medford branch cleanup?

GP40MC1118 wrote:She was mistaken, but today LA-1 went to the Medford Branch with one car just before the
evening rush hour.

D

First car in more than a year?

what are the odds of that?! wow.

The last move prior to today was January 14th, when they picked up an empty place sometime in 2009.

D

GP40MC1118 wrote:The last move prior to today was January 14th, when they picked up an empty place sometime in 2009.

D

Do you know if the car was for crystal cold storage or for the beer distribution warehouse?
Thanks,
Stephen

Sorry for the question, I just saw my answer on the Salem Action Alert thread:
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... &start=255

Since the spring the branch has really been overgrown. If they went to pick up that car today, they wouldn't be able to see the rails right in front of them. I'd say there's very thick 1-3 foot grass and the trees are full and heavy with leaves bearing down on the tracks. I would have never guessed there was a delivery just 1 month ago.

Oh, and something I keep forgetting to ask, in the spring, they started construction right here:

http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=4 ... 1&t=h&z=18


I don't know what they were building, but the day before the did anything, there was a T pickup truck and some construction equipment. Some time later there was a steel frame, and the T pickup was again there one day, but sitting in the parking lot and I didn't see any T employee that time.

Haven't been going by very much lately and keep forgetting to look for anything new. Anyone know what's going on?

a paving company bought the land and built a building, nothing RR related

Did Budweiser on Riverside Ave. ever get railcars?

This is old news, but nobody has posted and I kept forgetting.

About a month (maybe 2?) ago, they cleared the trees growing out of the track that connects the Orange Line to the Medford Branch (west side of the OL tracks, next to the inbound track). I'm not sure how often this happens but there was alot of those "fern"-like trees growing on it. The next time probably won't be until the next fleet shipment, I would guess.

I know that they have removed the tracks down into Linden Sq, so not sure how far they can go....

I believe you mean Medford Square?

But I believe the purpose for this particular track was that it was previously used to deliver the current Orange Line fleet, just off of Highland Ave? From what I've been told, anyways.

Anybody know the condition of the line(is it still intact)? I am assuming 2010 was the last car move.

Line is still good. There are strong rumors of them running a dedicated Beer train from the Anheuser plant in Merrimack, NH to the Warehouse at the end of the Medford Branch. The issue last I knew was the customer only wanted to get Plate F boxcars (they have limited spots) and due to height restrictions on the line Pan Am only wanted to use standard boxes.

If they were to get the beer train, how would get to the warehouse? Come down the Lowell line cross over Lowell Junction and down through Reading? Or would there be too many grade crossings that they would just go down Lowell all the way and come back up past Sullivan station and Wellington? I ask only because if they do get rail shipments I live a stones throw from North Wilmington station that it would be great to see some freight come down that way.