Connecticut Southern (CSOR) Discussion

I watched CSO-5 I believe go up South Windsor line and deliver one car of wood for customer just short of Burnham St crossing and then went north to drop off 5 cars for CNZR near Sullivan Road crossing. They picked up two empties from that run around. I wish they could also deliver cars to New England Silica like they used to. I tried calling G&W but can't get in touch with anyone in the marketing department. I did talk last year to NE Silica and they said they would be open to deliveries but the siding was out of service. CSO said back then that the customer needs to pay for fixing the siding to get service again. To bad as these were good customers in the pass. Manchester line past School St in E. Hartford toward Manchester is rusting away with no customers and the line blockade just west of School Street crossing. I know there is potential on this line as well.

You have timing on your side, sat at CSO grabbing an early lunch but things were quiet (2 days earlier, pretty active though). Anyhow, noted that car counts appear up at the moment and also noted older boxcars making rare appearances in these parts, as they used to.

I saw what might have been my largest train in over a decade headed over from Hartford CT to East Hartford CT transload. CSO had 17 cars (all were boxcars) in tow with two of her engines. I was amazed they brought over that many. This was excellent news I hope for the future.
On a sad note, where they placed the cinder block on the rails just short of School street crossing in E.H. I notice for the first time that one rail was lifted and removed from the main line. Manchester is doomed!

Could they simply be storing cars in East Hartford?

I caught that today too.
Last I saw stored at E Htfd were MRRX cars. Don't know about all of the cars that were brought over but at least some were loaded. I had thought they might have been heading to leave them for CNZR. They came back across around an hour later with around 5 boxcars (no idea if the same, some were loaded), dropped those and took a short string of MRRX over to Murphy Road.

I went back after to the E.H.yard and the box cars were left on the trans load siding so they are not storing these cars by any means. I am all for this if it keeps going but would love to see they trans load at the end of Manchester line then in E.H. They would be closer to the highways I would think.

What are they transloading?

I couldn't stay around to see so I have no idea. Does anyone have any idea what they are taking out of all the box cars?

I listened and also watched as it passed by me at the Hartford CT yard, CSO-3 which says it came off Waterbury Branch and was headed to the Suffield Branch. The was one engine in front then 29 various cars in tow and then engine at the back. Does anyone know why CSO-3 would travel this route like this? I didn't think CSO had trackage rights on PAN AM's track trough to Waterbury. What would it be bringing from Waterbury to Suffield, or was this just one train delivering to both locations?

Sounds like they're employing the P&W method of running a local, since they're both under the same umbrella now. Someone at the big borg must have engaged in critical thinking...

Well the same CSO-3 train with 18 cars in tow with engine in front and engine trailing went again today from Waterbury to Suffield again per radio chat of Springfield line dispatcher. I saw him go North at Windsor CT. Like to know what they are shipping from or to Waterbury?

There is an interchange in Waterbury with the Naugatuck Museum's freight operation. Not sure if that's what it is...

Yes there is the inter change but the railroad in town is Pan Am and not CSO, so I am confused as to why this is not a Pan Am operation and not CSO.

Ok, I found out what is going on. CSO-3 is coming out of the CNZR interchange in Hartford CT which one stub track is classified as the old Waterbury Main that ran through the HTFD station and south. Makes sense now but weird to hear it called the Waterbury line.

CSO has returned to delivering the customer that is at the end of their active line in South Windsor before it becomes CNZR at that point. Not sure what or who customer is but five cars (looks like it was limestone type cars but not 100%sure). This is good news for CSO and I hope it lasts.