Pan Am Worcester Main Line

The rail used at the Still River Depot Rd crossing is 115 lb but immediately on either side it is 100 lb. I looked for dates but saw none - not even Roman numeral dates!

John - Looking at the the rail on the far side in the photo you posted and enhancing it a bit, I can make out some markings about three feet in from the end of the rail. I see a "CC", which means Controlled Cooling, and a year of 1918, but I can't make out the mill, weight, or profile. The next time you're over there, if you zoom in a bit, and blow the result up on a screen, it might be possible to make out more.

That truss bridge is one of the couple of spots that I do not believe is clear for double stack but I'll be the first to admit I'm not 100% sure. The other spot I wasn't sure of was Hartwell St in West Boylston. The bridge that carries the Agricultural Branch over the Worcester Main in Clinton is definitely not clear.

Was through depot square in Clinton today. Not much activity. One thing that changed is someone had a chainsaw out and started clearing the small trees and brush around the steel posts of the Ag Branch bridge. Very little work was done so it could be something or nothing important related to the clearance improvement project that is needed for double stack service.

CSX 426 sitting at New Bond with 4 engines and 467 the leader at 1130. This is like in the Conrail days, when SENE used to park there, blocking the P&W. Since the P&W Gardner job rarely runs on Saturday I guess they allowed it. Might be an extra long train that wouldn't clear New Bond if parked at Burncoat.

Something was going on at Burncoat today. There was a group of people with cameras waiting at that crossing with the train parked there. Does anyone know what was going on???

A couple of grain trains this spring have had a dpu while traversing the Worcester main. On the b&a, manifests often have dpus as well. Why not 426 when it is big?

Too many set offs and pick ups. Also not really required anywhere on the B&M/MEC.

The grain trains are 16,000 tons and sit in Selkirk for days waiting for additional engines to travel over the B&A. They usual come from the west with 2 engines. A train that heavy needs at least 4 engines on the B&A, and they need a cab signal equipped DP capable leader.

426 has to run every day, or else Selkirk will start getting backed up. You can't wait around for power with that train. When they do, it backs up other trains and then it'll be another meltdown like last summer.

it's already starting again this year.

As of about 20 minutes ago (and still there unless my ears missed it) a Q426 was sitting with the head end near the east switch at Greendale and the tail almost to Barbers. No unit numbers but consist included a good number of cement hoppers on the tail and even one of those old 5-unit double stack cars with bulkhead corner braces and still sporting Sea-Land lettering!

F74265A wrote: ↑Sun Apr 23, 2023 8:34 am On the b&a, manifests often have dpus as well. Why not 426 when it is big?

I don't think any of the ACSES PTC equipped locomotive fleet (such as the 400-series AC4400CW's that usually lead M426/M427s) are set up to control DPUs.

Though is ACSES needed to run on the MBTA tracks between the Ayer wye and CP Willow, since it's necessary for grain trains to traverse that section to get to Ardent Mills in Ayer? Or do they break the grain train up and throw an ACSES-equpped leader for that final section?

I saw it as well Jwhite07 sitting there. I headed up to S&S picked up a couple of things and it was gone when I was heading back.

Yes, ACSES are necessary between AY and WL. An ACSES leader is added at Hill Yard, and the train has traditionally been cut in half, sometimes at Camp but really wherever there is room. 55 cars at a time will go to the milling loop.

Wich engines, if any, are equipped with PTC?

My understanding is the following CSX locos have ACSES PTC, which is needed to lead over MBTA trackage:

Some 6200-series GP38-2's and GP40-2's
Some 8000-series and 8800-series SD40-2s
Some 400-series AC4400CW's, from roughly 464-487 (exact numbers are unclear)
SD40E3 #1712
F40PH #1 and #2 (this is only for the OCS executive train)

Various Pan Am locos (some of the GP40-2LW's and Dash 8s, and possibly others) should have it well as they often lead on MBTA territory.