The Stony Brook Branch

M426 has been arriving in D2 between 12:00 and 21:00 lately, M427 arriving in B+E territory in the 06:00-10:00 range. Some notations of activity showing how the B+E/ CSX interface is progressing.

12/2 Saturday 09:15 M427 arrived at CPF-312, B+E instructed them set off on 11, pickup on IM #1. At 11:48 D1 gave Form D to Burncoat.
At 21:26 M426 gave B+E report of 6261 tons, and 4893ft. At 22:13 Littleton detector gave report of 2 high loads and 366 axles.

12/3 09:38 D-1gave Form D and protect S. Meadow Rd crossing to M427 CSXT 473.
21:55 D-1 told M426 CSXT set off at Ayer, re-crew at Lawrence.

Monday 12/4 16:57 M427 got a "MP 126 detector not working" and instruction from B+E to go down thoroughfare and p.u. on #11.

Tuesday 12/5 07:50 M427 CSXT 1712 got no defects from Littleton det, and B+E instruction to go down #11. At 10:13 got a Form D from D-1 and told to tie down at Still River.
At 11:43 M426 told D-2 they were clear of WOR-1 by telemetry.( This has become common practice, I think it's to keep D-1 focused on the northern part of his territory)

Wed 12/6 06:23 M427 CSXT 473 Form D WOR-1 to Burncoat.
12:34 Littleton detector gave EDPO no defects 232 axles, then told by D2 to meet L-080 2 light engines between Graniteville and Westford, and they'll take your cars and you can return light to Ayer. Later at 14:15 L-080 was told to pick up 18 cars at WA.
20:00 M426 CSXT 488 given OK to leave Ayer 50 loads 70 empties.

Thu 12/7 21:03 M426 2 high loads 394 axles

Sat 12/9 05:47 M427 Form d to Burncoat--crew told " tomorrow set back 4 hrs to 20:00 per the chief"
15:10 B+E train 2 engines plus freight through Graniteville EB.
19:46 M426 CSXT 479 no defects 468 axles told by D2 to "pickup 18X8 Portland's at WA that B+E left.

12/10 Sunday 21:42 M426 CSXT 473 through Littleton 126 detector no defects live recrew at Westford.

Monday 08:10 D-1 to M427 Form d Still river to Burncoat.
18:30 M426 making pickup at Western Ave.

Tuesday 18:53 M426 gave B+E report 5600 tons,4024 ft. 19:30 126 detector gave no defects 296 axles. D2 told them recrew at "skating rink". I think this is in N. Chelmsford, perhaps replacing the former longtime "MAACO" location.

Wednesday 12/13 19:11 126 detector gave M426 CSXT479 high loads at axles 25&37 total axles 394.
19:30 D2 told them pickup 9 cars at W.A live recrew at Dutton St.

Thursday 12/14 20:29 M426 ready to leave Hill yard told B+E 7120 ft, missed the tonnage. 21:00 Littleton detector gave the train 2 high load hits at axle 20 and 443, total axles 478. D2 told them re-crew at Westford, do a roll-by to check the hits.

Friday 12/15 about 14:30 I observed a string of cars at Westford including a lot of OMYA type and empty centerbeams, I wonder if these were dropped by the EDPO jaymac reported in his 12/5 Gardner Gawking report. It's been a while since Westford has seen cars set off after being a regular occurence.

19:29 B+E to M426 CSXT 470 "run up track 11, set-off on 8 ,no pickup"
19:31 D-1 to M426 "re-crew at trailer."
19:56 D-1 told M426 "recrew changed to Westford, pickup 29 cars left by the B+E on track 2 at Westford drop your train so recrew has room for pickup."
21:03 126 detector-- 2 high loads, total axles 238.
21:05 M426 conductor says to D2 " The Littleton detector strikes again! High loads near axle 25 and 29 I'll check it out when we stop at Westford"

In all the times I've heard this detector give high load hits, I've never heard the crew say they found anything. I would think CSX has had a manufacturer's rep out to check it out since it is new.

In all the post's I've made about the Littleton detector I've never mentioned the fact that the radio transmission includes the words "excessive alarms" after the report of 2 high loads. Last night I learned what that means.

At about 23:00 M426 CSXT 470 got a report of " high loads at axles 13 and 16, excessive alarms, total axles 408, detector out." When M426 relayed this report to D2 he said this--" the detector only reports the first two high cars, if there are more it says excessive alarms so you have to check the rest of the train past axle 16."

Today at 09:16 after getting a "no defects, total axles 256 " from the Littleton detector EDPO with engine 502 was told by D2 to "drop their train on top of the 28 Portland's at WA, and then we'll get you back to Ayer light engines."

At about 11:00 discussion revealed they were only good to 12:15 and needed to wye the power so D2 suggested tying down at "Maaco."
D2 a few later said "we'll try to get you to Graniteville , I'll get back to you."

At about 14:45 Littleton detector gave "no defects total 20 axles" I presume to this light power with a new crew.

After noon I heard D2 conversing with a CSX local train working at Lowell probably picking up those cars but I'm not positive.

After many late evening trains today's 426/427 back to afternoon times.

13:41 M426 CSXT 488 received 2 high load hits, excessive alarms and 482 axles from 126 detector.

15:35 M427 CSXT 486 received "no defects" from 126 detector, no axle count. Instructed by B+E "down 11 set out on thoroughfare , pick up on extension paper in the office."

Last night at 19:55 Littleton detector gave train EDPO "no defects total axles 222." A short time later D2 told EDPO to "drop train at WA and you will return light engines to Ayer."

Since CSX has said their Ayer yard improvements are now done ,
( see this post -- https://www.railroad.net/post1634343.html#p1634343 ) for now this seems to be the B+E/ CSX interchange routine. M426 /427 do set offs and pick-ups at Ayer but not every time, 426 makes p.u. at WA.

Track 2 at Westford is empty I would say 90% of the time now where the reverse was true the rest of the year. I assume this was to give them room at Ayer to do the track improvements. Just my thoughts, of course everything could change tomorrow.

At 14:04 M426 with CSXT 483, 948, 413, SLR 4023,4024, 4022 thru Littleton detector no defects total axles 480. The SLR units are orange ex BNSF SD 70MAC's.

As of 16:00 today rails still buried in snow at Westford, plow berm at crossing untouched, also low hanging snow covered branches that a train would hit. I guess there hasn't been a train in at least the previous 36 hours.

At about 20:15 today Littleton Detector gave M426 CSXT 473 2 high load hits, 534 total axles. Crew reported the hits and " clear of MP WOR-1 " to D2. D2 told them to check at Westford and gave them the reporting marks of the cars to check.

At 20:55 D2 told M426 "you are OK down to LJ" (Lowell Junction) so looks like they are moving right along.

poland spring water is moving on the stony brook branch again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uEErbVPenw

At 17:29 today EB B+E EDPO received no defects, total axles 146 from Littleton detector. D2 told them set off at WA.
At 19:10 same EDPO lite engines WB no defects total axles 18 from same detector. B+E dispatcher told them set engines on West Main.

About 21:00 M426 CSXT 478 got no defects, total axles 326 from Littleton DD. D2 told them they would need Rule 241 at NC and Shea because of ongoing issues. I don't know if this train will pick up the cars left by EDPO.

Saturday 1/21/2024 at about 21:00 B+E gave M426 CSXT 465 instructions for a pickup at Hill Yard.

At about 21:30 EDPO BERX 7541 received a no defects from Littleton detector, I missed the axle count. D2 told them to set off entire train on Track 1 at WA and then he'd get them light engines back to Ayer.