MBTA Commuter Rail (Operations, Keolis, & Short Term)

Wash said:
Hmm. It doesn't appear that this project includes a gauntlet track for freight trains. How's that going to work with the high-levels?
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I'm assuming you're referring to Winchester, and...yeah, that's a good catch. Did Pan Am sunset their clearance route over the Lowell Line without telling anyone?
 
Brattle Loop said:
I'm assuming you're referring to Winchester, and...yeah, that's a good catch. Did Pan Am sunset their clearance route over the Lowell Line without telling anyone?
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Definitely a good question.
 
Wash said:
Definitely a good question.
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I don't know the answer to it (though if the Plate F clearance is part of the trackage rights agreement, it'd presumably take an STB filing to undo it), but starting here there's some previous discussion on the topic in the Freight thread. (TL;DR version: the T/Keolis don't want the gauntlet and Pan Am apparently doesn't much care; F-Line at least thinks there's no way that flies with CSX once they've eaten PAR.)
 
Given the small amount of freight that actually runs through Winchester, it may have been decided that simply running very slow through the station was preferable to the cost of a gauntlet and an extra interlocking. Slow speed (ie less rocking) and tangent track does allow running past high-levels - P&W runs autoracks (same width as Plate F) through TF Green on a regular basis.
 
The EGE said:
Given the small amount of freight that actually runs through Winchester, it may have been decided that simply running very slow through the station was preferable to the cost of a gauntlet and an extra interlocking. Slow speed (ie less rocking) and tangent track does allow running past high-levels - P&W runs autoracks (same width as Plate F) through TF Green on a regular basis.
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I think it's quite possible that was what was decided, though for what it's worth in the thread I linked to F-Line seemed to be of the opinion that CSX would not approve of that once they were in charge. I imagine we'll find out one way or another.
 
Wash said:
Hmm. It doesn't appear that this project includes a gauntlet track for freight trains. How's that going to work with the high-levels?
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The provision was there in the 15% Design (PDF), and I'd assume that it was simply too subtle a thing to show in the overall rendering in Board or Community presentations.

The Gauntlet track appears to be simply affixed to the same-but-widened ties as the inbound track, and the switch that'd divert freight onto it seems to be outside the frame in all designs (including the 15% design), but I'd say it *is* provided for
Winchester-Center-Station---15-Design-Report-PDF.pdf.png
 
Arlington said:
The provision was there in the 15% Design (PDF), and I'd assume that it was simply too subtle a thing to show in the overall rendering in Board or Community presentations.

The Gauntlet track appears to be simply affixed to the same-but-widened ties as the inbound track, and the switch that'd divert freight onto it seems to be outside the frame in all designs (including the 15% design), but I'd say it *is* provided for
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Awesome, little quirks like this make the different systems interesting.
 
Interestingly enough, per local environmental filling, the MBTA is planning on relatively substantial improvements to that Rochester facility. Using on-call contracts, so it'll take a while and be basically invisible as a project. Hell, that entire shop is invisible. I always thought it was leased on a short term (~2015?) basis to work through the HSP teething problems, but it looks like MassDOT straight up bought it in 2018.
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Overall, I appreciate that the MBTA has been developing an in-house(ish) heavy overhaul / carbody repair capability. Hopefully that means the MBTA now has the ability to sustain a progressive maintenance program instead of having to wait for a critical mass to support a large overhaul program, and/or having to send everything out on an adhoc basis. This is an interesting site choice, given it's distance from Boston and even SCR but I suppose being mostly heavy overhaul, that's not too much of a deal breaker. (Considering it's here or Delaware/PA)
The Site is currently supporting a full load of passenger rail equipment work, including retrofits, acceptance testing, contractor repairs, and special project work. Activities are currently focused on the following mission-critical tasks: MassDOT work equipment maintenance and repair; MPI new locomotive retrofits; Alstom Bi-level overhaul testing and acceptance; Kawasaki and Rotem bi-level coach floor repairs; Winter resiliency; Accident repair; and, Existing fleet coach and locomotive heavy repairs and overhaul
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However, the single most interesting line in that entire document is "The Site is anticipated to be a key component and resource for the South Coast Rail and Bourne Commuter Rail service expansions"

Bourne CR? If that's actually happing in the near future as anything other than a dinky, someone better call an audible on that SCR Middleborough secondary station location, but I'm going to say it's a vote in favor of SCR Full Build progressing.
 

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The EGE said:
Does anyone happen to go past North Wilmington station (on train or in car)? Construction of an accessible platform should be proceeding, but there haven't been any updates since May, at which time it was supposed to be completed by the end of the year.
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Couple of years ago I used to go to that station regularly before moving out of my parents place. Though Anderson Woburn was generally more convinent.

Last morning rush hour train was around 630 am, so it didn't get much ridership at all. Not a station that's worth spending money on, no TOD anywhere nearby and little in the way of parking. Although I believe the town was angry that the station was blocking the street during stops and wanted to upgrade to prevent that.
 
Stlin said:
Interestingly enough, per local environmental filling, the MBTA is planning on relatively substantial improvements to that Rochester facility. Using on-call contracts, so it'll take a while and be basically invisible as a project. Hell, that entire shop is invisible. I always thought it was leased on a short term (~2015?) basis to work through the HSP teething problems, but it looks like MassDOT straight up bought it in 2018.
View attachment 18860
Overall, I appreciate that the MBTA has been developing an in-house(ish) heavy overhaul / carbody repair capability. Hopefully that means the MBTA now has the ability to sustain a progressive maintenance program instead of having to wait for a critical mass to support a large overhaul program, and/or having to send everything out on an adhoc basis. This is an interesting site choice, given it's distance from Boston and even SCR but I suppose being mostly heavy overhaul, that's not too much of a deal breaker. (Considering it's here or Delaware/PA)

However, the single most interesting line in that entire document is "The Site is anticipated to be a key component and resource for the South Coast Rail and Bourne Commuter Rail service expansions"

Bourne CR? If that's actually happing in the near future as anything other than a dinky, someone better call an audible on that SCR Middleborough secondary station location, but I'm going to say it's a vote in favor of SCR Full Build progressing.
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This is the former Harris Rebar site. Railfans have refered to the place as "Area 52".
 
tysmith95 said:
Last morning rush hour train was around 630 am, so it didn't get much ridership at all. Not a station that's worth spending money on, no TOD anywhere nearby and little in the way of parking. Although I believe the town was angry that the station was blocking the street during stops and wanted to upgrade to prevent that.
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It's a little bit odd how that station didn't get culled in the last round of closures given its low ridership (for reasons passing beyond understanding their candidate for closure on the Haverhill line was Melrose/Cedar Park, though that didn't actually happen). It would leave quite a long gap between stations if it weren't there, but that doesn't always stop them. At any rate, if it's going to stay open for whatever reason, then it needs to be made accessible at some point (for as much as the subway has made excellent strides on accessibility, a good chunk of the CR's really been lagging), and it won't hurt to get the stop away from that crossing.
 
Brattle Loop said:
I'm assuming you're referring to Winchester, and...yeah, that's a good catch. Did Pan Am sunset their clearance route over the Lowell Line without telling anyone?
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Basically the T told Pan Am that they will pay for the cost of transloading and transporting wide loads that would rely on getting through Winchester. So the gauntlet track is no longer happening. It has been a couple years since Pan Am has run a wide load through, and the last wide move was just a normal gondola of scrap metal that had been really beat up and the sides had bowed out a little bit. Most wide loads these days are transformers or military equipment. There is zero military use for this line and transformer loads happen every few years at most. There is zero impact to Plate F, because plate F boxcars are just as wide as Plate C boxcars.
 
So if not Winchester, that implies the WHOLE INNER Lowell line is no longer a wide clearance route? Like starting at Anderson? Or south of the industrial stuff in Montvale?

They should be making a bigger deal of this and planning full high platforms at Wedgemere and West Medford. I’d have expected Transit Matters to be all over this.

[EDIT: in fact this is really big news, because it also means that any future rail underpass in WMedSq can be two track with no gauntlet, saving on diameter. It also means that, with full-highs, increased Lowell Line frequencies need not cripple traffic with dwelling trains in WMedSq grade crossing]
 
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They're currently not planning anything for Wedgemere or West Medford because there's no funding to start planning yet. Once funding for those stations comes up, they will absolutely build them as full-highs. Most likely, the T is going to pursue full high platforms on everything that is not directly on the Freight Main Line. So that would be every station on the current Lowell Line. (Disclaimer: while there's currently no wide-load businesses at Iron Horse Park, Pan Am/CSX might want to keep that option open.)
 
Arlington said:
So if not Winchester, that implies the WHOLE INNER Lowell line is no longer a wide clearance route? Like starting at Anderson? Or south of the industrial stuff in Montvale?

They should be making a bigger deal of this and planning full high platforms at Wedgemere and West Medford. I’d have expected Transit Matters to be all over this.
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It is being followed
 
BostonUrbEx said:
They're currently not planning anything for Wedgemere or West Medford because there's no funding to start planning yet. Once funding for those stations comes up, they will absolutely build them as full-highs. Most likely, the T is going to pursue full high platforms on everything that is not directly on the Freight Main Line. So that would be every station on the current Lowell Line. (Disclaimer: while there's currently no wide-load businesses at Iron Horse Park, Pan Am/CSX might want to keep that option open.)
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Any idea if CSX is going to have a different opinion (and, if they do, if they'll be able to do anything about it) on the clearance route issue if and when they manage to eat Pan Am?
 
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