CSX Fitchburg Secondary Discussion

[QB 52.32]

Some of the non-plastics business that has dried up is IP at Framingham, Reisner scrap at Clinton, Mass Container & Suburban Propane to name a few. There were others at the Framingham Industrial Park where IP was and definitely more that I’ve missed further on up the line.

One of the more interesting customers hosted by the Fitchburg Secondary in the heyday Conrail years was Toys R Us who annually received hundreds of boxcars, much of it from Huffy and Little Tykes in Ohio moving in 50-foot RBOX's. It was unique even then as light-loading and short-haul traffic remaining in boxcar.

For a brief period Conrail considered siting a combined Boston/Worcester intermodal terminal on the Fitchburg Secondary. While it answered one of the biggest challenges for siting such a facility, land, there were plenty of negatives that quickly took it out of the running,

[Teamdriver]

Does anyone remember the cement unloading in Framingham, I think Mutrie hauled it ?

[jaymac]

If I'm not totally delusional, it was right on 135 where the new commuter station/old freight house was. Don't think it lasted long, in part cuzza the bulk haulers -- Mutries -- and in greater part cuzza the occasional gray haze that mixed too well with moisture. Mid to late '80s for a guess.

[johnpbarlow]

Indeed the Penn Central / Conrail Flexi-Flo terminal in Framingham was sited along rte 135 just to the west of the original B&A depot as Bruce Nelson's 1972 pre-MBTA photo attests (of course, way more interesting in this photo is the use of an ex-NH C425 to haul a commuter train! And the long gone Dixie Lee Diner!).
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=4&key2=

[Teamdriver]

Exactly ! I remembered it as an organized chaos type of operartion, filed it away for future employment consideration , and just viewed it as industrial ambiance. Work is good for you. I remember also cars being carted out of the Readville yard, not sure if it was NH or Conrail, and cant remember the brand of auto.

[jaymac]

Teamdriver » Thu Oct 31, 2019 7:44 am
...I remember also cars being carted out of the Readville yard, not sure if it was NH or Conrail, and cant remember the brand of auto.

Heard this early 80's and 3rd-hand, so deets might be contestable. Sometime in the early-to-mid PC era, bilevel open-top rack service was initiated at Readville, and the RR or service contractor hired Wide World Photos -- the commercial and library part of Associated Press Photos --- to commemorate the opening. Story is that OH clearances hadn't been adequately checked, and the top level of cars became convertibles of the once-opened-but-never-to-be-closed kind. The official reportedly ordered the Wide Wide photographer to stop taking photos, and he replied that he was now working for AP. The non-Wide-World photos supposedly went worldwide.
Dunno what the make mighta been, but GM had the Framingham auto yard for both incoming and outgoing loads, and AMC had Kenosha Auto Transport by the Gilmore/Prison Point Bridge, and Ford would have needed a reason to site its yard not much later at the Willows.

[Teamdriver]

Thttps://assets.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2018/08/331401-970x613.jpg.

Recall this out of Readville, maybe they hauled non Framingham product.

[arcadia terminal]

I checked the new industry in Leominster this week end. They have 3 new yard tracks down and track that is going into the new building location, most of the track is down but not surfaced yet. They have yet to cut in the switch, from the branch to the new tracks but there is a pre-fab switch components on the ground next to the site for the connection.

Peter

[johnpbarlow]

On Sunday 12/8/19 (I believe), Town of Lancaster DPW issued the following text alert to residents:

Route 62/Sterling St will be closed at the Rail Road (sic) tracks at South Meadow [St] for unknown period of time. CSX is assembling a crane to upright a detailed (sic - I'm guessing this was a typo and was supposed to derailed) train car in Clinton, on the tracks at South Meadow [crossing?], please try to avoid the area and follow Detour Signs.

Eye witness report said that while the crane was observed at the S Meadow St/Rte 62 grade crossing on Sunday, there was no derailed freight car in sight. My guess is that the grade crossing was used to get the crane on the track to go to wherever in Clinton the derailed car was. Anybody know what actually happened?

[arcadia terminal]

Just before last weeks snow CSX cut in the switch at the industry in Leominster, all the new track is surfaced in the indusrty.

[SpiderHill]

Anybody know what actually happened?

I drove over the South Meadow/Route 62 intersection today. I notice a derailer in place so as I drove up to Leominster I decided to go the back way to roughly follow the tracks. I didn't see anything on the way there. On the way back on 62, I had a better view. South of the Bestway switch, I spotted at least three high rail vehicles working. There is a bit of a hill and some brush that impacted the view. There were no center beam cars at Bestway (unusual) and no crane/derailed car. I speculate they were repairing track from whatever the incident was.

[johnpbarlow]

Just before last weeks snow CSX cut in the switch at the industry in Leominster, all the new track is surfaced in the indusrty.

Is this the building under construction where the new yard is being built? I believe this is the United Material Management transload facility being built at 200 Tanzio Rd, Leominster.

[TomNelligan]

Heard this early 80's and 3rd-hand, so deets might be contestable. Sometime in the early-to-mid PC era, bilevel open-top rack service was initiated at Readville, and the RR or service contractor hired Wide World Photos -- the commercial and library part of Associated Press Photos --- to commemorate the opening. Story is that OH clearances hadn't been adequately checked, and the top level of cars became convertibles of the once-opened-but-never-to-be-closed kind. The official reportedly ordered the Wide Wide photographer to stop taking photos, and he replied that he was now working for AP. The non-Wide-World photos supposedly went worldwide.

The New Haven handled bilevel auto racks into Readville for years prior to Penn Central. The cars came in via the Midland line via Franklin and Putnam, CT, and were unloaded on the former site of the NH Readville shops. Fifty years later I can't say that PC didn't have an oopsie down there, but auto racks into Readville were not a new thing that PC initiated. PC did, however, abandon the NH's former high-and-wide route west of Franklin after a couple years so maybe they tried running them via the Shore Line or Walpole-Framingham and got into trouble.

[arcadia terminal]

John,
The three track yard is behind the building parallel to the branch there is also a track that enters the back of the building along left wall for loading cars.
The switch off of the branch is a trailing point so the yard will have to be worked from the west end and then the cars pulled up to Leominster yard for a run around, unless they work the train as a push pull with power on both ends.

Peter

[Knucklehead]

I drove over the South Meadow/Route 62 intersection today. I notice a derailer in place so as I drove up to Leominster I decided to go the back way to roughly follow the tracks. I didn't see anything on the way there. On the way back on 62, I had a better view. South of the Bestway switch, I spotted at least three high rail vehicles working. There is a bit of a hill and some brush that impacted the view. There were no center beam cars at Bestway (unusual) and no crane/derailed car. I speculate they were repairing track from whatever the incident was.
[/quote]

B 724-17 had four loaded center beam flats on the rear end headed your way today (Dec 17th.). Caught the train while they were switching Ken's foods.