CSX Track Upgrades & Infrastructure of Pan Am

Some ugly track indeed:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=

I happened to drive through Milford NH last weekend for the first time to my knowledge, and deduced (later confirmed by a friend) that the rail line I saw which had obvious signs of recent and long-needed work was the Hilllsborough Branch. New ties and ballast are a great start. That rail, though, is SHOT. CSX has a lot more work to do. I don't presume they'll put any welded rail in, but maybe some of the rail they're pulling out elsewhere is better than that spaghetti on the ground up there?

NHV thanks so much for finding those photos. I'm so happy, a rebuild of the Hillsborough branch has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember. With all of this work being done maybe we will see freight West of Lyndeborough once again in our lifetimes.

Thanks for those links to all those great assorted pics! Awesome!!!

With the upgrades have they left the old B&M boxcar in Milford? (this one: http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... rder=new99) Anyone happen to know the story behind it?

It looks like R.J. Corman is moving the Worcester track crew north (track direction east).

This afternoon "track car 1317 plus 17 " got a Form D from D1 from WOR 8 to WOR 1.

At 17:00 hours when I was driving to dinner through Ayer center I saw that parade heading through the East Wye.

Heading home after dinner about 18:15 I heard D2 give the same "track car 1317 plus 17" a Form D from CPF NC to 297.

Final destination unknown.

New switches at the western end of the Mattawamkeag interchange.

https://youtu.be/R397tmo_6P0?si=EpQRS5mV04YUb922

Look at the 136lb rail connected to the old rail. Can you move something over that? The size difference is quite big!

It's not connected - the rail joiners are just keeping things aligned. They'll be replacing the rest of the old rail as well.

To me it looked aligned on the north end to allow installation of the cwr dropped in the yard. Hard to tell, but it looked properly connected to the old rail on the south end. I don’t in the videos see - so far-cwr dropped by the track south of the yard

Is anyone aware of the new radio's District 3 got? Crews were working the tracks west of Fitchburg yard. I believe AY1 was on 161.40. They called District 3 to no avail, so they switched to Channel 1 and called District 3. District 3 answered and AY1 responded and asked the dispatcher if he could call AY1 standing by on ch-2. District 3 responded to AY1 saying that the new radio's they have now does not have ch-2. Does anyone know what's going on with the new radio system?

jamoldover wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 4:35 pm It's not connected - the rail joiners are just keeping things aligned. They'll be replacing the rest of the old rail as well.

Agreed you can see the bolt on each side is between the rail sections just keeping the bars aligned but not connected to either string. You wouldn't make a movement over that.

Ok Thanks. And it did look like there were two strings of rail laying next to each other one on side of the tracks

rustyrails wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 5:37 pm Is anyone aware of the new radio's District 3 got? Crews were working the tracks west of Fitchburg yard. I believe AY1 was on 161.40. They called District 3 to no avail, so they switched to Channel 1 and called District 3. District 3 answered and AY1 responded and asked the dispatcher if he could call AY1 standing by on ch-2. District 3 responded to AY1 saying that the new radio's they have now does not have ch-2. Does anyone know what's going on with the new radio system?

Just to clarify, what would "Channel 2" be? Unlike some railroads, PAR didn't identify them Channel 1/2/3/etc. in the ETT, but by groups and names that were based on what they were used for. Is that the B&M Yard channel, or one of the MEC ones?

Channel 2 was B&M yard.

CSX will continue to dispatch the B&E until they are staffed up. The expectation then is they will stick a dispatcher and Chief in Iron Horse Park and make phone calls to Deerfield (HQ) as needed.