Railroad Forums 

  • Lowell activity.

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1229548  by jaymac
 
mulfreak-
Bob Sprague did the work. I'm just a NERAIL lurker.
There may be a subset of taggers paying attention to websites for new opportunities, but it generally takes sustained immobility before an object gets turned into a canvas.
 #1229941  by mulfreak
 
Good teamwork then. I haven't seen any sighting here or elsewhere of the caboose and it's not in Lowell anymore. Come to think about it taggers are'nt that smart as a group. They have a high mortality rate,railyards and high buildings being the top two. But with web access anywhere these days who knows? Weekend was busy here in Wigginville. The last two days have been also. The NS 7408? was back this morning holding at the bridge. One engine just flew by here with 8 cars headed west. Had to be doing 40 MPH. It was dark and it was a blur.
 #1230189  by newpylong
 
Between Wamesit and BY-Meadowcroft the 1 track is 30 MPH with a temporary 25 MPH speed restriction. The 2 track is 10 MPH.
 #1230253  by mulfreak
 
I don't doubt the track 1 speed limit. The 25 mph restriction is probally due the track work they have been doing. Track # 2 the south track had issues back 5+ years ago. They only used it as a siding from 2003-2006 and nothing ever moved at anything over 10 mph. This they fixed and now it is used eastward most of the time. Freight crossing Meadowcroft St. eastbound is slow. They do pick up speed headed east. Faster than 10 mph??? 495 along the same streach has a 65 mph speed limit. Track are clear here in Wiggenville now. Today was slow. very slow. One westbound thru Lowell that was headless at the river bridge at 7 this morning. Didn't even see what snagged it westbound.
 #1230509  by mulfreak
 
The tracks thru Wigginville were clear when I left for work as was the lowell yard. About 9:45 the HLCX in the lead, the MEC 302 and three PAM-AM engines were picking up cars. They at one point were all idling under the parking garage at the Lowell depot. The car alarms being louder than the engines. They backed up to grab some cars I guess and then headed off west with 60+ in tow. I caught up with it as I was headed up RT. 3 nth @ 11:25. Headed west thru Chelmsford. Running along Stony Brook. Then there was 1 that came thru the Lowell yard and cleared westbound about 3:00. Did not see much of that.
 #1231482  by mulfreak
 
Just the usual as of late. 3-5 trains a day thru Wigginville. Some east some west. 3 engines has been the rule. Not much to report form the depot. Haven't seen much and nothing of interest. About 15 mins ago 1 engine and 2 or 3 empty wood cars headed west twords Wamesit @ well above the posted speed limit. Keep on truckin.
 #1233234  by mulfreak
 
Was up north over T-Day. Good look at the tracks along 93. Love the bridge over the Merrimack there. I've never seen anything at the RT 3 just nth of 302 crossing nor thru Gorham or Berlin along 16 nth. Is there any freight thru there? Just had 4 engines the HLCX 7048 was second headed east thru Wigginville. One was hanging and headed west before that. 7848 HCLX sat alone for a day at the river bridge solo for the better part of a day. Strange? Did not know if it was manned? So much for obeying speed limits,as the train that derailed in NY was going way above the speed limit. Hope all had a happy T-Day.
 #1233899  by mulfreak
 
The same thru Wigginville. 2 CSX engines with 25 cars headed west about 5 finally cleared here. Another just passed @ about 15 mph west also,too dark to see.
 #1235975  by mulfreak
 
Well the 601/605 and the 611 were living here over the last week. Back and forth back and forth thru Wigginville. With the cold and the dark not seeing a whole lot different. Car volume is down. 4 including the 7848 HCLX headed east thru the Lowell yard this afternoon but only had 30 or so in tow. All 4 were running. The caboose in going to St Mary's GA. We noticed it first I think. Not that it matters Railspotting is what matters.
 #1236158  by mulfreak
 
I was cleaning the cellar this morning until I heard an approaching train. So I deciede to take a break and count cars. The usual 3 engines and an exact 100 cars headed east thru Wigginville and it cleared. The 601 and the 611 lost the 605 and had about 25 cars eastward also shorly therafter. The 7842 & 7843 HCLX and the 603 were in tandom earlier headed west. Stopped at the Concord bridge but not for long. 45 or so in tow. Let it snow.
 #1238171  by mulfreak
 
Merry x-mas. Not much to report thru Wigignville. At least nothing special. Freight volume appears to be up. Pan-Am strings up at least one per day thru the depot area headed mostly east. Trains holding thru here don't stay long and both tracks are busy. 2 sometimes 3 one engine catch-ups lately around this time.
 #1238928  by mulfreak
 
Since X-Mas day where I did not see nor hear a train all day. Freight is back to normal. 12/27 the HCLX 7060 and 1 Pan-Am ran west with 25 dedicated lumber cars. It cleared the Lowell depot. Let's see?? Last night the NS and 1 Guilford came thru Wigginville @ about 5:30. They held for a while on the bridge and then cleared. One hot shot headed east, 2 cars in tow doing 35+ MPS. The twin sister Conrails that strut there stuff every weekend on the open track on Saturday's thru Wigginville were a fine sight about 1:30 this afternoon. They always have the bells ringing as they go to and fro. WHY?
 #1239063  by neman2
 
The Conrail units you refer to I believe are CSX units (should be yellow and blue) from the daily Selkirk to Portland(SEPO)train swapping power with the Pan Am units on the Portland,Me to Selkirk, NY (POSE)train.There aren't to the best of my knowledge and belief any blue Conrail units left. Conrail was merged into CSX and other railroads a long time ago. There is something called "Conrail Shared Assets" which is actually a terminal rail operation in the New Jersey and Detroit areas, you can find info here on this website.- http://conrail.com/freight.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As to the bells it's probably a Pan Am safety rule involving the particular move they are making. Someone more familiar with that can probably answer your question.
 #1239099  by newpylong
 
They ring the bells continuously through Lowell because of all the clowns who are always in/crossing the tracks. As I said before the track speed is 25 MPH through there on the fast track, not 35 mph+.
 #1239163  by johnpbarlow
 
neman2 wrote:The Conrail units you refer to I believe are CSX units (should be yellow and blue) from the daily Selkirk to Portland(SEPO)train swapping power with the Pan Am units on the Portland,Me to Selkirk, NY (POSE)train.
I'm curious why the SEPO/POSE power swap occurs at Lowell where there's no set-out/pick-up activity as opposed to either Ayer or Lawrence yards. TIA.