Hampton branch activity tracker

Ian MacMillan wrote:

B&Mguy wrote:I guess it was inevitable that PAR would want to abandon the Hampton Branch. Any hopes about eventually getting passenger service between Newburyport restored are probably going to be completely crushed now.

Or completely improved if NHDOT also speaks up and asks that all hardware remain in place, and then purchases the line. ....Which could also mean 9 more miles of trackcar track until service is restored!

Lets hope that is the worst that happens. There are well organized bicycle groups eying the line with bad intent. You know they won't give it up if they get their hands on it. Any arrangement the state makes should contain strong language stipulating that the rails go back in WHEN, not, IF, the need arises.

One locomotive and 5 or 6 cars were parked in the Portsmouth yard yesterday afternoon, and I guess they laid over until this morning because they were still there around 9:15 AM today. I couldn't really tell what all the cars were. There was a box car or three, maybe a couple spine cars. Just in case anyone is curious about these things...

Intermodal spine car? I'm sure there are unusual car movements in that area due to the Naval Shipyard

I think he means center beam lumber cars for/from Boise Cascade, but anything is possible.

truman wrote:I think he means center beam lumber cars for/from Boise Cascade, but anything is possible.

Yes that's what I meant, I don't know my car types very well. Anyways it was just a couple fleeting glances I got from the grade crossing just east of the yard, so don't obsess too much over the exact consist.

I would expect that the owners of Seabrook Station as well as the State of New Hampshire to lobby for rail banking of the line. Expanding and/or decommisioning of the facility may require the use of rail. The issue of SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel) may also be a factor for railbanking. SNF is scheduled to be moved from the site to Yucca mountain between 2013 and 2020. For now the SNF storage has been expanded onsite using Dry Cask Storage. Governor Lynch supports the building and use of the Yucca Mountain facility and moving the SNF off site. Mel Massaro from the FRA has been tasked to review all shortlines on and near nuke facilities in the northeast and to develop a safe, acceptable standard for track quality for shipping HLW (High Level Waste) and facilitate upgrades to meet this standard. I'm not sure how that will come into play but it is interesting. Now for big disclaimer........ Being a speeder owner I have my own reasons for rail banking the line. Not as impressive as nuke stuff, but certainly much more enjoyable. I hope to setting on the deck at the Hampton airfield eating a lobsta roll before returning to Portsmouth with my A-6! Anyone is welcome to ride along. I buy the gas....you buy the lobsta roll.

lines are usually always railbanked, not abandoned nowadays.

tom18287 wrote:lines are usually always railbanked, not abandoned nowadays.

Right,
But in the STB proceedings its called abandonment. Railbank vs Abandonment is generally a state level term on the law books.

Railcar wrote:. I hope to setting on the deck at the Hampton airfield eating a lobsta roll before returning to Portsmouth with my A-6!

That would be a very nice A car ride. A few A-5's and A-6's would be a nice showing.

On another note, the line is getting some attention, sort of, as the city of Portsmouth lays pipe along Greenland road -RTE 33, the overpass there is getting rebuilt. And it won't be long before the RTE 33 crossing in Greenland will be reconfigured as the road is widened for the new shopping mall entrance.

Being a speeder owner I have my own reasons for rail banking the line. Not as impressive as nuke stuff, but certainly much more enjoyable.

Yeah, but I bet you can't beat the suspense of watching Guilford move high-level nuclear waste! Just kidding, I have faith.

9 more miles of trackcar track until service is restored!

Sweet.

Last weeks ice storm brought down a lot of trees on the branch. Between Portsmouth and old MP 52. It looks clear west of there. Interested to see when and if they will be removed.
On another note, the switcher went to Portsmouth Wednesday, as evidenced by the snow being pushed out of the crossings at Rte 33 and old Portsmouth Ave.

Portsmouth local apparently crossed Market Street yesterday afternoon heading towards Newington. One of my bus drivers was held up waiting for the train to cross. He later told me the train was moving extremely slowly as it pushed through the snow that has built up (obviously this would be the first train to cross Market Street since our back-to-back storms last week). He said it had a few cars in tow. This was probably around 3:15pm on Friday.

They were out late too.. It was after 1800 hrs when I heard D2 gave them permission to leave the yard limits and proceed west to Rockingham. D2 was calling them DO-1.

An encouraging sign, someone has hiked down the branch with a saw (as evidenced by footprints in the snow, and the snow banks at the crossings undisturbed) and cleared all the trees that fell across the R.O.W in the ice storm.