A couple of announcements of expanded freight service right down the road from me.

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/rail_industry_trends/news/MassDOT-announces-18-million-in-grants-for-freight-rail-projects--55083

The important bits:

• Middlesex Corp. concrete plant siding restoration, $500,000. The project will enable Middlesex’s concrete batching plant in Littleton to receive sand and stone by rail instead of truck. Work will include construction of 2,385 feet of new track and two new rail switches. Restoring siding to the property will allow for the delivery of 1,600 rail cars annually.

• Patriot Beverage/Injection Molding Enterprise siding extension project, $500,000. The project will support restoration of a bottling facility and improve operations at a co-located manufacturing facility in Littleton. Work entails restoration and extension of an existing rail siding, which will be used for delivery of inbound raw materials for the manufacturing of plastic containers and consumer beverages. Once completed, the project will allow for the delivery of 330 rail cars each year.

If those numbers hold thats around 35 cars/week about a half mile from me.

Charge up the camera’s battery …(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Very interesting Bob. That first one looks like it will be a brand new siding and curious where it will go.

Joseph Lupinski said:

Very interesting Bob. That first one looks like it will be a brand new siding and curious where it will go.

Yea. It could either be a rebuild of the spur that is visible in the 1965 aerial photos, but unlikely given the current building layout. They say two switches, but dont say ‘siding’ so maybe a two spur tracks.

And the Veryfine rebuild, sounds like they are making the siding longer. Thet do have room there for a much longer siding.

The East Penn RR near me just put in 2 sidings in Avondale for Tank car unloading right next to The McGeary grain off load site.

Nice, Ken, but remember, without pictures, it never happened.

(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Making note that these units can be modified to service your NEW modeling needs? Pneumatic discharge for the plastic pellets and cut in half for the sand /dry concrete .

Just saying?

http://www.gatx.com/wps/wcm/connect/GATX/GATX_SITE/Home/Rail+North+America/Products/Equipment+Types/Freight/Covered+Hoppers/

Ken Brunt said:

The East Penn RR near me just put in 2 sidings in Avondale for Tank car unloading right next to The McGeary grain off load site.

What type of tank cars in AVONdale? Perfume ?

" Rooster " said:

Ken Brunt said:

The East Penn RR near me just put in 2 sidings in Avondale for Tank car unloading right next to The McGeary grain off load site.

What type of tank cars in AVONdale? Perfume ?

Not quite. That place is down in Newark, on 273.

" Rooster " said:

Making note that these units can be modified to service your NEW modeling needs? Pneumatic discharge for the plastic pellets and cut in half for the sand /dry concrete .

Just saying?

I want some sand cars for my layout , but the thought of paying around $150 or so for one then running it through the band saw just makes me too nervous to try it. Maybe one day when I can find some cheap ones, or when someone does do it buy it off them. I keep thinking about it , but my skills need to be honed before this gets hacked up

The Aristo covered hoppers are 2 bay. But they are an older style of car.

Pete,

Nicholas Smith along with others usually have LGB center flow hoppers in roadnames like Shell and Dupont for around $50 at the train shows …they could be modified as well.

David Maynard said:

The Aristo covered hoppers are 2 bay. But they are an older style of car.

Might be an older style car, but still used in main line service. I must admit I don’t see them in D&RGW livery but CSX runs trains of them out of Baltimore

The 2 bays also run into the shingle plant in Mount Vernon, Indiana… They used to be switched from the BNSF at Woodlawn, Illinois…