Take the train to the Game! (Pat's Train)

Why does it take the Pats Train ONE HOUR to get the stadium when it takes Train 730 just a half an hour (albeit in the reverse direction) with pretty much the same stops?

Thanks I looked but couldn't find that

BostonUrbEx wrote:Why does it take the Pats Train ONE HOUR to get the stadium when it takes Train 730 just a half an hour (albeit in the reverse direction) with pretty much the same stops?

Because of the need to change ends at Walpole (due to the current configuration of the junction) and the slow track between Walpole and Foxboro.

Any idea why the Pats trains don't stop in Walpole - with the station's configuration as a Union Station, certainly wouldn't present any platform problems.

The reason for the long trip time is you also need to take into account how packed that train is and how it slows down boarding.

danib62 wrote:The reason for the long trip time is you also need to take into account how packed that train is and how it slows down boarding.

When I rode it last I picked it up at Norwood Central and it was fast loading. The Pats trains are double the lenght of a regular T consist and has 2 engines on it.

atsf sp wrote: The Pats trains are double the lenght of a regular T consist and has 2 engines on it.

That doesn't seem right. Every train I saw there last year was a normal length train.

I rode it back in '08 so maybe it changed.

I'm taking the train today so i will get a consist list for the Boston train

I saw it at South Station yesterday. The Cab Car was 1715.

It was a short one. 4 Ks and 2 flats with one engine. But it was a preseason game with barely anyone at the game. About half the stadium was filled. The run took about a hour 15 out. Coming back took an hour and a half due to a medical emergency.

Time wise it is the foxboro line that kills the time in the run. Backing up from foxboro it took 20 minutes to get to the yard in Walpole. Then another 15 min for the train to get permission to pull onto the other line and for the engineers to switch ends. There is an old track, that is now rusted that can be used in the future for a quick turn onto the line. Instead of reversing, the train would just go left over this track and not have to cross the Walpole diamond. But these tracks really need to be upgraded. Cars should not be rocking as much as they were at 15 mph.

atsf sp wrote:There is an old track, that is now rusted that can be used in the future for a quick turn onto the line. Instead of reversing, the train would just go left over this track and not have to cross the Walpole diamond.

The old track you're referring to which is the southeast leg of the wye at Walpole is called Lewis' Wye. Lewis' Wye has always had many headaches when used to/from the Franklin Main-line because a track circuit would always exist after the train's out of the interlocking. Also, even thouh the switch joining the Franklin Main is within Walpole interlocking, it is hand-thrown with an electric lock switch on a timer, with a hand-thrown derail. The T probably feels that with trains leaving track circuits in the interlocking and needing C&S dept to recify the problem costs more money just by needing C&S to come out. Also, you'd need to line the iron by hand as well as the derail, flag the crossing in the station's parking lot, and line the iron where the wye joins the Framingham Secondary, plus ir's derail. Afterwards everything would have to be relined and locked. Again, they used to have C&S on scene to line the iron and flag the crossing, but it costs more to have these people here, especially if 's overtime for them on their day off.

atsf sp wrote:But these tracks really need to be upgraded. Cars should not be rocking as much as they were at 15 mph.

No, the cars shouldn't be rocking, but if the train was going 15mph, you just announce that the engineer was speeding, as the Secondary is 10mph for both pax & freight.

CSX Conductor wrote:No, the cars shouldn't be rocking, but if the train was going 15mph, you just announce that the engineer was speeding, as the Secondary is 10mph for both pax & freight.

oh I thought i read on here it was 15. I don't know what we were doing but the Ks were rocking. A mile took us about 10 minutes.

When I used to ride from Mansfield to the game, I stood near the cab and the speedometer was 15 the whole way. This was a few years ago so it could have been downgraded since then.