Eastern Railroad Discussion > P&W Coal Train - Worcester, MA

Doing a little Christmas shopping today and ran into the P&W coal train as it was leaving Worcester, MA. The consist was made up of 4005, 3907, road slug 3004 and 582.

#1 - PWBO coming off CSX onto the branch, just south of where the train goes through the Worcester Medical Center building. Union Station is at the upper left.

#2 - PWBO approaching the Millbrook St. bridge.

#3 - P&W 582 - notice the fancy lettering!

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Just one more photo, looking north from Millbrook St.
Uh, should there be flames coming from the stack on 3907???

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Is this the coal move from Providence (sea port)
to NH Public Service at or near Concord??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/12 13:32 by CP8888.

This is coal for the power plant at Bow, NH.

Why doesn't Pan Am take the train directly via Ayer....................why the mountain grades via Gardner?

mp208 Wrote:
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> Why doesn't Pan Am take the train directly via
> Ayer....................why the mountain grades
> via Gardner?

Pan AM IS taking the train to Ayer.. P&W power runs all the way up to Bow.. Train is symbolled PWBO for the loads and BOPW for the empties. P&W owns the track from New Bond St to P&W yard, so the P&W crew takes the train with power to New Bond St, where PAR crews are waiting for.. Same thing for CSX Selkirk-Portland trains as PAS called them SEPO-POSE. CSX power runs thru all the way to Portland, ME as well..

Since, P&W and Conrail back then have been delivering coal for so many years.. there are no other alternates. Coal comes out from Port of Providence (Indonesian coal).. so the routing is Providence-Worcester-Ayer-then PSNH-Merrimack, NH

CR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/12 18:01 by CR6444.

That siding in pic number 2 is really bizarre.

Sure looks like heat coming out of the "slug"? Sure it's not just a "B" unit? Just curious as I'm not too familiar with P&W power. Great shots.
JB



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/12 20:52 by 3rdswitch.

Great pics Bob. That ex-Santa Fe unit looks good in P&W colors.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/12 00:33 by Cannonball4012.

P Wrote:
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> That siding in pic number 2 is really bizarre.


Yeah, I was going to ask what the track "from-to" nowhere was about.

This area was the southern end of the north Worcester yard. This 1939 photo taken by my dad, Alfred Arnold, of the East Wind headed south into Worcester, is from the same Millbrook St. bridge area looking north. Roughly the same direction as the 4th P&W "flame" photo.

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Nice steamer shot... BIG change.... Thanks for showing!


CR

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Sure looks like heat coming out of the "slug"?
> Sure it's not just a "B" unit? Just curious as I'm
> not too familiar with P&W power. Great shots.
> JB

That unit is an ex-Burlington Northern B30-7AB, they were built by GE as cabless B-units in the mid-80's back when cabless freight locomotives were all the rage.

Also the flames coming outta the stack of the B39-8 isn't exactly normal but not uncommon, it's just extra fuel from a stuck injector. GE's, especially U-Boats were famous for providing this kind of "light show". By the way it's an awesome shot along with the rest of your pictures.

,Sean

Many thanks JB and Sean for the correction on the B units...
and the kind words...
Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/12 12:53 by bob01566.