Pan Am Worcester Main Line

Also I have heard activity on 161.37 the former Pan Am and B+M MOW frequency from time to time, most recently about a week ago.

A lot of action today causing traffic detours one of them being Burncoat Street. I heard them cancel a form D for MP 7.8. The construction on the crossings heading towards Burncoat was shut down at the summit and signage at Cliveden Street "closed to thru traffic"

took a tour today ,at Burncoat st they were installing a new 136 lb track panel, at Shrewsbury st the track panel was installed. and brand new strings of 136 lb rail were waiting to be installed on each side of crossing and rail gang was in the area installing it. The old rail I believe was 112 lb made in 1927.It looks like the welded rail has been installed all the way to crossing in downtown Clinton.The rail in Clinton was not brand new rails. I am not sure where the new welded rail stops and relaid rail begins. The first crossing north of Clinton had new tie plates laid out ,old rail there looks very bad and light, no sign of new rail. Also while in Clinton,at 3PM,southbound freight to Framingham came in with30 cars mostly trash loads and picked up14 more cars that were on siding, mostly tankers some said corn syrup.44 cars plus or minus, not too bad.I will try to post some photos!

Thanks for that detailed report. First crossing north of Clinton is Mill st in Lancaster. Rail there has long been beat flat 112 pound dating from first half of 20th century. In the 1980s when the line was moribund I spotted a bunch of tie date nails in that area that spanned from the late teens into I recall the 1950s.

I’ve been trying to catch a Framingham train for a while with no luck. I’ve sat at Pratts Junction but I haven’t seen one yet. It is a very rickety track like the ones CSX are replacing now in Clinton. Amazing the different size rails.

I cannot remember its weight, but I am pretty sure that the old 112 lb rail being removed in Clinton and sterling from the B&M is substantially heavier than that on the overhead Fitchburg secondary from Clinton north through pratts to Leominster. The ag branch never had the heavy traffic that the Worcester main enjoyed at times.

The day I was at Clinton I think the train from framingham works its way north ,kens ,safety clean, etc and puts cars picked up on the siding at Clinton,and continues working north to leominster and returns to Clinton with trash loads and MT lumber cars.It picks up the cars left earlier at Clinton and heads towards Framingham.I am not sure if they do this over 2 days or 1.The train I saw had 45 cars.If you go to downtown Clinton you can see the cars on the siding on the 3 bridges there.If their are cars on the siding the train would be working north of there;

Thanks a bunch on that info on the Framingham line. I'm trying to nail down a day the train travels up to Leominster. What does it go up up to Leominster for? I was looking over the rails at Pratts Junction, they look pretty frail. I guess as long as they work, CSX woun't change out the rails on that line.

Big Leominster customer is a new trash facility
Teknor apex nearby— a plastics/chemical outfit—also has historically received tank cars and covered hoppers. Not sure if they still do

I know the lumber company in Sterling has a siding track. I am pondering going in and asking what the pickup/drop off schedule is, or if they're on a call as needed bases. I'll connect sooner or later. I believe it's dispatched from the Framingham yard.

This is getting very confusing is this discussion the former Worcester, Nashua and Portland, B+M , Pan Am, now CSX Worcester to Ayer line , or the CSX Fitchburg Secondary Line from Framingham to Leominster you guys are talking about ???

You are correct that these recent posts re csx Fitchburg secondary should be in that forum over under csx and not here under Worcester main

Partly my fault

That the two lines cross in Clinton and can be observed in the same place lead to this off topic diversion

Sorry, got carried away and didn’t realize that we were going back and forth on the wrong forum.

Not a problem. It gets confusing with lines radiating out from both Worcester and Framingham, operated by CSX, MBTA and former Pan Am now CSX. Eventually everyone can figure it out, remember we aren't running a railroad, just observing it.

RJ Corman, et. all are working today. Focus today is the Clinton siding area. The new rail that was dropped for the main in that area is going in. It also looks like the new switches will be going in. I spotted two CSX vests and one Corman looking at the west switch this morning. They had a tape measure out. When I went back through there was a new piece of rail between the old rails . I assume it is needed for between the new switch and the newly rebuild crossing at Sterling St.