The Future in Palmer, MA

Hobo's need lovin too!!!

Brian, you've been "Up Country" to long. The diamond has gone down hill quick! It sounds like the Bellows Falls diamond when you roll over it. CSX has had a ten on it for the past couple of weeks I think. They have done some welding ( a temp fix ) and I think they raised the restriction a bit. The new diamond is being kitbashed and at the rate that CSX crews work should be done in a month or so.

A hobo works and wanders.
A tramp dreams and wanders.
A bum drinks and wanders.

Those are not hobos, and since they don't seem to stray too far from the pile of garbage and debris they hang around at, they probably are not even bums.

When I worked the NECR back in 96-97 the house up at the top off the hill in palmer, I believe it is boarded up now or reconditioned. was a crack house and raided one night while we were switching in the Yard. The cops rounded up a good 30 people most of them end up passing out near the tracks. Night after night or end up hassaling the crew. The bar that used to be on the corner of main st was a great place also for that Happening and it was also shut down. I had to stay in a rooming house in palmer in order to work out there. and I can tell you all that Palmer is on of the Scummy places I know.

Now the good news: The bar at Main St. has been closed and completely rehabbed into an alcohol and drug free rooming establishment. The rooming house at the top of the hill is also being cleaned-up. Plans are moving ahead now to build a decent hotel either next to the MassPike exit or in downtown Palmer on the old Holbrook site just across Bridge St. from the station. Other than the Wedgewood Motel on Route 20, there are no other places to stay in Palmer. The hobo jungle seems to have moved farther north from where I remember.

As of today, CSX has prefabbed a new diamond on site. The equipment is there ready to install it any day now.

[quote="CSX Engineer 98"]Hey Brian,
Does Sean, Spencer or the Big Dude that used to drive the Jeep cj. still work there? After Lou Sabo left and went to Texas for the Company things went down hill..... P&W Power on NECR Trains..? Be great if they ended up buying it out.[/quote]

As of this afternoon, the diamond was sitting there still needing some pieces of rail installed.. im guessing they are going to drop it in place.

If its a 10, then the CSX adds 10mph to that... I was switching right there at the diamond today (south end of 780 and the CSX lead) and an autorack banged by... it was way over 10mph.

I dont know any Seans there. Both Spencers are there, yes that big dude is still there with the Jeep.

Its not bad.. just alot of work to be done daily.

Im still pretty new, and im sure that Ill hear about it this week becuase I flipped a car or two when I marshalled out the southbound train

Brian