Ayer Hill Yard

I found a drone video on YouTube that shows a good portion of the Hill Yard. Maybe those familiar with its former configuration can comment. It would have been nice if he continued with the overhead look through the yard but he changed views around 2:30. Good video anyway.

Video by "Popscycle" on You Tube----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM-RPRdKThw

That's a very interesting flyover video that shows CSX/B&E/PAS have made the Hill Yard track improvements at the yard's north end that were promised in the CSX acquisition filing with the STB. Aerial photo 1 shows the stub end drill track and #10 turnouts that were installed at the north end of the yard to facilitate switching the IM pad tracks without occupying the east wye track. And the 2 tracks have been added since 2023 off the Thoroughfare track presumably to facilitate easier pick-ups/set-outs for CSX through manifest trains.

Q: given IM pad tracks M1 and M2 are empty, this video capture was obviously made after IM train B101 had departed west and before B100 had arrived. B100 that will arrive later will likely have 75 or more containers and will use both M1 and M2 but there are many containers on chassis double parked adjacent to M2 - will these need to be moved to allow the piggypacker to unload B100 wells on M2? Or is all piggypacker activity restricted to M1 requiring some yard switching of wells to move blocks around for unloading/loading?

What I see captured by that limited video is that the packer is in the process of loading outbound boxes over M2 onto M3 using the reach capability of the machine and jockeyed from the line of boxes along M2. Given the day of the week for this particular facility, that's likely an operation to some degree reflecting peak terminal capacity utilization in handling of the total number of boxes and inbound vs. outbound.

As always, a good question.

very refreshing to see the yard no longer ramshackle.

There are a lot of tank cars. Other than the olive oil place, who are the other big tank car customers in the B&E ayer vicinity?

Besides Catania there's CPF bottling receiving corn syrup, but I believe at much lower volumes.

Is that the one that used to be known as Veryfine? If not, aren't they also a PAS customer?

Veryfine is now Patriot Beverage, also a PAS customer, but I believe only receiving inbound plastic pellets for their in-house container production.

I believe they got tanks until the business changed hands, it was a previous discussion on this board. Google Maps does indeed show a cut of hoppers on their siding.

I recently heard yard activity on 161.31MHZ in the Ayer area. 161.40 and 161.25 continue to be the primary ones. The grain train being in the area probably necessitated this use. Years ago I heard 161.31 being used by a stone train on the Stony.