The Stony Brook Branch

Some miscellaneous monitoring notes---

Monday at 20:16 D2 gave "POED 7535 ok to proceed on signal indication" location unknown.

Later D2 in conversation with 426 about "train being almost 9000 feet" and "the chief says your units are ? amount of horsepower and capable of ? tons.

Tonight at 19:31 CSX detector MP 126 gave M426 two high load hits and 580 axles.(140 cars +/_)

At 20:10 detector gave no defects and 12 axle count to unknown train.
Shortly after I believe that train was in comms with Ayer yard about whether he was picking up Selkirk's or Portland's.

Seems like CSX may be running 426 less often, but longer trains.

In case you have not seen it, miller’s railfan has a video of edpo 7535 at tyters today (10 mph) and of a very long 426 enroute to the par area property this morning- likely the train you heard discussed- at speed on the b&a

Ah, plenty of fresh commentary I see. He's a glutton for punishment.

Some additional info after my post last night.
The train that was picking up cars in Ayer yard headed east through 126 detector getting 2 high load defects, 290 axles and when calling D2 id was LW-14* After checking the supposed high cars at Westford, D2 told them to pick up the cars that LO 67 had set off at "WA" and continue east.

*-I have no idea on symbols, maybe somebody in Jacksonville picks them out of a hat.

I haven't been listening/observing much the past few days, but here's some notes.

Friday 11/17 at 19:35 M426 with CSX 479 had 2 high load hits and 450 axles from the MP 126 defect detector.

Saturday at 22:07 M426 had two high load hits and 390 axles.

Sunday between 13:00 and 13:40 a lot of announcements from 126 detector followed by the word "testing"

Today Monday 11/20 at 16:02 M427 CSX 478 got a "no defects and 322 axles" from 126 DD. B+E instructed them "track eleven is the runner, set off and pickup on the thoroughfare"

At 19:00 D2 called M426, something about a Keolis train.


At 21:35 D1 answering M427 confirming they are west and clear of Burncoat.

I hope everyone had a good holiday. My notes from the last several days-

Wednesday 11/22 15:30 Frequent "testing" transmissions again from 126 detector.
At 16:15 M426 CSX 488 got 2 high load hits and 488 axles from 126 detector.

Friday 11/24 16:57 M427 no defects 414 axles by 126 detector.

Saturday 11/25 22:20 EDPO BERX 7541 was told by D2 to shove entire train on track 1? at "WA" and tie it down.
At 22:26 126 detector gave EDPO no defects and 160 axles.

Sunday at 16:15 D2 instructing ED 495 at "WA" they would wye engines at NC and make a pickup. Lead engine would then be 7541 again.

Where exactly is “WA”? I think it is Wamesit but that’s midway between lowell and lowell juction

Western Avenue in Lowell not Wamesit. It's a control point with a crossover between BY and NC.

A short report from the last few days.

Tuesday 11/28 at 21:12 D2 informs M426 CSXT 483 they will do a live re-crew at Westford.
21:30 Littleton detector reports 2 high load defects and 486 axles. In what is becoming a standard procedure crew is told they will do a "roll by" with new crew at Westford to check defects.

Wednesday 13:34 M426 CSXT 465 received no defects and 402 axles from detector.

Thursday 11/30 at 19:56 M426 CSXT 488 received 2 high load defects and 618 axles (yes 618) from Littleton detector.
Again D2, live recrew at Westford, and do a "roll by" with the new crew.

On 12/1/23, PAS/B&E has filed with the STB to request that temporary trackage rights granted by the STB over CSX for a thousand feet EAST of CPF-312 for head and tail room be extended from December 2023 to February 5, 2024. Apparently the crossover that PAS/B&E intends to install a few hundred feet (?) WEST of CPF-312 is not happening as quickly as was anticipated. Excerpt:

...The limited overhead temporary trackage rights are beneficial to PAS/B&E allowing PAS/B&E to perform that move while the cross-over is installed. The cross-over is not expected to be delivered as early as the parties anticipated. Therefore, the parties wish to extend the temporary overhead trackage rights until February 5, 2024 so that PAS can continue to serve the facility while construction is being completed....

https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 307572.pdf

I drive past 312 frequently on Rt. 119 and haven't seen any evidence of activity, but I'm not sure where the x-over will be since there is a curve west of 312 that may require it's installation out of my sight closer to Wagon Wheel x-ing (Nemco Way).

I visited the crossing at Wagon Rd today and it’s not obvious yet where a crossover will be installed. However there is a brush clearing machine at the crossing that has removed quite a bit of veg around the track there. Maybe it will clear a path east of the crossing to allow machines to get to wherever the crossover is going in?

Here are a couple of extremely zoomed photos from 12/2/23 of the Stony Brook tracks looking east of Wagon Rd Ayer toward the curve leading to PAS end of track at CPF-312. I'm guessing the new crossover in question will go someplace in here with hopefully some main track rehab?

Zoomed pics always make track look bad. The orange flagging could be the location or may be unrelated. When I have seen humps like that near that flagging on track projects I was on there is something under the tracks such as a culvert or pipe under the roadbed. Could be easily fixed by raising the track to the east with a tamper and eliminating that "hole." Pan Am never fixed it because they would have to buy stone something CSX isn't concerned about.

Since the 1 track is 25 and the 2 is mainly used for switching Sanvel it's doubtful much of any trackwork will be done. Especially since this is PAS and not CSX.