Comments on: Bridges of Metro-North: The Norwalk River Bridge, Part 1

By: emmyceru

emmyceru — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 13:59:11 +0000

I’m proudly permabanned from railroad dot net for rejecting the admin’s “advances.”

And although hypothetically, yes, a few “seasons” of work could bring the Beacon back online, it would be a significant investment. There are washouts by Whaley Lake Stream, and a lot of the bridges are in very poor shape (that big one in Brewster, for example)

By: Backshophoss

Backshophoss — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:58:03 +0000

MN’s ownership ends at the state line(NY/CONN)and could be returned to service with a few seasons of brush removal and trackwork,
the raising of 1 bridge in NY severed the track in 1 location,the last known move on the” Beacon Secondary” was M-2 car towed to
MN’s police training facilty near Fishkill by the Hi-Railed wreck crane.
HRRC has former Guilford exec’s running the “Show”,do not play nice with MN and P+W,suggest you visit Railroad .net
and read various threads in the Metro-North and HRRC forums related to the Maybrook line.
Track conditions on the HRRC side;state line to downtown Dandury,out of service,needs total rebuild,
from downtown Dandury to Newtown,barely useable class 1 track(max speed 10mph),From Newtown to Derby Jct,
out of service,needs total rebuild,unknown if the switch is still in place at Derby Jct.
P+W serves their customers in Danbury by running to S Norwalk,then running up the Danbury Branch.

By: William Hays

William Hays — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:57:39 +0000

Are the people at HRRC the ‘bad guys”? Are they just ‘big kids’ playing with trains? I thought P&W had Trackage Rights on the HRRC. Should I buy them out? What’s the condition of the M-NR/DTRR “Maybrook Line” west of Danbury? Is it still in service? Dunno, me. I’m too far away (2,000 miles) to tell.

By: William Hays

William Hays — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:48:15 +0000

In reply to Emily. Time to get out and do some trackwork in Poughquag, Em.

By: William Hays

William Hays — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:44:06 +0000

In reply to Backshophoss. Is getting to the PAR at Springfield, from Penn Station, possible without back-up moves/run-arounds at Albany and Springfield? Same with getting to the old Maybrook line from the Hudson, or Harlem lines, and the Danbury Branch. Housatonic from Danbury to Pittsfield? I'd love to ride one of those detours, but I don't think the customers would appreciate them. Where is the old CNE if we need it?

By: Backshophoss

Backshophoss — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 22:41:33 +0000

As long as HRRC controls the track between Derby Jct and Danbury,and fights the P+W on freight access,the track has “rotted” in place and is
useless. As it is,not sure if HRRC wanders over to Newtown now.
CSX was happy to see the Vermonter return to B+M(PAR) Conn River Line on 12/29/14,Amtrak might need federal help
if Walk fails and forces the detour via Albany.

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 13:40:13 +0000

In reply to Backshophoss. I was under the impression that the Maybrook over by Derby Junction was in pretty poor shape... We'd be more likely to see an Amtrak redirect via Albany to Boston before we'd see action there, I think.

By: Backshophoss

Backshophoss — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 00:25:18 +0000

For better or worse,Walk has become a possible nightmare for Metro North and Amtrak’s NEC services,if there’s another breakdown,
and there’s no detour possible via the Danbury Branch,then over the remains of the(HRRC’s) Maybrook line to Derby Jct,then back to the New Haven
Mainline at Devon. A “bus bridge” between S Norwalk and E Norwalk/Westport would become a lost cause if Walk fails again.
Amtrak might try a Penn Station-Albany-Boston Detour if CSX allows it(not likely).