Switching Americold
CSXT Middleboro based local B727 (now officially known as L007) led by GP40-2 6237 (blt. Feb. 1979 as BO 4335 in Chessie System paint) and two sisters are switching on the Myles Standish Industrial Lead. They are curving off to spot one reefer at Americold and then will go pull one from Reinhart Foodservice at the end of track before coming back here to work the busy New England Waste Disposal transfer station. This branch is accessed from Attleboro Junction at MP 8.6 on the Middleboro Secondary a bit over a half mile behind me here.
The Middleboro Sub is strange in that it is owned by MassDOT and dispatched and maintained by Mass Coastal, but CSX still operates it and serves the customers as the direct corporate successor of CR, PC, NH, and all the way back to the Old Colony Railroad. In fact this particular segment of line here on the Myles Stabdish was opened in 1836 by OCRR predecessor Taunton Branch Railroad making it one of the oldest rail routes in New England. Becoming a mainline for the Old Colony it survived as a secondary through route under New Haven aegis seeing its last passenger train pass shortly before the connection with the shoreline was severed at Mansfield in 1955 to make way for a highway grade separation project.. The tracks into Mansfield center lasted until about 1966 for freight service served from this end, but then were abandoned leaving only the present 1.5 mile stub still in use today up to the large industrial park.
Taunton, Massachusetts
Tuesday March 15, 2022
Switching Americold
CSXT Middleboro based local B727 (now officially known as L007) led by GP40-2 6237 (blt. Feb. 1979 as BO 4335 in Chessie System paint) and two sisters are switching on the Myles Standish Industrial Lead. They are curving off to spot one reefer at Americold and then will go pull one from Reinhart Foodservice at the end of track before coming back here to work the busy New England Waste Disposal transfer station. This branch is accessed from Attleboro Junction at MP 8.6 on the Middleboro Secondary a bit over a half mile behind me here.
The Middleboro Sub is strange in that it is owned by MassDOT and dispatched and maintained by Mass Coastal, but CSX still operates it and serves the customers as the direct corporate successor of CR, PC, NH, and all the way back to the Old Colony Railroad. In fact this particular segment of line here on the Myles Stabdish was opened in 1836 by OCRR predecessor Taunton Branch Railroad making it one of the oldest rail routes in New England. Becoming a mainline for the Old Colony it survived as a secondary through route under New Haven aegis seeing its last passenger train pass shortly before the connection with the shoreline was severed at Mansfield in 1955 to make way for a highway grade separation project.. The tracks into Mansfield center lasted until about 1966 for freight service served from this end, but then were abandoned leaving only the present 1.5 mile stub still in use today up to the large industrial park.
Taunton, Massachusetts
Tuesday March 15, 2022