Haverhill Line Upgrades (Western Route)

The Reading/Haverhill trains continued east of CPW-WJ and turned there all weekend, so that's
what you saw. Also deadhead moves and an extra Saturday for the Lowell mainline were operating
via Reading/CPW-WJ due to the outage at Cross St Somerville on the Lowell main.

D

I wonder if they took passengers to & from N. Wilmington - that would have saved 10 min. from the bus's trip.

I erred in saying steel was buried at the LJ bridge: the top of the arch is exposed and big concrete reinforcements are visible at the 1/4 and 3/4 points.

It appears there will be two more bungalows at AS, signal people working there this AM. Track crew w/hand tools on the E (Ballardvale) leg of the LJ wye.

They operated the trains with passengers to/from North Wilmington, then ran up to WJ to come back on a good signal.

From the West (Boston) end for a change: Signal gang working at WJ. Track crew with a Pettibone Speed Swing extending the detached easterly track towards LJ, though it still has a wow to get around a relay case and they haven't begun work on the retaining wall obstruction. Work continues on the Shawsheen bridges, with more concrete piers being poured in excavations on either side of the arches. Signal gang started work at the Essex St. crossing (downtown Andover) last Friday, and were there today. Manhole covers untouched. No change at I495. Track gang getting ready to install a frog in the crossover W of AS, signal gang working E of AS.

Minor add-on, looks like the crossing signals at the cemetery in Andover have been replaced. New crossbucks with LED flashers, and they'll eventually get gates.

Different part of the western route, but in addition to some fresh ballast and other minor work through Reading and Wakefield, I noticed there are new signals going in in spots. At the crossover in Wakefield (can't remember which junction that is, it's where the old branch to Newburyport split off) the searchlight signals have been replaced with new tri-light signals. I thought I noticed a new signal mast on the EB track at Ash St in Reading as well, but it was a quick glance in low morning light. Keep trying to see on my way home but missing it. Wonder if the new signals have something to do with PTC coming?

with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Sorry, my bad. Rule 251 is when track is signaled for movement in only one direction, and a reverse movement will be governed by non-signaled DSC Rules, namely a Form D line 2. Rule 261 is track signaled in both directions allowing train movement in either direction. The track between FELLS and ASH ST. is Rule 251 (Trk 1 East Trk 2 West) then you have the Running track between ASH St. and Woburn St. (NORAC Rule 97) then Rule 261 between Woburn St. and CPW-WJ

jbvb wrote:From the West (Boston) end for a change: Signal gang working at WJ. Track crew with a Pettibone Speed Swing extending the detached easterly track towards LJ, though it still has a wow to get around a relay case and they haven't begun work on the retaining wall obstruction. Work continues on the Shawsheen bridges, with more concrete piers being poured in excavations on either side of the arches. Signal gang started work at the Essex St. crossing (downtown Andover) last Friday, and were there today. Manhole covers untouched. No change at I495. Track gang getting ready to install a frog in the crossover W of AS, signal gang working E of AS.

Thanks for the ongoing updates! Concerning west of Andover St., will it be a single crossover, or a universal crossover? Are they eliminating, then, the switch east of Andover St. where 2MT begins?

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Sorry, my bad. Rule 251 is when track is signaled for movement in only one direction, and a reverse movement will be governed by non-signaled DSC Rules, namely a Form D line 2. Rule 261 is track signaled in both directions allowing train movement in either direction. The track between FELLS and ASH ST. is Rule 251 (Trk 1 East Trk 2 West) then you have the Running track between ASH St. and Woburn St. (NORAC Rule 97) then Rule 261 between Woburn St. and CPW-WJ

Thanks, so, in even more-layman's terms, the question is: "once the work is done, will all the double-track be signalled for bi-directional movements on both sides?" This will allow, for example, an MBTA and the Downeaster, travelling in the same direction to overtake one by the other, rather than staying "in single file"

I assume the reason today's two-track segments aren't bi-directional on both sides is a combination of legacy systems and that there wasn't much upside to lots of same-direction passing so long as the two-track segments were fed by single tracks--today, the two tracks' best use is being used for opposite-direction passing, right?

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Sorry, my bad. Rule 251 is when track is signaled for movement in only one direction, and a reverse movement will be governed by non-signaled DSC Rules, namely a Form D line 2. Rule 261 is track signaled in both directions allowing train movement in either direction. The track between FELLS and ASH ST. is Rule 251 (Trk 1 East Trk 2 West) then you have the Running track between ASH St. and Woburn St. (NORAC Rule 97) then Rule 261 between Woburn St. and CPW-WJ

Thanks, so, in even more-layman's terms, the question is: "once the work is done, will all the double-track be signalled for bi-directional movements on both sides?" This will allow, for example, an MBTA and the Downeaster, travelling in the same direction to overtake one by the other, rather than staying "in single file"

I assume the reason today's two-track segments aren't bi-directional on both sides is a combination of legacy systems and that there wasn't much upside to lots of same-direction passing so long as the two-track segments were fed by single tracks--today, the two tracks' best use is being used for opposite-direction passing, right?

Overtakes are apparently already taking place. Yesterday, I came across a video [here on railroad.net I think] of a westbound Downeaster overtaking a Pan Am freight at Ward Hill. They weren't creeping along, either.

Rockingham Racer wrote:

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Sorry, my bad. Rule 251 is when track is signaled for movement in only one direction, and a reverse movement will be governed by non-signaled DSC Rules, namely a Form D line 2. Rule 261 is track signaled in both directions allowing train movement in either direction. The track between FELLS and ASH ST. is Rule 251 (Trk 1 East Trk 2 West) then you have the Running track between ASH St. and Woburn St. (NORAC Rule 97) then Rule 261 between Woburn St. and CPW-WJ

Thanks, so, in even more-layman's terms, the question is: "once the work is done, will all the double-track be signalled for bi-directional movements on both sides?" This will allow, for example, an MBTA and the Downeaster, travelling in the same direction to overtake one by the other, rather than staying "in single file"

I assume the reason today's two-track segments aren't bi-directional on both sides is a combination of legacy systems and that there wasn't much upside to lots of same-direction passing so long as the two-track segments were fed by single tracks--today, the two tracks' best use is being used for opposite-direction passing, right?

Overtakes are apparently already taking place. Yesterday, I came across a video [here on railroad.net I think] of a westbound Downeaster overtaking a Pan Am freight at Ward Hill. They weren't creeping along, either.

Depending on the situation that the Dispatcher is dealing with, as long as the track is Rule 261, which Ward Hill is, overtakes are very common. All depends on whats happening on the railroad

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:

Arlington wrote:

MBTA F40PH-2C 1050 wrote:with the Haverhill Line upgrades, are there plans included to changeover the remaining 251 territory to make the line all 261?

This seems to refer to signalization and the rules that go with it. If someone can answer the question (or even restate it) with more details on what the it means and what the existing conditions are, I'm probably not alone in appreciating the extra effort it would take

Sorry, my bad. Rule 251 is when track is signaled for movement in only one direction, and a reverse movement will be governed by non-signaled DSC Rules, namely a Form D line 2. Rule 261 is track signaled in both directions allowing train movement in either direction. The track between FELLS and ASH ST. is Rule 251 (Trk 1 East Trk 2 West) then you have the Running track between ASH St. and Woburn St. (NORAC Rule 97) then Rule 261 between Woburn St. and CPW-WJ

Thanks, so, in even more-layman's terms, the question is: "once the work is done, will all the double-track be signalled for bi-directional movements on both sides?" This will allow, for example, an MBTA and the Downeaster, travelling in the same direction to overtake one by the other, rather than staying "in single file"

I assume the reason today's two-track segments aren't bi-directional on both sides is a combination of legacy systems and that
there wasn't much upside to lots of same-direction passing so long as the two-track segments were fed by single tracks--today, the two tracks' best use is being used for opposite-direction passing, right?

We don't have any double tracked territory that is 251 on one track and 261 on another, 251 track is becoming a thing of the past... All new track that is being installed will be 261, it allows for increased capacity and more options in the case of having trains being able to run either track in either direction. The only segments I can't see being updated soon are the Gloucester branch and the Western route between Fells and Ash st.

I haven't seen anything official, but it looks like AS will have one facing point (going east on the easterly track) crossover W of Andover St., and a trailing point crossover E of Andover St. (possibly identical to what was there before Track 17 was connected at Frost). I it is not clear whether the main tracks will be connected to the yard/Track 17 at AS.

Regarding the Fells (Oak Grove) to Ash St. (Reading) double track, investing in Rule 261 (bi-directional) signaling won't generate much return under current conditions. Stations and grade crossings are close together, and with the single track from Sullivan Sq., there's little prospect for scheduled overtakes in those 7 miles. Manual crossovers exist, and get used during track work.

All the classic local/express model would need on this line is double-tracking Reading station itself and extending the interlocking to include the middle track as a layover. Then they could schedule express/local overtakes at Reading, allowing passengers to change from local to express and vice versal.

Please refresh my memory: is Andover getting a second platform on the east side? IIRC, it is.

If it is, along with Ballardvale, T trains could use track 1 [former eastward main] from LJ to Andover St. where they must be on Track 2 [former westward main] to be able to stop at Lawrence. One platform at Lawrence dictates a whole bunch of operational moves when there's an outbound T train in the picture because trains stopping there must be on Track 2.

Another thing comes to mind. There is only ONE intermediate signal [at the cemetery crossing in Andover] between Wilmington Jct. and the one east of North Andover. It would make for some very short blocks, but optimally there should be a signal at the east end of the Ballardvale and Andover stations, because you're operating in a Delayed In Block situation without them: 40 MPH until the next signal is visible, and that would be the new ones at MacAuley and I-495 respectively, if I'm not mistaken. Those home signals aren't going to be visible until the curves ahead of them are negotiated, and in foggy or snowy weather, engineers are going to have to take it real slow until they do become visible. All this eats up the schedule.