I was by that area a couple days ago and it looked like a train had rolled through Peabody Square that day. Rail traffic had been halted after the May flood for quite a while. My hunch is that the loads are down at Eastman Gelatine in general (digital impact), and I do not think that the embargo has been lifted on the hydrochloric acid transport. You may recall the minor leak about 1+ years ago that stopped that transport. I have not seen a tank car since that time.
I had not seen a box car heading up that line in some time, your note on the Bicknell Fuller plant explains that. With those two being the only customers on the line, and no effort to recruit new business, even though the Industrial Park has great rail access, the line may be on the way out.
Sad, too bad Guilford makes no effort to keep customers...What else is new? As a kid in the 60's that was quite a line. Customers included a storage/transfer wharehouse downtown, a feed company near the Metro Bowl, several leather companies, Eastman Gelatine, JJ Newbury Wahrehouse near Summit Street, a chemical company at Corwin Street, and another factory near the chemical company whose name escapes me. Ironically, the line ended near Corwin Street, but when the Industrial Park went in they extended the line as far as Bicknell Fuller. Service was also provided to SS Pierce and Stern Can at the industrial park. It was not uncommon to see the Salem switcher wortking the line every day. There was a second daily freight that ran through Peabody as it headed to Danvers to service that area.
