Worcester, MA Industry Questions-Saint Gobain, Morgan

Hi.
My layout is Worcester, MA themed, and I was planning to have the Saint Gobain facilities as the main industry for my North Worcester section.

Does anybody know about this facility? I read that SG has abrasives, plastics, grain/powders, ceramics, and crystals businesses in Worcester, but i'm confused beyond that. The facility is gigantic, with something that sort of resembles a coke oven.

If anyone can shed some light, i'd greatly appreciate it.

(EDIT) Two more questions further down.

Perhaps someone over on the P&W Railfan Group on Yahoo may have some information to help.

I don't know anything about Saint Gobain from a rail traffic perspective, but I've had some business contact with them. They make industrial grinding wheels and similar abrasives products and they're also into supplying high tech ceramics for industrial applications.

Thanks for the replies.
I'll definitely check with the P&W Yahoo Group.

I just drove by the facility today. It seemed twice as large as it did just two days ago! I noticed out of the corner of my eye that they have a GE 44 tonner painted in yellow and black, very similar to CNW.

Driving through Worcester today, I also saw the company Morgan. It seems that they are in the steel business, but couldn't tell what exactly they are doing at their Worcester facilities. From my research, it seems to be their headquarters, but I couldn't tell if any manufacturing is done their. It seems they may make equipment for their overseas rolling mills their, but it wasn't clear if they actually have a rolling mill there. If anybody is able to answer, i'd greatly appreciate it.

Another question:
I heard that at CSX's Worcester Yard, there used to be a roundhouse a little bit south, but it was torn down. Looking at a satellite image, it showed the roundhouse still being there. Will anybody be able to straighten this out for me? Thanks!

Here: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=398561

The roundhouse was completely torn down recently, like in the past couple years. The track that crosses Franklin street at grade today was the lead to the house, and some more yard trackage. The tracks on the right side of the photo near the factory are still there today. Throughout this area, you can still see tracks buried in pavement and severed.

Thanks. Yeah, i've seen the Franklin Street crossing and the tracks to the factory...sort of dismal. Again, thanks.

Old timers will remember the St Gobain works as being the Norton Company. Norton was very generous to the Railroad Museum of New England, donating about 20 wooden boxcars to us when we were the Conn. Valley RR Museum, in the late 1970s. When we received the cars, about half were scrapped and several were sold to pay for the shipping of the survivors. The boxcars were both outside braced and double sheathed types, and came from the B&M, Boston & Albany, New Haven and a few other roads. A former DL&W car was traded to Steamtown and has been restored and now on display there. An ex NH car was more recently given to the CERM at Willimantic. We have rehabbed 4 of the cars, they all are now at the Naugatuck RR but could use some "freshening up" as the rehab work took place almost 20 years ago. We still have 4 B&M, 1 B&A (probably the last B&A freight car in existance) and 1 NH car in our collection.
At the time (1978-80) the Norton railroad's cars were moved around the extensive trackage by a GE 45 ton side-rodded switcher. At the time one of the Norton employees showed us a building which had once been an enginehouse for at least 3 steam switchers, which may have been "fireless cookers," but by the time we were there the diesel was kept inside a different building.
Our "splinter fleet" boxcars were replaced by a combination of steel 40 ft boxcars, think they were ex CPR, and some covered hoppers.