CNZR - Armory Branch

The 25T Blue GE is from Wallingford (AL). The privately owned 25T GE in all dark green that was once in Windsor/Bloomfield was sold to a museum in Petaluma California.

D

Thanks for the correction. I guess the question is where is the Green and Orange 25T 0825? I do not believe it is on the Griffin line.

Although it was a while ago, I thought I read it was being used by a C&D customer
or scrap dealer on the Suffield Branch?

Dave

It was but was then returned. I have pictures of it in Windsor Locks waiting to be picked by lowboy trailer on CTshortlines yahoo group. (As well as my recent Armory Branch jaunt).

Am I correct in assuming these are concrete ties that were determined to be defective on the Metro North?

See http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A9639C8B63

Does anyone have info on whats going on in East Windsor. They rebuilt a switch and reconstructed track, in the area of Apothecaries Hall Rd, to serve a newly constructed metal prefab building. The line extends through East Windsor and into Enfield, there are several locations where there are large piles (1000's) of concrete ties that are waiting to be installed. Anyone know that status of this project?

See the CNZR - Armory Branch thread further down. The trackwork in Enfield is to revamp the line through there and in that section, to have a proper crossing at the Enfield Transit Mix site. That area also had poor draining and very light rail.

Project on hiatus for the winter.

The concrete ties were surplus from MBTA in Boston. The metal prefab **could** be a wood pellet vendor but don't hold me to it.

The CNZR crew occasionally lurk here...

I live in Massachusetts, but grew up in East Windsor, and so have been following recent developments on this line with avid interest. I had the pleasure of speaking with A.J. Belliveau himself not all that long ago, and was informed that about 4 miles of the line (most likely starting at the old depot site in Broad Brook and heading north) will have concrete crossties and 136 lb. rail. As of last Monday, concrete ties and heavy rail have been installed from just north of the crossing for State 191, to about 15-25 ft. south of the Enfield Transit Mix driveway. The right-of-way north of the driveway has been cleared and graded almost halfway to the Abbe Road crossing, while a retaining wall has been constructed south of the driveway, with new culverts and such for drainage I was probably 9 or 10 when the line was formally abandoned through that area (I vaguely remember a signaled crossing of State 191, possibly even with gates, but I could be misremembering that part.), and over the years there were some mad mudslides when it rained heavily, due to the clay-sand mix of the soil there. The most recent work area appears to be between State 140 (East Windsor) north to Kressyrig Road, where the crew is clearing trees and brush alongside the tracks (Thanks for the heads-up on this most recent project, go to a fellow who calls himself Bill YungK who posted a photo of this very area on the NERAIL Photo Archive). Being a first-time poster, I'm going to attempt to post a few of my photos showing the amazing progress that has been made along this line in such a short period of time, so any advice on posting photos would be greatly appreciated.

Hello. Thanks for the update. I've been posting photos on the CTshortlines yahoo group.

Yes progress on this line is great to see. I look forward to photographing the NH painted RS1 on this line if it ever ventures out here. Hopefully A.J. Belliveau will be feeling the need to run a New Haven painted engine down the line.

Xian

Anything down the line would be great! Rural Connecticut with no McDonalds, Wal Marts, Dunkin Donuts, etc etc.

Maybe we could borrow the Northern or the Long Island MP54 from the Trolley Musuem? Yes I am dreaming!

Well don't get me started on that!! The MP54 is in rough shape as is the Northern, but I too do dream of a connection to the CT trolley museum's ROW someday. The ROW does not end too far from the CNZR Armory Branch. A connection such as this would allow an outside world connection for our trolley museum. Our newly painted Reading caboose would be great to throw onto the end of a freight train on that line. Of course, time will tell what happens. But I like to say never say never, and hope that someday combined efforts will make this link possible.

Xian

Xian,
try talking to the man himself! I'm told he used to volunteer at the Valley RR in Essex, so I'm sure he's got a "soft spot" for "worthy causes."

There is going to be a New Haven GP-9 painted in it's original McGinnis paint and correctly numbered 1229 running on the Griffens Branch by next summer in time for the train expo. The engine will be moving onto the Griffen's soon from the Hartford Fruit Tracks where it has sat for a while being repaired. The prime mover is done and runs well but control equipment needs to be repaired so it can run from the cab. The plan is to use the 1229 engine [original number] to pull a few passenger cars loading at the Hartford Station and run to the end of the line and back. We will have to see if the station loading deal works out. The new giant white Quonset Hut put up at the Windsor C.N.E. yard will house the engine for final repairs and possibly the painting...

Excellent news! I hope to hear more about this train as summer nears. Any idea when the locomotive is moving?

Thanks
Xian