Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

The lack of CT river on the map is interesting. While the state procured the physical property for the passenger services PAS retained an easement on the property for freight so they essentially own it as far as hauling freight is concerned. MassDOT cannot grant another freight carrier any kind of rights on the property.

While the interactive map does not clearly show PAS Conn River ops, the map on the B&E/PAS home page at the G&W website fairly clearly shows Conn River and CT B&E/PAS ops as red dots signifying "perpetual freight easement".

They're answering the radio as B&E Dispatcher now.

johnpbarlow wrote: ↑Sat Sep 02, 2023 6:33 am While the interactive map does not clearly show PAS Conn River ops, the map on the B&E/PAS home page at the G&W website fairly clearly shows Conn River and CT B&E/PAS ops as red dots signifying "perpetual freight easement".

I am guessing this map is based collectively on the rights and easements of G&W as a whole because they show the easement continuing down into Amtrak territory. PAS’s easement was only East Northfield to Springfield. However the easement on Amtrak may be referring to CSO’s rights which is a sister company under the G&W umbrella. I believe technically it is CSO that has an easement on the MRS line while PAS has trackage rights - I guess moot at this point since they’re now run by the same company.

Does the Poland springs water move survive the b&e split? Seems like that move is much more complex now and B&e might not benefit from it all that much. Videos east of Ayer have been sparse recently but in the ones available I have not noticed water cars recently

I haven't seen the Eimskip containers the past couple of weeks, maybe more. They were a regular setoff on #2 track in Westford. Seems kind of odd after seeing all the CSX "Viking ship" intermodal cars being brought in supposedly to replace the TTX's.

If the traffic is still going to NS then of course they keep going that way. I haven't seen much water in a while, prior to the B&E takeover.

The Poland springs water containers terminated in Ayer, so I don’t know how much b&e, or csx for that matter, cared about that short haul container business.
I was wondering if there’s been a change because those containers had been regulars on 426/427 between rigby and the Ayer vicinity and no sightings lately

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 126821.jpg

BERX reporting marks.

Help me out here. I thought any reporting mark ending with X meant is was owned by a non-railroad entity. Is it because B&E operates on tracks it does not actually own?

The marks that end in X are for things that aren’t common carrier railroads. I would assume that PAS is a common carrier, B&E is just the operator.
BERX is a pretty good mark given their name, although if they were a common carrier BERK (which appears to be available) would have been even better.

PAS is not a common carrier either. I believe the common carrier is Pittsburg & Shawmut which was resurrected for this task. So the P&S is to BERX as the ST was to PAR.

I'm certainly not expert on tariffs but the the grains tariff 14126 (Barley, Corn, Seeds, Millet, Milo, Oats, Rye, Soybeans, Wheat) lists charges for commodities shipped via PAS routing to specific destinations from NS / CP interchange received at Mechanicville to and same for CSX interchange received at Rotterdam Jct. This tariff does not recognize interchange PAS-CSX interchange at Ayer implying future grain trains for Ardent Mills at Ayer should be routed via PAS. Neither BERX or Pittsburg & Shawmut are referenced.

https://panamsouthern.com/

Former Birch Hill Subaru guy has video of a BERX train he identifies as AYBF. I assume it is a portion of existing traffic between PO and BF. But it makes me wonder if G&W has any future plans for such trains to transfer directly to NECR at Millers Falls instead of heading to ED before turning north. A recent street view image at Millers suggests there is a workable track on what would be the connection from BERX westbound to NECR northbound. Also apparent activity of some kind within the wye along with a hi-rail at north end of connecting track.

There isn't a wye at Millers Falls as the NECR track heading south toward Palmer paralleling PAS doesn't connect to PAS. In theory though you are correct that the existing NECR-PAS connection could be used - a crew change would be needed. Having said that, PAS crew can run the AYBF right to Bellows Falls and use well maintained Conn River line track funded by MaDOT $ between Greenfield and E Northfield MA and US govt $ for VT high Speed rail over NECR.

Also I could speculate that in the future (eg, if and when G&W buys out CSX share of PAS), that the 10 miles of NECR track between Millers Falls and E Northfield with no customers, two major trestles (Millers River and Conn River) and low train frequency (6 trains/week?) could be eliminated in favor of an all PAS route through E Deerfield Yard. Of course, a 5 mile backup move would be needed between E Deerfield Yard and Millers Falls and a connecting track to accommodate NECR service to/from Palmer. But NECR train yarding could be consolidated at E Deerfield with PAS instead of at Brattleboro VT.