Boston Sand & Gravel

The last few times I've driven over the loop between the Tobin Bridge & I-93 I've noticed there aren't any loads of sand on the Boston Sand & Gravel siding. Is Guilford driving them away also, or has BS&G just slowed down?

There was no DOBO Wednesday night (don't know why). They did run last night. With the Big Dig winding down, the trains are smaller and DOBO only runs Monday through Thursday with an occassional Friday night visit.

Dave

I used to work on the Tufts Daily in Medford--at the turn of the century! DOBO would blast by every night with 5 GP9s and 40-50+ loads. If we were really up late, we'd see them come back with the empties around 3am. They'd creep up to the campus and then open up to notch 8 to get rolling--quite impressive.

I heard that one of the last parts of the Big Dig involves building roads where BS&G is now, and that the plan was for BS&G to relocate. But I might be off my rocker.
I still see plenty of regular action with those gravel cars, just maybe a few less loads nowadays. More than once I've seen a backhoe pushing a cut of 5 or 10 cars around (view from the orange Line).

I'm surprised that no companies in Boston import sand and stone via ship. Several companies in NYC receive crushed rock from Nova Scotia.

the only thing that is bulk loaded/unloaded in the port of Boston is Salt inbound, and scrap metal out bound. for once the railroad has something sown up in Mass. also forgot Coal. Coal is unloaded in Salem, and Seakonk. and at the Brayton Power plant down the river. No Rail Lines near them) Part of the problem with bringing in either stone or sand by ship is no place to unload it. The water front is too built up.

boatsmate wrote:the only thing that is bulk loaded/unloaded in the port of Boston is Salt inbound, and scrap metal out bound.

Actually CSXT started hauling out sludge from a new customer over in the NEP in addition to Prowvelizer.

boatsmate wrote:Part of the problem with bringing in either stone or sand by ship is no place to unload it. The water front is too built up.

Not true, the rail between the old First Street yard in South Boston and the Black Falcon Pier has been rebuilt now that the majority of the Big Dig has been completed. I'd love to see more business downtown.

Where is the new sludge customer? I'll have to check that out.

Massport really needs to create a public bulk terminal. The South Station Journal mentioned that one might be created at the South Boston site. They could also stick one at the old sugar refinery site in Charlestown (was rail served) but the state audited Massport and told them they wasted tens of millions on a piece of land for which they had no plan. The unloading facility there was just demolished.

if you are talking about the old oil tank area on the resevere channel, they want that parcel to expand the Container terminal, the other site in Charlestown does get bulk loaded salt which is droped on the ground and then moved to the pile which is in the rear of the old lot. the parking lot is also where they unload cars form the car ship. further down is the cement company and they get cement by the barge load. they just finished upgrading that terminal.

The one I am referring to is the Aggregate Cement company, I believe. Sorry, but have't been over there lately but was told the track was recently done over.

There is one on the chelsea side of the river the one in charlestown has been abonddoned or is at least listed as such IMSC

the sand train would run thru rockingham juntion about 4 times a week and it would stop and pick up spare power so the crew didnt have to breath gp9 fumes!!! my son and i got to know the brakeman named frank, he would come over and give my son candy and let him use the 2way to tell the engineer to do the backing move,
it was great while it lasted and my son was thrilled!!! good summer memories