The Stony Brook Branch

At CPF-309 CSX has apparently taken soil borings for the new signal bridge. They are needed for an engineer to design the proper footings for the site. There are three on this side and more on the other side of tracks.

At about 21:35 hours tonight "ED 495" instructed by D2 to "tie their train down at Westford, cab has been called."

As many of you know the Stony has been used for exchange of CSX/PAS traffic for the past few months after EDPO/POED was eliminated. I believe the goal is to keep the CSX trains out of the Hill Yard?

I thought I would post some of my observations in the field, and from radio monitoring.

M427 sometimes drops part of their train at Graniteville, takes the "Ayers" to Ayer, then runs light engine back to Graniteville, picks up the rest of the train and continues west. Sometimes it sets off "Ayers and Deerfields" at Graniteville which LA-4 may pickup later.

M426 sometimes picks up Lawrences, Portlands at Westford which seems to lead to a lot of issues since the train often is not made up in Selkirk for this work. For instance one time the train had Lawrences on the head end and they were picking up Portlands "east out" at Westford. The position of "hazardous" also complicates things.

LA-4 shuttles cars back and forth from Westford-Graniteville to Ayer.

D2 dispatcher spends a lot of time giving "Rule 241's" to everybody all day.

A lot of radio problems since trains use Channel 1 and D2 and D3 drown out the conductor. Don't know why they don't use Channel 2. Also this siding is 1.75 miles long, tough for a portable when making a long shove or pickup.

Overall it seems they are trying to use Graniteville-Westford as a yard which of course it isn't its just is a stretch of double track.
Hopefully when the B&E operation gets going things get ironed out, right now crews and dispatchers seem to be a little stressed.

Have a good day all.

Last night there was a train called "LW-05" working at Graniteville per D2 to "test the 71 East Deerfield's on track 2."
I haven't heard "LA-4" in a while so maybe this is a replacement? Also instead of the usual MEC engines LA-4 ran, this train had CSX 470 for power.

Also of note M427 and M426 have been meeting late evening between CPF-312 and Ayer recently and swapping crews. M426 has been running recently with a CSX crew on board in addition to the ST crew, I assume this is for qualifying the Selkirk crews?

This morning about 0700 there was another M427 that was destined to tie down at Still River. Operations these days are unpredictable.

Apparently two M426's on the former PAR today. I don't monitor 24/7 but yesterday was strangely quiet.

At about 12:30 hours today D1 gave "form DG Burncoat to MP 10, track out of service MP10 to MP1 in charge of foreman--" to M426 CSXT 477.
About the same time D2 giving a different M426 yard instructions including pickup of 2 engines at Lawrence.

That CSXT 477 led M426 had 140+ cars when it descended Washington Hill passing the Chester rail cam. Since it was about 7,000 feet long, it shouldn't perform yard work at Hill Yard Ayer on account of being greater than the 4,750 feet limit imposed on CSX trackage rights trains.

LW05 is a Lawrence based crew - there's a WL05 as well. Right now, both work between Lawrence and Worcester, on at 0500. In theory one is supposed to cab to M427 and the other cabs to M426. In reality they get set back daily, go to wherever the fire is hottest, and CSX crews are starting to qualify on the Worcester Sub so the nature of the job might change in the near future. As an aside there used to be an ST crew based on Worcester called OZ that took M426.

You are correct Mr. Barlow M426 went to Westford and was setting out cars around 16:00, at about 19:00 it was in the Lowell area. Re-crew on at 20:00 hrs.
Thanks for the info on LW05.
There's a video on You Tube from Stony Brook Railroad vids titled "Crazy Action on M426 and M427" Truly some confusing moves going on, it appears M427 pulls up the Northern Main to allow M426 to pass then performs multiple switching moves over several hours. Kudos to the conductors on that train.

Video----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVW1OOZ7y0Y&t=36s

You want to see confusing moves try making a pickup on a road job off a facing point switch

ST377 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 13, 2023 4:40 pm LW05 is a Lawrence based crew - there's a WL05 as well. Right now, both work between Lawrence and Worcester, on at 0500. In theory one is supposed to cab to M427 and the other cabs to M426. In reality they get set back daily, go to wherever the fire is hottest, and CSX crews are starting to qualify on the Worcester Sub so the nature of the job might change in the near future. As an aside there used to be an ST crew based on Worcester called OZ that took M426.

And of course week after I post this these jobs have been rebid. Now LW12 and WL14.

After hearing WL14, L048, L058? and L073 all in the last few days I decided to stop posting until things settle down, too confusing.

Geometry train with MEC 507 leader westbound by CPF 312 about 0955 this morning. I'm not sure but it sounds like it may be headed out the Fitchburg Route.

The apparent POED type train that has been sitting on Track 2 Graniteville for the past 4 or 5 days has finally left. Power was MEC 3405 LHF, MEC 7727, CSX 478 and MEC 7552.

At about 12:45 L 073 MEC 7609 was working with D2 to pick up "Ayer's" at Graniteville when the Chief Dispatch last minute changed plans.
Instructed to go to NC to make a pickup.

Today at about 11:30 hours M427 with CSX engines 484,5943,488,8350 and MEC engines 7635,316,381, and 313 were tied on to a train on track 2 at Graniteville. At about 12:15 the engines left the train and headed light towards Chelmsford. I didn't have a radio so I'm not sure what they are doing.

I wonder if they are starting to send MEC engines west for B&E?

B&E starts Friday, so no time like the present to get them equipped to run the property