Interesting Consist Discussion for the South Side

This thread is here to discuss unusual train sightings on the South Side. The Readville Switcher also can be discussed here since it is a South Side train. Pan Am Southern Detour trains will be discussed in the North Side thread.

Yesterday afternnon at SHSY, two F40s(F40PHM-2C 1028 & F40PH-2C 1070) were double-headed on a consist together. Im not sure if they were doing a switching move or whatever but normally they don't use more than one locomotive on a regular weekday consist.

Around 6:30 pm today, I saw a weird consist go inbound through Yawkey:

MBTA locomotive (didn't catch the number)
14 of what appeared to be gravel hoppers
Car #363
Loco # 1033

What was this - equipment move? Maintenance of way?

There were a bunch of ties and sections of rail between Framhingham and Southborough. Maybe they're doing tie replacement or something like that in that area?

Sounds like a typical MOW gravel train, except for car 363. Could it have been one of those detours via Ayer and Worcester? I'm guessing they needed to send the gravel train south and they just tacked on 363 for the sake of efficiency in movements.

The ballast hoppers are headed to Cape Cod for track improvements for the Cape Flyer service.
The 904 took them through to Middleboro last night.

D

Here is the full consist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwJcNZjURPs

Looks like:
3 x F40PH-2s
1 x 7/1700 Kawasaki bi-level
1 x Amtrak P42
1 x Amtrak Cabbage (F40 with a roll up garage door in the side), Downeaster logo
1 x 7/1700 Kawasaki bi-level
1 x F40PH? MBTX markings
1 x Green switcher

Looks like they were testing signals as they went north from the station, and passed the St. Vincent's tunnel, up behind the WPI Biotech campus. I had to stop chasing at that point, and go to work,

Did it continue on or just return to Union Station?

Grand Junction detour trip. There's one or two a week at this point.

Thank you! So I could have stayed and got a better video of the whole consist. Errgh. Work.

One of the more bizzare detour train sightings. Thanks for the video!

It's that time of the year again...the GEO train is going to make a trip today, 5/21 out to Worcester CP 45 then to be handed off to a North Side crew....starting out of Middleboro facility...went to Hyannis yesterday 5/20

XMBT 1033 is the locomotive and 1529 is the control car on the Geo Train.

This isn't an intersting consist but a real unusual move. I saw a YouTube video that had a commuter rail train go through Medfield on the Framingham sub. The consist had the cabcar facing walpole and an F40 bringing up the rear. This was in broad daylight heading towards walpole.

Here's the link to the video, http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=m-ch ... 36PwySXOhY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mbta fan wrote:This isn't an intersting consist but a real unusual move. I saw a YouTube video that had a commuter rail train go through Medfield on the Framingham sub. The consist had the cabcar facing walpole and an F40 bringing up the rear. This was in broad daylight heading towards walpole.

Here's the link to the video, http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=m-ch ... 36PwySXOhY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

According to the uploader, the consist was a test train for a Worcester-to-Foxboro Patriots game train. Interesting.

Ok, thanks for the info.