East Brookfield & Spencer Railroad

well, apparently, about 4 years back, the east brookfield and spencer railroad was built along the B&A track between east brookfield and spencer. the line itself oppened in 2004, and is leasing 2 EMD SW 1200 switchers. it's primary resorce is the automotive industry, for it serves a auto distrobution plant that sends the cars to dealerships all over new england. iff anyone has heard anything new, please, i urge you to post your comments, discoveries, and thoughts here.

I've seen help wanted ads from time to time from the railroad looking for engineers and brakemen. The pay is not that "up to standards" also, with $12-14 per hour for brakemen, and $15 - $18 for Engineers. The auto yard itself is quite busy, with a majority of the truck traffic hauling cars/trucks to the MA Pike interchange in Sturbridge, MA.

J

I've never heard of this railroad, but that doesn't mean much...

Its a pretty busy railroad severing the Spencer auto facility. Its kinda hard to get shots of it running.

While their pay is kinda low, I guess the fact that you are not going far from home and are home every night can be worth $ to some people. Also you have to look at it more like an industrial railroad serving a very limited customer in a very limited area.

I can't help but wonder how the woes of the auto industry might have affected this railroad.

Jedijk88 wrote:I can't help but wonder how the woes of the auto industry might have affected this railroad.

true, all things considered, with the auto industry going rotten, then most likely the route will have to find another means of revenue.

daylight4449 wrote:

Jedijk88 wrote:I can't help but wonder how the woes of the auto industry might have affected this railroad.

true, all things considered, with the auto industry going rotten, then most likely the route will have to find another means of revenue.

To which they can't. Like I said before they are an industrial railroad serving one customer. Created to serve that facility so that CSX doesn't have to. The owners of the auto park would have to drum up business to create a business park on that property that the railroad could then serve.

Otto Vondrak wrote:I've never heard of this railroad,...

Because it's not really a railroad. It is actually owned by CSXT somewhere deep down, many of us believe.

The main purpose of this place was to replace operations in Westborough & Framingham and for CSXT to save money by having non-union people working this site in Brookfield. They saved alot of money by killing two local jobs which were 3 man crews as well as a third which covered the rest days of the others. In total we lost 6 conductor jobs and 3 engineer jobs due to this place.

If you search the forums you'll find more discussion on this place.

so basically with the auto industry ging bad, were talking about Mccloud River all over again, unless a major corprate jiant, like mcdonalds or walmart build distribution centers there.

One can view them switching the facility looking west from the RTE 49 bridge over the B&A in Spencer, but it is a good distance away, probably half a mile

daylight4449 wrote:so basically with the auto industry ging bad, were talking about Mccloud River all over again, unless a major corprate jiant, like mcdonalds or walmart build distribution centers there.

Doubt you'd see any additional expansion, there is a large RR NIMBY population in the area. I recall a while back some residents were complaining
that autoracks parked on the sidings were preventing them from crossing the tracks to access a local pond for fishing, as well as CSX trains that were passing blowing horns, disturbing people.

Then they complained that leaving auto racks on the main was going to ruin the undergrade bridges due to the weight.

In their defense they were smoke-screened with BS before the place was built. They were told something like M-F 7am to 9pm operations and no overnights.

CSX Conductor wrote:In their defense they were smoke-screened with BS before the place was built. They were told something like M-F 7am to 9pm operations and no overnights.

The terminal developer also told the town that, as part of the project, a recreation area and access to the pond hemmed in by the B&A, Rt 49, and now, the auto terminal would be provided. But, last I knew, that never happened...

CSX Conductor wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:I've never heard of this railroad,...

Because it's not really a railroad. It is actually owned by CSXT somewhere deep down, many of us believe.

The main purpose of this place was to replace operations in Westborough & Framingham and for CSXT to save money by having non-union people working this site in Brookfield. They saved alot of money by killing two local jobs which were 3 man crews as well as a third which covered the rest days of the others. In total we lost 6 conductor jobs and 3 engineer jobs due to this place.

If you search the forums you'll find more discussion on this place.

The power for the (EB&S) was/is leased through the same company that owns New England Central (rail tex ) or what ever it is called now.... and serviced/maintained through a local company "A guy" who I used to work with during my Bay Colony days.

CSX Conductor is correct the facility in Brookfield eliminated many jobs... and I believe also that CSX owns the facility. while working the Q-283 as my regular job we were ordered to pull the Pad site a few times and then double to the emptys in the facility...(preforming the Scabs job) ....after fileing Penalty slips and outlawing the train in Palmer and W.springfield my assignment turn was never asked to preform this Task again....

The EBSR employees are now unionized.