Fitchburg Line Upgrade Discussion

So the line is shut all weekend, yet it seems most signal work seems west of S Acton. We have been under slow orders or broken signals nearly every day. 10mph running today between Willows and Shirley as well as a couple stop and proceedes tossed in along the line

Crews from contractor J.F White/L.M Heavy will be working the next 2 weekends on replacing the Clematis Brook culvert under the Fitchburg Line tracks in Waltham. Crews will start at 1:00AM on Saturday Morning and continue until 5:00AM on Monday.

7-12-2014 J.F White/LM Heavy crews and machines spotted along the ROW opposite Waverley Oaks Road (Rte 60) in Waltham. Crews are working on replacing the Culvert that flows Clematis Brook under the tracks.

Pathetic that there can't be at least one or two shuttle buses in the am and pm on weekends. It's great to fund Cape Rail, but no sub anything on weekends on the Firtchburg? Spin it any way you want, it's sad...

7-18-2014 Hi-Rail dump truck and track machines spotted at the Beaver Street crossing in Waltham. Passed by around 9:30PM and crews were just arriving for the weekend work.

Central Mass switch gone yet?

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:Central Mass switch gone yet?

Don't think so. They were in that area last weekend and this weekend but right now they are only focusing on replacing the Clematis Brook culvert. Anyone know if the Watertown Branch switch is still there?

The Central Mass switch at Clematis Brook was still in place as of this afternoon, as a crane was in the process of lowering the new concrete bridge sections into place. Don't know if the spur is still considered a potentially active pulloff track, though.

A quick visit to Ayer late Saturday afternoon 7/19 afternoon showed
looking west toward the tower a "blockade" sign on one
track and a "stop" sign on the other track just east of the
tower.

TomNelligan wrote:The Central Mass switch at Clematis Brook was still in place as of this afternoon, as a crane was in the process of lowering the new concrete bridge sections into place. Don't know if the spur is still considered a potentially active pulloff track, though.

The spur is being planned for a bike path right now. Drove down Beaver Street this evening looking westbound down the tracks could see the big crane on the ROW and 2 Front end loaders as well as a large pile of ballast at the crossing.

Dick H wrote:A quick visit to Ayer late Saturday afternoon 7/19 afternoon showed
looking west toward the tower a "blockade" sign on one
track and a "stop" sign on the other track just east of the
tower.

I also was in the Ayer - Shirley area Saturday and saw as in previous weekends ongoing contractor work in the area of the west end of the " Camp" and "West Main St" sidings west of Ayer station. There is a dirt road opposite "Dan's Place" on West Main St where they are accessing the track.I also saw work near a crossing west of Shirley.

TomNelligan wrote:The Central Mass switch at Clematis Brook was still in place as of this afternoon, as a crane was in the process of lowering the new concrete bridge sections into place. Don't know if the spur is still considered a potentially active pulloff track, though.

Last time I saw it it was so overgrown I doubt they'd have been able to stuff a single car on it. They had the Bemis Branch turnout behind staffed Waltham Tower only 1-1/2 miles away in active use with onsite security as an emergency layup until a year ago. Between that and West Cambridge MOW 3 miles east it's improbable they ever needed to use it in the 27 years since abandonment despite the switch being active all that time.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:

TomNelligan wrote:The Central Mass switch at Clematis Brook was still in place as of this afternoon, as a crane was in the process of lowering the new concrete bridge sections into place. Don't know if the spur is still considered a potentially active pulloff track, though.

Last time I saw it it was so overgrown I doubt they'd have been able to stuff a single car on it. They had the Bemis Branch turnout behind staffed Waltham Tower only 1-1/2 miles away in active use with onsite security as an emergency layup until a year ago. Between that and West Cambridge MOW 3 miles east it's improbable they ever needed to use it in the 27 years since abandonment despite the switch being active all that time.

I have commuted on the Fitchburg for the last 8 years. The last time I saw the Central Mass spur used was near the end of the project to lay continuous rail. When they worked on the Belmont-Waltham section they stored the MOW equipment on it. The ties are so rotted that even then it looked dicey - I think that some equipment derailed when the rails spread apart because the ties couldn't hold them in place. Anyhow, immediately after that they stuck a couple of cut ties between the rails about 70 ft from the switch as a indication to go no further. I haven't seen anything there since (3-4 years ago). You might get a couple of small MOW vehicles on the still-open section, but it wouldn't take anything bigger without tie, and probably rail ,replacement beyond the blocking ties. I suspect that the turnout will be removed during this summer's work - though I think it was there this morning (will have to pay attention on the ride home this afternoon).

The turnouts near Waltham station have been gone for 2 or more years now. At this point there isn't any place to put equipment between West Cambridge and the old spur at Lincoln station - which is in only slightly better condition than the Central Mass spur. There was equipment stored on that as little as a month or so ago. However, with the new spur west of Lincoln (I forgot the name - Bakers Bridge? or something like that? - could probably look it up a few pages back), I suspect that the Lincoln station turnout will disappear soon too.

CP-Hills in Lincoln has a MW siding. The public delivery at the station off
No.2 Track will be retired.

Last I knew, they were going to keep the Central Mass spur at Clem Brook for MW
purposes.

D

They have cut in a new crossover/interlocking eastbound # 2 to #1 just east of the Nashua River bridge in Ayer. Also they have cut out the west end Camp switch and about 500 ft. of the Camp itself.