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  • Grafton & Upton Railroad (G&U) Discussion

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Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

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 #1514624  by johnpbarlow
 
Here's more info behind G&U's eminent domain filing to acquire 155 acres in Hopedale:

https://www.wbjournal.com/article/graft ... n-hopedale

Excerpt:
The Grafton & Upton Railroad Co. is seeking state approval to acquire by eminent domain a 155-acre property in Hopedale to build a rail yard and add track space.

In filings with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the railroad said it needs the space to build a rail yard and transloading facility, but the owner has been unwilling to sell the vacant, wooded land near Route 140 in Hopedale.
Here's another more detailed article from Hopedale Wicked Local: https://hopedale.wickedlocal.com/news/2 ... -wednesday

Excerpt:
The company wants to use the land for a new transloading yard and additional tracks for storage, switching and maintenance. Milanoski said that means five new tracks on either side of the existing line, and likely some buildings.
and
The state Department of Public Utilities will hold a hearing from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Hopedale Junior-Senior High School on the subject. External hearings are relatively unusual for the department, which typically holds hearings at its Boston headquarters.
Q: Wonder why the vacant area in Milford where the G&U is expected to connect to the MBTA Milford - Forge Park line couldn't be developed as a transload facility by G&U?
 #1514627  by MaineCoonCat
 
johnpbarlow wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:34 am Here's more info behind G&U's eminent domain filing to acquire 155 acres in Hopedale:

https://www.wbjournal.com/article/graft ... n-hopedale

Excerpt:
The Grafton & Upton Railroad Co. is seeking state approval to acquire by eminent domain a 155-acre property in Hopedale to build a rail yard and add track space.

In filings with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the railroad said it needs the space to build a rail yard and transloading facility, but the owner has been unwilling to sell the vacant, wooded land near Route 140 in Hopedale.
Here's another more detailed article from Hopedale Wicked Local: https://hopedale.wickedlocal.com/news/2 ... -wednesday

Excerpt:
The company wants to use the land for a new transloading yard and additional tracks for storage, switching and maintenance. Milanoski said that means five new tracks on either side of the existing line, and likely some buildings.
and
The state Department of Public Utilities will hold a hearing from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Hopedale Junior-Senior High School on the subject. External hearings are relatively unusual for the department, which typically holds hearings at its Boston headquarters.
Q: Wonder why the vacant area in Milford where the G&U is expected to connect to the MBTA Milford - Forge Park line couldn't be developed as a transload facility by G&U?
As that is part of the Charles River and it's resource area, I think that would incite a world class controversy incurring world class legal expenses.. The propane facility and the Upton wood pellet debacles would pale in comparison.
.
G & U interchange vicinity GIS
G & U interchange vicinity GIS
G U Milford gis.PNG (1.11 MiB) Viewed 2308 times
 #1514693  by MaineCoonCat
 
bostontrainguy wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 11:02 am I know it would be a rather sharp curve, but is a wye possible here? There aren't going to be long fast freight trains going through here.
There was talk of it a little earlier in the thread, here..
 #1515233  by jaymac
 
0830/07-27-2019 was the first time I'd been to North Grafton in more than a bit. When did the gates get put in on Westboro Road?
 #1515252  by johnpbarlow
 
G&U had a 3rd party (RJ Corman?) install flashing signals & gates on several busy roads in the last last year or so. So not only Westboro Rd got gates (road isn't super busy but switching maneuvers can often cross the road there), but also Maple Ave and Pleasant St in W Upton got flashers & gates. There may be a few more, too.
 #1515273  by SkiScorcher88
 
I toured the G&U on Friday for the first time in years.Train went to Hopedale in the morning and stopped in West Upton around 9am and spent a couple hours switching before taking some cars back to N Grafton. Looks like a lot of work for the train engineers to switch on track that’s on an incline and has a road crossing at the other end, but they make it work!

Saw the track crew working on the new track before the bridge- 115lb rail. The line south of the bridge has fresh ballast for about 100 meters then bare ground. There was some activity at the Hopedale yard, but not sure what it was. Pictures speak for themselves. This forum only lets me upload 3 at a time, so others are below.

Bonus: video of G&U switching in West Upton with working crossing signal: https://youtu.be/MHuw83wGikQ
Attachments:
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Last edited by SkiScorcher88 on Sat Jul 27, 2019 8:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 #1515274  by SkiScorcher88
 
More photos.
Attachments:
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Last edited by SkiScorcher88 on Sat Jul 27, 2019 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1515275  by SkiScorcher88
 
There was a truck and some beat up old ties near the CSX line. This section hasn’t changed in years.
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0DDDC850-13A4-4343-9885-604B040CCB29.jpeg (1.18 MiB) Viewed 1631 times
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