Track 61 Rehabilitation, Extension, and Expansion

[BostonUrbEx]

I'm just wondering if anyone has recent news on the Track 61 project on the Boston waterfront? I believe funding requests were sent in the Fall by the city to the feds for approving. It was expected that it would either be approved or declined for revisions in February 2010 and now it's March.... The latest news I could find was a brief December editorial about the project and how at the very least, Harpoon Brewery would take advantage of the rail services should the opportunity become available.

Also, could someone clarify: Does the project ONLY cover rail access to the former Naval Annex? or does it also include restoration of Black Falcon services? and a connection to the Conley Container Port via a bridge parrallel to the Summer Street bridge (I know this was proposed, but I'm not sure if it was a separate project or killed off)?


I know there's a thread somewhere on the subject or related to it, but I can't find it and it wouldn't be up-to-date, anyhow.

[BostonUrbEx]

Track 61 and it's West First St yard have been acquired by the state in the same deal with CSX which purchased the Grand Junction and South Coast Rail Project's ROWs. This document mentions the use of the West First St yard for MBTA locomotive storage.

http://www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/90 ... 081110.pdf


The West First St "yard" is this collection of spurs located here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.3 ... 1&t=k&z=18

[CSX Conductor]

CSX is doing like Guilford did years ago....trying to get rid of the customers that they have, not gain more.

As for the other discussion you were probably trying to find about First Street Yard: Was it this one, discussing the Boston Railway Terminal?

[Tracer]

It would take a fair amount of new street running track to be built to get to harpers brewery, so it would seem too expensive to justify a spur to there building. I have always been suprised they tore up the spur to the dry dock, there is always high-wide loads on trucks heading thru south boston to the dry dock.

A few months back i noticed there was a ton of new survey stakes in the small brt yard near the alco(I think the stakes may have been test borings). So it looks like someone is planning something over there.

[BostonUrbEx]

As for the other discussion you were probably trying to find about First Street Yard: Was it this one, discussing the Boston Railway Terminal?

Interesting link, I never saw that thread before.

So BRT was seeing frequent deliveries at West First St until a couple years ago when CSX evicted them? And I assume there has never been anything on this entire line since then?

And from what I gather, street running to Conley via W 1st/E 1st would never happen? Which would explain why I found plans for MassPort to go through the trouble of looking into a bridge from Harbor St, parallel to Summer St Bridge, and into Conley rather than go through street running.

It would take a fair amount of new street running track to be built to get to harpers brewery, so it would seem too expensive to justify a spur to there building. I have always been suprised they tore up the spur to the dry dock, there is always high-wide loads on trucks heading thru south boston to the dry dock.

Just 1 block, right up Harbor St? Not that it would be cheap, but isn't a terribly long length, really.

Would be cool to see a spur right after Tide St with some traffic to that drydock!

[BostonUrbEx]

Here's an unofficial map of proposed branches and spurs I found:

http://www.atlanticnortheast.com/regn/m ... 113416.pdf

[BostonUrbEx]

If Track 61 is a "north-south" operation, the westerly rail in the Cypher St crossing was recently removed and filled with pavement. Perhaps the result of a plowing incident in the past few months?

Assuming no other defects, this makes the crossing the new end-of-track.

[CSRR573]

Perhaps preparations for Septembers IndyCar race?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Perhaps preparations for Septembers IndyCar race?

That's what I'm thinking. Crossing surface was chewed up to hell and would've had to be replaced anyway by the city just to keep it from becoming a muffler wrecker for cars going around the block. This is probably the quick patch, with the full replacement coming a few months later.

[CSRR573]

Perhaps preparations for Septembers IndyCar race?

That's what I'm thinking. Crossing surface was chewed up to hell and would've had to be replaced anyway by the city just to keep it from becoming a muffler wrecker for cars going around the block. This is probably the quick patch, with the full replacement coming a few months later.

Something similar happened at the Baltimore IndyCar race a few years ago. The course ran over a crossing, causing the IndyCars( and the LMP cars) to catch some good air during the race

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfgtcQbRAMw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;