Dear KittyCat(2023)-

Dear KittyCat-
Santa's been stressed these last few years, so I thought I'd try the most direct routing.
First of all, thanks for all you've done recently. What's now the Worcester Sub is even better than the former Worcester Main, especially since it had become the Worcester Maim.
Even though it's further from your home -- though closer to Santa's -- District 1 has gotten more concerted attention in a year than it had in decades. 25 is 2.5x better than 10.
Also, the M-B got transformed from an enemy into a resource.
It's been a semicenturyplus since I was in Signal Corps ROTC, but those lessons about the necessity of reliable radio communications have not been forgotten, so here's my list for this season of giving: Please exile the ZombieZones. They've existed ever since the B&M/MEC had a radio system but part of the original design was that 24-hour-staffed towers equipped with base stations-- remember towers? -- would provide infill. Now it's change location or use a phone.Remote transceivers with landline or microwave integration can provide infill now, and cobenificiaries like MassDOT/MBTA and NNEPRA might provide some financial infill.
I hope you don't find "KittyCat" too informal, but it struck me as being better than "Puddy Tat" seen elsewhere or "Dear Kitten" seen on YouTube.
Thanks,
-jaymac

Would it be too much to ask for shiny new ACSES equipped Maine Central and Boston & Maine heritage units?

ACSES equipped? Who knows. Supposedly both roads may get a HU, but I've seen little more than the same speculative list floating around on this site and Facebook.

ACSES equipped allows it lead the Selkirk-Maine trains - important to us photogs!

Given the B&O heritage made a recent visit leading over the B&A, it probably makes sense that the HUs have it, or have it installed during the repaint process. I honestly have no idea.

The only widebodies equipped with ACSES right now are some of the higher numbered 400's. They also have the plows cut for third rail on the Hudson line. They are older and classified as CW44AC's, and are rated for 300 tons less than the CW44AH's over the B&A. The AH's are heavier and have better wheel slip technology.

There is supposedly a single rebuilt CW44AC in the 7400 number series that has been equipped with ACSES, but it has not got back to Selkirk yet. I believe the rebuilds are classified as CW44CM's.

Expect to see more rebuilds and some AH's being equipped with ACSES as the 400's age out.

I believe the long term plan is i-ETMS that covers the line from Worcester to Brunswick. This would allow any CSX loco to lead, which operationally makes a lot of sense.