Lowell Line - Winchester, Woburn, Wilmington Spottings

[railfaning boston]

Hi, I live in west somerville, and my knowledge is that the best chance of catching any freight in my area, is on the Lowell line. Does anyone know of any times that freight (ex: DOBO) may be passing west Medford, I know DOBO at lest commonly runs late at night, But I am getting curious about any other freight movements, because I can hear horns from the line, and after confirming its nor from a mbta train, or downeaster, from looking at schedules, plus the fact that they don't usually honk there horns. This even happens in the day, like when I heard a horn at about 3:25pm yesterday. Thanks for any information .

[l008com]

Heres a few pics of the giant beams parked at Anderson in Woburn. Anyone know what they are/what they're for?

Also while I was there, a train of about 9 or 10 boxcars went by headed South. I assume they were headed for Tighe Winchester.

Edit: Looks like the attachment system is broken again so heres some links:
https://i.imgur.com/w4crl6q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qn4jM4V.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/z6LMSwG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GIYSzSc.jpg

[johnpbarlow]

Heres a few pics of the giant beams parked at Anderson in Woburn. Anyone know what they are/what they're for?

I've read on a Pan Am Facebook page that these bridge girders are to be used for the Green Line Extension project. My guess as to origin is Casco Bay Steel Structures of S Portland ME but I might be wrong on this.

[railfaning boston]

I believe I heard that rolling through Medford an hour ago, it's horn sounded nice

[Trinnau]

Looks like according to this MBTA page it's for the bridge over Washington Street in Somerville.

[bostontrainguy]

That's good. Once the bridge is rebuilt the main can be shifted back east and the Yard 10 lead reactivated. Not a big deal perhaps but it does open up some new operational options like a through direct route down the Lowell Line and west out the Fitchburg Line. Could be useful.

[FatNoah]

I've read on a Pan Am Facebook page that these bridge girders are to be used for the Green Line Extension project.

Definitely looks like it. The girders were in place on the bridge site this morning. Very cool progress.

[l008com]

Lately I've been seeing a lot of what look like cement hoppers going through this area, usually headed toward Boston. What is up with these? In years past, something like this would likely be on it's way to, or from, the cement plant in Wilmington. But now that that's closed, where are they going?

[bostontrainguy]

I would think they are going to Ciment Quebec which is located in Everett on the waterfront near where Eimskip used to be. It's past the food produce center just before the scrap dealer at the end of the line. Pan Am is now doing this work since CSX decided it wasn't worth it for them to go that far.

[GP40MC1118]

Ciment Quebec has been down in Everett for about a year and half-now. Exclusively
a PAR customer. Nothing to do with CSX or its withdrawal from Everett. PAR picked
up CSX's scrap and Produce Center traffic.

D

[zski128]

Iron hours has been busy the past few morning start Thursday last week. Long strings of empty center beams and box cars. This is the most consecutive active I have seen there in 2 years. Business must be good.

[zski128]

One boxcar set out at aAtlantic plywood today and a 4 center beam loads at iron horse with a gp40. Didn’t catch the number but it was 345 which was behind BET.

[l008com]

They must have unloaded it quick because they removed that atlantic plywood boxcar a few hours later. Around..... 11:30 maybe. It looked like he was also stopping to pickup boxcars at tighe woburn but I didn't take a close look.

Also unrelated to that, it looked like they were welding the tracks a little south of Anderson station. Couldn't get close enough to see what was going on there.

[Ken Rice]

I happened to be in Winchester last weekend so I took a look at Tighe Winchester - I was somewhat surprised to see it completely empty, no cars at all. Is it normally emptied out on weekends?

[zski128]

313 was at iron horse with no cars around 5:30 on Thursday. There was a lone boxcar at Tighe in Winchester. Tighe in Woburn has had thier whole spur full recently.