CSX Fitchburg Secondary Discussion

Looking at the Google street view shows a culvert under the tracks and also under the road at that location. Flooding probably created its own route. https://goo.gl/maps/VdjRz5jSV1hEZJqUA

Track work machinery was heading south out of Clinton yesterday morning along Pearl Street. I only got a glimpse but it might have been a plate installer/remover. I didn't have time to check but am wondering if they were working in Clinton or Berlin.
Train made the return from Leominster early this morning--at the Sterling St (route 62) crossing around 1:50AM. That schedule is much later than I remember it.

gergnalf wrote: ↑Tue Oct 03, 2023 1:04 pm Track work machinery was heading south out of Clinton yesterday morning along Pearl Street. I only got a glimpse but it might have been a plate installer/remover. I didn't have time to check but am wondering if they were working in Clinton or Berlin.
Train made the return from Leominster early this morning--at the Sterling St (route 62) crossing around 1:50AM. That schedule is much later than I remember it.

It does not appear as if they finished the welded rail install in Northborough. Looks like they may have made it south of Rt. 20 and that is it. About another mile or two left to do.

On another note, they are replacing several grade crossings in Northborough all of the crossings they replaced 3-5 years ago...

I would think gates will finally be added at Route 9?

I think the decision about what type of crossing equipment gets installed is up to the jurisdiction responsible for the road the tracks cross (in the case of Rt 9, either MA DOT or Framingham) since they're the ones who generally pay for it. The railroad may maintain the equipment, but they're not the ones who pay for it up front.

It may also depend on which was there first (road or railroad) and who actually owns the crossing vs having an easement to use it. Looking at the 1959 copy of the NH valuation map I have for the area where the crossing is, it looks like the tracks are railroad property and there's an agreement in place dating from 1854 allowing the road to cross at grade. While that may have changed since 1959, it probably hasn't, and if the road's owner doesn't feel the need to pay for gates, then gates probably won't get installed.

Well, there was an interurban trolley line where Rt 9 is until about the late 20s. This would be the responsibility of MassDOT for sure. It looks like a very dangerous crossing. There are traffic lights east and west of the location, but as a car I have never seen a train here and driving at 50 mph it would be an unwelcome surprise.

The one time I saw a CSX train headed up the ag branch cross rte 9 it was midday and the locomotive crept up to the highway and stopped. IIRC, the flashers were tripped somehow and the conductor took his red flag onto the roadway (sort of like a toreador!) to ensure no motorist misbehaved. And then the train zipped across. Hazardous duty pay would be justified!

Did the new rail installation finish up?

F74265A wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 8:39 am Did the new rail installation finish up?

Last I saw (last week) the CWR still laying on the side of the track and needed to be installed between Rt. 20 (Main St.) Northborough and the existing CWR south of the NewCorr switch

I suppose all the resources got sucked up in with the ongoing rebuild of most of the trackage in ME

recent video of action on the Ag Branch at Leominster

https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outl ... reserved=0

~0650/05-12-2024 drive-over of the West Street/Rte. 62 XNG in W. Berlin showed a track panel at the compass NW, mebbe for XNG replacement?

it has been a while since I've been in the berlin/clinton/lancaster/leominster area, but last time I was there EVERY crossing on the ag branch needed to be replaced.

Rail train eastbound on the b&a bound for framingham
No idea what it is for but the fitchburg secondary could use a lot more rail to add to what was dropped last year