Suleski Transportation & Cape Ann Rail on 8-3-08
Suleski Transportation left Amesbury yard with the Sunday local mixed freight bound for Beverly and Salem. The power today is ST #9042 a Dash 9 wide cab.
We will be traveling over Cape Ann Rail trackage once south of Boxford. It's early enough that the giant lilies haven't opened yet.
What is unique about this freight is that it is a combination mixed freight and work train. Due to all the heavy storms there was a rock fall near the cut at Five Sisters. Cape Ann MOW workers had cleared all but one very large rock.
Here you can see the rock that just missed damaging the rail. Larry wanted to use explosives to blast the rock and clear the smaller pieces, but the Beverly neighbors fought against him at the town meeting and he didn't get his permit.
The engineer was told he had clearance if he took the track to the left, but as he got closer he slowed to a crawl to make sure.
If we had to go straight at the turnout he never would have cleared.
The engineer worked the entire train by the rock until the crane at the end could be brought into position to work.
Crews from the caboose worked to get harness netting around the rock to lift it out of the way.
An aerial view form the Suleski Transportation helicopter overseeing operations.
The rock was loaded into a gon and moved to a landscaper who plans on selling it to a rich gentlemen in Florida for a lawn ornament.
Once the right of way was cleared the train headed to Beverly yard.
With the crane on the end of the train it makes for an interesting sight.
The Sun was starting rise as ST #9042 headed into the Beverly yard limits.
For more photos from the day check out the next page.
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