Fletcher Quarry Returns Westford,Ma.

Due to a posting on the GRS sightings group site I was monitoring District 2 radio at 18:40 hrs today where the dispatcher stated " Delivery made to Fletcher's, derail restored........?" I believe the train was referred to as "AY -?"

Siding looks quite overgrown on google aerial

Well, whatever they pushed/pulled up there from the Stoney Brook definitely crossed the street by Willows Pizza. However, it would not have gotten any further than the cutting shed as there is a large granite block on the tracks just north of Rt. 40. And the tracks just south of Rt. 40 don't look like they've seen a lot of use in several years with the size of the brush growing in the gauge. They must be trucking the raw blocks from the quarry (north) to the cutting shed (south). BTW the sign on the large granite block says they are hiring.

Photo from today by B Sprague on NE Rail Photo Archive of Fletcher switcher bringing load to the plant------ http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=

Despite 40 years studying the central Mass rail infrastructure, I had no idea until I saw this that an industrial operation with its own center cab was lurking so close to Ayer. What exactly is the center cab?

80T GE BN: 31864 Blt: 6/53

There's a few pictures of the rail infrastructure in and around the quarry plus some of trains crossing Rt. 40 online. Also there's a video of a passenger excursion too.

I have no idea what load was in what appears to be a Norfolk Southern gondola - I'm curious what kind of load a quarry would receive as I would have expected the quarry to ship loads out, not in. Also, perhaps this is sustainable new business?

Granite in to work on apparently.

Who knows, they tend to go 10 years between shipments.

I like the jury rigged snow plow hitch on that locomotive.

From comments on Facebook, the cars are loaded with product from somewhere down south, and are being sent to the cutting shed for final milling. Here is a video of the operation from a few days ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGKxe6h ... NellsStuff

That 80 tonner has a pretty decent horn - who knew?

From the video it looks like the cars were being loaded with wood waste.

YUP, the wood would have been used as "cribbing" for the granite... I missed the unloading myself, but I am told two cars were unloaded first, then we caught them as they were returned to the Stony Brook switch... then they returned with the third loaded gondola. Then it was time to go home!

Wednesday 12/16 4:26 pm. Just heard LA-3 announce to D-2 they had 3 empties from Fletcher's , heading toward CPF-303