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  • Pan Am Worcester Main Line

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1607299  by neman2
 
rustyrails wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 5:21 pm Could you provide that frequency the crews use?
When I was in Clinton on August 2 Corman was on 161.40, but that was the crew dropping the rail, who obviously have to communicate with the train crew on the CSX locomotive. Corman may have their own frequencies or more likely just use cell phones.
 #1607355  by BandA
 
That video of the donor subdivision was confusing; was CSX removing a track, or replacing the track with new track & sending the old track to worcester?
 #1607359  by MECFAN
 
It sounds to me they removed the old rail and then did ties and new rail 2 months later.
 #1607370  by neman2
 
CPF363 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:41 pm Here is where the 2nd hand rail that was dropped between Chace Hill Road in Sterling and Clinton came from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-InzstJXiI
That is a great video. The "sled" that pulls the rail off the ties (at 11:00 minutes n the video) is a simple but very effective piece of equipment. It looks like it may have been fabricated in a shop rather than purchased .

As to Band A's question CSX was removing the rail and ties making the line single track where it was formerly double track. The removed rail was pulled onto the cars and sent to Worcester main to be unloaded.
 #1607622  by johnpbarlow
 
I drove over the Sterling St grade crossing at Clinton Saturday evening 10/1/22 and noticed new pavement over presumably a newly installed track panel. I couldn’t be sure but don’t think the turnout at the south end of the Clinton siding has yet been replaced. But progress is noticeable!
 #1607625  by rustyrails
 
I was over there yesterday as well and noticed the new asphalt. There must of been a new panel installed. I didn't notice any panels to the side.
 #1607658  by SpiderHill
 
I had to head to West Boylston yesterday and had a chance to take a look around. Here is the crossing situation heading west:

Clinton Depot - replacement completed
South Meadow Road Clinton - replacement completed
Newell Hill Road Sterling - replacement completed
Gates Road Sterling - crossing closed; track panel installed, looked to be waiting for asphalt
Prescott St. - Asphalt cut, track panel assembled, the 2 Corman excavators and one backhoe parked at this crossing

Looks like Prescott St is next (there was also a couple loads of ballast dumped by the crossing).

I also noticed that the track panels at all of these completed crossing locations were bolted to the new CWR. Is this standard practice to leave it like this or will it all be welded together at a later date?

Other observations - there is definitely more Corman equipment around. There is a hi-rail Cat track excavator, another Cat wheeled excavator, a Case backhoe, and a hi-rail dump truck. I'm guessing there is a different crew taking care of the crossing work with this equipment. All the of the Corman MOW equipment is being stored at night on the Clinton siding using the east switch. The gons on this siding are also still there. There is also a blue hi-rail ten wheeler boom truck from Strategic Rail doing work. This truck is stored for the night at Clinton using the west switch. This company is picking up the old tie plates and other steel. Corman wasn't working yesterday but Strategic Rail was. I was at the Clinton crossing when the truck returned for the day with a load of old steel. At a couple of the crossings I noticed the old stick rail piled up and ready for removal. South Meadow and Newell Hill Road both had piles of old rail.

The switch panels for Clinton east and Clinton west are completely assembled but not installed yet.

A couple weeks ago, I was crossing Mill St in Lancaster. I noticed a Corman ballast tamper and a ballast regulator on the main just down from the crossing. It looks like Corman parks it on the main while they are working as an added safety measure.

I think that's all I have for now.
 #1607659  by newpylong
 
Two observations:

-No back and forth with the town for years arguing who is going to pay to replace the crossing(s).
-The ties, tie plates and rail aren't being tossed in the bushes for pick up in 2028.

Quite a difference, it's kinda how a real railroad operates.
 #1607670  by jwhite07
 
Per the West Boylston Police basefook page, Prescott Street was to be closed 10/2, Temple Street closed 10/3, and Shrewsbury Street closed 10/4. An update notes they ran into some trouble at Prescott Street and that closure is bleeding through to today (10/3); no update yet what that means for the rest of the schedule. Either way, Shrewsbury Street and Temple Street are both going to be notfun for me - prolly a good couple of days to try to not go much of anywhere if I can help it.
 #1607771  by rustyrails
 
Is there any update on frequencies the crews are using? I heard some chatter on 161.400. What's really strange is I heard chatter on P & W sig 160.755 while I was riding near the reservoir and the turn to go to Rhoda Springs. Sounded like investigating chatter but makes no sense hearing P&W there. I know Corman has a frequency assigned to them 160.845 but I hear nothing on it.
 #1607777  by neman2
 
Everybody these days has their own cell phone, why should a contractor invest in expensive two-way radios ?
 #1607780  by MEC407
 
There are still a lot of cellular dead zones throughout New England, and different cell carriers have different coverage areas. If your workers have a mix of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon phones, and one of those carriers has a dead zone where you're working, the worker(s) who use that carrier can't communicate with the rest of the group.
 #1607786  by newpylong
 
Outside of where the tracks pass through towns nearly the entire main between Gardner and Mechanicville largely has poor (and no coverage) due to geography and remoteness.

Working 2 ways are a federal requirement. Real time communications are a must, can you imagine the logistical and safety nightmare of trying to communicate only with cell phones?
 #1607823  by neman2
 
rustyrails wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 4:53 pm Is there any update on frequencies the crews are using? I know Corman has a frequency assigned to them 160.845 but I hear nothing on it.
I found a frequency posted on a internet site for "RJ Corman Derailment Division," of 151.625MHZ. The problem you may encounter is that is what is known as an itinerant frequency that is used by many other businesses such as survey crews, construction companies, that need an FCC license that covers different parts of the country or state. Unfortunately there are 27 itinerant frequencies in the VHF band alone.
Your best bet may be to use the "Close Call" feature on your scanner when you are close to the crew. Good luck.
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