The Stony Brook Branch

At about 15:45 M427 came back with only the CSX power and about 20-30 cars, so to answer my own question, those engines were not being delivered to the B&E, but were apparently dropped at NC.

It's not official until they paint them orange & yellow, lol

OK so to update this shell game AY-2 picked up some engines at Lowell plus the previous MEC engines I mentioned at NC and now consists of the following MEC engines -----345,3402,7535,502,7635,316,381,313,7895,7528, and 350. At about 20:30 apparent light engines into District 3 land. (This is via radio monitoring.) That is all for today.

Today about 12:30 hours there was a LA-1 Extra working at Graniteville who after giving D2 his updated train info was told by the dispatcher, "Let me talk to the DARK SIDE and see if they are ready for you to go west."

Later on I believe I heard the same train tell B+E dispatch say he had dropped some cars at The Milling which is unusual.
He then got yarding instructions for Hill Yard.

Unrelated to this D2 is having a tough night -- trees all over the tracks in Andover area. Same for Fitchburg T line in Acton and Littleton.

CSXT 482 E, 782 W tied down with a string of grain cars that appear empty at Westford track 2 12:00 hrs.

At 16:54 D2 gave "G 104 with the CSXT 482 " a rule 241 at CPF NC. Probably turning the power on the wye to get an ACSES unit on the head end.

20:44 Train G 104 (empty grain) with CSXT 482 gets a Rule 241 past stop signal at CPF 312 from B+E, take track IM-2 at Hill Yd.
21:09 Train M426 with CSXT 8831 gets Rule 241 from B+E at CPF-WL.
21:10 Train M427 apparently got a hit at the Defect detector at NC, blocking Depot Rd., D2 tells him to pull ahead on to track 2 at Westford and check train.

21:42 M427 has to pull thru CPF 309 so his tail end clears 307 for M426 to continue east on track 1.
21:48 District 1 gives G 104 Form DG WOR 1 to Burncoat St.
22:03 M426 got a hit on the detector at NC. Will check train.
Nothing more heard about M427 findings.
(End of my listening)

At about 17:15 or so D2 told M427 at Graniteville that the "Ayer East wye is out of service, headpin your power, tie down the cars at 309, go to Ayer back in the west wye, and make your pickup." That is the extent of what I heard so not sure what may have happened later. Hopefully not a major issue because east wye out of service= major cluster ***k.

Loram train just took the east wye at 13:55, must be good to go again.

Went out for my walk about 14:30 and I saw B+E "AY Extra" BERX 7635, BERX7489 and BERX7523 holding the main track 1 at Westford with a EDPO type consist waiting for a meet with M427.

At 15:15 M427 with CSXT 483,128 and 352 with a big train passed AY Extra on the #2 track .

At 16:45 after getting 241 at CPF 312 from B+E dispatch, M427 was told to take track 11 at Hill Yd.

At 17:15 hrs. M426 with CSXT 474 got 241 at CPF WL from B+E dispatch.
.
At about the same time AY Extra heard making moves at "WA" and "LO" (Lowell)

At 19:20 M426 making moves at "LO", maybe picking up AY extra's cars?

Is this the way the CSX/B+E interchange will go? Seems to have gone pretty well today. We'll see.

Nothing is set in stone but if they manage to keep it going with some fluidity (not missing a day) then doing the dance in Lowell is as good as anywhere else.

Based on a PAS filing with the STB on 9/21/23 re: B&E power moves at CPF-312, it appears that any B&E operating rights over CSX/PAR east of CPF-312 may require a formal agreement between the 2 parties?

Pan Am Southern LLC (“PAS”) submits this Verified Notice of Exemption pursuant to the class exemption at 49 C.F.R. §1180.2(d)(8) for limited overhead temporary trackage rights over a rail line owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation (“B&M”) and leased and operated by Springfield Terminal Railway Company (“ST”), generally between PAS’s existing connection to B&M/ST’s tracks at Engineering Station 215+89 at CPF 312 outside Ayer, Mass. to Engineering Station 225+00 outside Ayer, Mass., a total distance of approximately 1,000 feet (the “B&M/ST Line”). PAS’s use of the B&M/ST Line will be limited to repositioning locomotives. The temporary trackage rights are based on a written agreement and are not filed or sought in a responsive application in a rail consolidation proceeding.

Strange to see such a thing sent to the STB, it is not common for such limited rights. Obviously there is an agreement in place to take the train beyond to Lowell.

The crew on the "AY extra" yesterday was definitely B+E, they had Pan Am Railways vests on.
Does anybody know why CSX trains WB through 312 and EB through WL now have to stop and get a Rule 241 from B+E now? I thought it was a signal issue but it has continued for a while.