Gardner Gawking

0215-0415/01-04-2023 started off quiet, so quiet that no XNG noises had made their way into Château-jaymaque before I went to my car. At 0226, a nearby, but breaking 426 called out to a breaking D-3, and 6 later, the X7.8 talker would come on. 3 --yes, three -- after that came the no defects, hinting at a short 426 and/or an increased MAS. To save suspense, D-3 would renew contact with 426 at 0356, asking if they were pretty much up to Ayer. 426 was hashed to me, but D-3 evidently wasn't much clearer to 426 cuz he had to repeat himself x2. 426 evidently cleared their ZombieZone, so D-3 told them they'd be heading up to Graniteville to jump on 427 and take it W. Dunno where 426 was except somewhere W of X 25, which means less than 17 miles in less than 1.5 hours, so no 25 MPH MAS yet.
For the next bit bit, the only IDable receptions would come from D-2, starting at 0242 when he told NA-2 he'd need to talk to them about a Foreman who was out wherever there was, then something broken about a Form D, and then hash. Form D G209 of 01-03 would be canceled at 0247, and then a time-effective 0250 Form D G202 issued, deets lost. At 0251, the 333 WLs were dark, the 334 ELs at Stop and 1 WB stagger and 335s dark in sequence.
There was 0302 Road-side hash, followed by D-2 answering LA-2 and saying something about a signal not coming in. If I got hash from LA-2 from where I was just W of 335 and climbing, they musta been somewhere around CPF NC, mebbe also the approximate area of NA-2 and the Foreman.
Up Da Hill, there were slow EB cars on the Pearson Boulevard UGB, the 345s all at Stop. Given how long it took for the marker to vanish -- thanks again, Ralph Fisher! -- the EB had probably just set off the mix of covered hoppers, wrapped centerbeams, tanks, sheet steel bulkhead, and what looked like a recently repainted Conrail CoilCarrier from the Extension however far W on 1. 2 had mixed general that included covered hoppers on the E and MT centerbeams up by the W FP. 4? Dunno.
EB at 0314, a series of public-safety encroachments started, things going back to a breaking D-2 at 0320 and the cancellation of Form D G201 to a TC. Just after that, D-3 answered somebody, but got stepped on.
At 0326, the 333 WLs were dark, and 1 later, there was brief Dispatcher-side hash. Further E, the EB staggers were at Approach. The 330.8 WBs and GL WLs mighta been dark, but the 330s were all at Stop, shunting coming from markerless and billless DS trashes on 2 across from the platform and however far E.
The FG WLs and ELs were also at Stop, naught visible immediately W. At 0342, KCIR 5956 was dark, solo, and E facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot, 1 or mebbe 2 covered hoppers on the the W end of East Side. 5 later, there was D-3 hash in the Nashua Street sag, activity in the RVJ lot precluding any view of the EB staggers for Derby.
The 0356 D-3/M426 convo has already been covered, but just after that and with Mount Wachusett now being obstructionist, D-3 reached out breakingly to 16R, providing an ID for the EB at Gardner. The breakage was something about a set off at OX.
Only brief 0405 Dispatcher-side hash would interrupt radio silence for the rest of the trip. AY-3? Naught heard.

0217-0425/01-07-2023 started at the started at the start when M426 with CSXT 465 at Burncoat read back Form D G302 for Burncoat to MP X 25. 0217 was also the time effective and when D-3 asked to know when they were on the move that being "now." Clearing crusted snow from my car got me to the X7.8 at 0230 just as the gates dropped. I don't have a radar gun, but in line with johnhenry's PAN AM WORCESTER MAIN LINE of 0947/01-06, the 10 MPH MAS was no longer in effect, CSXTs 465 5482, and 884 plus 63 getting a gates up and a no defects 2 -- yes, two -- minutes later. There were covered hoppers, cuts of LPGs, lotsa Railboxes, even 1 Pan Am box, but no C&Ds or trashes.
To wrap up 426, at 0346 and while I was in the Summer Street ZombieZone, D-3 answered them, rogered they were E and clear of MP X 25, and fulfilled G302 at 0347, meaning G302 had a lifespan of just 90 minutes. There was then garble about the Extension, Thorofare, and M427, who had gotten D-2 garble at 0329. D--3 breakingly advised 427 at 0349 they'd swap with 426 at the trailer and that there was a 5x21 pickup on the Thorofare.
Back to chronological order: At 0252, there was a broken D-2 241 to POED with the 7555 for CPF NC, so mebbe a pickup.
At 0258, the 333 WLs were dark, Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 1 WB stagger and 335s to follow.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark. The Extension and 1 had a mix of tanks (at least some unplacarded0) covered hoppers, and tented center beams. Tanks and double-stack hazmats were visible on 4 through the gaps. 2? Dunno. There were a coupla public-safety encroachments either side of the crest of Da Hill, but continued radio silence save for the exceptions covered above.
At 0334, the 333 WLs were dark. The EB staggers for 330 mighta been at Approach, but all else dark up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0355.
In Cumby's Comparisons, Cleghorn was $3.05 for nonmember regular and Main Street $3.17. At 0349, KCIR 5956 was dark, solo, and E-facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot, covered hoppers on the W end of East Side.
Except for brief -- and possibly spurious -- Road-side hash at 0418, the balance of the trip was quiet.

0214-0420/01-09-2023. was busy in the bad sense. There was 0214 XNG noise as I was going to my car, probabbly Burncoat, as thgings developed. The scanner was on at 0215, but so was the defroster to clear the ice on the inside4 of my windshield, so no further XNG noise could be heard. There was naught visible or audible at the X 7.8, the 1st reception coming at 0229 when M426 advised D-3 they'd gone into emergency and that they'd walk the train and get back to him in a bit. At 0310 and when I was in Gardner, D-3 answered 426, asked them to say again cuz they were getting stepped on. Next D-3 asked which 2 cars and broke up for the next bit. He confirmed that they'd run over Shrewsbury Street, but were not on Temple Street, and that he'd work on getting somebody out there in a bit. At 0337 and in the Summer Street ZombieZone came D-3 garble, "Roger that" and "Mechanical" being clear. To close out 426, the marker was ~100 yards E of the X 6.0 XNG ,and the power was across from the S end of the West Boylston solar farm on Rte. 140 -- at Breakneck Ledges if you have an old enough ETT. There had been a derailment several years back W of the X 6.0. 0449 produced XNG noise, mebbe for X 7.8 if things got fixed, or equally mebbe for X 6.0 if a Worcester crew came up to pull the tail W to provide better access to the scene.

0214-0420/01-09-2023, the non-426 parts: At 0245 and cuzza Mount Wachusett, D-3 breakingly reached out to M427, only the ID and Track 11 being clear. More garble -- but to and from AY-3 -- would follow. They wanted something dealing with the Camp, asked when the commuter was coming, heard (0)425 from D-3, and said they could be done by then for sure.
At 0250, the 333 WLs were dark, Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 1 WB stagger and 335s to follow.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark. At 0304, D-3 answered FI-X, saying something about rundown time at AY and that they had been lined to go to Ayer. Added was a hedzup that 427 was in the yard. The yard appeared just as it had on 01-07.
EB, the 333 WLs were dark at 0322. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, but all else dark, up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0348.
At 0334 came the 1st of a number of broken car countdowns, AY-3, FI-X, and M427 all possibilities. At 0336, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT, but covered hoppers were on the W end of East Side. 0338 was when D-3 gave the FI-X with the 5966 permission to reverse direction from where they stood and proceed W to Main Street. 0417 was another permission to reverse direction to FI-2, this on 2 W to CPF AY followed bt an acknowledgment that Arrowhead was Lined and locked and checked normal.
Dunno how long it could take to free up things W of X 7.8, but 427's stuck in the yard unless they get backed to Graniteville. Also dunno about any other would-be occupants of the yard and where they might be holding.

See post below for M426.

Unless it was just beyond my field of view as I looked west, there was no sign of a stuck M426 or anything else amiss as of my transit of Temple Street crossing shortly after 7AM.

The power was by the solar farm, well W of Temple Street, and inspection, head, and ditch lights probably wouldn't be visible through the trees in early daylight. There was 0815 XNG noise and at 0817 there was a no defects. Any acknowledgment got stepped on by AY-1 with the 7581 and D-3 talking about the Milling. There was faint XNG noise at 0824, appropriate for Prescott Street @ 25 MPH.

Sounds like maybe just a break-apart vs a derailment then?

Could be, but haven't heard anything WB as of posting.

0215-0405/01-11-2023 started off with only hash from PW Yard and AMTK. It wasn't until I was just N of the West Boylston/Sterling line and at 0227 that anything company came on, the X 7.8 announcing that he was checking train, the no defects coming 3 later, the acknowledgment hashed. There had been no earlier XNG noise or sound of working power, so guessing things were still at 25 MPH MAS.
At 0237, Yard Channel hash would start and would be frequent as long as I was in range, sometimes clearing up to garble level and sometimes including D-3.
At 0247, the 333 WLs were dark, the 334 ELs at Stop and the 1 WB stagger and 335s dark in sequence.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark. 2 in the yard was FP-FP with general, an MT centerbeam E, lotsa LPGs, a high-side gon, covered hoppers, and more tanks to the W. From the computer company E, 4 had covered hoppers, and 2 more covered hoppers sat on the Extension.
EB and back in range and at 0311, Yard Channel hash resumed, D-3 next reaching out breakingly -- Mount Wachusett yet again -- to M426, possibly with yarding/meet instructions. Naught further IDable to, from, or about 426 -- or 427 -- would come outta the speaker.
At 0315, D-3 reached out to LA-2 and asked their engine number, next giving them with the 5956 permission to reverse direction from where they stood and proceed W on 2 to CPF AY, making it sound like LA-2 -- not even an FI-X -- that was WB from Arrowhead, especially since the 5956 had been the recent resident of the FI-1/2 parking spot.
At 0317, the the 333 WLs were dark. The 330.8 WBs were dark, as were the 330s and GL WLs.
The FG WLs and ELs, however, were at Stop. Naught was visible W of the WLs, but to the E, solo 7512 was slowly WB just W of the EB dwarf, and at 0331, there were covered hoppers on the W end of East Side and the FI-1/2 parking spot MT, D-3 telling LA-2 3 earlier that he'd get them a cab and that the power was going to Fitchburg.
Unattributable Yard Channel activity would continue, and the EB staggers for Derby would be dark at 0337.
The final 15+ would be silent.

A heads up for your 1/13/23 report (weather permitting) M427 was given direction to proceed direct to Worcester by D2 or D3 ?, at 21:13 hours on 1/12/23

neman2-
Tnx: Weather -- at least the forecast of gale conditions -- didn't permit. Any XNG noise for 427 mighta been masked by the coffee maker, but there was no noise at all by posting time, so dunno about 426 either. Guessing the directive to run through coulda been from D-3 after -- mebbe -- a Graniteville set-off unless the Chief had D-2 do a bit of D-3's work.

0215-0405/01-14-2023 started off with the X 7.8 talker giving a no defects, acknowledgment unheard. There had XNG noise at 0212, so that meant an EB. Among the sporadic Yard-Channel hash, there came a 0237 and initially clear M426 call to D-3, giving what sounded like train information, D-3 confirming 41x52 and OKing them to continue E.
At 0241, the Yard Channel cleared up enough to sound like somebody was starting a 2nd shove to the yard, a "good for 20" following. Guessing it mighta been 264 cuz 16R would make its more westerly presence known later and an EDPO was mebbe in the future.
At 0249, the 333 WLs were dark, Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 1 WB stagger and 335s in sequence.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, and the Extension and 1 had general W to the Pratt yard that included covered hoppers, coil cars, a table with hazmat containers, boxes, and 5 MT centerbeams, the other MT tracks hinting that there would be a later EDPO unless -- of course -- those MT centerbeams had been left by the 16R that would soon be heard in Fitchburg.
At 0319, there was brief D-? hash, the same time the 333 WLs were dark. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, all else dark up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at dark up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0340.
At 0335, dark, solo, and E-facing KCIR 5956 was in the FI-1/2 parking spot, covered hoppers on the W end of East Side. 1 later came a strong ""16R, 3 step." There would be more, but now-breaking about "3 cars to spare." From signal strength and the activity being on Yard Channel, I guessed the activity was at OX. There would be later Yard Channel discussions starting at 0353 between 16R and D-3 confirming that when 16R advised D-3 that they had shoved back towards the Fitchburg Local with 3 cars to spare. D-3 was relatively clear on Yard Channel while I was in places that he usually wasn't and the convo had 1 party at OX, so dunno if D-3's Ayer Yard Channel has been upgraded or an additional 1 had been activated at Fitchburg.
For the balance of the trip, the only sounds came from the sleet bouncing off my car, so props to those on the outside of cabs, both of power and pickups.

0235-0435/01-16-2023 was "interesting." The prequel came in the form of 0205, 0217, 0218, 0223, 0225, and 0229 XNG noise for -- probably -- New Bond up through Prescott, the 0217/0218 intervals a tad strange.
At 0309, the 333 WLs were dark, Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 1 WB stagger and 335s. Radio silence would get broken briefly at last at 0323 by Yard-Channel hash from which only "427" -- more about whom later -- would be clear.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark. 2 in the yard had a mix of covered hoppers and a good number of wrapped centerbeams W to the W end of Chair City Oil and 4 was heavy with tanks -- more than a few IDable as LPGs -- and more wrapped centerbeams. As will be seen, these coulda been recent setoffs from 16R. In a strange twist of the usual weather, what had been and would continue to be occasional snow at lower elevations was freezing drizzle in Gardner.
At 0345, the 333 WLs dark, and 1 later, there was Yard-Channel hash, that followed by D-3 breakage on Channel 1 to M42?, followed by more hash and then giving 426 permission to proceed E on signal indication. At 0349, there was more than a minute of D-3 hash, mebbe 427's Form D.
The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, and post-refueling-stop, all else dark, up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0408, the FI-1/2 parking spot having been MT at 0403 and covered hoppers on the W end of East Side.
At 0412, D-3 reached out to 426 with a change of plans. They'd be recrewed at Wagon Wheel by LA-X and would then finish up 16R's work, which included trash and something about engines. Dunno how that might fit in with the FI-1/2 power not being where it is sometimes and -- of late -- an LA crew standing in for FI-2. Also, if 426's crew was gonna be doing 16R's yard work, it would seem they'd have to be qualified on more than just the Freight Main.
427? I'd heard XNG noise well E at 0438 when I was going inside Château-jaymaque and again at 0522, Coulda been others, but the wind wasn't cooperating.

0220-0410/01-18-2023 started off with a breaking D-3 calling 16R and advising there was a change of plans, only "San-Vel" being clear to me. More 16R will follow.
There had been 0154, 0159, 0208, and 0212 XNG noise heard inside Château-jaymaque, but no X 7.8 talker receptions after the scanner went on. The intervals were atypical, and there would be naught in the form of yarding or meet instructions or Form D fulfillments or issues coming outta the speaker for either 426 or 427 by the end of listening.
Radio silence would now be in effect until 0248 and a bit of Dispatcher-side hash. 2 later, the 333 WLs would be dark, the 334s ELs at Stop and the 1 WB stagger and 335s dark. Dunno if anyone else has experienced it, but there was a reapeat of Road-side lockups along Authority Drive and Development Road that had happened a few times before.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark. From the E FP, 4 had LPGs, a coil car, more LPGs, and a mix of boxes and full-size and shortie covered hoopers up to the E end of the Pratt yard. Probably 16R's drop, 16R getting a call from D-3 at 0310. There was naught further for the next 2, so I guessed a switch to Yard Channel, and I started heading E.
EB at 0315, a breaking D-3 called out to 16R, Yard-Channel hash coming a minute later. At 0322, the 333 WLs were dark, and further E, the EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, all else dark, up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0341.
At 0333, there had been a brief Dispatcher-side/Road-side hash exchange, and 2 later, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT, but covered hoppers were on the W end of East Side. 5 after that, D-3 OKd FI-2 down to Moores Crossover.
At 0342, a breaking D-3 answered what sounded like 11R, saying something about CPF AY and Freight Main Line, although it mebbe mighta been 16R, given the earlier mention of San-Vel.
At 0400, a breaking D-3 answered ???? and next asked "What was that again?" There was a roger and then "So we can'tget *hash*?" A "Roger that" would follow. Reception of D-3 seemed more comrpomised today than some more recent times, and while FI-2 was back to being FI-2, AY-3 continued to be among the unheard.

0220-0425/01-21-2023 was on the quiet side, naught until brief Yard-Channel hash at 0227. There hadn't even been any XNG or power noise getting to Château-jaymaq after 0100, but the XNG had been run through since iTemple Street's most recent plowing.
There was Road-side hash at 0247 that upgraded to garble at 0249, "east and clear" and "21x4?" being the clear bits and suggesting that 426 might be E of MP X 25, more supporting evidence to follow. There was also a "427" that was clear, but no fulfillment of 426's Form D or issuance of 1 to 427 got to me, although there is an ample supply of sites where any such transmissions woulda been eaten.
At 0255, the 333 WLs were dark, and the 224 ELs would be at Stop and the 1 WB stagger and 335s dark. Along the way and 0301, a breaking D-2 called out to NA-2, garbled, asked "Is that correct?" to suggest that a lined and locked normal statement had been made by NA-2, and then garbled some more. At 0303, there was brief Road-side hash, but neither of the same the sound nor at the same spots where the spurious ones sometimes take place.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark and the yard MT, all tracks seeming to have seen varied amounts of post-snow activity. At 0316, there was a spell of Channel 1 hash, only D-2's ID and "307" being clear.
The EB trip was quiet and the 333 WLs dark at 0331. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, all else dark, up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0350.
At 0339, D-2 had issued a broken 241 to 426, mebbe for 307. 0348 was when KCIR 5956 had been dark, solo, and W facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot, tanks on the W end of East Side and possibly boxes 1 track S. There also had been brief Yard-Channel hash at 0402, but naught else exited the speaker as of the end of 0425 end of listening.