Fitchburg Line Upgrade Discussion

GP40MC1118 wrote:This has something to do with Eversource and a pipeline I believe. No.2 Track goes out
of service most of the day and even into the early evening (after the rush hour).

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Yeah, managed to answer my own question. Dug around on the MassDEP site a bit - looks like they're putting in an underground transmission line and had to do some soil remediation in the area of Smith Place as a result.

Progress continues at Wachusetts station construction site as main 2 track is being relaid and the platform track RoW has been graded. It's a little tough to see what track is actually in place at the CPF-333 interlocking though. Photos taken Friday 8/5/16. However, at CPF-335 at Westminster, the completed layover yard tracks are still not connected to the interlocking.

Must be a heck of a grade on that station track, comparing it to the mainline which is already a solid 1%.

Given that it's a station stop, the grade there doesn't matter much. No matter which direction a train is heading in, the grade will help it.

Given that Wachusett is another 5 miles and 220 feet of elevation into the hills, that may have even been an intentional design decision. There was a train that overran the Fitchburg station track due to ice a few years ago, if I recall.

More progress at Wachusett station:

#1 Platform track launching ramp is being installed while high level platform work continues.

#2 Zoomed photo of CPF-333 suggests it won't be a universal interlocking between main 1 and main 2. Looks like there will be an easterly direction main one to main 2 crossover plus the station track to main 2 connection.

#3 Interesting tower for east facing signals for three tracks at CPF-333.

I agree that the crossover will not be universal. The signal on the left has only one head, so it can't show a diverging move.

The signal has two heads, it is hard to see the bottom one. Plus, they maybe haven't finished installation for all we know.

EDIT: New updates to Google Maps. You can see the new interlockings at Bike Shop, CPF 333 (which shows two universal crossovers), and partially redesigned CPF 335. You can also see that in addition to the 6 layover tracks, there will be either a 7th layover track or a MOW track which will end at an electric lock to the mainline approximately 1/2 mile west of CPF 335.

Thanks for the clarification, and for the update, too.

BostonUrbEx wrote:The signal has two heads, it is hard to see the bottom one. Plus, they maybe haven't finished installation for all we know.

EDIT: New updates to Google Maps. You can see the new interlockings at Bike Shop, CPF 333 (which shows two universal crossovers), and partially redesigned CPF 335. You can also see that in addition to the 6 layover tracks, there will be either a 7th layover track or a MOW track which will end at an electric lock to the mainline approximately 1/2 mile west of CPF 335.

Link?

Bike Shop (CPF 330?): https://goo.gl/maps/Vk1Q5XrwRgQ2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CPF 333: https://goo.gl/maps/D4qzYWwKRLN2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (have to zoom in to make out the partially installed crossovers)

CPF 335: https://goo.gl/maps/H7Ns16uHutJ2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New electric lock hand throw at back end of the Westminster facility: https://goo.gl/maps/TdY2e2oNRdB2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for posting the Google Maps links! WRT to CP-333, after zooming in, I don't see any indication of new crossovers. All I see are the shadows of the old wayside signals (but after the abandoned signal bridge was taken down) as well as the original track layout through the area at the Princeton Rd Bridge.

Also, appreciate the URL re: the turnout west of the Westminster layover yard. I hadn't noticed before but the lead parallel to the PAS main does show up in the MBTA project track plan layout for the layover yard. Maybe that's for when MBTA service is extended to Ashburnham down the road!

You have to turn 3D off to get the latest imagery, particularly for CPF 333. When I retrieved the link, I had 3D off, but apparently it just defaults to 3D anyway...

Aha! Now I see the partially installed universal crossovers at CPF-333! Thanks for the guidance on this. Hopefully sometime around the start up of T service to Wachusett someone with a drone will soar over the whole area to give us the full view.

After reviewing each of the photo links (and several earlier photos) I believe the MBTA/MART management tandem has done a superb job hiding that $94 million in upgrades from Downtown Fitchburg to Wachusett layover. Wow, that's impressive!