CSX Fitchburg Secondary Discussion

Teknor Apex looks like the last customer, but don't they run to the end of track to run the power around the train?

No more veg oil tanks for Ken's Foods?

They have at least 3 customers south of Clinton , Safety Kieen, Kens and Newcore .

Teknor Apex in Leominster, as I mentioned above.....

Don’t forget the big relatively new C&D customer in Leominster. It is just south of teknor apex. And yes the train runs to the end of the line to the run around.

The lumber outfit is on the sterling-Lancaster line and gets center beams of lumber.

Saturday afternoon, April 15th, L004 derailed at least a few loaded C&D gons on the Fitchburg Running Track about 6 car lengths north of the Linden St. grade crossing while headed south towards Framingham. CSXT personnel on scene assessing.

Does anyone know what was in the Framingham Technology Park and how long the tracks have been abandoned? From web searches, all I could gather was the International Paper Company that used to be on Pennsylvania Ave. Were there others? I work in the area and became curious after seeing remnants of old railroads tracks all over the place.

Yes, IP has been mentioned in prior discussions of this industrial park. I cannot add anything to the discussion, other than wouldn't that make a nice little switching layout on a 4x8 sheet of plywood!

Romex Cable, the Framingham News (newspaper, now MetroWest Daily News). The industrial park was a Perini Corp. venture and was developed in the early-mid 1960s. Like everything else industrial around here, it lasted 25-30 years and gradually converted to office, research or high tech and did not need rail service. I worked at International Paper synner 1986 and the building could hold 2 or 3 boxcars. In the mid-1970s Penn Central sent a switcher up to work the park some afternoons. Also, the local to Fitchburg was sometimes so heavy that it had a pusher out of Framingham to the top of the grade beyond Southboro.

took this in 2005. tracks now gone: http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=1&key2=

A good on line source is to google 'Conrail ZTS books'. they provide a nice snapshot of Conrail customers of the 1980's .

Good Morning All,

Going back in the discussion a bit, there are six active customers on the Fitchburg Secondary. From south to north -

Safety Kleen (a pair of tanks) - Marlboro Jct, generally switched twice a week (Tues & Thurs)
Ken's Foods (tanks and hoppers) - Marlboro, generally gets 3 switches a week (I've mostly seen Tu-Thurs-Fri)
NewCorr Packaging (up to 5 boxcars) - Northboro, generally twice a week (Tues & Thurs). This used to be a Toys R Us warehouse back in the day.

There are no active customers between Northboro and Lancaster. The last Clinton customer, Reiser scrap on the Lancaster IT, closed up a few years ago

Culpepper Lumber (formerly Bestway, centerbeams) - Lancaster, generally switched M-W-F, sometimes less outside construction season
WinWaste (formerly UMM, C&D gons) - Leominster trash customer, generally M-W-F
Teknor Apex (typically 1 tank and 1 hopper)- Leominster, switched once a week, generally either on Mon or Wed.

Obviously things can change with customer needs and the railroad's ability to perform. The Secondary is designated 'other than main track' so it's all 10 (a far cry from the 25 of the recent past).

On Leominster days they'll run up to the small yard, run around the train and head back south.