Ethanol Trains to Revere

bmcdr wrote:

bmcdr wrote:Its running late, as of 1030am, the test train has not appeared on MBCR iron.

A call to Boston West TD reveals, still no test train, District 2 has not heard from District 3 as to the whereabouts of the test train............stay tuned.

Just got a call from Boston West, he called the Pan Am chief, and the extra has been cancelled account of manpower shortage, no word as to when they'll try to re-schedule. If I hear anything from our people, I'll let you know, glad I wasn't standing out back here all day waiting to get a picture.

Between track work and unloading infrastructure costs, this would be an enormously expensive undertaking. Back in the 90's, ADM regularly shipped Ethanol via GRS into the Everett/Revere petroleum complex, but it was only a few cars at a time. I'm guessing it's much cheaper for NS to serve Boston through the Sewaren, NJ terminal via barge than railing all those extra miles over the CP/PAS/PAR to Boston.

Not only is the switch from the Eastern Route to the branch out of service, the frog has been removed. On the branch there is a trash truck company that moved onto the ROW to store vehicles and various items from their business. It will be a fairly large project to get trains down this branch.

Who owns the branch? The storage company on 1A has completely paved over the ROW. It pretty much doesn't even exist anymore.

theseaandalifesaver wrote:Who owns the branch? The storage company on 1A has completely paved over the ROW. It pretty much doesn't even exist anymore.

According to what I'm looking at, the MBTA owns it from the Newburyport/Rockport line to about the Global oil terminal. From that point on, CSX owns it until the Airport Station.

And then from airport station to the waterfront is all rail trail now, correct?

theseaandalifesaver wrote:And then from airport station to the waterfront is all rail trail now, correct?

Yes. It did show that it was a rail trail past Airport according to the map I was looking at, but it said the ROW is still owned by CSX.

I believe the trail is called the Bremen Street Park or something. It shows up on Google Maps.

Correct,
It part of the East Boston Greenway.

http://www.bostonnatural.org/gwyEB.htm

If CSX still owned part of that it would have been transferred to the MBTA since that is part of the Grand Junction Branch.

what exactly would they be going to check? they can't get an engine on the track, adn its not like they can just stop on the main line and get out to walk it. i'm not sure what the point of it is, they should just take a car and walk the line, no?

tom18287 wrote:what exactly would they be going to check? they can't get an engine on the track, adn its not like they can just stop on the main line and get out to walk it. i'm not sure what the point of it is, they should just take a car and walk the line, no?

My guess would be that they'd be trying to check timing to see if they can get through between the commuter trains.

Does the FRA even allow them to use this branch? I thought it was designated abandoned/landbanked, not simply out-of-service. Doesn't that require all the permiting hurdles to restore service?

Good luck trying to pull loads of ethanol up and over the Mystic river. There's not enough running room to get up near track speed after clearing the 4th Iron.

As for the branch, Terminal Road in Revere was partially repaved last year or the year before, mainly the part where the tracks used to cross.

You'll know something is afoot when the brushcutting starts and the companies and/or individuals
encroaching on the ROW near Global are served notice.

According to an old valuation track chart the B&M/then B&A property line is at Byron St.

D

Honestly, I don't see this branch ever coming back into service. I would love it if it did, but I don't see it as being very likely at all.