newpylong wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 6:03 am Strange to see such a thing sent to the STB, it is not common for such limited rights. Obviously there is an agreement in place to take the train beyond to Lowell.A week or two ago there was a little spat where a local servicing Sanvel asked to run around, and CSX basically just said no, you don't have trackage rights. Apparently in retaliation there was a brief period where B&E was holding all CSX traffic at Harvard and 312.
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- Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Moderator: MEC407
Some observations from the past few days --
Friday 9/22
A huge M427 took track 2 at Westford which ended up fouling the interlocking and barely clearing Depot Rd.
M426 and M427 swapped crews at Graniteville, then M426 pulled ahead to clear Graniteville so M427 could
pull up enough to clear Westford for 426 to pass.
M427 dropped the rear 61 "Deerfield cars" on track 2, then continued west.
Sat 9/23
M427 dropped more Deerfield's on top of the others on track 2 Graniteville.
Sun 9/24
AY-1 with 3 BERX engines working at Graniteville, left one engine tied on to Deerfield's other 2 engines light
power back to Ayer.
Mon 9/25
10:30 hours AY-1 lead engine BERX 7541 and 100 cars through CPF-312, B+E says they are going to Wachusett.
427 and 426 through the area 16:00 +/-
That is all for now.
Friday 9/22
A huge M427 took track 2 at Westford which ended up fouling the interlocking and barely clearing Depot Rd.
M426 and M427 swapped crews at Graniteville, then M426 pulled ahead to clear Graniteville so M427 could
pull up enough to clear Westford for 426 to pass.
M427 dropped the rear 61 "Deerfield cars" on track 2, then continued west.
Sat 9/23
M427 dropped more Deerfield's on top of the others on track 2 Graniteville.
Sun 9/24
AY-1 with 3 BERX engines working at Graniteville, left one engine tied on to Deerfield's other 2 engines light
power back to Ayer.
Mon 9/25
10:30 hours AY-1 lead engine BERX 7541 and 100 cars through CPF-312, B+E says they are going to Wachusett.
427 and 426 through the area 16:00 +/-
That is all for now.
Effective 9/28/23, the STB has granted PAS its request for temporary trackage rights over CSX for up to 1,000 feet east of CPF-312 for the purpose of providing headroom to re-position locomotives servicing Sanvel (& Ardent Mills?). These rights expire 12/5/23 by which time PAS will have installed a new crossover for headroom west of CPF-312.
https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... /51878.pdf
https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... /51878.pdf
As I posted in another thread the new detector at milepost 126 is now operational but it is not getting good reviews.
After getting a hit one train was told by dispatcher " Every train gets a warning and nothing is ever found, they refuse to take it OOS and check it. So stop your train check it out and call me back when you find nothing." (These may not be his exact words but close) All the transmissions I've heard are for two over height hits per train.
After getting a hit one train was told by dispatcher " Every train gets a warning and nothing is ever found, they refuse to take it OOS and check it. So stop your train check it out and call me back when you find nothing." (These may not be his exact words but close) All the transmissions I've heard are for two over height hits per train.
An addition to the high wide hits last night, I heard the dispatcher later ask the train crew if their were any lumber cars near the locations that were called out. I would think the plastic wrap on those loads they use coming loose might create hits but I'm guessing.
Some observations from the last few days-
The new detector at MP 126 is no longer giving a defect to every train that passes. One issue I hear from this detector is because it is about 1 mile from CPF 312 it announces at the same time westbound trains try to get a Rule 241 from B+E dispatcher, so the crew has to ask for a repeat.
More than once D-1 has called M427 when they are waiting at Graniteville and given them a Form D for the Worcester Line so they are all set when they get to Ayer.
As of now M426 and M427 meet between Westford and Ayer between 17:00 and 22:00, sometimes they swap crews.
A B+E train runs as far as Lowell making pickups/setoffs. I don't think it runs every day. Train has been called EDPO,ED495,AY-1, AY Extra and who knows what else.
The new detector at MP 126 is no longer giving a defect to every train that passes. One issue I hear from this detector is because it is about 1 mile from CPF 312 it announces at the same time westbound trains try to get a Rule 241 from B+E dispatcher, so the crew has to ask for a repeat.
More than once D-1 has called M427 when they are waiting at Graniteville and given them a Form D for the Worcester Line so they are all set when they get to Ayer.
As of now M426 and M427 meet between Westford and Ayer between 17:00 and 22:00, sometimes they swap crews.
A B+E train runs as far as Lowell making pickups/setoffs. I don't think it runs every day. Train has been called EDPO,ED495,AY-1, AY Extra and who knows what else.
A few more observations.
M426 and M427 continue to meet between Westford and Ayer yard pretty much on a daily basis 17:00 to 22:00 hours.
The Littleton defect detector is again giving high load defects on a regular basis, for some reason it is only giving axle counts for east bound trains.
Tonight's M427 passed PLD 126 about 17:50, it contacted Ayer Yard on 161.40 to get directions for setoffs and pickups.
Tonight's M426 passed PLD 126 about 18:30, it had two high load defects and 556 total axles.
I haven't heard or seen any B+E train on CSX east of CPF 312 lately, but I'm not a 24/7 observer.
M426 and M427 continue to meet between Westford and Ayer yard pretty much on a daily basis 17:00 to 22:00 hours.
The Littleton defect detector is again giving high load defects on a regular basis, for some reason it is only giving axle counts for east bound trains.
Tonight's M427 passed PLD 126 about 17:50, it contacted Ayer Yard on 161.40 to get directions for setoffs and pickups.
Tonight's M426 passed PLD 126 about 18:30, it had two high load defects and 556 total axles.
I haven't heard or seen any B+E train on CSX east of CPF 312 lately, but I'm not a 24/7 observer.
The Westford to Graniteville track 2 is apparently no longer the B+E interchange track, its been clear of any cars for the past 2 weeks. Looking at this picture and notation from Hayden Logan on NERAIL, CSX L080 now runs Lawrence to Rigby, probably replacing LA-4.http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=0&key2=
It seems like M426/427 is becoming more of a through train.
Also as the originator of this topic I think its time to let it die and make a Portland Subdivision topic that covers the CSX Portland to Littleton line. This will align better with the other topics ( Worcester Main, Hillsborough, Northern etc,) The Stony is less than 15 miles. Anybody object?
It seems like M426/427 is becoming more of a through train.
Also as the originator of this topic I think its time to let it die and make a Portland Subdivision topic that covers the CSX Portland to Littleton line. This will align better with the other topics ( Worcester Main, Hillsborough, Northern etc,) The Stony is less than 15 miles. Anybody object?
At 18:11 today M426 got 2 high load defect hits and a count of 546 axles from CSX detector MP 126. Apparently all checked ok when D2 gave CSXT 485 ok to proceed east on signal indication at 18:38.
I know in my previous message I said I was going to let this topic die but it works ok for me so no need to change.
I know in my previous message I said I was going to let this topic die but it works ok for me so no need to change.
Last night about 20:30 D2 heard talking to ZR-16? engine 5972 about picking up a single car on North Chelmsford wye that needed to go to Portland. D2 told crew they could "take it to Ayer with them or leave it in Westford and pick it up on the way back to Lawrence".
When they arrived at CPF-312 had to wait about 30 minutes for B+E response and clear signal . (B+E had grain train, AY-3, and a obvious dispatcher trainee.) B+E instructed "CSX light engine " to take track 10 at Hill Yard.
I'm not sure on that symbol could have been Z,V, B, ? definitely _R-16. I'm guessing they are a Lawrence crew that normally runs M426/427.
When they arrived at CPF-312 had to wait about 30 minutes for B+E response and clear signal . (B+E had grain train, AY-3, and a obvious dispatcher trainee.) B+E instructed "CSX light engine " to take track 10 at Hill Yard.
I'm not sure on that symbol could have been Z,V, B, ? definitely _R-16. I'm guessing they are a Lawrence crew that normally runs M426/427.
Even though my post will be in this topic some items will reference B+E and some the Worcester Main.
At 15:00 M427 with MEC 7620, CSXT 7237, and CSXT 3185 was tied down at Graniteville.
At 18:43 train LWR with MEC 5972 got 241 from B+E at CPF 312.
At about 21:00 M427 was instructed by B+E that LWR was working track 11, so go down IM-1 and something was said about Harvard and 426..
At 21:42 D1 was calling M426.
At 15:00 M427 with MEC 7620, CSXT 7237, and CSXT 3185 was tied down at Graniteville.
At 18:43 train LWR with MEC 5972 got 241 from B+E at CPF 312.
At about 21:00 M427 was instructed by B+E that LWR was working track 11, so go down IM-1 and something was said about Harvard and 426..
At 21:42 D1 was calling M426.
In this case does LWR mean Lawrence or Loaded welded rail?
After I posted last night LWR got 2 high load defects from CSX 126 detector. When they called D2 to tell him part of his response was something about " I don't know why you aren't L 074. " I don't know where these symbols are coming from. There's a CSX wiki page that id's L 074 as Ayer to Rigby manifest Mon and Thu.
A really funny video on You Tube from NorthEast Rail Videos about how CSX employees hate the new symbols----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afk7v4B ... WL&index=6
A really funny video on You Tube from NorthEast Rail Videos about how CSX employees hate the new symbols----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afk7v4B ... WL&index=6
Saturday night at 21:40 a train identified as EDPO got 2 high load hits and 290 axles from 126 detector, instructed by D2 to stop at Westford to check the high cars.