The Stony Brook Branch

Just a guess but as the Eimskip spine cars use the same IM pad tracks at Hill Yard Ayer as the 264/265 NS COFC trains, perhaps there was no room at the inn when M427 arrived? Once 265 departed west for Fitchburg and beyond, perhaps a local went out to fetch the Eimskips to bring them in? Given the volume of freight business being handled at Ayer, Sanvel auto racks, Arrowhead and Republic trash containers, occasional unit grain trains for Ardent Mills and Hill Yard general freight, as well as the frequent passing of T trains, there isn't a lot of storage space in the area.

Yes, that yard is frequently plugged. Once B&E takes over PAS, operations will be different as well. PAS and PAR will finally be physically and logically separate railroads at that point. The agreed upon Ayer Yard/switching district plan will take effect. There should be less interchanging in the yard.

Something else that came to me after I posted is the possibility that track equipment and/or material for the Worcester Main work may be using tracks in the yard.

Today at 16:00 a single idling engine, MEC 7594 E at CPF-307 Track 2, tied on to a long string of what appear to be EDPO type cars all the way to CPF-309.

Today at 13:00 7594 still idling with cars still attached. At about 18:30 hrs heard via radio PO-9 MEC 7622 working at CPF-307, assume they are picking up this train

Today I saw single MEC engine 7609?? drop mix of Eimskips and other general freight at Westford I assume for a M426 to pick up.

Off Topic, here is a picture of setoff cars, taken for display of what I think is some of the best foliage I've seen.

Friday 10/14/2022 about 22:00 hours heard M427 instructed by D2 "to pickup the Barbers you dropped off at Graniteville last night"
Not sure what is going on but this doesn't to be more efficient than Pan Am.

Can somebody with a more "inside idea" explain what Barber's are in today's CSX 's nomenclature.?

Cars bound for east of Worcester, as Barbers was the former interchange between PAR/CSXT.

How could it be "more efficient than Pan Am" when the only thing that has changed in 4 months has been the addition of a couple newer engines on each train?

The track still sucks, they still operate by the same sh*tty ST agreements, there hasn't been any new hires to speak of. The railroad is being managed out of Selkirk due to lack of competent local staff.

Heaven and earth aren't going to be moved in a day. It's all going to take time, like a lot.

Given M427 is a westbound road freight, I believe the instruction to pick-up "Barbers" at Graniteville means pick up Selkirk-bound cars that had been dropped the previous day perhaps due to maintenance curfew on the Worcester main? I'm going out on a limb guessing that when M427 departs Rigby, it is basically hauling two blocks - one bound for Ayer (eg Eimskips and box cars of paper for warehousing at Devens) and the other bound for Selkirk (ie, "Barbers)?

Okay makes sense to drop Selkirk bound traffic especially with the ongoing work on Ayer-Worcester line which is currently the railroads priority .

M427 with MEC 7541 given rule 241 to pass stop signal at CPF 309 at 21:55 hrs.

Unrelated to above at about 12:00 hrs an eastbound (EDPO?) parked at CPF 307 with MEC 5963, 7552 and 7727. Visible cement and loaded lumber center beam cars.

An apparent EDPO with MEC 7605,7518,5972 has been sitting idling at Westford for the last 2 days. First seen at 12:00 hrs Thurs. Last seen at about 14:00 hrs today.

At 11:21 hours today the tied down apparent EDPO is gone and M426 with CSX 471 and 3174 and a short train moving through at track speed.

At about 12:00 hours today a huge EDPO with MEC 7595,7835,7542 and 7552 with about 170 cars through Westford .

Since M427 was tied down on Track 1 (the main running track) the train was restricted to an apparent 10MPH on Track 2. With the way that Depot St. X-ing is situated with 2 roads either side of the crossing, there was quite a traffic backup.