Boston Railway Terminal

I have a few questions about the BRT.

I recently noticed that the stack on their engine is capped. Is it out of service? And if so, is CSX spotting their cars when they drop them off?

The BRT typically will have 1 gondola (or no cars) on their trackage. On Monday the 3rd, and still there today, they had the following string of cars: a gondola, 5 box cars, a flat car, a gondola, and a bit down the tracks, another gondola. From my location, I can't see the extreme end of their 'yard', so their could be more. Is CSX simply storing a few cars there for a couple of days or is something else going on?

Thanks
- Stephen

For those of you who want more information on the BRT, this thread provides a bit... http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=391

Box Cars?


Where exactly did you see all of these cars again? By the new convention center or in the 3 track yard next to the Old Colony? If it was in the yard by the commuter line, and the 5 boxes were red Canadian National or Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific cars, those are from the Boston Globe. Th yard by the commuter tracks is CSXT's and the BRT is not supposed to be up there.

Yup, box cars.

They are at the BRT down by the new convention center, that's why its so weird. I can't tell the reporting marks from here. I'll try to go for a walk today at lunch (they are still there) and see if I can get them.

- Stephen

Well, in one of those dumb moves, I went for a walk, in the snow and freezing rain.

Here is a list of the cars that are there at present. It includes a total of twelve cars (3 more than I could see earlier).

This list is from southwest, and the connection to CSX, to northeast, and the end of the line.

car type - reporting marks/road name
Gondola - NS/Norfolk Southern
Gondola - CSXT/CSX
Flat Car - unknown (loaded with rail)
Gondola - CSXT/CSX
Box Car - SSW/Cotton Belt
Box Car - SP/Southern Pacific
Box Car - SP/Southern Pacific
Box Car - GVSR/Golden West Service
Box Car - SP/Southern Pacific
Flat Car - unknown (loaded with pipe)
Gondola - NSTX/National Star Steel
Gondola - CSXT/CSX

- Stephen

Wow, business is good.

Does anyone know if BRT will be re-connected to the Conley Marine Terminal?

The trackage will be reconnected, but I think that it will be CSX providing any service.

Below are a series of pictures Mr. Richard Andre posted on the NERAIL site.

- Stephen

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ey=RAAndre
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ey=RAAndre
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ey=RAAndre
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ey=RAAndre

Thanks for the info. I can see the corridor from my building, but I've never ventured close enough to tell if it was supposed to be rail or vehicle (or both).

Stephen wrote:The trackage will be reconnected, but I think that it will be CSX providing any service.

Another proposal was either the City of Boston or the Convention Center itself was to pay CSXT a good chunk of change annually to pave over the existing rail for parking areas.

Unfortunately I think they will take the money & run, especially after B.R.T. moves out.

BRT has been getting a few more cars then usual and he has been a little slow in unloading them. The box cars are a bit unusual, they're loaded with new tieplates, possibley for the Greenbush.

CSX Conductor wrote:

Stephen wrote:The trackage will be reconnected, but I think that it will be CSX providing any service.

Another proposal was either the City of Boston or the Convention Center itself was to pay CSXT a good chunk of change annually to pave over the existing rail for parking areas.

Unfortunately I think they will take the money & run, especially after B.R.T. moves out.

I don't understand - how does this tie in with the new corridor being constructed (not just studied to death like so much in the NY area, but actually being constructed) as shown in the post above - or does it not tie in at all (BTW, the Massport Website seemed to bury information about this rail/truck corridor initiative very well - at least I didn't find it...

Last year I saw that the crossing @ D Street in Southie had been re-done during a road resurfacing project, but I have not been down there on or near the tracks to see just how far they go.

where are those photos taken? and BRT, where is that, near BET?

Others may be able to supply better answers (please do!), but here's my thoughts.

Sir Ray: I don't understand - how does this tie in with the new corridor being constructed (not just studied to death like so much in the NY area, but actually being constructed) as shown in the post above - or does it not tie in at all (BTW, the Massport Website seemed to bury information about this rail/truck corridor initiative very well - at least I didn't find it...

BRT's facility is located along A Street in South Boston (it is next to the new convention center) in what remains of the old New Haven A Street Yard. At the northeast end of their trackage, the line curves towards the southeast (below grade and in front of the new convention center). It then goes below D Street (this is the location of the pictures included above) and out toward the Marine Terminal.

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050: ...and BRT, where is that, near BET?

The BRT is the Boston Railway Terminal. It is a company that provides transload services for steel and pipe. They occupy trackage in South Boston as mentioned above. I do not believe that they are a common carrier. CSX drops loads for them on an as needed basis. They do have one locomotive, but it appears to be out of service at present. This is a picture of it from a few years ago.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... y_Terminal

The BRT had a lot of transload work during the Big Dig and convention center construction. As the convention center authorities would like their space, there has been some word that they may be relocating to either the Upton, MA or Rhode Island areas. No recent news on that.

Alan (of the BRT) if you are still checking this forum please correct any errors above, I hope I got things right.

- Stephen

The pictures on NERail and the discussions above are incorrect.
The "corridor" depicted is part of the Silver Line (read Trackless Trolley) bus extension to the World Trade Center.

There is no way to get from there out to Castle Island/Conley Terminal unless you plan on bulldozing most of Broadway.