CNZR - Armory Branch

bwparker1 wrote:

Larry wrote:CNZR is installing Cement ties and new track North of cement plant this past week just past Melrose CT off RTE 191. Per CNZR, the long and forever taking crossing for cement factory to be installed this spring (2015) and therefore they are once again laying ties and new track purchased from China (146lb) rail North of this crossing. Yes this could be a super speedway if ever was a will and a way when CNZR gets done with the upgrading. Nice to see this work getting done finally.

Why this work is being done does not make sense. Why such heavy infrastructure for nothing to run on? Unless there is a state grant to be spent.

A.J. Belliveau is a long way from stupid, he's been in the railroad constriction business since around the 1970s, and has been running railroads successfully for about as long. He wouldn't be putting the time in or spending the money, if he didn't think he could make a good return on his investment.
Peace,
Jonathan

whatelyrailfan wrote:

bwparker1 wrote:

Larry wrote:CNZR is installing Cement ties and new track North of cement plant this past week just past Melrose CT off RTE 191. Per CNZR, the long and forever taking crossing for cement factory to be installed this spring (2015) and therefore they are once again laying ties and new track purchased from China (146lb) rail North of this crossing. Yes this could be a super speedway if ever was a will and a way when CNZR gets done with the upgrading. Nice to see this work getting done finally.

Why this work is being done does not make sense. Why such heavy infrastructure for nothing to run on? Unless there is a state grant to be spent.

A.J. Belliveau is a long way from stupid, he's been in the railroad constriction business since around the 1970s, and has been running railroads successfully for about as long. He wouldn't be putting the time in or spending the money, if he didn't think he could make a good return on his investment.
Peace,
Jonathan

While I am sure you are correct, I don't think this project is making any money... I believe there is some state money at play here. I would love for nothing more than there to be rail traffic up that way, but I will believe it when I see it. Until then, we will just watch and wait.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:

bwparker1 wrote:

Larry wrote:CNZR is installing Cement ties and new track North of cement plant this past week just past Melrose CT off RTE 191. Per CNZR, the long and forever taking crossing for cement factory to be installed this spring (2015) and therefore they are once again laying ties and new track purchased from China (146lb) rail North of this crossing. Yes this could be a super speedway if ever was a will and a way when CNZR gets done with the upgrading. Nice to see this work getting done finally.

Why this work is being done does not make sense. Why such heavy infrastructure for nothing to run on? Unless there is a state grant to be spent.

The rail, yes. The concrete ties were a free donation from the defective batch that was ripped up on the Amtrak Shoreline a couple years ago. The pulled-up ties were going to be disposed of per the contract settlement with the manufacturer Rocla, so CNZR got to go through the rummage yard and salvage as many good ones as they needed for this job.

Thanks for the information on the concrete ties. I was not aware of this issue, but it makes much more sense to use them if they were obtained for free. There was a spur built a couple years ago for RED Technologies in Portland, CT with Concrete ties. It was orchestrated by the P&WRR,but I'm wondering if A.J. did the construction work and again used some of these salvaged ties?

bwparker1 wrote:

whatelyrailfan wrote:

bwparker1 wrote:

Larry wrote:CNZR is installing Cement ties and new track North of cement plant this past week just past Melrose CT off RTE 191. Per CNZR, the long and forever taking crossing for cement factory to be installed this spring (2015) and therefore they are once again laying ties and new track purchased from China (146lb) rail North of this crossing. Yes this could be a super speedway if ever was a will and a way when CNZR gets done with the upgrading. Nice to see this work getting done finally.

Why this work is being done does not make sense. Why such heavy infrastructure for nothing to run on? Unless there is a state grant to be spent.

A.J. Belliveau is a long way from stupid, he's been in the railroad constriction business since around the 1970s, and has been running railroads successfully for about as long. He wouldn't be putting the time in or spending the money, if he didn't think he could make a good return on his investment.
Peace,
Jonathan

While I am sure you are correct, I don't think this project is making any money... I believe there is some state money at play here. I would love for nothing more than there to be rail traffic up that way, but I will believe it when I see it. Until then, we will just watch and wait.

I agree with you about the project not making any money, my point was that AJ apparently sees the POTENTIAL to make money when it's complete.
Peace,
Jonathan

This was probably answered somewhere already, but what active customers are on the Armory Branch currently?

Jedijk88 wrote:This was probably answered somewhere already, but what active customers are on the Armory Branch currently?

It has been covered, but so you don't have to search, Crop Production Services in East Windsor is the primary (and possibly only at the moment) customer north of South Windsor. I mention South Windsor because it's just north of Sullivan Avenue that CSOR interchanges with CNZR. AJ has trackage rights over CSOR, probably because all of that trackage is owned by the State of Connecticut (somebody can correct me about that if I'm wrong).
Peace,
Jonathan

whatelyrailfan wrote:

Jedijk88 wrote:This was probably answered somewhere already, but what active customers are on the Armory Branch currently?

It has been covered, but so you don't have to search, Crop Production Services in East Windsor is the primary (and possibly only at the moment) customer north of South Windsor. I mention South Windsor because it's just north of Sullivan Avenue that CSOR interchanges with CNZR. AJ has trackage rights over CSOR, probably because all of that trackage is owned by the State of Connecticut (somebody can correct me about that if I'm wrong).
Peace,
Jonathan

Only CNZR's trackage is state-owned. CSOR owns East Hartford-South Windsor and Hartford-Manchester.

And the line physically extends to the CT / MA border still? To my knowledge there were a handful of former rail customers in the Enfield area with sidings.

Jedijk88 wrote:And the line physically extends to the CT / MA border still? To my knowledge there were a handful of former rail customers in the Enfield area with sidings.

That is correct.

bwparker1 wrote:

Jedijk88 wrote:And the line physically extends to the CT / MA border still? To my knowledge there were a handful of former rail customers in the Enfield area with sidings.

That is correct.

Who were customers in the Enfield and East Longmeadow area. IIRC, in 1980, I saw a boxcar at Milton Bradley...

I believe in Enfield that Westvaco, Martin-Brower and Lego were rail customers at one time.

JeIijk88 wrote:I believe in Enfield that Westvaco, Martin-Brower and Lego were rail customers at one time.

Westvaco I guess had paper and Lego had plastics delivered...but what did Martin Browser get or shipped out. Are they still around?

martin brower major distribution supplier for macdonalds restaurants. i believe mainly refrigerated cars with rolls and french fries.

Safetee wrote:martin brower major distribution supplier for macdonalds restaurants. i believe mainly refrigerated cars with rolls and french fries.

Thanks... are they still around? I heard Hallmark Cards got cars too.. Does anyone know any customers in the East Longmeadow Industrial Park. I know Milton Bradley did...anyone else?

How about the company on CT190...I think it was Electronics.

Martin Brower is still in business in Enfield, but the siding was removed years ago. In the East Longmeadow industrial area, apparent rail customers were American Saw (now Lenox) located on Chestnut St. Directly across from American Saw is a large complex, mostly vacant looking now, that had a couple side tracks running into it. Then there was a Stone Container plant directly adjacent to the tracks that may have received cars. Next is Northeast Wholesale Lumber which did have a siding into it. And just south of there is the Milton Bradley plant. There may have been other companies as well who used rail.