Another Ayer Afternoon, 08-05-2011

There was the usual noon lull on 08-04-2011 when there was only MBCR to polish the rails, but then D-3 started talking to ED495 who, on the way down Da Hill, got told to set out the Fitchburgs at Willows East, which redefines East Fitchburg. Trona OldPaint 612, OldPaint 348, and NewBlue 610 got 40 east of the Ayer platform on 1 at 1240. There was a string of Ciment Quebec hoppers and, about a dozen or more cars later, another CQ hopper. Mebbe the Willows East set-outs were between the the CQ string and the CQ solo.
Meantime, the usual B&Ws had begun stirring on West Wye, getting AYMO together. At 1340, the 40.2 talker talked about no defects and the temperature to NSs 7533, 6685, and 9206 plus 17 racks and 97 tables and wells. What the talker didn't talk about was axle count or speed. At 1344, the 40.1 talker also talked about no defects and the temperature to 422, which had been holding west of Shirley for AYMO to get outta town, with also no discussion of axle count or speed.
Have the talkers been reformatted, or is this a glitch? There were no "detector malfunction" announcements for either track.

Maybe they're malfunctioning so badly that they're no longer aware that they're malfunctioning.

I was told by a crew from the MBCR that they reprogrammed the detectors (at least in that area) to no longer give out axle count, temperature or speed.

They can call it Malfunction junction!:)

jr145-
Mebbe the temperature announcement will be deleted later, but both 40.1 and 40.2 were giving temperatures on 08-05.

Tim-
...probably Malfunction Nonjunction since CPF-Slab City continues to be a straight-iron testimony to B&M operating practices of decades long gone...

Roger on that!

Willows East certainly aint close to Fitchburg. I know they went on the ground in Fitchburg yard a couple days ago, maybe couldn't set them off there. Just guessing, ha.

Hey! Is Ayer pronounced more like AIR, or more like EYER. I've always wondered. (Its not a word that comes up much in conversation outside Massachusetts.) Thanks..........

Bill Root

I've always heard it pronounced as AY-er (the "ay" part rhymes with May).

...and those of us with a predisposition to pronounce less precisely give the single-syllable and stereotypical New England rendition of "air," with the "r" getting not even a nod of acknowledgment unless there is a following vowel sound...

HUH?

MEC407 wrote:I've always heard it pronounced as AY-er (the "ay" part rhymes with May).

You would be correct.


And I have no idea what jaymac is talking about.

If you're gifted with the stereotypical New England accent and are speaking quickly enough, "Ayer yard" comes out something like "Ayahd," or "Ayer tower" comes out something like "Ayh towuh." If a fast-speaking stereoptypical New Englandish speaker is discussing the "Ayer area manager," the "r" in "Ayer" will usually get pronounced because of the following vowel in "area" and be rendered something like "Ayerarea manajuh."
Should there be any remaining doubts about why present and future students at my former high school are happy that I put in my papers, the preceding few lines should bury those doubts. Should there be any doubts that pre-papers people those who studied along with me deserve at least some sympathy, likewise should the first few lines bury those doubts.