medford branch cleanup?

This move would come straight down the MBTA lowell mainline to Somerville, through the yard and out
to Medford Jct.

D

spur01887 wrote:If they were to get the beer train, how would get to the warehouse? Come down the Lowell line cross over Lowell Junction and down through Reading? Or would there be too many grade crossings that they would just go down Lowell all the way and come back up past Sullivan station and Wellington? I ask only because if they do get rail shipments I live a stones throw from North Wilmington station that it would be great to see some freight come down that way.

The south leg of the wye at Lowell Junction is out of service and they wouldn't take the Lowell Branch because that would take them way out of the way (east and north). The move would come down the Northern Mainline to Lowell, cross over to the MBTA Lowell Line at BY, cruise right down and pull in to Yard 8 and make their way behind BET and over to the Eastern and Medford like the rest of the freight.

Edit: oops, just saw Dave responded.

With any luck, they will clean up the Yard 8 area. The line in over the former hump is a bit of a mess.
Also, with the GLX removing the interlocking at Swift, wouldn't this force the train to come via Reading?

Have they even decided what design they are going with for the Green Line Extension? Last I knew the front runners did not effect moves for Pan Am to/from yard 8.

newpylong wrote:Have they even decided what design they are going with for the Green Line Extension? Last I knew the front runners did not effect moves for Pan Am to/from yard 8.

Final design isn't settled. They're building Phase I of GLX to Union Sq. and Washington St. without the yard, which will come with Phase II. So nothing it affecting PAR ops yet.

Hopefully PAR does stick its nose in for the final design and advocate for better-preserved access. It's silly that they're going to be prevented from doing any long trains on their clearance route. If the ethanol train ever happens it's so many fewer NIMBY's they have to deal with if they go NH Main instead of the Fitchburg Line.

Yeah and the only other option is Yard 10 lead right?

There are no plans to eliminate Swift Interlocking because of the unfortunate Union Square extension.
It is the Grand Jct connection and accessto the west end of BET and access to FX....

D

GP40MC1118 wrote:It is the Grand Jct connection and access to the west end of BET and access to FX...

Okay, so wrong interlocking, but this connection is still at risk later rather than sooner, right?

I don't see any elimination/risk to either interlockings...both are critical....

D

Well that's good. I remember this being an issue a year or two ago.

this would be great, what is the expected frequency?

The Wiley track is threatened by the GLX plans if they go with the plans they have now for the Green Line maintenance facility. But as F-Line said, it isn't finalized. But if it goes through, the Cobble Hill Track will be restored and they can just go that way to hook down the Lowell and up the Western/Eastern routes.

BostonUrbEx wrote:The Wiley track is threatened by the GLX plans if they go with the plans they have now for the Green Line maintenance facility. But as F-Line said, it isn't finalized. But if it goes through, the Cobble Hill Track will be restored and they can just go that way to hook down the Lowell and up the Western/Eastern routes.

Except that track sucks for anything more than light engine moves because of the grade crossings. Inner Belt Rd. is a heavy trucking route, and Cobble Hill Rd. is the driveway access for 3 companies. It's only possible to store a 1500 ft. consist without blocking a grade crossing or the switch onto the main. That isn't nearly enough for what they need to run on the Eastern Route. They need at least 1 storage track around-the-horn with unrestricted access to continue doing all they need to do in the Boston area.

I do think there's probably potential to develop a little yard space around Everett Terminal. The lead track is super long and if connected at the 2nd Ave. end would give them some nice longer consist storage with Yard 8 being relegated to staging moves around commuter rail slots. But it really is critical that PAR get its seat at the table on the final GLX yard design because crippling their access altogether is lunacy.

The Cobble Hill track would work great if they didn't build that damn new dog park between Cobble Hill Rd and Inner Belt Rd. It's essentially salted earth now. Instead of Cobble Hill Rd making a 90 degree turn across the tracks and into New Washington St, the road could run right where the track is now between Cobble Hill Rd and Inner Belt Rd. The track could have been realigned to run right where the new dog park is. Then the only crossing would be Inner Belt Rd. You could easily have 1500 ft to hold a train that way.

The Dog Park has little bearing on using the Yard 9/10 lead (which is what the Cobblehill Track really is).

In addition to the crossings, traffic and industry...

You are forgetting alignment issues at FX due to the Orange Line flyover and a forest of bridge piers/abutments
down there....

There's another crossing to consider too....Cobblehill Rd off New Washington St.....

The problem here is telling those Brickbottom and bikepath people to bite the bullet if you want GLX.

D