Gardner Gawking

0225-0440/03-22-2024 was "interesting." Yard-Channel hash started at 0226 and was intermittent throughout pretty much the whole trip, clearing up at 0256 to "5 more, 427."
At 0258, the 333 WLs were dark, naught visible E or W. A stop was made at the T lot and the 334s were at Stop, but had gone dark by the time I actually got there, but he 335s were still at Stop.
Up Da Hill, the 345 Single EL showed a Clear. The yard was MT except for a full-size covered hopper, a few shorties, and a coil car on 2 across from the MART garage. I decided to refuel while the WB was climbing Da Hill, but progress was quicker than I thought, so I uied back to the Four Season lot, too late to get the power, but just in time for PD Gardner to pull in back of me and run license and reg. The public-safety encroachment let me know the same time the officer knew that all was in order. It seems Gardner has a trespassing regulation about night-time parking in lots, so be aware. The train? Guessing SAED cuzza the large amount of trash up front, the few general, and the large amount of racks on the tail which cleared the lot at 0331.
I got myself EB, and at 0336, the 346.6 came on, showing she is no longer OOS, and the Yard-channel hash continued.
At 0342, the 333 WLs were dark. The EB staggers were at Approach, and after an actual refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs, 330s, and GL WLs were dark.
The FGs were all at Stop, and at 0400, the only visibles were the T coaches on the W end of West Side, the East Side trashes of 03-20 quite probably on the point of the presumed SAED.
At 0403, a breaking B&E answered FI-2, giving permission to reverse direction from where they stood *the rest lost, but surmisable from later receptions*. 1 later, the B&E told EDSA he was dropping the signal at AY cuz FI-2 was looking to get by, and just after that, the B&E answered FI-3(three), things now going hashed, so dunno.
At 0408, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, the T Nordco tie machine still on the stub.
Yard-Channel hash continued, and the P&W St. Albans Dispatcher was busy letting non-427 folks in and out the yard.
At 0437, a breaking 427 called D-1 with train info and got Form D G101 to CSXT 479, a Line 2 for WOR1 to Burncoat, time effective 0439. If there was anything about tie-down or live recrew, that didn't leave the speaker by the end of 0440.

Edited to correct error.

At about 05:45 D1 was in conversation with M427 about a pickup on the Clinton siding.

If this is your first encounter with PD I'm surprised considering your "gawking" hours.

neman2 wrote:If this is your first encounter with PD I'm surprised considering your "gawking" hours.

My patrol and the PD patrol just happened to align for the first time in all these many post-pandemic years.

0235-0435/03-25-2024 started at the start with Boston East hash, followed by someone on P&W Road telling someone else something about 1000'. 0239 was the time for CSX Boston Sub hash, and it would be 18 later for Boston West hash.
0302 gave more hash, but this time Yard Channel, but not 427, as will be seen.
At 0305, the 333 WLs were dark, as were the 334s and 335s.
For much of the WB trip, the sky had also been dark. There was a full moon when I left and when I got back, but Rte. 2 WB shoulda shown something, too. Whether the absence was a feature of the advertised lunar eclipse and/or variable cloudiness, dunno.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were at Stop, and 4 in the yard was pretty much FP-FP with mixed general -- covered hoppers, tanks, boxes, a wrapped centerbeam, and scrap gons W -- but no trash. Trash, however, was on 2 at the Wilkins Road dogleg, and the 346.6 WL showed a Stop at 0330 with dark power E.
EB and at 0337, a breaking D-2 answered L0?7, both 057 and 067 being possibilities. On the theme of possibilities, it was a possible 241, since both "signal" and -- later -- " correct" were heard. At 0342, L0?7 got answered again by D-2.
0344 was when the 333 WLs were dark. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach and the 330s and GL WLs dark, Dispatcher-side hash coming at 0353.
The FGs were at Stop, no causes readily visible, and at 0401, the T coaches were the only visibles on the W end of EFitch.
There was 0402 Dispatcher-side hash and 0406 Road-side hash. At 0407, the EB staggers for Derby were dark and the T Nordco piece on the RVJ stub.
0411 was the start of a spell of extended Dispatcher-side hash, possibly D-1 giving 427 their Form D early, since 0429 would be the start of 4 answerings from the B&E to 427, further developments garbled except for telling the 427 to run straight down the Thoroughfare.

I know the technology exists to improve radio coverage. Semi-optimist that I am, I hope it gets utilized.

0225-0415/03-27-2024 had Yard-Channel hash at 0229, 0244, and 0247, at least some of which mighta been from M427, as will be seen. 0248 was when the B&E garbled something to FI-2 which produced a hashed FI-2 response which produced a "Roger that."
The 333 WLs were dark at 0256, the same in sequence for the 334s and 335s.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were at Stop. 4 in the yard was close to FP-FP with trash, and 2 had mixed general from the E FP to the Pratt yard. There were full-size and shortie covered hoppers, loaded scrap gons, a tented centerbeam, and at least 3 coil cars, 2 of which represented Conrail in paint so good-looking as to suggest they might be heritage cars.
Also up Da Hill and at 0312 came some Dispatcher-side hash that cleared up to Form D G102 for M427 with CSXT 475, a Line 2 for WOR1 to Burncoat, made effective at 0314. D-1 went back into breakage mode, saying something about the original plan was for *probably a live recrew* at Still River, but the CSX crew was not on duty yet, so 427 should stand by. At 0416 and presumably after a consult with the Chief, D-1 told 427 to tie down at Still River and that he'd get a cab going. Naught further got heard from either D-1 or 427, for -- to go all Game of Thrones -- the night is dark and full of ZombieZones.
EB, the 333 WLs were dark at 0330. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach and all others dark, up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0349, the T Nordco equipment having left the RVJ stub. 6 earlier, the T coaches had been the only visibles for the W end of EFitch.
The balance of the trip was uneventful -- 0357 Yard Channel hashing, 0357 Boston East garbling, and 0412 P&W St.Albans Dispatcher taking care of apparently intramural activity in the yard.

0230-0420/04-01-2024 started and continued with radio silence, an apt start to April Fools Day.
At 0301, the 333 WLs were dark, likewise for the 334s and 335s.
At 0309, there -- finally -- was Road-side hash, and 2 later, a breaking 346.6 -- still GRS -- gave a no-deets-to-me no defects.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs were at Stop, and the 1 WL was at Clear. Eventually, the W did get bright, and 0317, NSs 6971, 4438, and 4628 began creeping by with a few general, a few Republic-occupied wells, and 14 racks, getting onto the Single at 0322. The pace had picked up when the train was about 1/2 E of me, so mebbe a speedo W? The ID would be later confirmed as EDSA. 4 in the yard was pretty well occupied with mixed general -- including a Two-Rivers-tented centerbeam. No trashes were visible.
EB and at 0333, the 333 WLs were temporarily dark. The EB staggers were at Approach and the 330.8 WBs, 330s, and GL WLs dark, again temporarily.
At 0343, a breaking EDSA -- probably around 333 by then -- called the B&E, presumably for instructions, the B&E breakingly saying something about figuring out. Hopefully, EDSA got the word, but all I got was Dispatcher-side hash at 0405 and 0409.
The FG 2 WL showed a Clear well in advance of EDSA, so mebbe the FGs have been reset to constant-on.
At 0347, the T coaches were the only visibles at the W end of E Fitch, and 6 later, the EB staggers for Derby were dark.
At 0414, there was P&W Road tone, followed by the St. Albans Dispatcher garbling something to somebody about "3 hours." At 0420, there was breakage from the CSX Dispatcher telling somebody to "tie it down" with something a bit later about "45," so mebbe related to what the St. A had said.

0225-0425/04-03-2024 was quiet until 0233 Boston West hash. 0240 started some Road-side/Dispatcher-side exchanges. Both AY-3 and FI-2 would get mentioned later, so mebbe 1 or both of them.
At 0256, Signal 1161 called the B&E, and 2 later the 333 WLs were dark. At 0301, the B&E called M427 x2, went into hash mode, but cleared up enough to give a Single-W--2 241 for 312, power ID lost. 427 would go down the Thorofare and pick up 13x1 from *hashed*.
The 334s and 335s would be dark, and at 0305, Signal 1161 again called the B&E, this time giving his location as Wachusett. Naught further would get heard to, from, or about the 1161. Usually, I uie on Princeton Road when the 333s are dark instead of going into the lot. If I had gone into the lot, I mighta seen the truck and let him know he really was transmitting.
Most of the way up Da Hill, there were more Road-side/Dispatcher-side exchanges, the reconstruction of which was that the 346.6 had given a hit for dragging equipment and that a dragging-equipment hit from the 346.6 was outside the experience of at least 1 of the parties.
The 345 ELs were at Stop and the 1 WL at Clear. NSs 6954, 4215, and 3677 sat on 1 E of a tank, a few boxes, a string of slurries, and then trashes either side of the Timpany Boulevard UGB. Mebbe there were racks further W, but even if not, EDSA seemed a good guess. They'd be there longer than I cared to be, so I got EB, seeing covered hoppers on the E end of 4 in the yard.
At 0329, the 333 WLs were dark. Mebbe EDSA would light them up first, mebbe 400. There was no Signal 1161 visible.
At 0331, the B&E answered somebody calling with no repeat or acknowledgment getting to me.
The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, and after a refueling stop, the 330.8 EBs, 330s, and GL WLs were dark. At 0340, the B&E had answered AY-3, the ZombieZone hashing what was probably a 241.
The FGs were at Stop, no shunting sources visible. At 0352, there were the T coaches on the W end of West Side and lit number boards on the W end of East Side. Guessing the few on the point and many trashes up Da Hill would be filling East Side vacancies.
0356 was the start of Yard-Channel hash that would be intermittent for the balance of the trip, probably 427. At 0359, the EB staggers for Derby were dark. The Yard-Channel hash got interrupted at 0405 by P&W Road hash and again at 0407 by the B&E answering FI-2. further developments blocked by Mount Wachusett. 0417 produced another interruption when a breaking P&W St. Albans Dispatcher took care of some Worcester Yard business.

Hope the Weather Channel is wrong about the forecast...

0220-0415/04-09-2024 started with Yard-Channel hash that included "427" and would end with Yard-Channel clarity that also included "427." In between, there would be occasional Dispatcher-side and Road-side hash with 1 bit of semi-clarity to be noted in a bit.
At 0253, the 333 WLs were dark, likewise the 334s and 335s.
Most of the way up Da Hill, there was Dispatcher-side hash that cleared enough for the 346.6 to give a no defects and temperature 36º, the rest sliding back into hash. I was mebbe 5 miles away, and my car's thermometer showed 43º, so mebbe it's another recalibration time. The acknowledgment was also hash, suggesting a WB, evidence coming with all Stops for the 345s. The Extension and 1 had -- E-W -- 3 covered hoppers, several trash, and 2 scrap gons by Royal Steam Heater. There was also something on the E end of 4.
EB. there was more occasional Yard-Channel hash, and at 0322, the 333 WLs were dark. The EB staggers for 330 were at Approach, all else dark up to and including the EB staggers for Derby at 0344, 2 covered hoppers having joined the ties on the RBJ stub. 7 earlier, there had been even more T coaches on the W end of West Side, the E end of East Side having a dark GE, the numbers on the can visually hashed up by am intervening chain-link fence, There were also numbers of lit trucks in the T Engineering lot.
At 0401, D-1 called 427 on the Yard Channel, looking for an update. 427 said they had to double their pickup to the train and then charge the train, the conductor also walking back. D-1 asked if that would be about 15-20 minutes, the E repeating that the double was still to be done and adding that the train took a long time to charge at Rigby. D-1 next suggested an hour as a possibility, the E saying it might be less, depending on the charging. After D-1 left the air, there was an E/C confab, the C being totally lost to me, so ! went inside at 0415.

Edited for update: XNG noise at 0700, 0706, and 0711, appropriate for 427 at Temple, Shrewsbury, and Burncoat Streets.

EDPW has 29 for the P&W today.

Confirming a recent pattern, my gawking at Gardner et al. is on hold. To borrow phrasing from hedge funders -- those purveyors of the PSR pandemic -- the return on investment just isn't there. The reward has been diminishing for the effort expended -- however minimal that might be -- and it's gotten too much like work, an activity I retired from a decade-plus ago. I may start gawking again depending on circumstances.
When PAS came in, things got active, but when PAS became B&E, things seemed to get passive. When Voorheesville gets active, it'll be like Fink 1.0 again.
I almost miss Fink 2.0.

Is there another place to gawk - eg, somewhere along the B&A?

Once the stacks move to VO and if csx adds the rumored 2d train pair to ME, your local Worcester route main should have 6 trains a day

Palmer MA would be a good place to gawk!

my gawking at Gardner et al. is on hold.

After almost 650,000 views over 13+ years, it is clear a lot of people have valued your gawking. Don’t know if this turns out to be a permanent “retirement” notice of sorts, but I, for one, am grateful for your observations over the years.

After almost 650,000 views over 13+ years, it is clear a lot of people have valued your gawking. Don’t know if this turns out to be a permanent “retirement” notice of sorts, but I, for one, am grateful for your observations over the years.

I second that; thanks for all of your reports over the years, they were great to read