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  • CSX Track Upgrades & Infrastructure of Pan Am

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1605312  by F74265A
 
The current google maps image (no idea of date of photo) shows that the switch off the p&w into Saint Gobain appears to have been straight railed. The frog is gone. Obviously it could be reinstalled, but there is a cost and construction impediment to a return to rail svc at that location
 #1605314  by PBMcGinnis
 
NHN503 wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:39 am
newpylong wrote: Tue Aug 23, 2022 2:40 pm Nortons/St. Gobains still got sporadic service when I joined the RR in 2005.
And I put cars in there in 2017 as well.
Saint Gobain/Norton's gets their inbound raw materials now in 40' ocean containers via an imported source overseas somewhere. It is a bagged material, so no longer do they use covered hopper cars inbound. Their steam plant no longer burns coal, so both sets of carload traffic are gone.

As for the rumor about the Clinton connection being restored - a long way away from happening. There is 1 shipper on Pan Am who would benefit. But that is a lot of capital investment that would be needed for just 1 customer.
 #1605316  by newpylong
 
F74265A wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:46 am The current google maps image (no idea of date of photo) shows that the switch off the p&w into Saint Gobain appears to have been straight railed. The frog is gone. Obviously it could be reinstalled, but there is a cost and construction impediment to a return to rail svc at that location
If you're talking about the switch to the north of the P&W, that is the "coal side" and has been disconnected forever. They used to have their have their own switcher for that side.

The most recent deliveries in the past 20 years were to the south of the P&W. The spur goes down a hill, we pulled in to a tail track and then shoved (hoppers) back under a shed.
 #1605321  by F74265A
 
Thanks for pointing out that south side spur

Regarding Clinton, the connection only makes sense to me if Clinton to northboro can be taken out of svc as a result. If the pan am shipper mentioned could use the connection to more easily ship to southeast mass, I think that traffic will stay on a Selkirk route. If north of Clinton, say lumber to bestway, then that increases the small chance of this happening bc it fits my theory for the idea of ditching the NH east of Clinton to northboro
 #1605323  by newpylong
 
What type of move would CSX be able to make on the connector (I am unfamiliar with where its location was)? If they couldn't make a direct move from the South (Worcester) up to Leominster then it has little operational value. The nearest CSX yard is going to be Lawrence, that is one hell of a circuitous route to get to Leominster from.

A stretch would be to do just that but leave their cars on the Clinton siding to be set off and picked up by a road job. Once the Lowell Branch, Stony, and Worcester Main are 25 or higher it will make getting around easier, if they can get through the commuter traffic.
 #1605325  by F74265A
 
The move would be awkward.
Direct move on the connector would be from Worcester toward Framingham
To come down from Ayer would require backing up the connector on to the ag branch and then proceeding north/west to Leominster
The grade on the connector is steep too with a curve at the top
I think likelihood of this happening is super low. But the fact that anyone official is even talking about the idea has me intrigued that maybe there is something to it
 #1605327  by Ken Rice
 
So the suggeston is that Ken’s Foods and Safety Kleen would get service up from Framingham, the track from Northboro to Clinton would be taken out of service, and the industries from Clinton through Leominster would get serviced out of Worcester? I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense - there’s a big yard in Framingham currently used for sorting out local traffic both for the ag branch and points south. There isn’t much of a yard in Worcester, and as newpylong points out it’s a long way to Lawrence.

The other thing against rebuilding the connection in Clinton is the already steep grade on it would only get steeper if the grade separation is increased to allow for double stacks to Ayer.
 #1605328  by F74265A
 
Yes, with one exception— Clinton to Leominster, in the unlikely event this ever happens, would be served from somewhere on the north side, Nashua, Lowell or Lawrence. Worcester has no place that I’m aware of to base regular freight operations
 #1605333  by F74265A
 
neman2 wrote: Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:14 pm Another field trip to the Clinton area today, here are my observations-----
1)South Meadow Rd. Clinton crossing, there were several CSX signal maintainer type vehicles parked with work ongoing. CWR still laying to the side with tie plates between rails.

In conrail days there was a dragging equipment detector just north of south meadow road. Perhaps this is returning?
 #1605335  by F74265A
 
I understand about the crossing hardware being in their jurisdiction. Was inquiring if perhaps they were also adding back the dragging equipment detector since that location is on the edge of the reservoir watershed . I could see Mwra wanting that back
Last edited by MEC407 on Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason: unnecessary quoting
 #1605339  by taracer
 
F74265A wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:03 pm Yes, with one exception— Clinton to Leominster, in the unlikely event this ever happens, would be served from somewhere on the north side, Nashua, Lowell or Lawrence. Worcester has no place that I’m aware of to base regular freight operations
You would be correct about Worcester, the rebuild ten years ago was based on intermodal traffic only. CSXI, not CSXT, designed they yard for their needs.

To further drive this point home, the recycling industry, around milepost 51 where the old Webster Branch split off the main, has been getting service. This "local" service is based out of West Springfield, even though it's less than 10 miles from Worcester.

Their cars are handled by M424/425 to Selkirk.
 #1605347  by rr503
 
I have no particular insight into what the Framingham yard complex's current practical capacity is, but it would seem one other reason to pursue this would be to shift some traffic from it to yards on the B&M side.
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