Saugus Branch Abandonment

An entire block of track has been removed.

Today I saw freshly turned dirt and a lack of any rails or ties located in this triangular section, next to a parking strip, right here: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UT ... 4&t=h&z=19

As you can see, the tracks are still in this imagery from roughly May. And it was definitely still as it was in the picture just about 1 month ago. And I should have seen it when I went by a week ago but I didn't notice anything different (but I may have just not noticed). I assume they're just going to put more parking spaces there... shame...


Also, the only 3 crossings I can think of that are still in place are Salem St in Saugus (okay condition), Essex St in Saugus (deteriorating, if you drive across at the right spot it's okay), and Rt 60/Center St in Malden. Interesting that the one on Salem St is apparently not exempt as I saw an MBTA bus slow down with it's lights flashing and then continue on.


The section used for MBTA ballast storage looked today just as good as ever. Plenty of good ballast in the piles and some fully loaded cars.

track removal in saugus has begun

tom18287 wrote:track removal in saugus has begun

Really? Where are they starting? I haven't seen anything at Central St, Essex St, nor Salem St. I figured they'd probably start at Salem St.

Actually-- they haven't even started in Revere, yet. Are you sure???

both sides of essex st towards revere and towards adams st.

Huh! I must be blind. Didn't notice anything at Essex St yet. I'll keep an eye out! Thanks for the report.

i wish i had better news

Most of the crossings are gone, but the tracks are still there on both sides.

I was up on Sunday......there is an old siding into the woods by J&M/Saugus Glass.

Go see it before it's gone.

So I went to check it out today. Looks like they cleared from Laurel St to perhaps Adams St. Not sure if they reached Adams or not, or even beyond. The ties are still in place (but rails gone) between Eustis and Essex though. The other cleared parts have ties removed already.

The interesting part was that I've been down Eustis St a couple times, solely just to check on the tracks really, and never noticed the former depot there! Pretty cool.

i just wasnt aware they were that close to starting in saugus

To help me get my "bearings," where does the Saugus Branch begin and end? Thanks!

thebigham wrote:To help me get my "bearings," where does the Saugus Branch begin and end? Thanks!

Begins in Everett behind the Gateway Ctr. shopping plaza by Santilli Cirle (Route 16/99 rotary) where the Eastern Route turns sharply east: http://goo.gl/maps/vZAd. The first couple hundred feet of it are still active and used to store and load ballast and salt. Zoom in the Google Maps overhead till it switches to 45-degree mode and you'll see 6 filled boxcars (image dates to early Spring). MBTA maintains it to the switch at the Tileston St. overpass, and then it's abandoned from there. Trail is to start in the park at the end of Air Force Rd. here: http://goo.gl/maps/9LnC. Probably because Tileston is on a bridge and Norman St. dead-ends on a private driveway, so there's no obvious ped entry point close to Santilli Circle.

Goes towards Malden Ctr. (closest approach is about 1500 ft. from the Orange Line station), then turns sharply NE and goes through the grade crossing gauntlet crossing Route 60 then paralleling it to the Showcase Cinemas right off Route 1. Crosses under 1 then turns very sharply north into Saugus, then very sharply east at Central St. behind Riverside Cemetery. Enters Lynn, curves a little northeast at Summer St., and then does a very sharp hairpin turn due south at Route 107. Spits back onto the Eastern Route at the GE plant: http://goo.gl/maps/3P38. Wye used to go both directions, but the southern leg was cut and is now used for MBTA MOW storage. Lynn's mayor for reasons unknown pulled support for the trail so right now it is scheduled to stop at Lincoln Ave. in Saugus. They'll figure out the last 1.5 miles into Lynn when she gets off her high horse.

^Thanks!

How long is the branch?

No wye in Lynn. This would have required a very steep grade and another overpass over Bennett Street

John
The guy in the white car with the wing on back.

After looking at old topos, John appears to be correct. There was never a full wye; what looks like the remains of the third side is actually the remains of a small yard. The B&M never operated much in the way of loop service like the New Haven did, so there was no need to let trains from the branch turn back towards Boston.

They reached all the way to Central Street yesterday.

Unfortunately they're moving too fast for their own good. I found some scrappers on Adams Ave stealing tie plates and who-knows-what-else. There was a cop who I informed literally 100 feet away and he didn't do anything... at all... he shrugged his shoulders and said "well if these things are just sitting there near the road, it's kind of like 'hey, take me'." I couldn't believe it. I let the Iron Horse guys know and they couldn't believe he didn't do anything.