Mass Coastal Railroad (MC) Discussion

Railworks worked a short day today as it started the 2nd pass from Canal Junction to the beach crossing at MP 2.11 in Monument Beach. Should be ready for plenty of new ballast to be dropped in the next few days.

Looks like some mechanical issue's have come up today as Railworks has been stopped at Pocasset, MA MP 3.60 crossing on the Falmouth Secondary since early afternoon with repair trucks working on some of the lead units. Photo was taken early evening and will resume work early in the morning if ready to restart

Saw all Railworks equipment back at Monument Beach crossing MP 1.79 around 10:30 am before heading off Cape today and early evening found all equipment back at North Falmouth siding for some unknown reason. I then had seen a Nerail photo listed as taken on 7/21/20 showing CCCR & RDC at Lobster Trap Back river bridge only to find out that they were photo shopped fake images. Only real accurate photo's should be allowed to be posted.

everything went back to N falmouth early afternoon so MC 2008 could make the otis run. she was NB around 1500 through wareham with 5 in tow

Railworks started back up today on the Falmouth Secondary at Pocasset Station site MP 3.60 and worked until dark up to Red Brook Harbor road crossing MP 4.87 with alot of new ties replaced in this section. Just about 2 miles to go to finish up the tie installation at North Falmouth then some new ballast stone when they are ready.

Railworks paused work a couple of different days this week so Mass Coastal could do some runs out to the Otis transfer station, but were busy back at it today getting closer to North Falmouth. I had talked with some Railworks & MC crews and tie work is also continuing out to Joint Base Cape Cod on the Otis Industrial track even though the contract makes no mention of that. Must be using some other source of funding but good to see though as this will stabilize rail access to the base and the transfer station for quite some time into the future.

Railworks reached North Falmouth / Otis Junction today replacing ties. Should be dropping new ballast stone this coming week from talking with a Railworks crew member then finishing up the Falmouth Secondary project.

It may be Sunday but the Railworks crew has moved onto the Otis Industrial Track today continuing to replace ties towards the transfer station on Otis / Joint Base Cape Cod. The Transfer station and the Military will certainly have a stable rail line now to use well into the future.

Thanks for the pictures! Very much appreciated.

So, is there any stone ballast on the Otis spur? From the looks of it the ties at the moment are sitting in nothing but sand.

Otis has some ballast stone at the very beginning but it's mostly sand over it's 6.18 mile length which was built in 1941 by the Federal Government. The Falmouth Secondary ballast is going to be done but not sure about the Otis line as it's work was not even listed in the contract description at all. How it got funded and what work was supposed to be done is unknown other than from what I am seeing and hearing from talking with work crews on the line. The only reference to it was made back in the 2018 State Rail Plan seeking a study of the rehabilitation of the Otis Industrial Track, but have not found any follow up information on that proposed study since the Rail Plan was published.

Does anyone know if the track will extend onto the base itself and all the to the on/off loading ramp near the base HQs? The track on the base were significantly overgrown. See photos.

Haven't heard any news about any track work being done out on Otis for the Military section yet . But keep in mind the work presently being done out to the transfer station wasn't in any contract either.

pfortnam wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:39 pm The track on the base were significantly overgrown. See photos.

That's not really more than a season's growth of weeds. You could still run a train in there no problem. That just needs a good weed spraying. Significantly overgrown includes trees coming up through the gauge.

You obviously haven't seen what the track ON the base looks like. The trees are about 8 to 10 ft tall right now

Now that the Otis spur is having new ties installed maybe the Military will wake up and do there section. Had heard that the Military was planning on doing some equipment moves but obviously that can't happen until they clear / rehab there own tracks to do so. Last time I saw a photo of a Military move was in September 2008 as per this Nerail Photo.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=