Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

Where are said videos?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFQflCNBbKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KekjUCcm3N4

Limited samples. two locations. Perhaps not fully representative. But slow.

New photo from CSX Albany Division Sightings Facebook page show track being laid on the realigned curve in Voorheesville. Much closer to connecting to CSX.

As of 11/17/23, NS contractor Railroad Construction Co of Paulsboro NJ has laid track across S Main St in Voorheesville to a point adjacent to CSX Selkirk main. Rumor from CSX Albany Division Facebook page is the new turnout is to be installed on track 2 Monday 11/20/23.

There is a contractor doing major work on the Rotterdam branch currently.

No visual evidence yet, at least not to my knowledge, but report from VO on Facebook says the connection is complete.

The latest list of CSX symbols has ones for the pair of NS runs that will be using that connection - what's interesting is that they've assigned the symbols P264 and P265 (which you would expect would refer to passenger trains). It does mean that there will now be two separate "264" trains along the Boston Line.

(tongue firmly in cheek) - it's just too bad CSX did away with the "Q" symbols, or you would need to watch your P's and Q's...

"P" is an odd choice for leading alpha character for the NS 264/265 trains on the B&A. I thought CSX uses an "F9XX" symbol for foreign line trains running on CSX track?

Agreed that it's unusual. They typically use a Z to indicate foreign line operations, but they ran out of room (there's already a Z001-Z999) and added F950-F999 to that. Most of those are either interchange moves or symbols assigned to detour routes that don't get used often - maybe the difference in this case is that it's an expected regular run?

Millers Railfan visited Voorheesville this morning and posted video of a Mark IV tamper doing its thing on the newly-rebuilt connector track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLPnBaEv1vk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTqlWQA7wCA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wc4LGEhFVw

More video evidence from the former subaru guy at VO today.
The turnout on the CSX main is in. The connector track, however, is not fully laid. There is a prefab piece of track with two excavators on the N side of the CSX main that looks about the right length to fill in the gap. The track that has been installed is getting a lot of attention. This is not a 10mph connection.

And yet another, this time very close to the track work itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig6INiOX0K0 . After some of his initial comments, this features a track gang member/leader describing today's very manual labor.

As we close in on the shift of NS' Ayer intermodal traffic to CSX trackage rights, while the benefit of domestic stack capability is primary and fans focus upon time-saving benefits, with a general eastbound headhaul 2 commercial-day (1 westbound backhaul) competitive deficit, it'll be interesting to see to what extent NS might be able to cut that.

First pass I roughly figured slotting over on CSX with I022 east and I017 west, but with slightly more polishing I'll update the eastbound to slotting around with I020 (if not even earlier, but that gets into the agreed slotting up on the ex-Worcester Main Line where this train holds 3rd priority within the Settlement Agreement with CSX, as well as VO-SK).

It's going to be interesting to see where these trains fall within CSX's operation and to what extent NS is able to improve their service within the Chicago-eastern New England lane. Earlier eastbound arrival can only help. Further, it will be interesting to see how this might allow NS to expand volume by offering service in additional lanes. And, of course, how this might play within NS' auto business as well.

An equally interesting question to me is how NS will split/merge Ayer IM traffic with the other terminals served by 264/265, ie Taylor and especially Mechanicville. And how will auto racks be added going eastbound to Ayer (I’m guessing wb racks will continue west to Binghamton on 16R). I think it’s a given that 8,000 to 10,000 ft of containers bound for Taylor/Mechanicville/Ayer will continue to depart Chicago to run to Binghamton as today’s single train (and vice versa westbound). But I wonder what happens operationally to IM/auto traffic between Binghamton and Delanson/Mechanicville after the Voorheesville cut-in. I would guess NS wants to use one crew for Binghamton - Ayer/Mechanicville IM.

How can 1 crew serve both ayer and mechanicville east of delanson post VO cutover? Either mechanicvilles move on a separate train from binghamton or are dropped at delanson for movement via a local?