B&M west end track layout during Guilford

Does anybody have a timetable, track chart, or first hand knowledge of the track layout on the old District 3 and 4 territories just on the eve of Guilford?

Where was the appropriate locations of single track, double track, sidings, etc? And I'm sure not all the track Guilford inherited survived their antics. Were there any spots where parts of the second main were removed or simply left OOS during Guilford?

How was the line signalled during the height of the B&M? Double track that was reverse-signalled both directions? Or current-of-traffic style?

I would like to know anything about Ayer to Mechanicville, for modelling purposes.

I left the B & M in 1986 and I don't know what Districts 3 and 4 are. If you name the points, I'll see what I can find.

D-3 used to start at CPF-NC, the North Chelmsford wye, but that got moved west to CPF-312 -- Willows East -- on or about 01-26-2010. D-4 used to start at the easterly limit of CPF-370 -- just before the end of the single in Erving -- until D-4 got folded into D-3 on or about 10-02-2010, assuming accuracy in the Oxford Junction Press GRS tt and my notes.

If you mean prior to GTI acquiring the B&M IN 1981

West End TD (Montague to Rotterdam)
Conn River TD (Springfield to Wells River, to Berlin and Groveton)
Gardner TD (Montague to Willows)*, Worcester mainline
East End TD (Willows to Rigby)* *the Concord mainline went back and forth between East End/Gardner desks)
Boston East*
Boston West* *combined 3rd Shift and weekends
Assistant Chief TD

It stayed that way until Amtrak got the Commuter contract in January 1987.

D

My newest (and only official) ETT was updated as of Summer 1977, but I have a number of older ones. Post-1950 ETTs are fairly common at book dealers' tables at New England train shows, or over the internet. There are a couple of reputable dealers who post to the [email protected] list. The late B&M series, with the red plastic cover and replaceable pages, include a track chart on the timetable pages.

Up till 1958, the FItchburg Division was double track all the way, except for a few miles of 3rd track west of Fitchburg. Most was current-of-traffic ABS, but I recall bi-directional signalling around Ayer, Fitchburg - Gardner and E. Deerfield - Greenfield. There were a number of middle tracks and outside sidings so freights could get out of the way of passenger trains. Searchlight signals had replaced all the older color-light and semaphore signals by the early 1960s.

Guilford did lots of pulling up of second tracks and sidings. They pulled up track 2 between Westminster and Gardner, track 1 between Greenfield and W. Deerfield. The west end of the double iron between Buckland and Rice's. Williamstown to Pownall, and Reymolds to XO has been shortened.

Engineer Spike wrote:Guilford did lots of pulling up of second tracks and sidings. They pulled up track 2 between Westminster and Gardner, track 1 between Greenfield and W. Deerfield. The west end of the double iron between Buckland and Rice's. Williamstown to Pownall, and Reymolds to XO has been shortened.

Those are the big ones I rememember as well with a few corrections. It was track 2 that was removed between Greenfield and West Deerfield. it was Williamstown to North Pownal (Pownal was another station). Also Snyders to XO, not Reynolds.

On the Conn River they also removed or placed out of service a lot of double iron (Arch to Silver Street, Greenfield to Deerfield Junction, Northampton North to South, Springfield to Holyoke) and de-signalized north of Greenfield.

Also of note, before they cut back the old westbound to Buckland (CPF402), the entire track was out of service between Shelburn Falls and Buckland. Al of those ancient B&M boxcars were stored there.

When Amtrak returns some of the double iron on the Conn River will come back. Who knows which ones...

Also, the NS has planned to put North Pownal to Pownal back in, but that seems to be on the backburner.

With the T going out of Wachusett some of that double iron is going back in.

jaymac wrote:D-3 used to start at CPF-NC, the North Chelmsford wye, but that got moved west to CPF-312 -- Willows East -- on or about 01-26-2010. D-4 used to start at the easterly limit of CPF-370 -- just before the end of the single in Erving -- until D-4 got folded into D-3 on or about 10-02-2010, assuming accuracy in the Oxford Junction Press GRS tt and my notes.

That sounds right. When the districts were consolidated D3 was moved west to Willows East so the entire District could be Pan Am Southern.

I have just updated my web site with scans of the milepost and track chart pages from ETT #21 as updated through April 1977, and a track diagram of Newburyport as it was in the early 1950s. I have a few more of my own drawings from the 1970s which I will add in the next update.

http://www.faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/bmrr/layout.html

Thanks for all your help guys!

James, on those timetable maps you linked us to, what do the orange and green color signify?

I don' t have the ETT handy, but I believe the orange highlight is conventional ABS and tower-controlled interlockings, and the green is CTC rules.