Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

IMG_20200731_184451.jpg
Spotted near Cross Street and Mass Ave: What look to be piles of ties covered by plastic sheets and and poured concrete bases for OHLE pylons.
 
Last edited:
OHLE! OverHead Line Electrification? I've learned another synonym for OCS / Overhead Contact System / Catenary.
 
Arlington said:
OHLE! OverHead Line Electrification? I've learned another synonym for OCS / Overhead Contact System / Catenary.
Click to expand...

I follow Gary Keenor (@25Kv) on Twitter and he uses the term regularly; maybe it's a British thing?
 
RandomWalk said:
I think that’s a drainage junction and not a pylon foundation.
Click to expand...

You can't see it in that picture, but there are about ten of them, regularly spaced, running from just before the Cross St. bridge to the point where the commuter rail tracks bend away to the left. The placement suggests pylon foundations.
 
Wash said:
You can't see it in that picture, but there are about ten of them, regularly spaced, running from just before the Cross St. bridge to the point where the commuter rail tracks bend away to the left. The placement suggests pylon foundations.
Click to expand...

Maybe...but those are cartoonishly thick bases for hanging a pole. That base is as wide as a manhole cover; they don't even pour 'em half that big for the humongous overhead gantries outside South Station.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Maybe...but those are cartoonishly thick bases for hanging a pole. That base is as wide as a manhole cover; they don't even pour 'em half that big for the humongous overhead gantries outside South Station.
Click to expand...

I think your estimate for scale from Google maps is not good, I think those concrete bases are bigger than you think. At least manhole cover sized. The track gauge is 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in, and the concrete bases are roughly length-scale as the track gauge.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Maybe...but those are cartoonishly thick bases for hanging a pole. That base is as wide as a manhole cover; they don't even pour 'em half that big for the humongous overhead gantries outside South Station.
Click to expand...

That's a precast drain manhole. Standard 10" slab top. Lift up the plywood and you'll see the opening for the casting to be installed on top.
 
Ha, those four remaining old el columns will probably stay up until the project is 95% completed. Sometimes the MBTA baffles me.

Thank you for the fantastic photos!
 
Charlie_mta said:
Ha, those four remaining old el columns will probably stay up until the project is 95% completed. Sometimes the MBTA baffles me.

Thank you for the fantastic photos!
Click to expand...

Those are supposed to remain and be restored!
 
Last edited:
Jake_Jarmel said:
Those are supposed remain and be restored!
Click to expand...
Or that was at least one possible interpretation of "Elevated steel and concrete structure between Gilmore Bridge and Lechmere Station to be removed, relocated, and reconstructed."

which we saw stated in June in this announcement but I don't think we've ever really gotten clarification on.
 
I don't think those old el columns would meet today's seismic requirements.
 
Charlie_mta said:
I don't think those old el columns would meet today's seismic requirements.
Click to expand...

If they remain in place, they won't be load bearing. It does look like they're going to stay put as decoration; they truly are the last steel elevated bents in Boston now that the Northern Avenue Bridge has come down.
 
I called the GLX community hotline. Do you think these are theirs?
About 9 "inspection wells" (?) were cut into the pavement on Boston Ave at Tufts Garage.
Their Dig Safe markings run from UMP-17-01 through UMP-17-09.

Nearly all have their pavement patches caving in
Many now have loose covers, like this:
UMP1709.jpg
IMG_20200805_084454670.jpg


My guess is that they're somehow for inspecting ground water or subsidence or some other utility thing. But the subsidence was bad enough, but now that the covers are loose, they're going to get flung and kill somebody.
 
Arlington said:
I called the GLX community hotline. Do you think these are theirs?
About 9 "inspection wells" (?) were cut into the pavement on Boston Ave at Tufts Garage.
Their Dig Safe markings run from UMP-17-01 through UMP-17-09.

Nearly all have their pavement patches caving in
Many now have loose covers, like this:
View attachment 6560View attachment 6561

My guess is that they're somehow for inspecting ground water or subsidence or some other utility thing. But the subsidence was bad enough, but now that the covers are loose, they're going to get flung and kill somebody.
Click to expand...

Yeah, those are monitoring wells. The surrounding area shouldn't be caving in, unless the well shafts are cracked.
 
Hmm. Here's what GLX-C says:
We checked in with our GLX-C engineer who oversees our utility work. He said “UMP” stands for Utility Monitoring Point and advised that you give Eversource as call as it is not related to GLX work. Thanks for checking in to see if it is related to GLX construction. I imagine Eversource might be a bit busy after the storm yesterday perhaps Medford’s SeeClickFix can serve offer a temporary solution until Eversource is able to get out to address the problem."
Click to expand...
(emphasis mine)

Would Eversource *electric* monitor with wells? Or I'm thinking I call the "report a gas leak" line, since maybe they drill wells to sniff for gas in areas where they worry about subsidence nicking a pipe? What would you do?

[EDIT]
1) This being Medford, and thinkig that this is gas drilling, not electric, I'm calling NationalGrid
2) so I'm calling the old-school KeySpan (!) hotline (to make sure I get routed to the "gas" side of the house" at NGrid.
3) I told them right up that it is not an emergency, but it is a problem with their infrastructure. They say "that sounds like something we would do, but this being the emergency line, I'm going to have to transfer you."
4) So, trolling ArchBoston while on hold ;-)

[EDIT 2]
5) After transfer to "non-emergency dispatch" NationalGrid Gas says: "That could be us, we'll send a truck today" They agree they do Utility Monitoring Points. They accept that if GLX says "call the utility" that they are the utility. What they needed to dispatch a truck:
  • Site Address: 419 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155
    (as street address...it happens to be Tufts Campus Security, in the base of Tufts Garage, right across the street from the UMPs on the "evens" side (GLX side)
  • My name and a phone number (in case they have "we didn't find it" questions)
No Ticket number. Says "419 Boston Ave, Medford" is as good as a ticket number if I have to call back.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top