track work at rigby

does anyone know what is going on around th roundhouse at rigby? There seems to be a fair amount of trackwork in the approach tracks to th turntable and some 'hand work' in the outside storage track area. Unfortunately it looks like a fair amount of track removal in the appraoch area near the sand towers. There are dumpsters w/ scap metal and the removal/relocation of a couple of boxcars that have been stored there forever.

Also, any word on the van trains that were supposed to have been brought up from ayer or nearby?

Ive wondered this too. Seems to be a general yard clean up,and even saw a MOW guy picking up bits of wood in March. The roundhouse was SUPPOSSED to be torn down,per order of City of S.Portland,but as usual,Guilfords slick schisters have gotten it postponed! Rigby was having a problem in the last year with lousy shape of yard tracks & switches,and had to do some work. Notice that the old boxcars & gons are gone from next to roundhouse. I too have seen work being done on the "farm tracks",where locos were "parked when Rigby was an active engine terminal. These havent been used for years,and maybe rails are gonna be used elsewhere in the yard. "Quien Sabe"? Bud

yeah i've noticed the amount of track work at rigby too. it looks like they've ripped up most of the tracks leading to the roundhouse, but there are a stack of new ones around there too. i'd be surprised if they replaced those tracks given how seldem they're used for MOW. However, if the plans for much of the engine repair facilities from waterville to relocate in rigby, this could explain the trackwork.

I do remember reading a post about the possibility of moving some waterville services to rigby. Is this a bit of wishful thinking or is it based on reliable info?
I have noticed that the outside car shop area nearby, actually has several frieght cars being worked on or waiting to be repaired. This is something I haven't seen, or noticed, in quite some time.

well hh600 that's an interesting observation. i think management is getting tight about "cleaning up" the ROW because of liabilities, but then again it's anyone's guess.

I have read in other rail related resources that because the demand for and price of scrap metal is up, more locomotives are being scrapped. Maybe GRS is just cashing in on its excess rail?

haha i wouldn't be surprised

Another observation as a result of a visit to rigby the other day. A lot of repair type trucks (vehicles) in the yard office area, some were guilford's a couple were lettered CRW, inc.-one was pretty new and unusual. It appeared to be a tank type body with a smallish coiled hose at the rear; it had a crew cab, large truck, all white.
Another note, a small train was headed out to Rockland(?) with the really nice looking Dragon cement cars and an unusual car on the rear. It looked like an amtrak style frieght car painted with a green stripe horizontally an lettered MC (no E) and appeared to have the old Maine Central pine tree graphic displayed. Was this a Maine Coast car? What do they use it for?
By the way, rigby was pretty busy.

I believe there is a company called Continuous Rail Welding, Inc.

The "CRW" trucks you saw are," Railroad Weed Control",an outfit out of Westfield,Mass.Going to be spraying certain sections of track on the Freight Mainline,and the " $$$$ Money Maker",the Rumford Branch! Usually,the bigger hi railers owned by this firm,follow a Guilford hi rail pickup,the Foreman acting as the "pilot". Bud

most of the track going into the roundhouse at rigby has been removed. I think only one stall has track from the turntable, one trac-maybe two- remain as part of the farm. Wednesday night, a front end loader was loading rail onto a flatbed truck, this occured at about 7pm to 8:45pm by a leased front end loader. I don't think it was a guilford crew because of the time it occured and I don't believe it was for scrap beacause of the method of transport.
The turntable has 3 remaining tracks serving it , passing behind the yard office and passing by the sand tower. Most of the track previously used for fueling and prep or ready tracks-I guess- have been removed. It's pretty barren and doesn't look good.
There are many new ties still sockpiled nearby, for the upgrades of the main to allow 79 mph?
Lots of power wednesday night, not so thursday night.

Rigby-Plaistow is already good for 79 MPH the way it is.

Monday night another truck of rail left the roundhouse area. The driver stated it was indeed for scrap-high price driven decision. It was to be delivered to a Pennsy scrap dealer. Reportedly they have removed 5 miles of rail from the roundhouse area. Any guess as to why they wouldn't simply load the rail into a gondola(s)?

I would HOPE that the reason a railroad is using truck,is because whoever they are selling the scrap to does NOT have a rail siding. While trucks certainly give the railroad a lot more flexibility in MOW operations,using truck for such bulky items,is similiar the GM CEO driving a Ford!! Bud

I heard from a local railfan that Guilford was selling old scrap rail. I hate to hear about rails being taken up. Ugly or not, they are a vanishing part of railroad/town/state/USA history. Tear down the roundhouse? Why don't they just USE it?? I dunno... everything always has to get tossed out the window.............