Changes Everywhere
As told here: flic.kr/p/2pn2AuY the Bay Colony Railroad has lowered its flag after 41 1/2 years.
Here is the final train in New Bedford for the last time. After running east 7 1/2 miles across the length of the line the crew is making a few moves to pull the four loads they brought out on to the north leg of the wye for pick up by Mass Coastal. Then they will return this way down the main to pick up three empty gons and run thru the south leg and on to their Watuppa Branch for THE last run back west to Mid City.
This view looks north on the MassDOT owned and Mass Coastal operated New Bedford Secondary. Note the milepost denoting 53 miles to Boston via Middleboro and the former Old Colony mainline. This is a new milepost as the line is renumbered in anticipation of the start up of MBTA's South Coast Rail extension of T service. Prior to the change Nash Road was MP 29 as measured from the Northeast Corridor in Attleboro via the Middleboro Line thru Taunton, Cotley, and Myricks. The new signal mast with the heads turned afield is part of the South Coast project which has brought massive changes to what for years has been a rickety unsignaled freight branch seeing no more than two or three trains a week. In about a year when construction is complete and the line is ready for testing and startup, MassDOT will turn over control to the MBTA and Keolis will become the operator in place of Mass Coastal which will then only be the designated freight carrier.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Friday December 15, 2023
Changes Everywhere
As told here: flic.kr/p/2pn2AuY the Bay Colony Railroad has lowered its flag after 41 1/2 years.
Here is the final train in New Bedford for the last time. After running east 7 1/2 miles across the length of the line the crew is making a few moves to pull the four loads they brought out on to the north leg of the wye for pick up by Mass Coastal. Then they will return this way down the main to pick up three empty gons and run thru the south leg and on to their Watuppa Branch for THE last run back west to Mid City.
This view looks north on the MassDOT owned and Mass Coastal operated New Bedford Secondary. Note the milepost denoting 53 miles to Boston via Middleboro and the former Old Colony mainline. This is a new milepost as the line is renumbered in anticipation of the start up of MBTA's South Coast Rail extension of T service. Prior to the change Nash Road was MP 29 as measured from the Northeast Corridor in Attleboro via the Middleboro Line thru Taunton, Cotley, and Myricks. The new signal mast with the heads turned afield is part of the South Coast project which has brought massive changes to what for years has been a rickety unsignaled freight branch seeing no more than two or three trains a week. In about a year when construction is complete and the line is ready for testing and startup, MassDOT will turn over control to the MBTA and Keolis will become the operator in place of Mass Coastal which will then only be the designated freight carrier.
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Friday December 15, 2023