interchange on the morning of 05/21.
I'm pretty sure that was the most recent westbound move of cement cars. I think some of your empties returned that afternoon, but I don't have any numbers handy. I think there was mostly barge-related trainery going on this past week; Friday anyway.
There were probably NAHX cars in Rockland yard when I went by there Friday afternoon. I don't believe there's much room for them inside the plant before or after they're actually loaded,
jjoyce1 wrote:Once they're empty-released we should see the South Thomaston destination show up and we can watch them make their way back home.
I'm pretty sure Dragon is entirely in Thomaston, maybe with some of the quarry in Rockland. South Thomaston is a separate town, with no direct access to U.S. Rt. 1 or the railroad. </end nitpick> :wink:
 #1334618  by craven
 
Update Sat. 06 June 2015

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest.
 #1334774  by jjoyce1
 
Report Name: Trace Type Test: Nationwide - Last Event Format: H - NITL ETA
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 equipment ids.
EQUIPMENT EVENT L/E EVENT TRAIN DESTINATION REPORTING RR SCAC ETA PTD HTA AEI IND RESTRICTED
INIT NUMBER CITY ST DATE TIME CODE CITY ST CITY STATE TYPE DATE HOUR (DAYS) (DAYS) CAR
NAHX 94733 BARSTATIO MA 06/07 2055 E P THOMASTON ME ST 6.61
NAHX 94731 BARSTATIO MA 06/07 2055 E P THOMASTON ME ST 6.61
NAHX 93605 SELKIRK NY 06/06 2235 E B SELKIRK NY CSXT
NAHX 94722 BARSTATIO MA 06/07 2055 E P THOMASTON ME ST 6.61
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 equipment ids.
 #1335546  by craven
 
Update Sat. 13 June 2015

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest.
 #1336622  by craven
 
Update Sat. 20 June 2015

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest.
 #1337554  by craven
 
Update Sat. 27 June 2015

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest.
 #1338198  by craven
 
Update Sat. 04 July 2015

Four (4) On the Spur by Island Road:

DPCX 336 (Full)
DPCX 332 (Empty)
DPCX 330 (Empty)
NAHX 94564 (Empty)


The 1701 in her nest beaming with pride.
 #1338202  by johnpbarlow
 
craven wrote:Update Sat. 04 July 2015

Four (4) On the Spur by Island Road:

DPCX 336 (Full)
DPCX 332 (Empty)
DPCX 330 (Empty)
NAHX 94564 (Empty)


The 1701 in her nest beaming with pride.
Aerial photos of Pan Am's N Billerica shops taken Friday July 3rd by Stephen Mayotte shows photos of DPCX 327, 328, 329, and 335 at the transload pad adjacent to the recently stored MBTA F40's. See photo ONE 558 at the URL below:

http://samayotte.com/PAR_Shop.html

I'm guessing these covered hoppers at N Billerica also transport cement from Rockland ME?
 #1338343  by Watchman318
 
johnpbarlow wrote:I'm guessing these covered hoppers at N Billerica also transport cement from Rockland ME?
Correct; I believe those (also in photos 0557 and 0559, I think) have been owned by Dragon since 2004 or thereabouts. The NAHX cars like the one coupled to them in one of the photos are a more recent addition to Dragon's fleet.
Those usually make the trip to Dragon's facility in Windsor, QC, and/or to Millis. A different batch of pressure-unloading cars (ex-CB&Q, maybe some ex-SAL?) cars handles the shuttle from the plant to the Rockland waterfront, loading the barges that go to MA or NH.

Those DPCX (originally Dewey Portland Cement) cars in the photos are ex-MDTX/CR/PC/nee NYC "Flexi-Flo" cars. I first saw them on the Rockland Branch in '93, when they still wore Merchants Despatch markings. Somebody did a painting years ago of an MEC locomotive (in bicentennial colors, I think) in Wiscasset, with some of those in the consist.
 #1338466  by jjoyce1
 
Watchman318 wrote:
johnpbarlow wrote:I'm guessing these covered hoppers at N Billerica also transport cement from Rockland ME?
Correct; I believe those (also in photos 0557 and 0559, I think) have been owned by Dragon since 2004 or thereabouts. The NAHX cars like the one coupled to them in one of the photos are a more recent addition to Dragon's fleet.
Those usually make the trip to Dragon's facility in Windsor, QC, and/or to Millis. A different batch of pressure-unloading cars (ex-CB&Q, maybe some ex-SAL?) cars handles the shuttle from the plant to the Rockland waterfront, loading the barges that go to MA or NH.

Those DPCX (originally Dewey Portland Cement) cars in the photos are ex-MDTX/CR/PC/nee NYC "Flexi-Flo" cars. I first saw them on the Rockland Branch in '93, when they still wore Merchants Despatch markings. Somebody did a painting years ago of an MEC locomotive (in bicentennial colors, I think) in Wiscasset, with some of those in the consist.
Small note but the DPCX mark was used by Dewey years and years ago, with Martin Marietta and then Blue Circle inheriting it, ceasing its use in 1988. Dragon Products registered the DPCX mark in 1995 after former users had let it lapse. So those hoppers marked DPCX don't have anything to do with Dewey Portland Cement, just a coincidence in terms of re-using that mark.

JAJ
 #1338749  by Watchman318
 
jjoyce1 wrote:Small note but the DPCX mark was used by Dewey years and years ago,
Right; and I did use the word "originally" in my post. No editing involved. :wink:
Dragon Products registered the DPCX mark in 1995 after former users had let it lapse.
The only ORER that I have handy is Oct. 2000, and the mark isn't in the List of Assigned Reporting Marks (as of 10/01/2000), possibly because Dragon hadn't yet acquired or listed the GATX-built "Pressure-Slide" cars that are usually on the shuttle to the Rockland waterfront. I think they got those prior to the ex-MDTX/etc. (AAR "C612") cars. I don't know if the GATX (originally CB&Q and/or SAL) ex-BDNX (Baroid Drilling Fluids) and ERCX (Excel Railcar Services) cars that became DPCX 300-325 ever go to Millis. (One got stricken from the roster some years back after it imploded during unloading. There were a couple of oddballs, 2800 and/or 2806 maybe, that might have been the Excel cars. Dunno if those were renumbered, because there's now a 339 "whalebelly," a number that's after the series used on the "Flexi-Flo" cars that do go to Millis.)
Now the owner is possibly CDN-USA, Cementos Portland Valderrivas, or something similar. http://www.dragonproducts.com/default3.htm
So those hoppers marked DPCX don't have anything to do with Dewey Portland Cement, just a coincidence in terms of re-using that mark.
Some sources state it's "Dragon Phosphate," but I son't know about that. I can access a newer ORER at some later date, or maybe call someone who has a current edition.
 #1339846  by craven
 
Update Sat. 18 July

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest

Note:Mar.28 from F-Lime mentioned the Needham to Medfield line was still intact. Passed by South Needham this AM and the rail has been lifted from the junction to as far as the bridge crossing the Charles into Dover.
 #1339870  by F-line to Dudley via Park
 
craven wrote:Update Sat. 18 July

The Spur is clear of cars.

The 1701 in her nest

Note:Mar.28 from F-Lime mentioned the Needham to Medfield line was still intact. Passed by South Needham this AM and the rail has been lifted from the junction to as far as the bridge crossing the Charles into Dover.
Needham's the only town that completed its trail design, so that was coming. Wasn't sure if it was this year or next, but I guess they are underway. Because Dover punked everyone by opposing the trail the second the abandonment was processed Needham is really cheesed off that their trail has to dead-end at the mini-park by the river for many years more...and possibly forever. After they had already paid for the design in-full. The two trail lobby dudes who did such a sell job on them in the first place are nowhere to be found when it comes to massaging egos in Dover to salvage this plan. I guess they declared Mission Accomplished at "No more trains!" too. These are of course the same Doverites who bogart all the parking at Needham's commuter rail stations, so that bad blood staring across the Charles goes back a few generations between towns.

From the Charles bridge to Medfield it's going to rust, and rust, and rust, and rust in place for years more as a sad monument to NIMBY-ism at its worst.
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