Lawrence, MA

I'm supposed to be working there for 2 months this summer and i was just wondering if anyone had any railfanning tips for the area.

Thanks in advance.

If you have a handgun, a permit to carry concealed, and five buddies who are waiting for NFL tryouts, you should be able to safely check out the Lawrence yards from public property.

PBM

While I am the last person to publicly voice my opinion of an area because I feel it is disrespectful for those that may live there - I would have to agree with this assessment. I am sure someone can provide a few alternate locations. The few times I have been there I didn't leave my car, and I used to live on the JP/Roxbury border in Boston where things could get hairy.

Yeah i don't plan on getting out of my truck. What sucks even more for me is my company is talking about working a night shift (were trying to fix all kinds of HVAC stuff etc. in a school before it opens again in sept.).

Looking at bing maps and have questions....
Does pan am ever use that spur that crosses the merrimack?
How about that street running section off of Glenn street, how often is that used?
Speaking of that Glenn street spur, wow is that a tight turn heading into that warehouse http://binged.it/15pXRyX" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The line across the River is the old M&L (Machester and Lawrence) Branch. There used to be one customer (Eastern Packaging). Someone can probably let us know if they still get cars.

The other one on Glenn Street is called the Lowell Hill Industrial Track. The first customer there is Whittemore (hoppers). I believe the warehouse also gets cars. It might be B&D Warehouse (they have another rail served facility in Lawrence if this one is also B&D). I believe the other building that is there across from B&D is Noveon, but they haven't seen a car in half a decade as best I know. I am sure someone can correct me if I am wrong here, I never worked that far east.

newpylong wrote:The line across the River is the old M&L (Machester and Lawrence) Branch. There used to be one customer (Eastern Packaging). Someone can probably let us know if they still get cars.

The other one on Glenn Street is called the Lowell Hill Industrial Track. The first customer there is Whittemore (hoppers). I believe the warehouse also gets cars. It might be B&D Warehouse (they have another rail served facility in Lawrence if this one is also B&D). I believe the other building that is there across from B&D is Noveon, but they haven't seen a car in half a decade as best I know. I am sure someone can correct me if I am wrong here, I never worked that far east.

M&L is dead. Eastern Packaging hasn't received loads in a long time. Tracks have been torn out and trailed over from Manchester St. and points north, remainder down to the Merrimack bridge is unfunded but planned as a trail extension to link to Riverfront State Park.

If my normal drive to Haverhill encounters delays, I usually go to Lawrence because once I'm on 495 I can beat the train. I used to park at the old station, but these days I park by South Common. In recent years I've railfanned from Andover St., Salem St. (Whipple truss) and the old station area. It's easy to see/photograph freights working between Andover St. and Frost (by Portland St.). The west end of the yard and Shawsheen/Frye are much harder to see from public property; I've never tried shooting through the fence from the Shawsheen mill buildings to see if security cares. The pedestrian overpass over the west throat has been closed for years, but it used to be an excellent overview of the yard; I have not checked to see how well barricaded it is, or whether anyone cares if you bypass the barricades.

A modest investment in hiking will get you to some uncommon photo locations between North Andover and Ward Hill, and between Andover and Lowell Jct.

ferroequinarchaeologist wrote:If you have a handgun, a permit to carry concealed, and five buddies who are waiting for NFL tryouts, you should be able to safely check out the Lawrence yards from public property.

PBM

[redacted] If there's one thing I can't stand, it's all you [redacted] who are afraid of Springfield and Lawrence in broad freakin' daylight. [redacted]

Try working Lawrence or Holyoke yard by yourself at night, maybe you would sing another tune.

That said, no one said they were afraid, just that there are better places to watch trains with far less hassle, even in broad daylight.

With regard to Lawrence and other dangerous locations it is not so much being afraid as it is being intelligent. Smart railroading.
Noel Weaver

When's the best time to see any freight movement. Where do trains usually come from/go to from that area?

LA1 usually works the yard area during the day. Might catch LA3 departing for the shop early to mid-afternoon.

One road freight eastbound usually late morning/early afternoon (bypasses the yard), one road freight westbound late afternoon/early evening (typically works the yard)

Where do they usually head to or come from? They don't head all the way to Boston, correct?

AFAIK, LA-2 does, as does LA-4 sometimes. LA-2 serves the Eastern Line as well.

All 4 Lawrence locals have the same working limits, but in reality 1 and 2 make runs to Boston with LA-4 being basically the old BO-1 where the power stays down there and the crew reports to lawrence and cabs down. BO-1 used to actually report down there though. LA-3 is the Billerica switcher.