Medford Branch "Dead or Alive?"

[BostonUrbEx]

did they cancel the plans to bypass the tunnel? doesnt appear appear anything has changed

Railroad couldn't hold a project timeline if its life depended on it. Pushed back several times and now there's no date set at all anymore.

[CRail]

Tunnel bypass went online this week. Medford branch has a new electric lock switch off the new main.

[bostontrainguy]

Have seen a few pics and postings on this. What is the story? It always was there but not used? Was it reactivated to create an easy passing track?

As far as the Medford branch, the Pan Am website still has this listing available:

CRYSTAL COLD STORAGE – MEDFORD, MA
Opened in 2001, Crystal operates a 2.5 million square foot, state-of-the-art, temperature controlled facility in Medford, just north of Boston. The facility is close to routes I-93 and US-1. Their siding can handle 5 cars.

[fridmun2]

I remember in the late 80's / early 90's I believe, that the Western Route was among the last to still run exclusively with FP-10's, because there was some sort of clearance issues with F40PH's in this tunnel. And I also remember all scheduled service using the surface bypass for a while, when they were doing the clearance remediation work in the tunnel to resolve this.

It was fun for a while (I lived in Malden), pacing the FP-10's and their trains along Commercial Street/ Rivers Edge Drive!

[bostontrainguy]

Kinda just have to ask . . . why not just use the bypass?

[FatNoah]

That was my question as well. I get the OL needs to have a tunnel unless the Medford Branch completely goes away. With the branch, you need a turnout to access either the bypass or the branch itself. There's only one track, so it's not like you'd be fouling another track either way.

[GP40MC1118]

The bypass was not connected to the north or east end of the tunnel back then. It was the Medford
Branch and a spur to the Piantedosi Baking Company (used to get airslides). There was also a cold storage
warehouse on Commercial Ave called "Triple A" (which was off the mainline).