Potential PAR/PAS Traffic Growth

New customer in Lawrence MA - inbound flour cars?

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=4&key2=

I'm guessing packaging materials Flour is more likely in covered hoppers. Their Chelsea operation is right by the Eastern, but -- if I'm reading GEarth right -- they don't have service. Mebbe by truck from Ardent?

Probably boxcars, we get sealed plug door boxcars of flour already. Filled with phosphene gas to keep the critters out.

Jedijk88 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2019 10:22 am New customer in Lawrence MA - inbound flour cars?

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=4&key2=

JSB Industries Muffintown. So I imagine flour cars is a good assumption.

From the Portland Press Herald. Jay Paper Mill Being Sold.
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/11/12/ ... 0-million/

atholrail wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 9:31 pm Possible new customer in Ayer at the old Ford yard. Apparently there was already a 5 pack of double stacked wells loaded with garbage at Ayer, that went west on ED9. The old yard has been cleaned out and brush cut. I'm hearing potential for more than just garbage also.

Here are a couple of iPhone photos taken of the recently cleared ex-CSX autorack yard at Ayer - two of the three tracks shown (there are 5 tracks in the yard per the Google Earth aerial of June 2019) look usable. Perhaps the trailer will be a yard office?

How long has this place been shut down, I can't remember.

I think it closed while I was still there ~2006.

BM6569 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2019 9:39 am That was the yard that they couldn't access until this year?

What exactly happened? Was there some kind of paper barrier?

Yeah. Paper barrier. Csx had a lease on the yard.

There were 2 trash cars on the rear of todays ED8. Guessing they are for the new trash biz at the ole Ford yard. Same ones that they use down in Holyoke. Probably could be pretty decent business if they handle it correctly.

KSmitty wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:42 pm Yeah. Paper barrier. Csx had a lease on the yard.

And they went to Ayer via some kind of rights arrangement?

It was before CSXT built the big auto yard in East Brookfield (I think that's where it is).

gokeefe wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:55 pm And they went to Ayer via some kind of rights arrangement?

I believe it was a Conrail property inherited by CSX, who closed the yard when they built the new auto terminal in East Brookfield. Note that as recently as 2016, it was still on CSX maps as their facility https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/library/f ... achusetts/.

There's also some discussion on the yard here https://www.railroad.net/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=157210

Rockingham Racer wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2019 4:00 pmJSB Industries Muffintown. So I imagine flour cars is a good assumption.

Two hoppers spotted there, as of late afternoon yesterday.