Passenger Trains > Fitchburg line upgrades, and a what is it

First the "what is it"....this bucket loader has been parked by the Depot Road crossing in Boxborough, MA for several months. The attachment on the front consists of a metal box with 2-3 foot lengths of heavy chain hanging down. I'm guessing its used to regulate ballast levels, but don't know for sure. Can anyone help?

Dave

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Zombie deflector?

And now a few pictures of the ongoing stimulus-funded double-tracking project on the MBTA Fitchburg line between South Acton and Willows in Massachusetts.

1) Track has been laid between most of the grade crossings. In some places, ballast has been dropped into place, as seen looking west from the sight of the long-gone Boxborough station.

2) The ballast is dropped in place by pairs of small cars called Hudson Ballasters. They are loaded by bucket loader and moved by a hi-rail dump truck. (This can't be done by a traditional ballast train because the track segments remain isolated between the stations and grade crossings.)

3) Another shot of the ballast cars and a piece of MOW equipment just east of the Littleton 495 station.

Dave

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Last picture....MBCR crews pull up an asphalt crossing between platforms at Ayer, ahead of rail replacement. Ayer, Littleton and South Acton are all scheduled to receive new stations and expanded parking.

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The mystery machine is a brushcutter. The chains are to help keep the big stuff from flying out.

DavidP Wrote:
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> And now a few pictures of the ongoing
> stimulus-funded double-tracking project on the
> MBTA Fitchburg line between South Acton and
> Willows in Massachusetts.
>
> 1) Track has been laid between most of the grade
> crossings. In some places, ballast has been
> dropped into place, as seen looking west from the
> sight of the long-gone Boxborough station.
>
> 2) The ballast is dropped in place by pairs of
> small cars called Hudson Ballasters. They are
> loaded by bucket loader and moved by a hi-rail
> dump truck. (This can't be done by a traditional
> ballast train because the track segments remain
> isolated between the stations and grade
> crossings.)
>
> 3) Another shot of the ballast cars and a piece of
> MOW equipment just east of the Littleton 495
> station.
>
> Dave


that piece of equipment is a rail/track lifter ... usually used lifting rail to place plates on the ties during tie replacement ... what it's is use is here i do not know ... perhaps after the ballast is dumped real heavy it's used to lift the track to let ballast fall under the ties to make it easier for the tamper to surface the track

DavidP Wrote:
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> First the "what is it"...

This looks like a VERY HEAVY DUTY brush hog,
note the hydraulic motor, chains are used to
control the 'Projectiles' exiting the front of
this attachment!!!!
Mike

The primemover and brushcutter are made by HydroAx (now owned by Prentice). These beasts are used a lot for R-O-W clearing by utility companies and are really very effective. The cutting head can be raised and pivoted to a certain extent to trim branches. They are non-discriminatory when it comes to what they chomp up!

Bruce

Looks like they set the brushcutter head down in poison ivy.

Ray