Montvale Yard?

Does anybody have a recolection of the spur that ran out of the Montvale yard? It is still largely intact today. It split from the southern end of the yard and ran adjacent to Cross street in Winchester (woburn?). It looks like it may have served 4 or 5 different businesses. What type of businesses? when was it abandoned? ...and so on...

The spur off the south end of Montvale went as far as Atlas Paper. There were three other customers on the line - Mystic Builder's Supply, North Atlantic Millwork and Ingalls-Cronin.

Now just for giggles - down at Swanton Street siding off the southbound track, there was a spur to Grief Brothers. Off the northbound track just south of Cross Street was a siding serving Park & Lane and Bresco NV.

Swanton Street siding was used for EDSA setoffs, but mostly SAED pickups. It finally went out of service Spring 1991, but was basically of no use by 1989.

D

Thanks for that info. Are there any remnants of the Swanton St. siding or the siding of the north track south of Cross St.? Haven't been there in awhile.

MikeB, I don't know about your Swanton Street siding question, but I do have one of my own for Dave or one of the other folks who know the history of the area...

Just south of Montvale is a long (maybe a 1/2 mile to mile) siding on the west side of the south-bound mainline track (track 2?). It runs from near what looks like Wincester's waste tranfer station to just before the Wincester high school sports field. In a year and a half on the commuter rail, I have never seen anything on it, but it is in service (it has a derail, an in-tact switch, and looks in good shape). Is this an MBTA MOW siding that never gets used? Did it previously serve the Wincester waste transfer station or other long gone industries?
It does not connect (or get particularly close) to the Montvale Yard.

Thanks for any info,
Stephen

Steve -

Swanton Street siding is that track you ask about on the west side of the mainline. It used to run up as far as the south side of Cross Street undergrade bridge. SAED used to pick up off the Cross St/north end of the siding. The Grief Brothers spur was off this track.

Swanton Street is not used as far as I know, except maybe for the rare MW move. Ironically, your more likely to see equipment or a MW car on the rements of the Woburn Loop at Winchester!

D

Isn't there still a signal at the Winchester stub of the Woburn loop?

Dug out some old track charts:

The spur at the south end of Montvale Yard at Cross Street was refered to as the Hill Yard (not to be confused with Ayer's Hill Yard). Looks like there was one grade crossing - Holton Street.

The Grief Brothers siding was off the Swanton Street siding right on the northside of the undergrade bridge.

The siding off the northbound track at Cross Street I referenced as Parker & Lane was once shown as General Gelatin.

In answer to the Woburn Loop signal question - Yes. The power switch and associated signal were nevr retired and remain part of Winchester Interlocking.

I also found a Telegraph Bulletin Order from 3/21/75 taking the Stoneham
Branch from Maple Street (Lindenwood) to end of track out of service!

And last but not least, there was a list on customers in Iron Horse Park:
McQuesten Lumber, Johns Manville, Fortek, Penn Culvert, NH Shippers, Food Center Warehouse, Purity Supreme, Chemical Corporation, Wood Fabricators, JA Webster, Torngren Co., Northeast Cement, Grossman, Whittemore Perlite and Northeastern Ammonia Co.

Dave

Dug out some old track charts:

The spur at the south end of Montvale Yard at Cross Street was refered to as the Hill Yard (not to be confused with Ayer's Hill Yard). Looks like there was one grade crossing - Holton Street.

The Grief Brothers siding was off the Swanton Street siding right on the northside of the undergrade bridge.

The siding off the northbound track at Cross Street I referenced as Parker & Lane was once shown as General Gelatin.

In answer to the Woburn Loop signal question - Yes. The power switch and associated signal were nevr retired and remain part of Winchester Interlocking.

I also found a Telegraph Bulletin Order from 3/21/75 taking the Stoneham
Branch from Maple Street (Lindenwood) to end of track out of service!

And last but not least, there was a list on customers in Iron Horse Park:
McQuesten Lumber, Johns Manville, Fortek, Penn Culvert, NH Shippers, Food Center Warehouse, Purity Supreme, Chemical Corporation, Wood Fabricators, JA Webster, Torngren Co., Northeast Cement, Grossman, Whittemore Perlite and Northeastern Ammonia Co.

Dave

Dave, thanks, as always, for all the information.
- Stephen

I read on some NERAIL photos that Guilford was thinking about using the Montvale Yard again. What's the status of that?