Massachusetts Central Railroad (MCER) Discussion

Historical comment:


I lived in the area in the 1960's. Back then I don't think people really knew railroads were dead. Dead ? They are not dead but shrinkage to 2010 ?

Gilbertville area made a nice area to walk. Sort of antique looking and not over-populated.


I seem to recall 2 railroads in the area ?


There was evidence all up and down the countryside of 2 railroads.


I just did a 'google' and can't see any map but of the New York Central to Winchendon.



I think much of the line between the 2 railroads was consolidated leaving abandoned railroad off and on here and there.


Somewhere it says the Winchendon line after 1938 was destroyed but all I know is in Gilbertville and area there were 2 railroads and 2 sets of tracks. 2 railroad stations. It was a question of...a train might come on any line..which one ??

I think they say one line was ripped up mid-60's.

A shrunken map...

http://picasaweb.google.com/minemtn/Gil ... directlink

RE: Gilbertville

One station was Boston & Albany, the other Boston & Maine, I recall...

frrc wrote:RE: Gilbertville

One station was Boston & Albany, the other Boston & Maine, I recall...

Correct, the remaining line is the former B&A ware river line, now the Mass Central. The abandoned line is the former B&M Central Mass line. The two lines ran nearly side by side from Bondsville MA to Barre MA. Some small parts of the Central Mass are still used by the Mass Central for storage of rolling stock.

The Mass Central has a new website. It's not very informative, and the history it provides is not actually the history of the current line that's in use, but it looks nicer than the old site:

http://www.masscentralrr.com/index.html

There's an article in the 09/30/2010 Worcester Telegram on the building of an industrial park in Barre, with rail access. The large "tent like" building seen in photos is for storage of sand/salt for the winter. Looks like expansion is in the works for the railroad ?

A view of Mass Central 960 and 2100 pushing and pulling cars toward the CSX interchange at Palmer on Oct. 8, 2010.



Lee Carlson

Does anyone have a clue as to how often and when the railroad is servicing the transload site in South Barre? Do they ever run this route at night or weekends?

Last I knew they were a M-F 7am ish to 5pm ish operation. I have never seen them run on the weekend, or at night. But that may have changed with the recent increase in business. They were running to S. Barre every day a couple months back with the tie project under way.

Now, what kind of locos are on the property, aside from the 2100? Are the alco centurys still there, and what about the RS1? Also, do they own their own passenger cars? I've seen pictures of passenger trains pulled by MassCentral power.

Is it possible to hike up the old B&M grade from the station in Gilbertville around the back side of the hill and up to Route 32? I've occasionally traveled through that area for years, and have long wondered about the grade around that hill. It must have been fairly steep; I know roughly where the grade crossing at the top used to be.

I believe there are only three operable locomotives on the property.

960 Depending on what web site you look at either a GP9R, or GP10, or GP20
1729 GP9
2100 NW5

I am not aware of any other locos currenly on the property.
If there are any passengers cars remaining on the property,
I do not believe they are serviceable. There have been no
tourist trains running on the MCER for somewhere around
20 years.

Last Wednesday 7/20 the southbound derailed in Thorndike at about 4 PM about 1500' south of the Church St. crossing. Derailment started on the switch south of the crossing and ripped apart the closure rail and points for the siding. It started with the rear truck of a C+D waste car that then took two following Wisconsin Central boxes with it. The last car stayed on the rail. Corman was there on Thursday and on Friday the WC cars were being repaired on the siding north of the crossing. The two WC cars leaned about 30 degrees into the embankment. It took the day to rerail and there wasn't much room to work with the river bank there. The waste car was rerailed using the 960. The cause is unknown. I tried to get shots but the very thick foliage made it hard enough just to see it.

daylight4449 wrote:Now, what kind of locos are on the property, aside from the 2100? Are the alco centurys still there, and what about the RS1? Also, do they own their own passenger cars? I've seen pictures of passenger trains pulled by MassCentral power.

The Alcos are long gone.

thebigham wrote:

daylight4449 wrote:Now, what kind of locos are on the property, aside from the 2100? Are the alco centurys still there, and what about the RS1? Also, do they own their own passenger cars? I've seen pictures of passenger trains pulled by MassCentral power.

The Alcos are long gone.

Thanks. Also of note is that the C424 that is expected at RMNE is a veteran of the Mass Central. Come to think of it, I know two Mass Central veterans myself (Dennis Lebeau and Bob Buck). Dennis did mention there was a Whitcomb 44 tonner around when he left the railroad about 15(?) years ago. Anyone know if that one is parked in the bushes?