Millers Falls interchange yard

MCER401 wrote:About Conn River intermodal, I have no idea about the logistics of everything or what has been tried in the past, but would it be possible for NS to get track/haulage rights over the North East Corridor to NYC?? That would give them NYC to Montreal (PAS to CP).

Highly unlikely; CSX has the freight rights between New Haven and NYC on the corridor, and the ex-NHRR facilities in The Bronx (Oak Point and Harlem River) are CSX property. Don't think there's an intermodal ramp anymore in either location.

Remember, the bulk of NY-area manufacturing these days is over on the Jersey side of the Hudson, in Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, etc. Same goes for most of the big warehouses and distribution centers. And you can't run freight through Penn Station and the North River tubes. That's why the New Haven (and the PRR, NYC, ERIE, etc.) all maintained carfloat operations on NY harbor through the 60's-- and why carfloat operations actually continue to this day. So, coming into The Bronx with intermodal puts you at an immediate disadvantage, unless your destination is actually the Five Boroughs or Long Island.

Anyway, IMHO if NS wanted to run NYC-Montreal they'd be more likely to use the Southern Tier out of North Jersey and hand off to CP (ex-D&H) at Binghamton.

Hello all,
We are forgetting one thing Pan Am does own CT trackage on the Berlin, Plainville, Waterbury line. They could very well build an intermodal ramp in Plainville. It is near some highways so It would make sense. The problem i see is the line is in terrible shape and I have not heard anything if PAS is going to rebuild it. The only thing I have heard so far is rumors that the CSO, HRRC or P&W might buy the line. Everything is very quiet on plans down there.
As for the Millers Falls interchange, in reality once its done PAS would have no use for the Conn River from East Deerfield to Northfield. I guess Amtrak would be the only ones using it if they get the line rebuilt.
Mike Scholz-LIRR

lirrelectrician wrote:Hello all,
We are forgetting one thing Pan Am does own CT trackage on the Berlin, Plainville, Waterbury line. They could very well build an intermodal ramp in Plainville. It is near some highways so It would make sense. The problem i see is the line is in terrible shape and I have not heard anything if PAS is going to rebuild it. The only thing I have heard so far is rumors that the CSO, HRRC or P&W might buy the line. Everything is very quiet on plans down there.
As for the Millers Falls interchange, in reality once its done PAS would have no use for the Conn River from East Deerfield to Northfield. I guess Amtrak would be the only ones using it if they get the line rebuilt.
Mike Scholz-LIRR

As I have said before, they will continue to use this line - they still have one very active customer south of East Northield - the "Agway" in Bernardston. Furthermore, unless they can get away with "giving up" their customers on the Conn River north of there and also hand off interchange for the WACR to the NECR somehow, they won't cease operate north of the MA/VT line either.

lirrelectrician wrote: The only thing I have heard so far is rumors that the CSO, HRRC or P&W might buy the line. Everything is very quiet on plans down there. Mike Scholz-LIRR

Interesting; where are you hearing these rumours?

That would explain the otherwise slightly puzzling reference in an NS presentation to improving interchange with the HRRC.

Ridgefielder wrote: That would explain the otherwise slightly puzzling reference in an NS presentation to improving interchange with the HRRC.

How does the possible purchase of PAS Connecticut operations explain plans for an improved interchange with HRRC? Wouldn't a purchase like that mean NO direct interchange with HRRC?

MCER401 wrote:

Ridgefielder wrote: That would explain the otherwise slightly puzzling reference in an NS presentation to improving interchange with the HRRC.

How does the possible purchase of PAS Connecticut operations explain plans for an improved interchange with HRRC? Wouldn't a purchase like that mean NO direct interchange with HRRC?

I don't think there is any direct interchange today, even though there is a physical connection at Derby Junction. I doubt there's much demand for it, either. So far as I know most of HRRC's traffic follows the same pattern it did in New Haven days, flowing north and south along the Berkshire Line from the interchange with CSX (ex-B&A) at Pittsfield. Routing a car into Danbury via Derby-Waterbury-New Britain-Berlin-Hartford wouldn't make much sense.

If, on the other hand, HRRC becomes the owner of the PAS Connecticut operation-- the Naugatuck south of Waterbury and the Highland from Waterbury to Berlin, in particular-- the idea of interchanging with PAS at, say, Springfield becomes much more logical.

I don't believe they will be giving up CT at all...

Was at Miller's yesterday and the rails are beginning to be removed from the mainline up to the road that crosses the middle of the wye (East Main Street?), they are going to be tying in to the middle of the 3 tracks on the wye, leaving the boxcar alone.

Despite frozen ground, equipment and crew personal vehicles were on site at 0750.

New turn job, ED190 with the 378 dropped off the first 5 cars for the NECR via Millers Falls today. Got some pics that I'll post later. Billy Wehmeyer.

Heres some shots of the first 5 cars thru the Millers Falls interchange being dropped by ED190.

http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=by ... =atholrail

Billy

Nice photos!, is ED190 a Edfld to Fitchburg turn ?

Yep, handles NECR at Millers, P&W at Gardner, and Fitchburgs.

atholrail-
Good shots!
Since Interstate numbers seem to be the new symbols, wonder when "ED" will be changed to "91"?

What does this do to PAN AM's operations on the Conn River between East Deerfield and White River Junction?
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:What does this do to PAN AM's operations on the Conn River between East Deerfield and White River Junction?
Noel Weaver

According to a post on the NECR Yahoo! group, all freight north of East Deerfield will be run up to WRJ by NECR from Miller's falls under a PAS haulage agreement. The exeption to this will be the feed mill in Northfield.