Passenger Trains > SB Vermonter Crosses Deerfield River at Cheapside 05/24/15

The state of Vermont invested $70M in 2012 to speed up the Vermonter over NECR track trimming ~28 mnutes off previous schedule. Another $70M from USDOT was invested in 2014 to reduce transit times on Pan AM's section of the Conn River route in Massachusetts to Springfield, MA, with the goal being a 25 minute reduction vs the NECR route via Amherst/Palmer. Doesn't sound like CWR is installed on the bridge - maybe that will be done this year. But for now the Vermonters must tip toe over the Deerfield River bridge at Cheapside. AFAIK, PAR does not use the bridge on a regular basis as all its Conn River freights branch off  north and south of the bridge to access E Deerfield yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/15 13:33 by JPB.

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

i assume no need for double end power due to wyeing the train in Rouses Point ???

Posted from Android

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i assume no need for double end power due to
> wyeing the train in Rouses Point ???
>

Northern endpoint is St Albans, VT, but otherwise, I'd say that's correct.

There is a turntable at St Albans.

Actually, from looking at Google Earth, there's a wye there, too. Its two legs run either side of the roundhouse where the turntable is.

When I was in Vermont in September, the Vermonters did not run pull-pull (locos on both ends) on any of the trains I saw. Pretty sure they had a cab car for the reverse move between Springfield and Palmer, which of course is no longer necessary.

4489 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure that there is a wye at St. Albans either. 
> Perhaps the rear unit was bad ordered at St.
> Albans and is still there?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/15 08:20 by toledopatch.

This bridge is in rough shape and has been for years. Not sure this was even onteh list for PAR to upgrade it as it's used only occasionally by them and now twice daily by Amtrak. The upgrades are VERY evident to th enorth and south of this bridge and not far from it, I might add. Considering what this line looked like ony a couple of years ago, it's almost astonishing. The link below shows what the improvements have yeilded as the PAR trains I have shot here couldn't move at more than 10-15mph before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zer1srzIEk


-Tom