Connecticut Southern (CSOR) Discussion

Went out again yesterday (9/19/17) and did not see any new ties along Manchester line that were dropped off to be put in. One car was in the Manchester yard though. South Windsor line has ties dropped off but no machinery in sight to put it.If I would take a count there must be about 10 bundles I saw. I couldn't get to East Hartford along Park street due to repaving job going on. Will try tomorrow as this is the last place I saw all the machinery was working.

Looks like they are all done with the tie gang on both Manchester (never was done only through to School Street and yard in E.H.) and South Windsor Lines. They do look somewhat better but could really use some ballast but I don't think any will be coming.

I watched in Hartford CT yard today CSO-4 come through with 56 cars headed South to New Haven, CSO-1 with about ten cars headed in the yard from Springfield as well, and CSO-3 stopped with about 9 cars headed up to Windsor Locks and was waiting on Amtrak 56 to head North but they were running about 45 minutes behind time. Also local was switching cars around so CSO1 and CSO-3 had places to sit and wait. Great rail day in Hartford today around 2:00pm today.

I saw yesterday in Hartford yard a rail surface machine and a small ballast car attached loading up after working somewhere in the yard. Then today out in Manchester in the yard I saw one center beam car that was unloaded already. Not sure if it was for Sanford and Hawley or someone else? At least there was some activity out on the line.

Now that the siding has been relayed, a whole new wall and better looking then it has ever, is CSO going to be delivering any road salt to this location in the Hartford CT Meadows? I have not seen any cars on the property. Does anyone know if they will be delivering this vital product for the winter?

Found out today from John at the salt storage that they may get the road salt delivered by truck. Between the electric company, Amtrak and whatever, they fell two months behind John said and well now it is to late. He says that trucks may soon be delivering the salt but not as much in the past because of the time of the season right now. This is again more bad news for CSO.

Short term maybe, not like the salt was ever big business for them that I could tell. Saw track equipment working there yesterday, could have been on the main next to it but looked like they were right on that track.

That is Amtrak's equipment tied up for the Holiday. Some of the equipment on the new line just laid down for second track and some on the new siding.

FWIW, a couple weeks ago someone posted in the CSOR group on Facebook that the last revenue run to Manchester had been made for Tri-State Brick on Hilliard St. that was receiving boxcars of brick. So as of November 2017, there are no more any revenue customers in Manchester. Not sure if there is even a customer beyond the "yard" in East Hartford at this point, or if there are even customers in East Hartford anymore. The line into South Windsor still has a few customers I believe, including interchange with CNZR in East Windsor.

East Hartford still has a transload operation going on and they still store the gondola cars for C&d in the yard. Off the SW line their is a siding that receives fruits, veg, produce. Further down the line on SW there is lumber, as well as a tank car siding (not sure what is in the tank cars) and that is about it. CNZR still gets are car or two delivered but that is pretty much done with for the season I believe. The Manchester line from School street in East Hartford to Manchester is pretty much OOS. They did do the third crossing though with tar just before the line goes across rte 84. This was badly needed for automobile traffic and not so much for rail. CSO is just about done on these two lines unless they can get out there and find new customers.

I watched CSO -1 come South through Windsor today with 2 engines and no cars in tow and CSO- 4 come South as well with just two cars in tow and two engines. Siding for road salt has Amtrak MOW equipment on it and the Salt is piling up being brought in by truck. Can it get any worse I wonder?

Coming north on I-91 next to Fruit and Vegetable growers market I saw what looked like CSO off the track with a few C&D cars today. Anyone know what happened as I believe the tracks had some maintenance not to long ago? This was the second accident today that I am aware of as PAR went off the tracks in Plainville and shut down a major roadway. Yesterday P&W went off the tracks in Middletown as well.

Yesterday I saw CSO-1 with 71 cars go South Through Hartford and then the Two Vermonters (North and then South) followed by CSO-4 with 54 cars in tow I believe. Also, in the yard was CSO was flat switching and then took one car across the river to East Hartford. Good day of watching I would say.

Went by EH yard the other day... empty except for some MRRX hoppers apparently in storage. Noticed that the lines out of the yard headed East have been blockaded. Line to Manchester had what looked like painted cinder blocks stacked down by the street crossing, thought I could see the same on the other line after it crosses the street headed toward CNZR.

Caught CSOR making their Murphy Rd move yesterday around 12:30. Stopped by today about 11:15 and saw Amtrak North, then South, then CSOR making the move to Murphy Rd. Was passing by again about 12:15 and caught them coming back.