by F-line to Dudley via Park
Engineer Spike wrote:S&H moved when they abandoned the line. A. J. Belivieu (Central New England) was trying to buy it, but it didn't work out.They did. There's a paved-over spur to the main Pratt & Whitney building on Aircraft Rd. Forked off into 1 track that went to a garage door at the rear of the building and 1 track that ran the length of the building on the access driveway that split between the building and the water tower. I don't think the annex building on Newell St. (which currently houses Yarde Metals) ever had a siding, but their rear driveway sits all of 15 ft. from the mainline so they could side-load in the event they ever needed rail deliveries.
My mention of Pratt and Whitney was referring to Southington. I don't know if they did large enough parts there to require rail service.
The whole reason the line is still designated active to the I-84 underpass and gets full brush-cutting and MOW work as far as the main plant building is because Southington has been trying for 20 years to attract new rail customers there. PAR keeps their toe in that one-mile unused stretch as a courtesy to them. I suppose that dream is dead now and they might as well just install a bumper post at the Birch St. grade crossing for running around out of Yankee Gas...then bring the trail in from Lazy Lane so it's easier to walk/bike to Norton Park in Plainville via Birch St. Or at the very least cut it at Airport Rd. just on the off chance Yarde Metals (which is in bigtime expansion mode) ever wants rail service. What little trace tenants they have been able to fill the old Pratt main building with are what they are. They honestly should just think about demolishing the site and expanding the BJ's plaza on Spring St. into retail that spans the Spring-Aircraft block. The falling-apart plant building contributes almost nothing to the town's tax base operating only partially full (whereas Yarde's takeover/makeover of the annex building has been a real success story).