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  • Gardner Gawking

  • Pan Am Southern (webssite: https://panamsouthern.com ) is jointly-owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern, but operated by Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary Pittsburg & Shawmut dba Berkshire and Eastern,
Pan Am Southern (webssite: https://panamsouthern.com ) is jointly-owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern, but operated by Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary Pittsburg & Shawmut dba Berkshire and Eastern,

Moderator: MEC407

 #1534065  by jaymac
 
For 0315-0515/02-17-2020, it was not in any way holiday for the EDPO C, as will be seen later. The airwaves were MT at the start, only AMTK and Boston West giving proof that the scanner was working. At 0334, there was some hash on the Road side of Channel 1, and at 0347, the 333 WLs were dark, and a few later, the 334 ELs were at Stop and the 1 stagger dark. At 0352, there was D-3 garble to EDPO, followed by darkness on the 335s.
At 0353, there was more D-3 garble, "Trainmaster at Ayer," followed by "New Bond" and words about whichever one would get left -- 7534 or 7265 -- not having a radio being the bits of clarity. At 0356, D-3 would call out to AY-3, Mount Wachusett again the garblizer. This time, the clarity was the acknowledgment that the #1 Main was lined and locked normal. Whether AY-3 was in or out of the Milling never got to me.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs were at Stop, a dimmed EB sitting and facing a Medium Clear of the 2 WL and general however far west of the Timpany Boulevard UGB. The yard looked MT, and the Heywood had seen traffic. While things were in a state of stasis, a trip a bit east was undertaken to pay tribute to The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks, and on the return to the Jade lot, EDPO's C gave the go-ahead, KCIRs 7594, 7620, and 7622 plus 5 hoppers -- 4 covered and 1 open -- pulling east from the old platform until clear of the switch. Now things got interesting. The C notified the E that the switch was frozen. A couple of minutes of effort produced no favorable results, so I was EB, my observer status doing naught to improve the situation. During the early part of my trip, I heard naught from the E acknowledging a back-up.
There was 0424 D-3 garble while I was again in the electromagnetic lee of Mount Wachusett, and the 333 WLs were dark at 0427 and probably would be for a bit longer, EDPO up Da Hill and 1400 not due out until 0630.
There was more D-3 garble at 0428, and further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear and -- predictably -- the 330 WLs both at Stop. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0439, dark and solo OldPaint 353 was yet again in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and at 0444, the EB staggers for Derby were dark.
Just to prove the scanner was still working, a garbled D-2 241 went out to LA-5 at 0450, but otherwise, it was radio silence for the balance of the trip, naught IDable to, from, or about AY-4, AY-5, AYPO, Q427, or 22K during the entire trip.
 #1534334  by jaymac
 
0315-0515/02-19-2020 was a period of relative quiet interspersed with garbles. The first reception was at 0322 when D-3 OKd AY-3 on signal indication at 312. The next series of receptions -- 0339-0345 -- was a garblefest of unattributable yarding, the snippets of clarity making it seem like Hill Yard activity.
At 0347, the 333 WLs were dark, and at 0348, D-3 told AY-3 to clear up in the Milling and that a cab would be sent to the Pine Tree. Those not wishing to see the mutability of plans should stop reading now because at 0349 a now-garbling D-3 told AY-3 something about AY-4, more to follow.
Yes, the 334 ELs were at Stop, the 1 stagger and -- in a few -- the 335s dark.
At 0355, it sure sounded like ""Far enough, FI-2," and at 0357, the garble allowed "POED" to escape.
At 0402, D-3 told AY-3 he'd take them right along for West Wye. There was more to AY-3 at 0403, but it got lost. So much for the 0348 plan.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, and Yard 4 had a string of general -- mostly covered hoppers and some LPGs -- from just east of the westerly FP to the westerly end of Chair City Oil.
The post-offering trip EB was generally quiet, "POED" plus garble an exception ~0418. At 0422, the 333 WLs were dark, and at 0427, there was D-3 garble, one of the too-many Zombie Zones being transited.
Further east and post refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Clear. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0438, Boston West would prove my scanner hadn't died when she contacted LA-2. At 0440, OldPaint 353 was dark, solo, and facing west in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and at 0444 came the partial "...wye switch to the Camp," mebbe for or from AY-3.
At 0446, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, and at 0447 came the words "AY-4, 2."
Occasional garble and some AY-4 activity filled out the balance of the trip. Although there places and times where such events coulda happened, there was naught heard to, from, or about EDPO, Q427, or AYPO. Guessing AY-5 on hiatus while racks are.
 #1534547  by jaymac
 
0310-0500/02-21-2020 not even being 2 full hours should serve as a partial indicator of activity level.
The first clarity came at 0326 when D-3 advised Q426 -- yes, six -- that the POAY Chelmsford crew would be relieving them at MCI Crossing. At 0331, D-3 would reach out to AY-3. Nothing further would be heard to, from, or about AY-3 for the balance of the trip, reception issues reducing that from an absolute.
At 0345, the 333 WLs were dark, and a minute later, there was D-3 garble. The 334 ELs were at Stop, and the 334 1 stagger and 335s dark. There wasn't even garble for the rest up the trip up Da Hill, but the 345 ELs were at Stop, and a single EB unit followed by a wrapped centerbeam sure made it look like FI-2 was about to visit Maki's. By the time I'd swung around from the Timpany Boulevard off-ramp, the 345 WLs were at Stop, and not even the EB's marker was visible. There was FP-FP general on Yard 4, more covered hoppers, LP tanks, and even an FBOX on the easterly end.
The post-offering EB trip was quiet until the start of D-3 garble -- thanks yet again, Mount Wachusett! -- to PO?? or ??PO. At 0417, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear and the 330 WLs at Stop. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0426, there was D-3 garble about AYPO being at MCI Crossing with the Chelmsford crew, hash, then something about someone being good until 0700, followed at 0426 by D-3 advising EDPO something lost about AYPO, mebbe AY-4, and mebbe AY-2, big trains, and give a shout on the Yard Channel.
At 0428, the FI-1/2 parking spot was predictably MT, at 0434, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, and at 0438 there was Yard Channel garble to, from, or about POAY, followed by "Roger, come ahead" and then silence.
Boston West was kind enough to demonstrate later that the scanner was still working when she advised 3801 that they'd be crossed over to 2 cuz D-2 was having some lost-to-me troubles, that followed in a few by something to somebody about Wilmington correspondence.
At 0459, there would be Yard Channel activity of the unclear variety.
Q426 fulfillment? Q427 Form D? Not that I heard.
 #1534784  by NHV 669
 
A trip for a 90th birthday party down to the outskirts of Worcester allowed me to take a quick detour today, and I got to experience my first Gardner Gawking. Unfortunately, both my trips through, at 1100 and 1715 produced the same result: a ghost town. The 345 lights were dark both times, and the only sign of life was a cut of general on the farthest track away from the Jade II lot; some covered hoppers, empty center beams and some odd looking (coal?) hoppers.
 #1534806  by jaymac
 
0315-0515/02-24-2020 was generally miserly in informative audio input, but -- as will be seen -- there was 1 surprising visual input.
At 0318, D-3 reached out to AY-3, acknowledged that the #1 Main was lined and locked normal at the Milling, and gave the OK on signal indication at 312. To save suspense, naught further would be heard to, from, or about AY-3. At 0322, there was garble that sounded like it involved AY-1, again a 1-time-only event.
To demonstrate that the scanner still worked, there was 0346 garble involving LA -2 shoving back into the Coke Works, and a minute later, the 333 WLs were dark. The usual pattern of Stops on the 334 ELs and darkness on the 334 1 stagger and 335s would hold, but there were no receptions of even garble, a distinct break in pattern.
Later and on the way up Da Hill, there would be garble involving AY, AY-?, AY??, or ??AY at 0358, followed at 0400 by D-3 answering somebody in a garble, this in a normal clear spot.
Up Da Hill was basically a repeat of NHV 669's of 2100/02-23 -- dark 345s and Yard 4 pretty much FP-FP with general that included boxes, covered hoppers, MT centerbeams, and coil cars.
The EB trip was remarkably quiet -- only a coupla eruptions and those mebbe from high-band local PDs. At 0419, the 333 WLs continued their dark ways, and there would be more garble at 0425.
Further east and after a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed Stops, the 330 1 WL a Slow Clear, and the GL WLs darkness.
The FG WLs were another story -- the 1 was at Limited Clear and 2 at Stop cuzza stopped EB CSXTs 133, 532, and 5279 followed by general however far west. It's been more than a bit since I've seen CSXTs east of Deerfield and west of Ayer. Also, during the admittedly-small listening period, there hadn't been and wouldn't be any receptions involving Q426/7, so musings began to be mused if this was a way to keep Hill Yard open for 22/23K by getting 427 staged well west until Keolises and other Ks might be outta the way.
At 0443, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT; at 0448, there was a static burst; and 0450 was when the EB staggers for Derby were dark.
0457 produced produced D-3 garble to LA-5, followed by a somewhat clearer -- except for the source whose voice was not D-3's -- transmission to the Radio Maintainer involving Parkers West.
0458 produced more hash, only "AYPO" being clear. There was random buzzing, LA-2 getting another mention at 0507.
I can't say I heard anything from the usual cast of characters, but there was 1 audio surprise at 0514 -- a breaking Boston East reaching out to someone.
 #1534828  by johnhenry
 
Your intuition about the CSX led train parked in Fitchburg proved correct as it, symbolized as ED-8, followed another 427 (symbol POAY) east on the Worcester main later in the morning.
 #1534841  by jaymac
 
Tnx!
Curiouser and curiouser!
 #1534995  by jaymac
 
0310-0503/02-26-2020 was yet another <2 hour trip, and the reason for the precision of the end-of-listening time will be seen later.
To save my fingers and your eyes, there would be spurts of occasional garble, even some unattributable car countdowns, but naught IDable to, from, or about AY-3 or AY-4.
At 0343, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual pattern of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness on the 1 stagger to follow. At 0358, there was D-2 garble involving either EDPO or POED, more about POED to follow. The 335s were dark, and at 0352, there was D-3 garble about something involving Derby to somebody, followed at 0353 by a D-2 broken-to-me 241 to BO-2 for BY, followed at 0357 by garble from somebody to somebody else about POED setting off waters.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark and the yard MT, kinda reducing the probability that an EDPO had been through recently. In Shrine-Of-The-Deity-Of-The-CPF-345-Dunks news, the gas station is now undergoing major renovations, but the Shrine itself is open for drive-through services, although the menu board at the ordering station is dark, an inconvenience for non-daytime noobies. Whether walk-in services are available, dunno.
On the EB leg of the trip, there was D-2 breakage to DOBO involving changes in the Speed Summary, deets unheard.
At 0415, the 333 WLs continued their darkness, and further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear and the 330 WLs both at Stop. The GL WLs were dark, but a trip was made to the station lot to see if the earlier Clear for the 3330.8 2 WB might -- heh, heh -- signal a possible imminent WB. But no -- the 330 ELs were 9-for-9 red.
The FG WLs were dark, as was a solo and east-facing NewBlue 350 in the FI-1/2 parking spot at 0428. 0428 was also when D-3 reached out to Q427, asking how far they were from New Bond, and post pause saying something about the 99, which is just east of Burncoat. There was more, but I had moved enough that iI was in a Zombie Zone.
At 0434, the EB staggers for Derby were dark. The trip west had some more static, but it wasn't until I was on my driveway at 0500 that D-3 reached out to 427, a process repeated at 0501 and 0502, when 427 answered clearly, leading to the 0503 fulfillment of Form D G303 at 0503 to CSXT 3016, things sounding like there were no immediate plans to be WB.
 #1535176  by jaymac
 
0315-0510/02-28-2020 was another <2-hour trip, but there was actual observed steel-on-steel motion. Receptions began at 0319 when D-3 advised AY-3 that he'd put a signal in as soon as AYPO departed. There will be more about AYPO, but naught further would be heard -- Zombie Zone caveats in effect -- to from, or about AY-3. Add AY-4 to the unheard entries.
At 0324, D-3 would call Form D G323 fulfilled, Q426 with CSXT 840 being east and clear of MP X25, At 0330 and a minute later, D-3 would reach out to Q427, next shifting back to Q426 and establishing a dialog establishing that a new crew was on board, that a unit would be picked up at Greendale, and also that Form D G301 to Q427 with CSXT 879 -- a Line 2 for MP X25 to Burncoat -- was made effective at 0334 -- along with the request to call when into DCS territory, that coming at 0342. To jump ahead to 0535, noise would be heard for the Temple Street/Rte.140/MP X7.8 crossing, 0540 being the noise-time for the Shrewsbury Street/MP X6.0 crossing.
Things were a little less clear -- mebbe Yard Channel -- at 0343 when D-3 reached out to AYPO and asked if they were reduced down to 130 -- yes, one-three-zero -- cars. To again jump ahead, at 0412, there was a D-3 partial to AYPO that included 146 and having to set out 16 somewhere on D-2. There would be later D-3 and D-2 static eruptions, but dunno where the 16 extra cars were to be left.
At 0350, the 333 WLs were dark, the normal pattern of Stops on the 334 ELs and darkness on the 334 1 stagger and 335s holding and a new normal -- radio silence probably related to the ongoing Hoosac unpleasantness -- seeming to have come into being.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs were at Stop, nothing having been visible to the east, at the Pearson Boulevard UGB, in the easterly end of the yard, or at the Timpany Boulevard UGB. The 345 WLs had gone dark, so -- minus anything from the 346.6 -- the presumption was of an already-well-east EB. At 0406, D-3 would reach out to AY-5 about 55 cars and Watervilles, so dunno if AY-5 was subbing for AY-4. The otherwise-MT yard had general -- tanks and covered hoppers easily visible -- on the westerly half of Yard 4.
An offering was made at the now-lit Shrine, and a trip east undertaken to catch up to the EB at 335, but at 0422, the EB was already crossing over the State Road/Rte 2A UGB, provoking the response to head straight for the Fitchburg platform.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Clear for 1 and a Stop for 2, the 330 1 WL at Stop and the 2 WL at Clear. The 330 ELs were all at Stop, so there would be no WB in the short term. KCIRs 7875, 7635, and 7535 got 32 east of the platform at 0434, the Brand X gons and hoppers and large number of containers on RSGX flats prompting musings about whether they were bound for the new recycling operation at the old auto yard. Again, radio silence was in effect, so no idea whether it was an EDPO, ED-8, or even an ED-X.
A few later and a couple easter, the FG WLs were both at Stop. Why? The EB was hauling in on East Side at 0439, past an MT FI-1/2 parking spot. There would be some garbles received in the next couple, but naught informative. At 0445, the the EB staggers for Derby seemed dark from Nashua Street, things being active in the RVJ lot.
Interim proof that my scanner was still working would come at 0453 from Boston East when she asked LA-5 to call clear of the Cedar Street OHB, followed quickly by a breaking Boston East fulfilling somebody's Form D, followed in another few by Boston West acknowledging LA-5 clear of Cedar Street and then giving Foreman Joyce until 0515 between Tower A and Cedar Street, 0506 being when she acknowledged that the Foul Time was released. Oh yeah -- at 0510, D-3 told AY-5 that 400 was approaching Derby and that the Camp runaround would happen after that.

Deity Of The CPF-423 WL MickeyD's, please do all you can to reopen the tunnel!
 #1535474  by jaymac
 
0310-0535/03-02-2020 was active, as the >2-hour timespan would indicate. Unattributable yarding garble was there at 0315 and a little after, followed at 0324 by D-3 wishing the gentlemen of POED a good morning and advising that their 28 Ayers would go to the Camp. At 0332, there was more yarding garble, followed at 0334 by a clear "AY-5, back up 3 cars." AY-5 would be as frequent an occupant of the airwaves as AY-4 used to be, AY-4 again being unheard to, from, or about during the trip.
At 0342, the 333 WLs were dark, but the snow that had been just a few flakes in Sterling had become more serious and was beginning to accumulate. The 334 ELs were at Stop and the 334 1 stagger and 335s dark. The new and post-tunnel-collapse pattern of quiet on the way up Da Hill held again until 0355 when D-3 reached out to Q427. At 0356 and when I was just past the Rte. 140 N offramp from Rte. 2 W, the 7.8 gave a no defects and transmission over from all those miles south on Rte. 140. Again, there's naught like antenna elevation abetted by favorable topography. Naught further to, from, or about 427 would be heard until much later.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, and all was MT except for the total of 6 gons and covered hoppers on the Extension, a possible indication of how sharp-eyed the PW inspector had been. Oh yeah -- the accumulation of now-stopped snow had been run off the 1.
Things were generally quiet on the post-offering EB leg until 0418 when D-3 told AY-3 to stand by. At 0420, the 333 WLs were again dark, and D-3 would reach out to AY-3 about a Line 12. I decided to wait in the 333 lot, and got the chance to see that the 1 had been run clear here, as well. AYPO with the 7875 reached out to D-3 on Channel 2, the 0423 result being a hashed-to-me 241 from East Wye to Willows on 2. In other Willows news, 0425 was the time effective for G302 to AY-3 with the 7875, a Line 12 for Willows Road, MP BF33.50.
Further east and post-refueling, the 330.8 WBs were both Clear and the 330 WLs both at Stop. The GL WLs had been dark, by a swing by at the station lot was made -- OCD in effect -- and the 330 EL were all at Stop. At 0439, there had been a semi-garbled D-3 permission to reverse direction from wherever it was they stood to POED with the 7575, adding that they'd be holding until 400 got by.
At 0443, D-3 would hedzup 400 about a possible Line 12, something I wouldn't hear, although Mount Wachusett mighta been in the way at the appropriate time, given that a later Line 12 would be heard for Willows Road.
0446 would be when Form D G301 to Q427 with CSXT 7767 would be fulfilled, they being west and clear of Burncoat by flashing marker -- not my phrasing. There was a D-3 question about tying down at New Bond, the acknowledgment and/or repetition of the answer being hashed.
The FG WLs were dark, and a number of dueling AY-5/EDPO car countdowns would now start. At 0449, NewBlue 350 was on East Side by the FG ELs, doing the ole back-n-forth, and EDPO had gone quiet. They being the stronger of the dueling transmitters, a trip to Airport Road was undertaken, and just east of the Airgas facility were KCIR 7522, NewBlue 606, and OldPaint514 sitting -- also on East Side -- while the C did what Cs do. Dag -- the full array of PAR/S paint schemes in 1 consist at 1 time!
0504 was when 400 got east of EDPO, and the 0509 Nashua Street view of the EB staggers for Derby showed a Stop for 1 and an Approach for 2.
Things would be -- except for a coupla garbles -- quiet until 0522 when D-3 asked AYPO if they were ready to copy a Line 12, 0526 being the time effective for Form D G305 for -- again -- Willows Road, and advising that there would be a signal maintainer at 312. 0529 was when D-3 OKd AYPO to start heading out, but at 0532 advised AYPO that the C should get on the ground to confirm that the 2 Fitchburg switch was lined to 2 FML at the Willows. Never heard the results as of my 0535 end of listening.
 #1535711  by jaymac
 
0310-0520/03-04-2020 gave even more evidence that altered operations patterns produce altered transmission/reception patterns. There would be occasional Yard Channel garbles, some from Q427, but there would be only 1 clearly IDable AY local reception.
0330 would be when D-3 would fulfill, Form D G324 to Q426 and CSXT 3245, they being west and clear of MP X25. There would be discussions of the recrew -- live -- whether current or new crew would get the new Form D and a broken transmission of train info that was acknowledged without repetition. 427 would get a Yard Channel "8 to go" at 0335, but the new Form D was a bit in the future.
At 0345, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual sequence of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for 334 1 stagger and and 335s in effect. D-3 would next reestablish contact with 427, 0355 being the time effective for Form D G302 to the CSXT 3245 for MP X25 to Burncoat. D-3 got the new crew IDs and times on duty, asking about entry into DCS. To wrap up 427, the X7.8 crossing noise would come at 0557, that for X6.0 at 0605, that for Burncoat at 0609, and that for New Bond at 0618, the strong west wind providing a boost.
The rest of the ascent of Da Hill was quiet, and the 345 ELs were dark, but at 0402, the 346.6 came. I was in the Timpany Boulevard sag at 0403 when both the no defects and itsacknowledgment were heard as hash, but possibilities of an EB FI-2 did seem strong. Any occupants of the yard musta been under cloaking devices cuz it sure looked MT. The 345 1 WL was showing Clear and the west started getting bright, KCIRs 7541 and 7875, NewBlue 7635, and KCIR 7534 getting onto the Single at 0407. An EB light power move? So much for FI-2.
Construction equipment had blocked drive-through access to The Shrine Of The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks, so it was an offering-free and reception-free trip EB to the 333 WLs. Well, not quite reception free. While waiting to the EB light power, a garbling D-3 reached out to AYPO, naught further to be heard to, from, or about those guys for the balance of the trip. At 0433, the 333 WLs came on with a Clear for 1 and Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding at 0434. Oh yeah -- that's when there was a clear AY local reception, AY-2 being told there were 7 to go. Yes,that was AY-two.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Stop, the EB move still west. The 330 1 WL showed a Clear, but the not-yet-shiunted GL Wls were dark. The FG 1 WL would show a Clear, and the light power would be east of dark NewBlue 350 in the FI-1/2 parking spot at 0447.
The light power gave a hashed call for the EB staggers for Derby, and at 0504, the 1 showed a Stop and the the 2 a Clear, so mebbe, the EBs would be held east of Ayer for the 400. Dunno.
Hash -- and not much of it -- provided the sole offerings for the balance of the trip.
 #1535813  by Plate C
 
I stopped by the yard yesterday maybe around 10am, surprised to see it empty with no sign of PAR or PW anywhere.
 #1535884  by jaymac
 
0315-0600/03-06-2020 was an elongated trip with more questions than answers, as will be seen.
There was garble at 0315, and then at 0332 -- with Mount Wachusett now twixt me and the Paxton antenna -- D-3 garble to somebody, followed at 0335 with more D-3 garble to somebody. 0338 brought a marginal increase in clarity with D-3 OKing AYPO with the 7585 to the Wye, then asking about engine problems, then listening to whatever got said, and then saying, "District 3 out." There would be some more -- mebbe Yard Channel -- garble from D-3 in another couple, but hoonose?
OT, but today's impressive waxing gibbous moon was low on the horizon during the early part of the trip, and a viewing over the next coupla weeks -- especially at full -- is recommended.
At 0446, the 333 WLs were dark, and at 0350 -- when the 334 ELs were at Stop and the 1 stagger dark -- somebody said, "Here we go."
The trip up Da Hill had minimal static, and to get the Sameoldsameold Ledger entry entered, the yard -- as stated in Plate C's 1119/03-05 -- remained MT, at least as far as posted observations go. both sides of the 345s, however, were at Stop, there being racks on the 2 from by the Royal Steam Heater street sign west. The easterly end of the racks, agaIN however, had neither power nor a marker. But some racks mighta been in the yard not too much earlier.
The plan? Make an offering and head a bit west to see how far west the racks went. The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks, yet again however, was in Loki mode again, there being no drive-through access yet again. So it was east to the Pearson Boulevard onramp and west to the Timpany Boulevard offramp. Now began a conversation between somebody who would later say there would be more local work for them at Fitchburg and ED-9 about doing air -- successful -- 55 racks plus freight plus what they had before. Sure enough, there were racks beyond the Wilkins Road dogleg, the unIDable power in back of the Chairtown Lumber sheds. Not knowing the stage of the C arithmetic, a wait took place at the 346 lot until my ADHD kicked in. My OCD also kicked in, so another trip to the easterly end of ED-9 took place where as both the flashing red at 0441 and the earlier statement of a good test showed that a marker had been hung by whomever the Fitchburg-bound folks were.
In the meantime, at 0424, D-3 had acknowledged Q427 into DCS at 0424. To finish up 427, a breaking D-3 talked to them at 0529 about tying down at Temple Street, then said something about the cemetery, and then said to stand by. 0531 was when D-3 said to tie down at the cemetery and that the current crew wouldn't have to give their Form D back. The 0549 drive past the West Boylston Fire Department showed that 427 hadn't yet gotten there.
In even more in-the-meantime, at 0434, D-3 had reached out to AYPO, acknowledging the marker was armed and working and wishing them a safe trip to Rigby.
Things were quiet on the EB trip down Da Hill, save for 400 OKing themselves outta Wachusett at 0450, confirmation of that coming at 0452 with all Stops showing on the 333 WLs.
At 0456, somebody would say something about the 400, Deerfields, the Credit Union, and 330. Further east, to 330.8 WBs showed a Clear for 1 and Stop for 2, the 330 WLs and ELs and GL WLs all at Stop. At 0506, AY-5 would call out a Slow Approach at FG and give an OK to back. The FG WLs were temporarily dark, and AY-5 would give themselves a good for another 25. Down by the used car lot, NewBlue 350 was shoving west, the C saying they'd be stopping to take the marker off. Back at the Credit Union, the move was far enough west that both FG WLs had gone to Clear, and the marker was visible on the westerly end of 2 shorties. Just a bit further west were MT centerbeams and then boxes. Let's see: AY-5 with NewBlue 350 doing what might ordinarily be FI-2's work? Mebbe the marker-hanger for ED-9 had also been AY-5 who mighta been doing even more of FI-2's more-normal work in Gardner. Like I keyboarded, more questions than answers.
Yes, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT, and at 0528, the EB staggers for Derby seemed dark from Nashua Street.
Excepting the previously mentioned exceptions, the rest of the trip was quiet except for 0559 garble.
AY-3? AY-4? More questions without answers.
 #1536168  by jaymac
 
0315-0505/03-09-2020 featured more audio input than visual, but even the audio was sparse, there being naught clear to, from, or about AY-4 or AY-5.
AY-3, however, would be of frequent input, starting at 0321 with a D-3 241 for 1 east to 1 at AY. At 0323, D-3 would tell POprobablyAY to stand by. Some garbling later would come, the 0331 question, "Got working telemetry?" being clear. The import of that will show itself later. There was more D-3 hash, a clear "Stand by," and then a partial about AY-3 doing their runaround, that followed by even more hash, "??PO" and "yard limits" being clear.
0347 was when D-3 gave AY-3 permission to reverse direction from where they stood and to proceed west at CPF-AY, that being the same time the 333 WLs were dark. At 0349, the D-3 side of another dialog with AY-3 began -- AYPO was building and they had to get outta Dodge, rather Ayer, so could D-3 take AY-3's light away? The unheard-by-me AY-3 response got a roger and confirmation from D-3 that the light was being taken away.
The 334 ELs were at Stop, the 334 1 EL and 335s dark, and very few static eruptions were part to the ride up Da Hill to dark 345s, an MT yard, and The Shrine Of The CPF-345 Dunks still incapable of conducting drive-through services. Seeing the last as a possibility, an offering had been made earlier at The Shrine Of The Near-To-The-North-Leomnster-Platform Dunks, an offering that would later receive its reward.
Except for some 0402 Yard Channel garble, the trip east was eerily quiet, and the 333 WLs dark at 0417. Further east and after a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed a Clear for 1 and a Stop for 2, the 330 2 WL at Slow Clear. At 0429, there would be a D-3 roger about the marker being armed, sandwiched by garble. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0433, dark, solo, and east-facing NewBlue 350 was in the FI-1/2 parking spot.
At 0439, the EB staggers for Derby would be dark, and at 0440, D-3 would answer AYPO. The train info -- 63x82 for 145, 10,329 tons, and 10,312" -- confirming the sense of urgency D-3 earlier had shown for getting AYPO east, particularly before the Keolises.
If there were any plans for reducing car-count before getting to the Western Route, I never heard them. What I did hear at 0448 was D-3 fulfilling Form D G301 to Q427 with CSXT 3214, they being west and clear of Burncoat. If 427's length approximated AYPO's, 427 was probably west and clear of New Bond, as well, but that was something I didn't hear. I did hear D-3 answer somebody who was calling at 0500, but there were no further developments as of the 0505 end of listening.
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