What's with Watertown?

I see, I want one

b&m 1566 wrote:

l008com wrote:Whats a speeder?

Speeders are "Motor Cars" click here to see pictures of them http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... c_Railroad

As far as service goes for the branch, Newlyweds is the only customer left. The line passed it has been destroyed, infact I think buildings were build right on the ROW. The line will be gone altogether in a few years anyways.

Part of the line, used to run down the stret exactly 5 minutes from my house. Their was a crossing with the rails intact until the Town of Watertown repaved the road. I lived on Spruce St for 15 years and the train tracks used to cross down at the intersection of School St and Arsenal St right by the US Army Arsenal Complex and Randy's Car Wash, ring a bell anyone? I know for a fact thats not active, but as you get up through all of that, (i used to ride my Mt Bike on it as a kid) near Arlington St crossing, it at the end where it gets used i believe. Heading towards the East End of Watertown in the direction of Cambridge.

The tracks are overgrown but intact from Newlyweds all the way to School St. There is a Lexus dealership that was built on the other side of School St. going towards Watertown Sq. Now that they don't have to haul radioactive waste away from the Arsenal army base in the middle of the night I guess there isn't much reason to keep them in good condition.

When do they deliver to Newlyweds?

The last active regular customer beyond Newlyweds was the brickyard that's about half a mile west of the Lexus dealer going towards Watertown Square -- I think it's still there, although hard to see from Arsenal Street -- and that was at least fifteen years ago. There was also a loading dock just west of School Street that used to get a boxcar now and then in the 1980s.

TomNelligan wrote:The last active regular customer beyond Newlyweds was the brickyard that's about half a mile west of the Lexus dealer going towards Watertown Square -- I think it's still there, although hard to see from Arsenal Street -- and that was at least fifteen years ago. There was also a loading dock just west of School Street that used to get a boxcar now and then in the 1980s.

Right down the street from my old house actually. Were the car place is used to be the Barker Steel Co. It's been a while, trakcs prob are their, but the crossing on School St is paved over i bet

At School St. its almost impossible to see where the ROW was. The Lexus dealer has obliterated it to the west, and the street itself was repaved /rebuilt so there's no trace there either.

I can't remember the name of the street (I think its Patten) near Watertown Sq. still has a quite visable bridge structure (that's now filled in) on it where it crosses the ROW.

octr202 wrote:I can't remember the name of the street (I think its Patten) near Watertown Sq. still has a quite visable bridge structure (that's now filled in) on it where it crosses the ROW.

You are correct, it is Patten Street, with a Starbucks, which used to be Friendly's, on the corner of Patten & Mt. Auburn Street.

Well, I got a sweet surprise this morning. I was heading by Brandeis on South Street in Waltham and right after I crossed the tracks I saw the lights flashing behind me, so I pulled over and watched in the rear-view mirror to see what it was not knowing the North Side schedules.....and it was Guilford engine #376 with 5 covered hoppers. As soon as I was done in Waltham I rushed down to Watertown in time to catch them finishing up their work at Newlyweds. One thing I noticed right away was that engine #350 was spotting the cars while the 376 was idling on the Watertown Branch west of the switch to Newlyweds. After waiting about 15/20 minutes they departed lite engine and I chased them down to the Fresh Pond Mall. I will post the pics as soon as I get them developed and scanned.

Now, a question for Dave. Was the 350 from BO-1? I assume the Fitchburg or Ayer job brought the cars down and BO-1 was just there to assist instead of having to shove from Fresh Pond all the way to Newlyweds....am I right?

Actually it was AY-Relief with the MEC 350 out of Ayer. BO-1 came out of Boston with MEC 376 lite engine.

AY had 8 loads out of Ayer, must have dumped 3 off at Very Fine in Littleton and brought 5 to Newlywed.

Both locals went back to their respective terminals lite engines.

The REAL CATCH today was MEC 350 hauling disabled MBTA No.424
from Fitchburg today. F40PH-2 1017 was the culprit.

Dave

Dave, I am not saying you are wrong, but what caught my eye @ South Street was the high nose unit pulling the cars, which would have been the 376.

GP40MC1118 wrote:The REAL CATCH today was MEC 350 hauling disabled MBTA No.424
from Fitchburg today. F40PH-2 1017 was the culprit.

Just found a photo of that move on NERAIL.

That's a classic picture right there. I never thought I would have seen a string of passenger cars being pulled by a Guilford unit. I know its a little of the topic but who was controling the train? Guilford or the MBTA? and were the cars filled with people or empty?

Here's some official times:

AY-Relief by CPF-WL 838AM with 8 loads.
by S.Acton 930AM with 5 loads.
by Waltham 1008AM.
Arrived W.Cambridge 1021AM.
To Watertown Branch 1027AM.
Off Watertown 123PM.
West to Ayer at 144PM lite engine.

BO-1 w/MEC 376 lite from Somerville 912AM
Arrived W. Cambridge 923AM
Off Watertown 1215PM.
Arrived Somerville 1222PM.

AY-R with MEC 350 was operating long hood forward from Ayer.
Don't know if that had anything to do with it. BO-1 never advanced
west of W.Cambridge and the 376 was here yesterday and today.

BTW, that NERAIL photo shows it as FI-1, but it was AY-Relief. We
returned the engine to Fitchburg later for FI-1.

D

GP40MC1118 wrote:AY-R with MEC 350 was operating long hood forward from Ayer.
Don't know if that had anything to do with it.

That's what I saw then, like I said I was down the street a bit when they took the crossing. Seeing the 376 with a high nose at Watertown led me to think that was the leader. OOps

CSX Conductor wrote:

GP40MC1118 wrote:AY-R with MEC 350 was operating long hood forward from Ayer.
Don't know if that had anything to do with it.

That's what I saw then, like I said I was down the street a bit when they took the crossing. Seeing the 376 with a high nose at Watertown led me to think that was the leader. OOps

Watertown is never dead as we see......