New CSX Auto Facility in East Brookfield/Spencer, MA?

I have been hearing about CSX finally developing some land out off Route 9 or 49 in the East Brookfield/Spencer area of Massachusetts.

Does any know more about this?

I would guess this may have to do with rumors about closing the auto facility in Framingham/Ashland. Maybe in Westboro off I-495 too?

I take it that such a move would require a large yard complex to hold both the auto racksand the autos themselves.

Are there any NIMBY issues with the 2 towns bordering the alleged site? I just don't see how they could fit something like that out in the middle of nowhere and not back up the smaller roads in the area. The MassPike is about 20 minutes from there.

Whose autos would be offloaded there? Just seems that with 3 facilities already in Central Mass a 4th would either be too many or some of the others would close.

The new site is in the middle of the woods and is moving right along as far as I know. I am not sure how much progress they have made in about 6 months, because I haven't been on the main to Selkirk since last summer, but I beleive that new switches leading to it are cut-in and ready to go. Also I believe that the new interlocking that is being installed because of the facility is just about ready to be activated. (CP-60 or CP-61, not sure which since it is at about MP QB 60.5)

I have a diagram of the proposed layout and when I can, I will try to scan it and put it here.

As far as what makes of cars..............all of the current makes are supposed to go there.

Currently the CP Yard in Framingham does Toyota, Nissan and GM and even some Hummers.

Westboro handles mainly Chrysler, Dodge. While the Ayer facility (which the property is owned by CSXT) on the Guilford handles Fords.


I believe CSX wants all the autos consolidated to the new facility and then they will no longer have to run train Q-294 from West Springfield to Ayer.

As far as the CP yard, rumors are that they want to make it a flexi flo site.

As far as Westboro, possibly make that an intermodal site........great location, easy access to RTe 9 and I495.

I think that East Worcester should be for all trucks except for UPS and give UPS their own dedicated site at Westboro or vice-versa.........East worcester is too dam crowded.
lol

The Ayer Auto Terminal is Not.. "Owned by CSX"! In Guilfordxpress VOl. 12 quarter 4, it mentions that they will be starting the construction of the long awaited new auto terminal in Ayer this year. If CSX is going to movethis business to E Brookfield, why would Guilford be building the terminal in Ayer?

Well, I'd still be interested in seeing a diagram as to how many tracks the East Brookfield facility will have. When one considers how much traffic it would have to take in to make up the difference for closing Framingham and Westboro, I would guess it would have to be bigger than just a few tracks.

Not exactly an answer to your request but check out the new East Brookfield and Spencer RR's STB filing to lease CSX trackage along the B&A RoW...

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... enDocument

East Brookfield and Webster RR? is that the name of the private outift which is going to be contracted for the new site?

Sure looks like it a private switching arrangement, so probably they'll be
no local from W.Springfield or Worcester heading there to switch racks.
Sounds like another job for a trackmobile or RCO switcher.

Road jobs will probably just pick up and set out.

Dave

Yeah Dave, I had heard that all along......that it would be a track-mobile or small industrial switcher. CSX only wants main-line business, they could care less about local customers.