West-of-Deerfield Gawking

[MEC407]

I have a hard time making excuses when there are shortlines with faster mainlines.

That's a fair point. Look at the track speeds on NHN, NBSR, SLR... they deal with the same climate/weather issues, the same maintenance challenges, and they manage to keep their speeds up. Clearly it's not impossible. The difference is that they want to do it, and that customer service is important enough to them.

[newpylong]

The issue goes even deeper than customer service. While there has been house cleaning at Iron Horse, it has not been wholesale. There are still many with the Penn lCentral mentality of "it's good enough." A paradigm change needs to happen from the top for long lasting results.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree unfortunately in this respect.

[cpf354]

In NH and Eastern Mass, based on tracking train movements, it seems that all main line track not under MBTA or PAS auspices is effectively 10 MPH. That includes the Northern Main, the Lowell Branch and Stony Brook Branch portions of the Freight Main, and the Worcester Main.

[Dick H]

If there had not been the Downeaster track rebuild from Plaistow to
Portland and later to Brunswick and the PAS deal with NS that did an
overhaul of the west end, PAR would likely be a 10MPH railroad
everywhere, except in MBTA territory. Should Mr. Mellon decide
to exit the railroad business, the new owner(s) better plan on tens
of millions of dollars or more for track upgrades.

[atholrail]

Chased EDMO from Greenfield to East Portal this afternoon. 600-615-612-7180-7843-7014 and 86 cars...

[atholrail]

Couple more shots...

[690]

Were the HLCX SD40s dead in tow?

[atholrail]

Dead.

[Lincoln78]

Greenfield has a few nice spots. There is an "Energy Park" in the downtown at the split of the mainline and (future Vermonter) northbound track. Free parking onsite.

I also found that the Tractor Supply Co off Rt 2A is bordered by the mainline. TSC is between I-91 and the Green River; it is on a side road not really visible from 2A when heading east (turn right before the Shell staion). North track is the mainline; I saw a date of 1944. South track is dated 1951 but judging from the branches encroaching is not used.

[newpylong]

Old eastbound had newer and better stick rail when they took it out of service so they've scavenged it for elsewhere over the years.

[jaymac]

07-02-2014 was the day for a trip to the west. Across the river and through the trees, it looked like a Pumpkin was parked at Rices, but that would get checked later. There was nothing at any of the easily visible spots, including 415. As much as the paved roads to the East Portal have improved, the planking on the Hoosac Tunnel Road bridge has deteriorated -- plywood patches and safety cones giving a theme-park aura menace to the crossing of said bridge.
D-3 had had some conversations about congestion in and around Mechanicville, but at 0736 and just after crossing into New York, here came the headlights of MOED -- NS 3491 and a couple of unid'd NewBlues followed by a good number of cars. The surprise fewer than 20 miles later was a marker on a stopped EGT. BNSF Pumpkin 5696, CP 9579, and BNSF Pumpkin 4936 were holding at the 455.1. at 0805. Why? Because RJ-1 (WB) with NS 3648 and ?? was holding just east of the Buttermilk Falls Road XNG, where a track crew was still in place. Even further west, an apparently tied-down EB with an NS leader was holding on 1 at CPF-464 and extended back over the Hudson bridge. Whether it was a signal maintainer or something else, the dragger got loud even though the train was stationary.
On the way back, it sounded like AD-1 was working North Adams, although I had no eyeball confirmation. D-3 had given away 408-409 to a foreman, and -- sure enough -- there was a crew at Tower Road along with a clawed loader. Further east, NSs 8784 and 9237 and BNSF Pumpkin 5?? (yes, the vegetation was that thick) were still on 2 at Rices at 1130 with a covered hopper, some OMYAs and a whole bunch of wells. Whether this was 23K I never heard. If it was, one of the congestion components at Mechanicville was another 23K.
What did I learn today? Today, at least, trains were like grapes -- they came in bunches.

[newpylong]

Only single iron at Rices, when they put the 2 track back in service it was only to Buckland CPF402.

[jaymac]

Thanks -- I'll change my notes. More proof why I should never be allowed in a cab.

[jaymac]

A pre-dawn start was undertaken on 10-13-2014, but even post-dawn there was nothing tied down at the usual tie-down spots along the Deerfield River. Even 415 was MT both EB and WB, as were the airwaves. Nothing was immediately visible in North Adams, but a little later, there were transmissions of the usual marginal quality between D-3 and EDMO with 610 involving a 5x37 pick-up. The Pownals looked as nice as they can, but also looked MT. At 0728, however, things got more promising when the 440.2 talker talked and then at 0737 gave a no defects and 32 ℉, but like the similarly-voiced 346.6 sometimes does, no length. Since Green's Crossing was close, the chance had taken that it was an EB, and it was. OldPaint 330, NewBlue 617, and NS 3468 got 82 east at 0737, and even had a foreman call them clear. A bit west -- Eagle Bridge, to be precise -- EDMO with the aforementioned 610 plus fellow NewBlues 604 and 600 went west on 1 to come back east for a presumptive BKRR pickup. There was only 1 covered hopper visible, but a number of OMYAs were on 2 and were still there on my return.
If you have the need to see a Great Wall of Ties, one has been installed on the north side of the single a bit east of Johnsonville tower.
All the Mechanicville radio traffic seemed to be CP, and those folks do speak at a higher rate of speed.
EDMO had earlier been told that an engine maintainer was headed to Johnsonville, and while I was refueling in Schaghticoke ~0845, I heard both 645 and horn noise, and a few before that D-3 had told EDMO to stop at the 1000' board for a recrew.
On the way back, a stop was made at Hoosick Junction, and there were cars -- OMYA and others -- fouling the VRS switch and south on the west wye.
Track was being given away for patrol to various TCs with those good-for-foremen-and-bad-for-gawkers words "Trains or Tack Cars Ahead: None." One exception was for an EB patrol who was told that there might be an AD-1 headed his way, and sure enough as I was EB, AD-1 -- power unseen -- was WB just west of the Little Tunnel. Except for TC business, the radio was quiet and the tie-down spots visible from Rte. 2 were MT.
The leaves looked nice.

[newpylong]

NS 8320 and the MEC 501 going down the Adams Industrial. 6 packs only prohibited into Holland now, so they can use it (and they need to with the runarounds OOS) on everything else.