Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

picture/video shows a substantial washout on the Fitchburg mainline. I'm pretty sure the location is just west of the Rt 13 light on Hamilton st in leominster across from the fire station. Rt 13 can be seen in the distance by the jiffy lube. This location is south side of the tracks, just west of the T station which presently is east of rt 13. I believe the T station in the past was approximately on the north side of this washout. Funny place for a washout. I'm not aware of any rivers or streams at that location, but who knows what's been buried in culverts.

If B&E is having trouble moving trains, this sure isn't going to help at all.

https://www.telegram.com/story/news/loc ... 828699007/

The land to the north of the railroad is more or less all higher up, and sloping down towards the Nashua River. The railroad (aside from the Route 13 bridge) acts like a berm interrupting that natural slope down to the river. Not surprising there were issues given how much water must have been trying to roll downhill.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/leominster ... e/45102839#

More video of the North leominster wash out. I think there was a culvert buried under there since there's water flowing out of the washout but the topside is just parking lot.

Sounds like hurricane Lee is going to add to the misery by next weekend. It's going to be a mess.

Per Intermodal service alerts on NS Corp website on 9/13/23:

Our rail partner, Genesee & Wyoming, has advised they now expect the route into Ayer to remain inaccessible until Saturday, September 16th. Following the restoration of service, the Ayer and Chicago 63rd Street ingates will re-open as soon as operations allow. As a reminder, the route into Ayer was closed following multiple washouts that occurred on Monday, September 11th.

http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en ... sures.html

The true test of G&W's commitment to keeping PAS open as a through route will come with the first big storm after NS completes the connection work in Voorheesville to allow the intermodal and auto traffic to go over the B&A... We'll have to see what happens.

Even more so the owner's commitment. It isn't like the B&P in New York where NS owns the tracks with B&P being the leasee of record, entirely on the hook for railroad operations and capital upkeep. B&E is only the operator for an existing entity of which there are two owners responsible for capital commitments.

NS IM train 264-13 (7K ft of single stacked Ayers) is ready to depart Buffalo Thursday morning as an X426 detour move over CSX direct to Ayer. It will be following the eb Lake Shore. Lead unit on 264/X426 is the Nickel Plate heritage unit NS8100.

X426 (NS 264) seen on the Chester Rail Cam at 21:00 more or less. Power CSX 8881,NS 8100 and NS 2768 according to the log. Probably will be on the Worcester Main in early morning hours, maybe to Ayer by 04:00. (Jaymac's prime time)

Millers Railfan posted a video from his favorite Royalston haunt showing 11R heading by Thursday afternoon.

neman2 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 14, 2023 7:20 pm X426 (NS 264) seen on the Chester Rail Cam at 21:00 more or less. Power CSX 8881,NS 8100 and NS 2768 according to the log. Probably will be on the Worcester Main in early morning hours, maybe to Ayer by 04:00. (Jaymac's prime time)

Was on Route 12 this morning. Train is sitting at Burncoat St. No crew around. Long train blocking the crossing at Norton/Saint Gobain - New Bond St.

Looks like no PAS service between Fitchburg and Ayer until maybe 9/22/23 - from the Worcester Telegram of Wednesday 9/13/23:

Robert Proulx, the MBTA’s deputy director for railroad operations, gave a train update at the Wednesday afternoon press conference.

“Right now, we’re doing our best we can because of the rain,” Proulx said. “We have our contractor on scene waiting for the water to stop. We’re going through underneath the tracks. As soon as that done we will be able to mobilize all our units over there. Hopeful, by next Monday, we will have trains, at least, running to North Leominster, dropping people off there. But, we’re still going to have to bus between North Leominster and Fitchburg. And, then, hopefully, by the end of next week, sometime, we’ll have trains running full service to Wachusett.”

CSX X426-14 (aka NS 264-13) arrived Harvard Depot 1125 Friday 9/15/23 with CSX ACSES equipped SD40 leading.

In the meantime, another 264 has been stuck at royalston for days. Why wouldn’t it detour via Gardner - worc, change ends and go north to Ayer? Just not premium traffic? Nowhere to change ends? No crews?

Different railroad - no rights...