Lowell Line - Winchester, Woburn, Wilmington Spottings

Several years ago (around 2017-18) CSX cut a deal with PAR that resulted in PAR getting all the traffic in Everett (Schintzer, cement, NEP). There is very little
produce traffic these days, if any. Scrap and cement are the two big commodities.

And yet they just scored a $500,000 IRAP grant for that line. Don't know what increase in traffic they are talking about but maybe they know something we don't.

CSX ($499,000)

The grant will support the Everett Coke Works Rehabilitation Project, which will aid the continued use of freight rail service to shippers in Everett and increase both the reliability and volume of freight rail shipments, eliminating 1,350 truck trips annually.

it does not surprise me that PAN AM did not pursue the time sensitive product for Chesea produce terminal, due to short distance they would move it.Now that CSX owns the tracks it would be a long haul from Chicago and/or Florida they might pursue it.Especially with the price of diesel fuel A truck from CA Central Valley would use around 500 gallons of fuel one way about $2,500.00 and a backhaul west would be tough.Maybe meat out of IOWA or Nebraska.

Why not fish?

That IRAP money would go to fixing a lot of bad track in there. As far as PAR not pursuing produce traffic, most of it dried up under CSX. Some of the NEP terminal was sold, razed for an Amazon warehouse. Interestingly enough, CSX/Mass Coastal is getting a lot of reefer traffic (PNW fish) into New Bedford since mid-summer. Ice Cold just got an IRAP grant to rehab their siding, extend the platform and enclose it.

Yes as Dave said the Boston Market (top half of NEP) is now gone. The bottom half got less service AFAIK. Carloads dried up as those older Reefers were harder to come by and had to be used due to height restrictions. Now that the restrictions are no longer there, I don't know if the carloads will ever come back for NEP.

Mass Coastal seems to be killing it drumming up new business down by the waterfront. It all siphons back to CSX too.

Maybe CSX will sell Boston to MassCoastal

Not a shot.

newpylong wrote: ↑Thu Oct 13, 2022 7:48 am Yes as Dave said the Boston Market (top half of NEP) is now gone. The bottom half got less service AFAIK. Carloads dried up as those older Reefers were harder to come by and had to be used due to height restrictions. Now that the restrictions are no longer there, I don't know if the carloads will ever come back for NEP.

Mass Coastal seems to be killing it drumming up new business down by the waterfront. It all siphons back to CSX too.

You do mean New Bedford and Fall River waterfront, right?

Yes.

I think "Preferred Freezer Services" at 60 Commercial St Everett was the last consistent customer for reefer traffic in Everett. They were located on the Island End River and before Ciment Quebec and the lead to the scrap yard.

So turns out freight traffic in Woburn isn't dead after all! For the first time in a long time, I caught them dropping off some box cars by Olympia Ave in Woburn. At what is or at least was the Tight warehouse. AND I even got it on video. It was night time so the quality isn't great but still cool to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKwaS6ARr50

Also any update on the cement plant in wilmington? I thought I read, probably in this thread, that another cement company is buying the plant? Is that actually happening?

What about the other Tighe warehouse a little bit south? Anything there anyone?

I haven't seen any activity at that woburn/winchester townline warehouse for a very long time. I'd hear the horns from passing MBTA trains from my house. And if you're down near the tracks, the siding looks all overgrown. That's too bad, I was hoping the reactivation of THAT siding might eventually lead to the reactivation of the connected siding that goes up across Holton Street to a few more businesses.

New Related Question:
So all the freight trains and amtrak trains that pass through woburn are hopping on the Wildcat and heading towards the Haverhill line that way.

So north of Wilmington, that section of track must see nothing but less-interesting commuter rail trains.
But if you go up a few miles, even before the next station (North Billerica) you get to ironhorse park and that big jumble of pan am activity.
So are all of the trains that go in and out of ironhorse, coming down from lowell?
And more to the point, does that mean there is a lot of freight activity going by North Billerica station?