Passenger Trains > MBTA Rail Wash Train Outing 11/20/11

While raking leaves Sunday morning, I heard a train horn on the MBTA's Needham Heights branch, which operates Monday through Saturday, so I grabbed a camera to see what the special move was. It turned out to be the rail wash train which had a Genset switcher on one end and ex-SEMTA/GTW GP18 on the other. Photo 1 shows the two car train reversing at the end of active track just outside of the Needham Heights station. Photos 2 and 3 shows the power crossing Rosemary St in Needham.

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Here are three more views of the wash train as it headed east through Hersey station toward West Roxbury. In photo 1, the train had just exited the controlled siding east of Needham Junction (seen in the distance) and was spraying the rails. In photos 2 and 3, train turned off the wash as they had already been through here a half hour earlier. Needham Heights branch may be the slowest of the MBTA routes as stations are quite close together but it is well patronized as in-bound M-F AM trains are usually full by the time they arrive Back Bay.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/11 02:20 by JPB.

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That GenSet looks sweet, even if it is painted purple (magenta?). SEMTA? What commuter agency was that?

PennRailVideos Wrote:
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> That GenSet looks sweet, even if it is painted
> purple (magenta?). SEMTA? What commuter agency was
> that?

southeastern michigan transit authority.
these pictures are great, i never saw 3248/49 outside of the south station area when i was in mass.
thanks jpb!

Beautiful stuff.
I love all the color.

Danny Harmon
Tampa

Fantastic pictures! What is the rail wash train for? Is it for getting leaves off of the rail?

This is great! I had recently asked if we had any leaf washing operations here the United States after seeing the same thing going on in Great Britain on the European Board. I'm glad you took time to see what was happening and then took the extra time to post it here.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,2616600

Jim

It is used to get the oil from the leaves off the rail. When the oil is on the rails it is basically the equivalent of driving your car on ice, lots of slipping and sliding.


Adam

grether Wrote:
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> Fantastic pictures! What is the rail wash train
> for? Is it for getting leaves off of the rail?

PennRailVideos Wrote:
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> ...SEMTA? What commuter agency was
> that?


Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (now called SMART) ran commuter trains between Detroit and Pontiac on the Grand Trunk Western until 1983. Their power was 4 former GTW Geeps (2 each, GP-9's and GP-18's) and one former New Haven/MBTA GP-9. All of these came to the MBTA in the mid to late '80s.

Tom Coughlin
Stow, MA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/11 18:08 by tomcough.

Great pictures of late fall and trains, JPB, and a little-known subject. I never heard of rail washing. A couple of these could have IOTD potential. Thanks for posting.

All: I believe this is MBTA in/around Boston. See mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/. - Jerry