Pioneer Valley interchange in Holyoke

Took a trip to Holyoke on Tuesday to check out the work on the PVRR interchange. Much has been done, including re-decking the bridge just north of the interchange and painting new caution lines on the street running part of the interchange.

Here are some photos:
https://sites.google.com/site/december2 ... rrholyoke5

https://sites.google.com/site/december2 ... rrholyoke3

https://sites.google.com/site/december2 ... rrholyoke2

https://sites.google.com/site/december2 ... rrholyoke4

https://sites.google.com/site/december2 ... vrrholyoke

Just saw those, very cool. thanks for the shots. Hopefully quite a few cars get moved through there...

What's the timetable for completion? I want to photograph this line in operation, it looks damn cool!

those spline cars have been sitting there for a while, are they just in long term storage ?

Otto Vondrak wrote:What's the timetable for completion? I want to photograph this line in operation, it looks damn cool!

"Spring" was the only thing ive read here and heard from other sources. Work has slowed down a bit, but the lack of snow has kept them out there longer. I pass by here almost daily.

I pass by the site on South Canal Street at Riverside almost every day. Pan Am crews have completed their part of the interchange, and the PVRR has to finish the bridge over the canal. Work seems to have temporarily stopped, but will probably resume after the new year. It looks like the PVRR just has to lay track over the bridge, and take down the fence on the bridge over the outflow.

They are shooting to have everything open sometime in January. However, trains won't roll until the interchange agreement is in place and the traffic identified suitable for this routing.

I worked for Hazen Paper for three years until I retired about five years ago. I often wondered back then if anything would happen as I noticed the tracks were kept in place right through the Hazen parking lot.
One end of the building use to have two tracks right into the building from old photos I saw in the office area. Inside the building where rolls of paper are now stored, it looked like two 50' freight cars would have fit inside the building.
The maintenance shop entrance use to be behind the building where a turnout is for backing the rolling stock toward the south part of Holyoke where there where some gondolas stored when I started at Hazen in 2002. Kids had broken the lock off the turnout control at the time.
Once in a while a Pioneer high rail truck would approach the area. Never did get a chance to talk with the crew.

Rich

Hazen Paper was still a direct rail customer up until about 1995, and the switch was removed about ten years ago. I believe they are now receiving cars through Sulco at the old James River Graphics building, just a stones throw up the track.

Perhaps this could change back to onsite service in the future?

It's possible but unlikely. No one will want to pay to put the switch back in. In my opinion, the logistics of handling the inbound paper probably works out favorably the way they have it set up.

Good point. I would like to see them go after Erving paper again. Just a stone's throw from Deerfield too. They used to get serious slugs of boxcars.

Erving must have been quite a rail customer at one time. Must be a lot of trucks in and out of that place now.

Heard from a good source NS tried to get Erving back. They don't want anything rail if the ST is involved from what I've heard...

that doesn't surprise me at all unfortunately.