Iron Horse Park (North Billerica)

[bmcdr]

We're all guilty at one time or another of going off topic, so I'm going to add my two cents worth about everything that has been said here. First of all, you could probably sneak into Billerica Shops via the rear entrance where the spur off the B&B Branch enters, but you would be tresspassing, and there is absolutely nothing to see there, vandals and Mother Nature have seen to that!

As to the presence of RDC-1 6114 and RDC-9 6917, that wreck occurred on March 15th,1972. On that morning, an escaped mental patient boarded an un-attended train of Buddliners at Boston Engine Terminal and headed toward North Station. Just before the drawbridge, he threw the controller in reverse and jumped, the now, once again, un-attended train was making its way back to B.E.T. at a good clip. It rolled right past Yard-5, onto the the same track it had left from, and struck the turntable bridge broadside and slid sideways into the pit, knocking the turntable completely off its axis. I skipped school that day and snuck into B.E.T. to get pictures, as I lurked in the shadows of Track 30, waiting for my chance to get my shots, I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder and the booming voice of an enginehouse foreman saying "You're not supposed to be here, get out". As I started to leave, the foreman looked around and quickly said "grab a couple of pictures and then leave as fast as you can". Well here are those shots I took that morning, well worth skipping school for! I took two shots that morning, one from the vicinity of Track 30 and the other from Track 40, the third shot was taken at Billerica Shops in November 1975.

[jr145]

And to satisfy curiosity, here is what the inside of the shops look like.

[craigeebach]

FYI, there are also some very good photos of the shop here:
http://chriswilliams.smugmug.com/Photog ... 28&k=KEa7U

I understand that the various machines you see in the photos inside the shop have been knocked down and basically demolished. Sad to see such history decay into oblivion. Many of these one of a kind items belonged in a museum somewhere.

[theseaandalifesaver]

Between 2007 and 2008 I would visit the site frequently. Maybe almost 20 times. There wasn't much to see back then. The old MBTA buses were cool, but I've heard that those are even long gone now. I've explored the building and area pretty well, and there's literally nothing exciting to see. I can only imagine that four years later, there's even less.

Also, I was never ONCE questioned by anyone. Every time we would drive in and park right near the entrance where the buses would park. The fact that we mostly would visit on weekends might have been a factor.

[CN9634]

Between 2007 and 2008 I would visit the site frequently. Maybe almost 20 times. There wasn't much to see back then. The old MBTA buses were cool, but I've heard that those are even long gone now. I've explored the building and area pretty well, and there's literally nothing exciting to see. I can only imagine that four years later, there's even less.

Also, I was never ONCE questioned by anyone. Every time we would drive in and park right near the entrance where the buses would park. The fact that we mostly would visit on weekends might have been a factor.

I don't often ridicule people but I can tell you right now that is extremely poor judgment. Not only were you trespassing (And per this post, encouraging it) but you were a frequent visitor to an extremely hazardous site. Given the condition of the building, IE about to collapse in on itself, and the debris surrounding the area (Broken glass, wire, sharp steel and oh yeah asbestos), you subjected yourself to high risk of injury. By visiting this site you put yourself and potentially others (By either encouraging or bringing them) in a situation where you and/or other entities/persons would be held liable legally should something have happened.

While I am not a moderator here, I believe it would be in the best interests of this forum for this topic to go away.

[jr145]

Also I should mention that more than a few times I have been walking the track next to the building and heard panes of glass and metal come crashing to the ground. We're not just saying it is dangerous to scare you, it really is a dangerous place. And you won't know something is coming down until it hits the ground and/or you.

[MEC407]

Per the forum rules:

Trespassing on railroad property is dangerous and illegal. Don't do it.

[Garrett]

Don't mean to bump an old thread. Does anyone know if those 2 Buds are still there? I can see them on google maps...

[jr145]

No they aren't

[theseaandalifesaver]

There's nothing left. I was there about a year ago, and everything is gone. There are still a few BUD cars, but they are so overgrown with things that they're almost impossible to see, let alone get close to.

This area isn't even worth seeing. Don't risk getting in trouble (or even arrested) to see it.

[jr145]

I can assure you that the Budd cars aren't there anymore.

[theseaandalifesaver]

[quote="jr145"]I can assure you that the Budd cars aren't there anymore.[/quote]

Then it's extra not worth the trip there. I've explored the area pretty well.

There's no rail cars and the old shop is literally falling apart. Aside from it being incredibly illegal, I wouldn't recommend anyone entering the old shops. There are glass panels on the roof that are constantly breaking and falling. The staircases leading to the upper levels can barely support anything and the floors on the upper level are caving in.

Honestly, I'm surprised this building hasn't been torn down yet. Especially given the amount of business that are still in the area.

[jr145]

I'm guessing it is because the area is a superfund site, and any construction/demolition would require extensive permitting and environmental remediation.

[newpylong]

There are still rumors of the T rebuilding the shops for their heavy maintance vs sending the equipment out to contract. I would think the amount of money needed to stabilize the buildings and modernize would be astronomical but we all know how the T works.

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

There are still rumors of the T rebuilding the shops for their heavy maintance vs sending the equipment out to contract. I would think the amount of money needed to stabilize the buildings and modernize would be astronomical but we all know how the T works.

Why? They don't need it there. They need a facility on the southside much worse for day-to-day ops, and so does Amtrak as specced in their 2025 NEC cap improvements document. The empty Readville yard just had its full environmental mitigation (supposed to be wrapped up this summer, if not already), so that's the site with the space and location convenience to serve their needs. If they had a repair shop down there to serve daily ops that frees up enough space at BET to handle longer-term repairs and jobs that would otherwise be farm-out candidates. Commuter rail's equipment needs are growing, but it's not growing that fast, especially not on the northside.

Billerica screams for a redeveloped freight village with how convenient it is to 3 and 495. Close to the main, relatively few overhead bridges if there were ever a reason to bring double stacks down there post-mainline upgrades, well-isolated from residential abutters, not much commuter rail interference between there and Bleachery, and justifiable over any NIMBY screaming because it's not a functional change from what the site serves today. It's a matter of public-private willpower and the environmental cleanup. But there's few better sites in Southern New England to look at for that kind of expansion.