Grafton & Upton Railroad (G&U) Discussion

BandA wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:27 pm Why can't Milford place conservation restrictions on their own parcel? They don't have to "coordinate" with Hopedale.

Because of the law doctrine of "merger", separate legal entities must hold the fee in the land and the conservation restriction. So, if the municipality owns the land , a separate governmental organization or qualified third party will need to hold the CR, such as a nonprofit land trust or a similar organization. The Grantor and Grantee may not be the same entity, nor may they be divisions of the same entity (such as the Select Board and Conservation Commission of the same town). This is why, when a property owner places a CR on their property, it is often granted to the municipality or for example in my area, an organization like the Sudbury Valley Trustees. I had this question in my work for my town's Conservation Office.

The example I was thinking of was a city wanted to build a new school. Since they had stupidly sold the old school, which was in the perfect location, to a developer for a fraction of it's value, they wanted to use town owned conservation land. But that had more restrictions on it and the town's own conservation commission would sue the town, tying it up for years. So they built it on playground / athletic field. Conservation land is more than a conservation easement on a private property. P.S. the town I am talking about continues to repeat this pattern of selling public land at rock bottom price to connected developers then looking to consume what little open space remains. I am getting way off topic but it is an important lesson and I hope wherever the reader's town is they aren't as stupid.

Here are 3 photos showing the Milford shuffle that G&U uses to take a train from N Grafton to BlueLinx building material distribution center in Bellingham via the newly installed connection between G&U and the Milford Secondary it leases from CSX. Three car train pulled by a pair of MP15ACs arrives at the connection switch between S Cedar St and Depot St Milford. Engines cut away from train and pull forward to clear switch. 2nd engine separates and heads down the Milford Secondary and then 1st engine grabs the train off the G&U and then shoves back onto the Milford Secondary to tie onto the new leader. Third photo shows the BlueLinx bound train crossing Hartford St at Bellingham, about 2.5 miles from its destination.

I'm a little confused regarding the G&U need for additional storage in Hopedale. The Hopedale yard has room for (2) additional 1/4 mile sidings in the existing yard and the Milford Yard has room for (2) additional sidings next to Depot St. The cars that were stored on the new track have been moved to this yard.

If the G&U are only moving three cars to Blue Linx once or twice a week, one would think they have enough storage already.

From G&U’s Linkedin:

Here we go! 2021 construction season is off to a start. GU is adding 4 new tracks and installing 6 new switches in Hopedale to expand our transloading yard capabilities.

There You Go !!

Why not just cut the first engine off, set it over and then pull the rest of the train past the switch with the second one which is still tied on? Seems like extra work.

I'm guessing G&U likes to have the cab leading? Most of the G&U road train ops photos I've taken show the power leading cab forward.

Does anyone know the fate or status of the GU's first generation diesels (1500, 1501, 1750, 1751, 1800, & 1801)? There hasn't been any mention of them for quite some time. Just curious.

1800 & 1801 were scrapped a few years ago. The others are all stored out of service.

Anything new on the G&U ??

Thought by now we would have heard of new Customers and perhaps track rights to Walpole Yard.

G&U has been constructing new sidings at the Hopedale yard over the past month or two. Not sure if work is complete or not. Also, on May 27 a string of CHUX gondolas was parked at end of track at the Milford yard perhaps awaiting a call to haul some dirty dirt away? Also on that day, Grafton & Upton operated a large train with 2 MP15ACs upfront and one on the marker: twelve cars of sheetrock and building supplies. From my limited number of eyeball observations, it seems like G&U runs to BlueLinx in Bellingham a few times per week with a small # of cars. Haven't seen many covered hoppers of plastics pellets being delivered to Garelick Farms but I'm likely just not in the right place at the right time.

Is the RailRunner equipment still around?

17 cars on today's train coming into Upton yard, including 4 center beams of new ties.

Nobody seems to have noticed this filing (on the 16th) from Hopedale Properties, LLC with the STB regarding the private crossings at the former Draper site:

https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 302743.pdf

Some interesting history and discussion in this one.