MBTA work extra through Anderson RTC 12/14/04

Does anybody her know where the work extra was coming from as ithigh-balled through Anderson RTC today? What it had for power?


I was sitting in the station when I heard what I thought was a Guilford engine, but when I looked out the window I saw a few black MBTA gondolas with the MBTA caboose trailing. I had just been on the platform 1 minute before and saw no sign of a train I hope that the 3247 is not in service yet, because if I missed a shot of it by 1 minute would be very annoyed. (I was already bumming that I missed the work extra, but the newer engine in the lead would have been even more of a blunder)

I guessing it was going towards Boston.It was probably up in the Billerica-Lowell area because they have been picking up the old ties they replaced over the last few months in that area.I saw this train around 930 while I was heading into Boston.

I saw it later in the afternoon... the power was F40PH #1001.

speaking of ties, is replacing wooden ties every few years (or how long do they last?) really cost-effective in the long run vs. upgrading to concrete ties when the wooden ones wear out?

I know the wood is much cheaper, but it seems like the concrete ties would last a MUCH longer time, right?

As I said, it was heading south towards BET around 215PM........so Billerica was probably where they had been working. Thanks

Spery car was working the NS yard and the Lowell line but i don't know how fare up the line they went.

NS Yard?!?

I think he means BET...

trigonalmayhem wrote:speaking of ties, is replacing wooden ties every few years (or how long do they last?) really cost-effective in the long run vs. upgrading to concrete ties when the wooden ones wear out?

I know the wood is much cheaper, but it seems like the concrete ties would last a MUCH longer time, right?

Since concrete ties and wood ties shouldn't be mixed in together (various reasons: different depth of tie makes for difficult tamping, different "stiffness" of track for each type, etc.) a concrete tie installation should be a complete renewal of the track structure. It then becomes a case of money.

Do you put in 40,000 concrete ties in 15 miles of track, or do you put 40,000 wood ties spread out over 5 to 10 times as much of existing wood tie track? Tonnage issues usually answer that question.

If there is new construction (the Old Colony, for example) where track is being constructed from scratch concrete may give you a better product, and save you money over a 40 to 50 year period. Though no concrete ties have been in track for 50 years, so no one really knows if they will last that long.

There are other elements to the arguement, but that's a beginning of an answer to your question.