Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

[CN9634]

http://m.quickmeme.com/img/d4/d4863ec08 ... 645b11.jpg

Sorry I just don't put up with people who spit falsehoods as truths.

And thanks for the meme, I'm sure this has never applied to you ether?

[jaymac]

PAR may not have been what he had in mind when Ebenezer Scrooge asked, "Are there no Union workhouses?" jaymac's question -- reference Danny Trejo as Marcia Brady and Willem Dafoe as Marilyn Monroe -- is, "Are there no Snickers bars?"
In the spirit of the always-approaching holidays, may we all have peace in posting!

[NYC27]

http://m.quickmeme.com/img/d4/d4863ec08 ... 645b11.jpg

Easy Newpy, after his internship at Eimskip he held an entry level position at Schneider for 15 whole months - you might as well be talking to Matt Rose.

[BostonUrbEx]

Or maybe things got far far worse since I left...

They have. I'll just say there's some pretty hilarious/bad stories coming through the vines.

[johnpbarlow]

There was nicely executed choreography with P&W yesterday. At around 11:15 AM, 287 was at the west end of Gardner yard with a dozen or so empty racks (not sure if they came from Ayer or were the previous day's mts from P&W) when P&W's Worcester switcher arrived with 50 more mt racks. P&W pulled under rte 2 bridge and cut-off power to clear up to allow 287 to back its train down yard track 2 to couple on and then depart. 287 power pulled west to permit PAR conductor to install the EOT device - which today was a red flag. Then a P&W guy in a truck gave PAR ground crew (conductor plus trainee?) a ride to the head end to get 287 out of town. Interestingly the lead NS D9-40C was 8795 which has apparently been outfitted with PTC gear!

Q: what operational restraints are imposed on a 60+ car / 5,000+ foot long road train on PAS when a FRED is not used?

[newpylong]

A red flag works the same as a FRED before dusk.

But the lack of telemetry wouldn't matter either as it's likely under 4,000 tons so none on Pan Am since they won't go above 25 MPH west of there to Deerfield where they likely will add one.

[Trinnau]

Q: what operational restraints are imposed on a 60+ car / 5,000+ foot long road train on PAS when a FRED is not used?

FRED/EOT's have a few different uses. These apply to ALL railroads

1st - Two-way radio communication. The engineer can see the air pressure at the rear of the train, see it respond when he sets/releases, etc. But it also has a key feature of being able to initiate an emergency brake application from the rear of the train in addition to the locomotive. Without getting too much into brake theory, this basically enables the train brakes to apply almost twice as fast as they would with the locomotive alone. Instead of creating a long pipe with a hole at one end, it's a long pipe with a hole at both ends. This allows a train to operate in excess of 30mph.

2nd - Illuminated Marker, which is required from dusk to dawn on all railroads. A lot of locals working in daylight with short trains will just use a red flag as their marker, but either way, a train must display a marker, and it must be illuminated at night.

3rd - Aiding in pickups/set-offs. Having the communication of the air pressure on the rear greatly speeds up work en-route, as it saves the conductor from walking to the rear of the train. Any train that parts their trainline has to perform a "set and release" after the have re-connected it to confirm continuity to the rear of the train. Setting 10 cars off the head-end of a 100 car train is much faster with these devices - and alleviates the conductor from walking two miles, a savings in both time and risk of injury.

[B&M 1227]

Or maybe things got far far worse since I left...

They have. I'll just say there's some pretty hilarious/bad stories coming through the vines.

If I had no self-respect I'd say we should go back and fix it...

[johnpbarlow]

On December 2nd, it was reported on Pan Am Railfans Facebook page with photographic proof that an NS company photographer (complete with corporate vehicle) was taking photos at Shirley. Apparently he had some business at Ayer. Maybe NS will be doing a PR piece spotlighting PAS soon?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

[MEC407]

NS had pictures on their Instagram page of the Wreaths Across America cargo being loaded onto JB Hunt trailers and placed onto a train at Ayer, with NS locomotives in charge.

The wreaths come from Maine.

[gokeefe]

Wow ... no kidding. Too bad they couldn't load at Waterville!

[KSmitty]

Intermodal and Auto job symbols currently called:
22K: Eastbound? Intermodal
23K: Westbound? Intermodal
Eastern terminus is Ayer, what about the western terminus? Both trains work Mechanicville as well?
Also remember hearing NS was looking at adding a second IM job out of Ayer a while back to serve a second lane, nothing came of that?

287?: Eastbound? Auto
28N?: Westbound? Auto
When did the symbol change from 205/206?
Eastern terminus is San Vel, what about the western terminus? Both trains work Mechanicville as well?

Does Mickeyville have an additional set of trains, or is it served solely by the Ayer trains? If there is another set, symbols and destinations would be appreciated.

[Safetee]

ns intermodal schedules show two im trains between albany/mechanicville and chicaga 205west and 206 is east

[johnpbarlow]

Intermodal and Auto job symbols currently called:
22K: Eastbound? Intermodal Chicago 47th St Yard to Ayer single stacks - carries Taylor Yard double stacks dropped at Binghamton. Does not work at Mechanicville
23K: Westbound? Intermodal Ayer to Chicago 47th St yard single stacks. Does not work Mechanicville and rarely picks up stacks from Taylor Yard at Binghamton
Eastern terminus is Ayer, what about the western terminus? Both trains work Mechanicville as well?
Also remember hearing NS was looking at adding a second IM job out of Ayer a while back to serve a second lane, nothing came of that?

287?: Eastbound? Auto 287 is westbound from Ayer to Bellevue, OH with pick ups at Gardner from P&W Davisville and Mechanicville
28N?: Westbound? Auto 28N is eastbound from Fostoria, OH to Ayer with drops at Mechanicville and Gardner
When did the symbol change from 205/206? 205 (wb) and 206 (eb) are double stack trains that operate between Chicago 47th St yard and Mechanicville with set-outs/pick-ups at Buffalo and Toledo (I think). 205 may on occasion pick up double stacks from taylor at Binghamton
Eastern terminus is San Vel, what about the western terminus? Both trains work Mechanicville as well?

Does Mickeyville have an additional set of trains, or is it served solely by the Ayer trains? If there is another set, symbols and destinations would be appreciated.

I annotated your list above in bold/italics.

[MEC407]

Photo by John Bazan:

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