Back In The Square
With the disappointing news recently that Rousselot will be closing their Peabody plant by the end of 2023 I decided I better make the effort to photograph CSXT's ex Pan Am local BO-1 (technically I guess L055 now) making the trip up the Eastern Route to Salem and the freight only Danvers and South Reading Industrial Tracks to access the plant.
The closure of this plant will bring to the end all freight operations north of Everett Junction on the Eastern Route unless any new customers materialize along the commuter zone. With rail operations to end around June, well before the plant finally shuts down, now is the time to get out.
Having made the 17 mile run up from BET in Somerville and run around at North Street Yard they are now tiptoeing west (timetable east) out the branch 2 1/4 miles to the plant at the 5 MPH maximum on to the South Reading Industrial track. Having made this exact same chase the week prior and shot this broadside view here: flic.kr/p/2onRs2R I opted for more of the classic sidewall three quarter angle this time.
They are crossing Lowell Street with their train cutting right through Peabody Square in front of Peabody District Court while still hanging back across Central Street. Rising behind the loco is the 50 ft tall Soldiers and Sailors monument built in 1881 and inscribed with the 71 names of local residents who died in the Civil War. Prior to 2016 if you'd taken this same shot the monument would have been in front of the train in an island in the middle of traffic at the center of the square. However in early 2016 a more than $3 million project to reconfigure the square led to it being moved 30 ft back to this new plaza in front of the courthouse that the train cuts right through. This is such a unique and remarkable location and it will truly be a loss when trains no longer travel through here.
Holding down the job is CSXT's ex Pan Am GMDD GP40-2W MEC 507 (blt. Jul 1974 as CN 9472) which was given this mysterious retro fresh Guilford gray paint job at Waterville in August 2020 and has been frequently assigned to BO-1 since then. If you haven't seen what she looked like sparking fresh check out this shot:
If you've not seen it, here is one of several news articles on the closing of the plant which has been in operation in some form for over 200 years! www.salemnews.com/news/peabody-rousselot-plant-to-close-a...
Peabody, Massachusetts
Thursday March 16, 2023
Back In The Square
With the disappointing news recently that Rousselot will be closing their Peabody plant by the end of 2023 I decided I better make the effort to photograph CSXT's ex Pan Am local BO-1 (technically I guess L055 now) making the trip up the Eastern Route to Salem and the freight only Danvers and South Reading Industrial Tracks to access the plant.
The closure of this plant will bring to the end all freight operations north of Everett Junction on the Eastern Route unless any new customers materialize along the commuter zone. With rail operations to end around June, well before the plant finally shuts down, now is the time to get out.
Having made the 17 mile run up from BET in Somerville and run around at North Street Yard they are now tiptoeing west (timetable east) out the branch 2 1/4 miles to the plant at the 5 MPH maximum on to the South Reading Industrial track. Having made this exact same chase the week prior and shot this broadside view here: flic.kr/p/2onRs2R I opted for more of the classic sidewall three quarter angle this time.
They are crossing Lowell Street with their train cutting right through Peabody Square in front of Peabody District Court while still hanging back across Central Street. Rising behind the loco is the 50 ft tall Soldiers and Sailors monument built in 1881 and inscribed with the 71 names of local residents who died in the Civil War. Prior to 2016 if you'd taken this same shot the monument would have been in front of the train in an island in the middle of traffic at the center of the square. However in early 2016 a more than $3 million project to reconfigure the square led to it being moved 30 ft back to this new plaza in front of the courthouse that the train cuts right through. This is such a unique and remarkable location and it will truly be a loss when trains no longer travel through here.
Holding down the job is CSXT's ex Pan Am GMDD GP40-2W MEC 507 (blt. Jul 1974 as CN 9472) which was given this mysterious retro fresh Guilford gray paint job at Waterville in August 2020 and has been frequently assigned to BO-1 since then. If you haven't seen what she looked like sparking fresh check out this shot:
If you've not seen it, here is one of several news articles on the closing of the plant which has been in operation in some form for over 200 years! www.salemnews.com/news/peabody-rousselot-plant-to-close-a...
Peabody, Massachusetts
Thursday March 16, 2023