Dear Santa/2018

Dear Santa-
Thanks for everything, especially all the stuff that I didn't know I wanted.
Ties and stone are being strewn all around, and because so much is on other folks' dimes and dollars, there was some money left to go get 1 more car for The Blue and Silver Streak! Another few years and cars and a bigger tree will be needed for the train set to go under!
One other plus is that it seems steps are being taken to increase fluidity and reduce -- although not eliminate -- dwell-times between Gardner and Graniteville. Yes, dwell-times may increase at other places, but steps are steps.
An especially big thanks to your helper, MassDOT, not just for Fitchburg Line ties and the to-be Conn River rail, ties, and stone, but also for whatever role your helper played in the Great Eastie & Chelsea/Worcester Main Swap.
With all your generosity, Santa, maybe I shouldn't ask, but it would be nice if some of the more recent arrivals could get new coats. Of paint, that is. So many of them still don't look like they belong here.
I don't like to keep on asking, but could something be done about Zombie Zones? Maybe some front-office types feel that PTC will deal with safety issues, but safe and secure communications would be an extra improvement.
Thank you, and I hope you continue to pleasantly surprise us!
-jaymac

I know what your saying about communication.
I used to be able to monitor District 3 regularly on my scanner until the past year or so. Now I rarely hear the dispatcher side but I frequently hear the train side of the conversations with comments like "I can't hear you very well", so I know it's not just me.

I wonder if Pan Am is counting on the MBTA Santa to bail them out with new radio equipment that will be installed as part of the Iron Horse OCC project? Discussion here-

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Santa has already promised to install PTC on the Pan Am power that operates on the MBTA network by the end of this year. Not a cheap present even if purchased on Amazon!
I think Pan Am could use a few more elves to run trains as the sidings seem to accumulate parked trains. More capacity in Hill Yard would help, too. And what about a concrete step forward in raising Hoosac Tunnel clearances (and other RoW clearance impediments - something like 17 in number?) for double stacks - where is that engineering study?!? And what's up with NS - is NS really content with PAS ops after spending so much money to acquire and rehab the D&H South track, most of whose traffic depends on timely PAS delivery?

Dear Santa,

Same yearly request. Please write Mellon a fat check so that he will finally sell.

Dear Santa...could you point me in the direction of a good map of Pan Am's system?

Ho...
Ho....
Ho?

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Dear Santa-
Sorry I forgot to mention it earlier, but it's because it's been going on for so long that I take it as immutable past practice. When others' dimes and dollars do actually bring about changes to the Hill Yard, could one of those changes be ending the Worcester Main at MP X23? Maybe if that happens, 22K can then head in on West Wye instead of shoving back on East Wye, a Worcester Main Form D not being needed. Earlier today, I heard someone ask 22K if they could shove back just another 15' to clear the crossing, far less of an issue if West Wye is used. Oh yeah: It'd be a grand gift -- one that keeps on giving -- to the drivers of Ayer.
Thanks!
-jaymac

And please do not be tempted by tourist railroads etc who may be interested in purchasing "the sisters."
Sad to see the heritage units gone.

Also Santa if it is not too much to ask, please bring 25MPH speed limits between CPF-111 and Lincoln in the new year.

Dear Santa,
Having watched trackside along the B&M since the Dark Ages of the late 1990s, I'm just glad we have a railroad again. I can remember seeing just 2 trains in 24 hours west of East Deerfield. I'm watching the competition, CSX B&A line whittle down to a couple of 150 car mega trains per day, when it was 24-26 per day in the last year's of Conrail.

I'm grateful to see motive power variety along the lines of
"Something Old, Something New to You, Something Leased, Something Blue.". And more than just GE Widecabs with ridiculous names like AC400CWGHEPXYZ that all look the same.

I'm grateful the paper mills at Rumford and Old Town are back and making cardboard for Amazon instead of being cut up for scrap metal like Bucksport.

And did I mention I'm grateful that we can still see freight trains in daylight on both the B&M and MEC? I don't own night vision goggles so those mega trains on CSX are hard to see.

I'm grateful that after 100 years of political animosity and neglect the state "guvmints" realize any railroad making abuck in New England needs help.

Again, I'll settle for the continued positive growth and not worry about economic and operating conditions we railfans can't control.

jaymac wrote:Dear Santa-
Sorry I forgot to mention it earlier, but it's because it's been going on for so long that I take it as immutable past practice. When others' dimes and dollars do actually bring about changes to the Hill Yard, could one of those changes be ending the Worcester Main at MP X23? Maybe if that happens, 22K can then head in on West Wye instead of shoving back on East Wye, a Worcester Main Form D not being needed. Earlier today, I heard someone ask 22K if they could shove back just another 15' to clear the crossing, far less of an issue if West Wye is used. Oh yeah: It'd be a grand gift -- one that keeps on giving -- to the drivers of Ayer.
Thanks!
-jaymac

The railroad would also have to build a running track through the Hill Yard from the wye down to near the Barnum Road overpass and connect that track to the west end of track 2 down to the Harvard High switch. Might not need to extend the yard limit any further west than it is today however.

There would likely not be any need for that. If they have permission into the yard to spot pigs then at least one of those IM tracks is already empty if not more than one.