Boston Waterfront Industrial Track Reactivation

[bostontrainguy]

Yeah that has to be the test track. Also an "engine house" being built at the end for car storage or inspection. Everything seems to end before Cypher Street so there is no road crossing involved.

I still think this is a rather stupid waste of money. I was involved in car testing a while ago and you got to get the equipment up to full speed and conduct emergency braking. That test track is too short to do anything.

Interesting to see what happens after the testing. They could remove the third rail and maybe use it for future freight service although I don't think that is ever going to happen. There was that Back Bay to Seaport DMU shuttle proposed a while ago that could use it.

P.S. I also just checked Google Earth and there is a building going up at TWO DRYDOCK AVE., which is right where the tracks cross Drydock Ave. Hope they are leaving a path for the tracks but can't tell from the aerial shot.

UPDATE: Found this pic of the project. Looks like the tracks are running between the new buildings.

[bostontrainguy]

Another thought I always have when looking at this line, you'd think the expo center itself could use a siding. They probably move as much large stuff in and out as any manufacturer. Granted it may not be coming or going to another place that's rail-accessible. But I'm just thinking about hundreds of large boats driving around the city on trailers, versus easily rolling them all in on flat cars. Seems common sense to have and use when you can. But what do I know.

Some heavy duty equipment expos have locomotives on display. Boston would have a real
advantage if they could display some rail equipment outside of the convention center for such shows.

[dbperry]

Since the Red Line Test Track is more of an MBTA topic, I posted my reply over there:
viewtopic.php?f=65&t=165430&p=1508961#p1508961" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bostontrainguy]

Think Massport might try again? Although it looks like the Massport Marine Terminal is going in a different direction, and the Red Line "Test Track" might just screw everything up, there might be a little money here to at least reactivate the line to the pier, maybe access the cement plant (they were interested before) and attract some small ship company (similar to an Eimskip) to the area. That rail-on-dock pier at the end of Track 61 should have some potential and seems perfect for an Eimskip type service.

The dream of Conley (single-stack to Worcester) service is still out there but there is little reason that a Portland Maine type of operation couldn't work in Boston with just a rebuild of the existing track.

USDOT seeks applicants for new port infrastructure grant program

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... ram--57815

[bostontrainguy]

Could this actually do it? Been waiting for years for something to happen here:

https://www.massport.com/massport/media ... th-boston/

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/25/ ... s-new-use/

Original plan:



Moderator: Can we merge this with the Track 61 thread?

[bostontrainguy]

Here is the Rail Access Master Plan:

https://files.masscec.com/MMT%20Rail%20 ... 001%29.pdf

[Boatsmate75]

They already have rail Access in Quincy at the shipyard, where they already have a large pile of salt that they use for south shore communities. I assume they are going to close this facility and move everything to Boston. the cost to split the ships for unloading is expensive, they don't have unloading equipment in Quincy, and everything has to be trucked to the pikes, plus it is a day time only, transit for the ship. most likely a cost saving move

[CSRR573]

They already have rail Access in Quincy at the shipyard, where they already have a large pile of salt that they use for south shore communities. I assume they are going to close this facility and move everything to Boston. the cost to split the ships for unloading is expensive, they don't have unloading equipment in Quincy, and everything has to be trucked to the pikes, plus it is a day time only, transit for the ship. most likely a cost saving move

Bringing up Quincy got me thinking. Since alot of the ship yard is now a storage area for Quirk, would it be possible to drop autoracks off there instead of trucking the cars in? I would imagine they would come off the NEC at Attleboro and come up from Middleboro. Of course I would some think some bridges would have to be raised? Or not since its already a freight clearance route?

[Douglasphil]

That whole Boston waterfront area is not freight friendly, Amtrak and Keolis don't always play well with others. The Dorchester Branch has a 10 mph limit for freight and limited to plate c. When CSX still served the Cold Storage place near South Station , I was told that they couldn't arrive down there until after midnight and had to vacate the premises before 4:30-5:00 Am . That line about CSX going down to the Port between 6:30 Pm and 6:00 AM is purely theoretical. Someone should consult the parties involved before publishing these reports. I'm not so sure if CSX, Amtrak or the MBTA are really on board with any of this.

[bostontrainguy]

Don't know if this is related but Massport has altered it's lease on Parcel 5 which was going to be completely developed and built on to now developing only the northern two thirds of the parcel leaving the southern third open. That is exactly where the railroad tail tracks were to be built if the tracks were extended to the MMT.

Excerpt:

The southern portion of the site, for which no end-user has yet been identified. is anticipated to be developed as marine industrial or ancillary use . . . fully-compliant with the Ground Lease and Chapter 91 as water-dependent industrial or uses accessory thereto.

http://www.bostonplans.org/projects/dev ... l-parcel-5

[bostontrainguy]

When CSX still served the Cold Storage place near South Station , I was told that they couldn't arrive down there until after midnight and had to vacate the premises before 4:30-5:00 Am

I used to work in Widett Circle and I remember that train coming up the Dorchester branch about 5 PM every day. I don't remember how much commuter rail trains used that line back then.

[stevefol]

Huge increase in Conley handling. Absolutely no mention of connecting the railroad.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/22/ ... me-cranes/

[bostontrainguy]

We were always told that Boston was too small for double-stack container rail service. Kind of funny when you look at the Google Earth images:

[bostontrainguy]

Checking Google maps today I found this newly built double track crossover in the old yard next to the Convention Center. Something interesting happening here?



UPDATE: I doubled checked the image dates. It looks like this was there on 9/2020 but was gone on 10/2020. I guess they are assembling these here for install in other places. I thought it was possibly too large to transport by truck but I'm going to have to guess it is not.

[neman2]

That is the staging area for the contractor doing the MBTA Cabot yard rebuild. Special trackwork like that is usually pre-assembled to make sure all pieces are there and fit together properly. You don't want to find out an important part is missing or doesn't align in the middle of a weekend shutdown. That is too large to go by truck, it would have been separated into transportable pieces.