Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

Re: NS traffic into/out of Ayer:
- 70+/- 53' containers (JBHU, Prime, EMP, Hub, Matson, etc) each day from/to Chicago on PAS IM train B100/B101 (NS 264 & 265)
- 50 to 100 empty/loaded 40' trash containers daily into/out of the Arrowhead transload facility via FI-1/ SAED/EDSA (NS 11R & 16R)
- 10-15 autoracks daily (?) to/from Sanvel on
- 20ish blue Republic trash containers seen often on B101 IM train head out and empties in EDSA
- a few BNSF unit grain trains to Ardent Mills per month (loose grain cars from CPKC at other times)
- tank cars of vegetable oil for Catania
- Cement for Lafarge and plastics for Patriot Beverages
- miscellaneous commodities

Nice rundown, Mr. Barlow. In terms of measuring the importance of Ayer in any negotiations with CSX I would add that roughly 3/4 of NS' New England franchise value is tied to its operations.

Yes I'll second that. Thank you very much for the information.

Great info. Do you happen to know what extra may be destined only for East Deerfield? I believe I counted something in the 200-250 cars ~daily to Ayer with some unit traffic occasionally. Wondering how much additional traffic may be dumped in ED for the CT River Lines and Western Mass.

BlueFlag wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 3:20 pm

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 9:11 am

What Facebook Group is this on? Thanks.

CSX NE + B&E Railfans (Former Pan Am). Very active site.
[/quote]

I can't find it. Can you link the video? Thanks anyway if you can't.

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2024 8:54 am

BlueFlag wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 3:20 pm

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 9:11 am

What Facebook Group is this on? Thanks.

CSX NE + B&E Railfans (Former Pan Am). Very active site.

I can't find it. Can you link the video? Thanks anyway if you can't.
[/quote]

Was posted four days ago, so you have to go back a bit. No video but several photos. I have attached one of them. Credit: Isaiah Manuel/Facebook

P&W interchanges 30-50 cars several times per week if not daily with B&E via its EDPW manifest (trash, dirty dirt containers, grain, plastics, etc). I assume this train does not handle CSX interchange traffic since P&W gets it directly at Worcester. There are also 15-20 cars to/from Maine being interchanged every so often with M426/M427 around Ayer/Lawrence. I don’t know know the figures but both CSX and NS interchange significant traffic with VRS at Hoosick Jct. And there’s LPG going north and south on the Conn River but I don’t know quantities or source.

Thanks. So between the 11R/16R and M426/427 trains, it seems Ayer and East Deerfield are still pretty busy for carload traffic. I'm guessing ED still has a decent amount of local/road freights based on some of the symbols noted (EDPW, EDSA, FI-1, etc.). I know there is EDPL or PL-1 down the CT River Line to CT.

Is there anything dedicated towards the west - i.e. an EDRJ or something - that would hit the Hoosic Jct interchange and/or Mechanicville/Rotterdam? Or are these mainly handled by as needed locals and 11R/16R making drop offs along the way?

theGottfather wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2024 8:28 am Great info. Do you happen to know what extra may be destined only for East Deerfield? I believe I counted something in the 200-250 cars ~daily to Ayer with some unit traffic occasionally. Wondering how much additional traffic may be dumped in ED for the CT River Lines and Western Mass.

Other than the Battenkill, VRS, and Adams IT traffic, there aren't any online customers west of ED...

Other than the propane John mentioned, there's not much else on the Conn River beyond what's left of the slurry and mixed traffic off the GMRC, and whatever goes north to the WACR. There's Feed Commodities in Northfield, and the occasional load of steel to Can Am Bridges in Claremont next to the propane terminal there.

Points south, all I see is the connection to the PVRR, and whatever goes to CT, which I believe is largely propane cars. Then again, I'm using a 9 year old TT as a reference.

That makes sense. So in theory, they could close the Hoosac Tunnel and operate a crew base out of Rotterdam to North Adams and then another out of ED that covers ED to Ayer, Plainville and VT leaving Greenfield to North Adams to the state or something. I never see much coverage of ED west and now it makes a lot more sense.

EDIT: This being if NS could negotiate more rights on the B&A

They still run the road train to Rotterdam, no idea how often. EDSA is just 16R under a different symbol east of Deerfield.

16R/11R serve all of the Hoosick/BKRR traffic.

BlueFlag wrote: ↑Tue May 21, 2024 1:19 pm Was posted four days ago, so you have to go back a bit. No video but several photos. I have attached one of them. Credit: Isaiah Manuel/Facebook

How far east of Wagon Wheel crossing is that?

Between Deerfield and Springfield you have...
Trew Corp
All States
Crop Production
Barker Steel
C&S (rare)
Turfcare
PCA
Sullivans
Republic
PVRR interchange
Solenis

This is everything left east of Deerfield. Might have missed something it's been a while.

Seaman
P&W interchange
Maki
Midstate
Plastican
RVJ
Highline
F&M
Keating
Lafarge
Moore's Plastic
Devens Recycle
Southern Container
WestRock
SAPPI
New England Sheet
Republic
Plastic Transfer (Sandy Pond)
CPF
Arrowhead
San Vel Auto
Spagna
Ardent Milling
Patriot Beverage

Two questions re: PAS Devens shippers:
1. What customer receives centerbeams of sheetrock from NS/PAS?
2. Does SAPPI receive boxcars of Maine paper and transload paper to containers to go west on IM train B101/265?

Thanks.