Gardner Gawking

For 0350-0545/01-18-2019, no steel-on-steel motion was seen, but there was no shortage of sights and sounds, the first coming at 0350 from 22K -- more about which later -- doing a car countdown.
Now came a CSXT NA Desk/B728 exchange, showing the dueling IDs of what now rides the Worcester Main -- Q426/Q427 to D-3 and B728 to NA. There were mentions of deadheading, CP45, Garden Street, a high-and-wide (actually on Q426 and not showing on Q427's paperwork), New Bond, being good until 0510, even B728's use of "B&M" as an ID. To close out the Worcester Main discussion, Q427 would call out to D-3 and get Form D G-302 to CSXT 5476 fulfilled at 0356. If the power seems familiar, It was the leader the 01-16 edition of Q427. Dunno how far west the power went that day or if a swap takes places at 45 or 48 and 5476 and mate are Worcester pool.
At 0415, AY-3 called out to D-3 on Channel 1, more to follow, and a couple later D-3 OKd 22K with UP 4939 east on signal indication on the east leg of the wye. May both the Wizard of Wyeing and the Wizard of Weather be providential to photographers of 23K! 22K would be a frequent contributor to radioactivity until it wasn't.
0421 was when D-3 241d AY-3 with the 7797 from the Single west to 2 at 312, and also when the words "AY-4, back" were heard, AY-4 being intermittently heard throughout the rest of the trip. 0425 was when the 333 WLs were dark and D-3 said he'd send AY-3's cab to the Pine Tree, In close-out mode again, D-3 would 241 AY-3 from 1 east at the Willows to 1 on the FML at 0437, 0538 being when D-3 acknowledged AY-3 having lined and locked the Milling for Main Line movement.
The 334s and 335s were dark, as were the 345s, but all was not dark in Gardner. Sitting dim on the westerly end of Yard 2 were PWs G&WColors 3908 and P&WColors 3905 with an almost-FP-FP's worth of general and mebbe -- dunno for sure -- a few racks. Yard 1 had loaded racks west of the switch, and the Extension had 3 racks. Whether there was anything on Yard 4 was unseeable, but seeable were the Sameoldsameold Ledger entries of the House's brush-cutter and the Heywood's untucked stone. The sight of a tied-down PW Switcher in the yard was definitely cause for an offering of thanks at The Shrine Of Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks. The signals, however, remained dark.
A straight shot was made down Da Hill, the usual spurts of garble occurring. The 333 WLs were again dark at 0503, and further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear, the 330 WLs at Stop, and the GL and FG WLs dark, the FI-1/2 parking spot MT at 0515.
At 0519 D-2 would breakingly 241 POED from the Single at 309, and at 0528, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, the discernible details for the rest of the trip already noted.
May we all be safe and lucky from Saturday night through Sunday!

Thursday 1/17/19 was Gardner Gridlock day at least for a couple hours mid-day as POED, EDPO, and FI-1 were all trying to work or pass through the yard simultaneously. Fortunately by 3:30pm the logjam cleared as 23K passed still standing EDPO.

http://photos.nerail.org/photos-origina ... 214997.jpg

EBs on 1, 2 occupied by POED and FI-1, plus the PW with a train pretty well filling Yard 2? Seems like a tied-own and a cab back to Worcester made the only sensible approach for 01-17-2019.

0345-0605/01-23-2019 had more than enough puzzlements, active Zombiefication doing little more than naught to reduce the puzzlements. Early static bursts would only occasionally resolve into 22K being busy, the other usually IDable competitor for Yard Channel time -- AY-4 -- not being IDable at all.
At 0356, D-3 would reach out to Q426 -- yes, six and not seven -- the clear parts of the exchange involving Greendale and picking up 2 units, and at 0358, D-3 would cancel Q426's Form D G-301. If you're now confused, there will be more in a bit to increase the confusion quotient.
There would then be a 0359 D-3 shoutout to ??AY with the 7671, naught further heard to, from, or about that leader.
0403 would be the start of a series of D-3 shoutouts to POAY with the 7609, hinting that I wasn't the only 1 getting Zombiefied. 0418 was when the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334s and 335s. The plow berm at the 335 lot had itself been plowed, and good numbers of tire tracks were visible on the lot itself. There had been a 0418 D-3 broken exchange with AY-3 involving WL, followed in a few by another involving WL, making it seem like a run-around had been in progress.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs and wLs were at Stop, and just east of the Timpany Boulevard UGB, NewBlue 503 and KCIR 7545 were standing while the C was in the yard. The marker was west of the ambulance company, making it seem like a short ED-9. That impression was corrected at 0443 when the C called POED's E to take it ahead -- short for an ED-9 and really short for a POED. Most of the visible cars were covered hoppers, no centerbeams or slurries being visible at all. As for the rest of the yard, there was general on Yard 4, 3 racks on the Extension, and mebbe something on 2 south of the racks. The brush cutter was still on the House, but the Heywood's stone situation couldn't be determined cuzza the undisturbed snow cover.
A jaymac always pays his debts, and debt paid, a trip slightly west was made. After all the usual 3-step activity, POED's C would tell the E at 0453 the switch was lined and locked normal and the derail restored, the power being somewhere not far west of the Timpany Boulevard UGB. At 0458, the 346 WL was at Stop, a strong hint that things were lined for 2, and with no other EB in the near term, I became an EB.
At 0514 and after a straight shot, the 333 WLs were dark, and after a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Clear.
The next bit starts with a flashback to 0447 when D-3 had again called out to POAY with the 7609. Things were broken, but the clear bits were "extend" and "Clinton West." While in the River Street Zombie Zone, another broken transmission was heard -- possibly a Form D -- to the 7835 from Clinton West to MP X25. Whether there had been a meet at Clinton West or whether POAY had dropped cars at Clinton and 7835 was now the leader for the EB move, dunno, just dunno.
In other less-puzzling observations, the GL and FG WLs were dark, and the FI-1/2 parking spot MT at 0533, 0538 being when the EB staggers for Derby were dark.
There would be occasional static eruptions during the east of the trip, but naught intelligible or attributable.

For 0345-0550/01-25-2019, some sameoldsameold and some neverbefore.
At 0346, there was a conversation involving D-3 and X 7609 involving East Wye, AY, South Track, AYPO, and AY-3. The repeated ID was X 7609 with no accompanying symbol, so dunno if this is a 1-off job or new practice to ID at least 1 job by power. Increases in distance and topographical challenges limited further comprehension, static eruptions becoming the norm.
At 0412 and 0415 and 0416, D-3 would reach to the EGT, initiating an exchange about leaving a set of power, the response being that things had just gotten hooked up, the counter response being D-3 would get back to them. Once again, increases in distance and topographical challenges would nullify further comprehension -- by me, at least -- of developments.
At 0419, the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334s, 335s, and 345s. There was a long string of general on Yard 2, including coil cars and a table of tarped mini-hi containers plus mebbe a 1/2-dozen racks on the easterly end. The Sameoldsameold Ledger entries were the 3 racks on the Extension, the brush-cutter on the House, and -- the snow-cover now melted --- the untucked stone on the Heywood. In other Heywood news, the unmelted remains of the plow berms at the Main Street crossing hadn't yet been run through. Oh, yeah -- the 346.6 had come on at 0349, giving a no defects, 20°, and 475?' at 0444 to 28N with NSs 9549, 9737, and 9011 stopping on 1 by the Jade lot, the 345 WLs at Stop. An offer had already been made at The Shrine Of The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks, the Stops on the ELs hinting that nothing WB was soon to come up Da Hill, hinting that I should be EB.
0454 was when a breaking D-3 241d AY-3 at the Willows, making it seem like a run-around was ongoing. At 0458, D-3 would reach out to 22K with NS ????, Mount Wachusett limiting what was being said, but 0450 would reveal that between MPs 339 and 341 10 mph was the speed. Dunno the cause for the South Ashburnham speedo.
Down Da Hill, the 335s were dark, and sp were the 333s at 0504, 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 a dark OldPaint 305 was in the FI-1/2 parking spot on the west end of covered hoppers at 0515. Just a bit east and on West Side was a dark NewBlue 7518, an intervening rack blocking the view of however many -- if any -- trailers there might be and whether this was the EGT heard earlier. At 0520 and either side of AY-4 being busy, D-3 would again reach out to X 7609, topography limiting -- again -- comprehension.
At 0526, the EB staggers for Derby showed an Approach for 1 and a Stop for 2, and at 0528, 402 advised themselves the air was complete and the trainman on board. 0537 was when a semi-Zombiefied D-3 repeated the 339-341 speedo, with AY-4 continuing to proof that the scanner was still working.
It's not quite the curious case of the dog that did not bark, but naught was heard to, from, or about Qs 426 or 427, unless -- mebbe -- X7609 filled that role.

0345-0545/01-28-2019 was more aural than optical, and even that was slow in staring. There was a partially-heard 241 for AY-3 with the 7875 at 0353, followed by a 2-to-2-east at CPF-AY at 0410, that was followed at 0415 by somebody doing a car countdown. At 0417, D-2 would reach out to POED with the 7552, advising that they'd going by AYPO at 307.
0421 was when the 333 WLs were dark and also when D-3 gave AY-3 permission to reverse direction on the 2 at CPF-AY, asking them to see where they could put their cars in the yard. At 0426, there would be an extended static spell on the Yard Channel, and in another few, the 334s and 335s would be dark. 0433 was when AY-3 got the word to come in on East Wye, shove back on West Wye, leave their cars on the Camp, and go back light.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark during the driveby/drive-through. There was general -- mostly hoppers and covered hoppers -- on the westerly end of Yard 4 and 3 racks on the Extension. The brush-cutter and untucked-stone situations hadn't changed, and the remainder of the Main Street crossing plow berms were still intact.
At 0440, there was a Zombiefied Line 12, so Zombiefied that it mighta been on a West End antenna.
An offering had been made, and a straight shot was taken down Da Hill in time -- 0454 -- to see the 333 WLs at Stop and 400's markers disappear around the EL reverse curves, darkness returning at 0456.
Further east and after a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs both showed Clears and the 330 WLs Stops. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0514, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT, but a few hundred yards east and just visible through the obscuring cars in the yard was a headlight.
At 0520, the EB staggers for Derby showed an Approach for 1 and a Stop for 2 and AY-4 -- finally heard -- advised D-3 that the 1 on the Pad was clear and that they would be heading down to the West End for a while. In a couple, a breaking D-2 would reach out to POED -- IDd with the 7524 -- but naught intelligible else was heard.
Remember the Stop on the 2 EB stagger for Derby? At 0533, D-3 told 22K that the 1 and 2 were clear. Dunno if 22K had been coming down Da Hill when I was going up or holding at FG or North Leominster or Slab City for 400 to clear. Never heard any 22K yarding.
At 0538, there was a D-3 partial, the clear bits being "287" and "Roger that," POED getting a partially-heard 241 1 east to 2 at WL in another couple.
AY-4 had been the primary source of radioactivity since 0520, and fittingly got the last words at 0545 with a request for a 3-step.
What -- courtesy of 22K -- did I relearn today? Just cuz I don't hear to, from, or about something doesn't mean it isn't out and about.

Nothing like the forecast of wintry mix for 01-30-2019 to produce a 0345-0535/01-29-2019 trip.
At 0348, there was a both-sides Zombiefied exchange between ED-9 with the 7500 and D-3, hinting that the 7500 was in Ayer and both were on Yard Channel. Naught otherwise was intelligible, and naught further was heard from ED-9, but there will be more about which later. There would be occasional spates of static, and later on, both AY-3 and AY-4 would be more clearly IDable.
At 0415, the 333 WLs would be dark, as would be the signals at 334 and 335.
Up Da Hill, the dark 345s provided only the start of things seemingly unchanged in all respects from the 01-29 viewing. Yes, a complete and utter ditto of the day before. Props were paid to The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks, the reward partially emerging at 0440 from the radio mush in the form of the words " ED-9's going to be picking up these cars," mebbe in the form of a question.
Following a straight shot down Da Hill, the 333 WLs came on at 0448 with a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding. At 0450, 400 was on the move, and a total of 3 flats and 1 bi plus the 1133 did the 0451 dropping. No noise was made to the east, so my metaphorical dice got rolled, and 400 got followed right away. Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 WLs Stops, and the GL Controlled Siding a Medium Approach Medium, 400 still at the platform. The Limited Clear on the FG 1 WL got dropped at 0501, 400 making noise for the loaded racks sitting on 2 clear of the FG WL. There was, however, no power on the easterly end of the rack loads. Just guessing, but mebbe these were the cars mentioned at 0440 for ED-9 pickup. Again just guessing, but the decision mighta been made to get 28N outta the way of the Keolis rush a bit quicker by not setting out the PWs up Da Hill, but by having ED-9 do the heavy lifting, both in the form of WB racks and the general occupying the westerly end of Yard 4 for a day plus.
At 0505, OldPaint 305 was sitting solo and dark in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and at 0507 came the words "flat wheel" in a female voice, mebbe 400's E. That would be about the right time for the 40.2's report, which -- no surprise -- went unheard by me. At 0510, the EB staggers for Derby showed an Approach for 1 and a Stop for 2. Mebbe 400 was on 1 and 22K was holding again to the east. Never heard.
While AY-3 would be heard alternatingly for the rest of the trip, there was naught heard -- not even a Form D fulfillment -- for Q426/7.

The day-delayed report of 0345-0535/02-02-2019 will follow a -- hopefully -- public service announcement:

If -- like me -- you have had recreational and/or occupational exposure to UV and if -- like me -- you have had low-to-no SPF, then -- like me -- you also might expect to keep a dermatology team at full employment. In my case, it was just basal cell, but still no fun during early recuperation. Puhleeze cover up and use a good blocker!

Dunno if it was low activity level or low temps or a combo, but things were quiet and/or garbled. There would be a few car countdowns early on, too broken for attribution, but mebbe 28N and/or AY-5, as will be seen later. There was clarity in a B728/NA Desk exchange ending at 0348, 728 having 3164 and 3633 for power, being 38x45, 6574', and 5573 tons, and wanting to get to 45 without blocking 3 crossings while waiting for a signal, NA assuring that the signal would be in.
0406 would be the start of a number of transmissions -- all Zombiefied -- from D-? to POED with the 7675 about an unintelligible something, followed at 0431 with the words to "leave that coach and come along," the where-from known to them, but nor me, and then another in the form of a garbled possible 241 at 0517. Generally I can hear power -- even on Yard Channel -- when they're west of 312, but not today for POED.
At 0420, the 333s would be dark, as would be the 334s and 335s.
Up Da Hill, the 345s would remain dark during the drive-through. There were FP-FP rack loads on Yard 2, a solo rack on the Extension just west of the switch, and mebbe an obscured few on Yard 4. The rack count on the Extension was now up to 5, but dunno if they were all new or a pair had been added to the preexisting trio. Sameoldsameold Ledger entries included the brush-cutter on the House and the intact and augmented plow berm at the Main Street crossing. Can't post for sure about untucked stone on the Heywood, given the new snow cover. Oh yeah -- the temps had been low-to-no single digits earlier and eastier, but were -3° on the car thermometer at the Jade lot. Thanks, D-1, but you didn't really have to visit.
An offering having been made, a straight shot was made to 333, the WLs dark at 0451, 1400 not scheduled to get east until 0630. Further in that direction, the 330.8 WBs both showed Clear, and -- predictably -- he 330 WLs were both at Stop. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0503, NewBlue 326 was facing east in the FI-1/2 parking spot, 0509 being when the EB staggers for Derby were dark.
0511 and again at 0512 was when D-3 called out loud and clear to AY-5, naught further being heard to, from, or about them. Just after the second shoutout to AY-5, D-3 would engage in a now-garbled -- Yard Channel? -- exchange with AY-3 that would include "21 out," mebbe from Catania.
Datzit.

For 0345-0545/02-04-2019, there were surprises both for some crews and me.
0345 started off with what sounded like -- garble being the complicator -- a shoving move on the wye to Hill Yard, racks being mentioned. Things were broken enough that no ID was heard, and the Yard Channel would soon be silent enough to hint that it wasn't 22K. 0408 was when there was an "AY-4," that regular later being a reliable indicator of activity. Next came a D-3 shoutout to Q427, acknowledging them being clear of Burncoat, fulfilling Form D G-303 to CSXT 5331 at 0409. Naught was heard to or from the NA Desk, so train info had probably been given earlier.
0415 was when the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334s and 335s. At 0427, D-3 would ask PO?? to give hum a second while he was still working a switch, followed by what sounded like a broken 241,
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark, There were racks on the easterly end of Yard 4, general FP-FP on Yard 2 and more general -- including loaded lumber centerbeams and tabled Clean Harbors containers -- on Yard 1 and onto the Extension. Dunno where the 5 racks that had been on the Extension on 02-02 were.
The brush-cutter was still on the House, and the undisturbed plow berms were still on the Main Street crossing. Anybody know if this is just a lull or if NEWW is no longer getting serviced?
An offering was made, and a straight shot taken down Da Hill, to the audio accompaniment of spurts of garble. The 333 WLs were on with a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding, and at 0449, D-3 advised AY-5 that there was a little change in plans -- take the NS power and marker, but leave the local power.
0459 was when 400 gave themselves he OK to depart, a total of 3 flats and the 1129 doing things as you might expect. No noise was made to the east, and not only did the 333 WLs stay lit, but the well-predawn east got bright, things moving at road speed, hinting that the WB had been on the move and KCIRs 7523 and 7500 getting a half-dozen or so west at 0455 and the 333 WLs going dark at 0457. Given that they were all non-placarded tanks, the guess was that this was an ED-9 that would be working Gardner.
At 0454, D-3 had told FI-2 they'd hold for the passenger and that someone was coming out to work on "this," whatever that might be.
0459 was when the minutes-earlier guess got confirmed, D-3 telling ED-9 with the 7523 that ????'s telemetry wasn't telemetrying and to help them at Gardner. If that didn't work, then push him down Da Hill before ED-9 made their pickup. To save suspense, naught further was heard to, from, or about ED-9 and/or the WB during the listening period.
After a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach, the GL and FG WLs being dark.
At 0513, a solo and unIDable unit was moving EB into the cars on East Side,, and at 0518, D-3 and FI-2 engaged in a convo, FI-2 to meet the maintainer in a couple. 0520? Dark EB staggers for Derby.
The rest of the trip had occasional Zombiefied outbursts, "AY-4" being clear a coupla times.

For 0343-0555/02-06-2019, there were actual sightings of PAS in motion, more about which later.
The 0343-and-later semiiZombiefied receptions were of D-3 in convo with AY-3, wondering how they were doing, whether they would be able to clear the Main or depart the Milling and whether would they tie down on the loop for tonight. The AY=3 side of things unheard, dunno for sure what happened. From 0359 to 0401, there would a both-sides D-3/FI-2 -- more about which later -- broken and Yard Channel convo about AYPO being in the interlocking, time left, mebbe leaving 3 MTs on the Greenville, West Main, and running home light.
While in the Rte. 2 WB sag by Rte. 12, there was the 0509 Zombiefied D-3 fulfillment of Form D G-3?? to Q427 with CSXT ????, no exchanges between B728/Q427 and the NA Desk being heard.
0414 was when the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334 and 335 signals, and there was a brief and broken D-3 shoutout to AYPO at 0427.
Up Da Hill and no surprise, the 345s were and would for the duration remain dark. Although not a unique sighting was a surprise to see G&WColors PW 4002 dark and quiet by the Pratt yard on Yard 2, racks and a few MT centerbeams to the east. Dag -- 2nd time in short order for the PW Switcher to overnight in Gardner! Musta been busy on 02-05.There were a few general on Yard 1 west of the switch, naught being visible on Yard 4. The brush-cutter was still on the House, the snow had gone from the Heywood, but the untucked stone hadn't, and the Main Street plow berms had been run through.
Post offering of thanks, a straight shot was made down Da Hill, garble -- except for a 0441 D-3 partial about setting up a cab (mebbe for AY-3?) -- being the soundtrack,
At 0447, the 333 WLs were on with a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding, the serious shunting happening on the 1 in the form of dark KCIRs 7609 and 7565 and GATX/GMTXs 3051 and 3052 (again dag -- not just bright and shiny, but in numerical order!) plus following friends. At 0450, 400 gave themselves the OK to depart, 3 flats and 1 bi and 1116 doing the usual clockwork routine.
In other clockwork observations, the EB went bright at 0456, the 333 1 WL went to Approach at 0457, the EB was on the move to a now-Clear 333 1 WL at 0458, and 54 were east at 0501. There were FBOXs and other boxes, covered hoppers, MT centerbeams, a string of gons (CSXTs except for a solo NYC), and placarded and unplacarded tanks. A placard pair carried 1203 -- gasoline, gasohol, or adhesive vinyl, depending on the source.
To the east, the marker became visible by the westerly River Street UGB, but a slow pickup with a flapping load did what slow pickups with flapping loads do -- slow EB progress. The 330.8 WBs and the 330 WLs were at Stop, not only cuzza the EB -- IDd as EDPO when D-3 told FI-2 they be holding for them, too -- but also for the wells stopped on 2.
EDPO dropped the Approach Limited in the GL 1 WL and revealed UPs 4569 and 7568 sitting dark on 2 across from the platform, a number of racks before the wells. Never heard a discussion, so dunno if this was 22K or 28N, but photographers of a future WB will have something other than Ponies.
Further east, the FG WLs were still at Stop cuz at 0515, NewBlue 326 was on the move WB at the FG ELs, presumably to cross the road and tie down.
AY-4 had become their usual active selves, and mebbe cuzza them and/or mebbe cuzza topographical challenges, no 40.2 report was heard for EDPO. At 0525, the EB staggers for Derby would be dark, and the rest of the trip would feature Yard Channel activity, some clear and some not, the last word at 0555 being -- you guessed it -- "AY-4."

The rack/container train led by the 2 UP locomotives was 22K - at least that's what it was called when it left Binghamton yesterday, presumably without racks, which I believe are added at Mechanicville in the new normal PAS operation.

Gardner Gawking
Post by johnpbarlow » Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:58 am
...in the new normal PAS operation.

In an everything-old-is-new-again reference, I remember seeing a glossy colored card-stock presentation intended for B&M shippers and consignees of circa 1958 that showed B&M symbol freights in flow-chart format. WB blockings out of Rigby and EB blockings out of Mechanicville were arranged so trains would leapfrog stops in order that not every train served every setoff/pickup point, reducing dwell-time and optimizing hours of actual service.
Splitting 28N so Willows racks run through Gardner on 22K and having PW racks come east on ED-8 so there's 1 less train working Gardner -- not to mention having EDPO and POED generally run through Ayer -- seems a nod to the wisdom of that semi-century-plus-old practice.

For 0340-0540/02-8-2019, some proof of the rewards of randomness came fairly early.
Things were generally quiet, the exception being extended D-3 Yard Channel Zombieness at 0401. 0411 was when the 333 WLs were dark, the same soon followed at the 334s.
The 335 ELs, however, were both at Stop, entry to the lot just in time to see an unIDable Pony pair plus UP 4496 get 22K -- mores about which later -- east of 335 at 0421. The were a coupla dozen racks followed by 58 wells -- all but 2 single-high occupied -- and 66 MT well and table positions. Must gonna be a good number of MT containers at Ayer. At 0419, there had been a clear "AY-4", and at 0430. there was the D-3 side of a convo with AY-3 -- the 7605 -- the clear parts involving East Wye and -- you guessed it -- roger. One thing not heard was D-3 fulfilling whatever Form D Q427 mighta had.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark during the drive-through -- more about which later -- and the yard was MT except for general on 1 between the westerly FP and a bit west of the switch. The Sameoldsameold Ledger entries were still the brush-cutter on the House and the untucked stone on the Heywood.
A particularly worshipful offerer was ahead of me at The Shrine Of The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks and slowed the straight shot down Da Hill enough to see the 333 WLs go to dark at 0453. Additional proof that 400 had gotten east came at 0456 when the 400 E called out a Slow Approach for 1 at 330.
OT, but the last few times I've been by, the 50-50 Diner has been almost as dark as the long-gone 50-50 signals, not to mention vacant. Mebbe hours have changed, but a quick web search didn't show any changes.
After a refueling stop, the 330.8 WBs showed Clears, the 330 WLs Stops, and the GL and FG WLs darkness, To the east, naught was visible in the FI-1/2 parking spot at 0511, but KCIRs 7535 and 7655 were sitting dark on West Side, ED-9 being my guess cuzza the unplacarded black tanks -- possible recent Catania visitors -- up front.
At 0515 came "22K" followed by naught, and at 0517 come the sight of the EB staggers for Derby being dark and the sound of D-3 giving 22K their yarding instructions -- racks to 4 and then 1 and 2 -- followed by saying he'd get them a cab. Never did hear anything else attributable to, from, or about 22K, not that hearing naught has any meaning.
What, however, was heard was D-3 telling POED with the 7898 that they would drop 1 of their 2 middle units on 2 at WL cuz the rear unit had to go to Deerfield and to give him some time for time for run-down and that Keolis would be -- my phrasing -- a factor.
There would be occasional static spurts, a surprising bit of clarity coming at 0540 when AY-5 was doing a car countdown. Usually, I can't hear the Willows from the far side of the Temple Street/Rte. 140/MP X7.8 crossing, so mebbe AY-5 was in the yard and would be hauling racks east. Shouldn't be a problem once POED had done the power set-off and was west.

A Sunday trip? Yes, not only that, but also another PSA, the cause being more UV-caused nip-tucking on Monday. A misspent youth and misspent middle-age reinforcing what PAR and predecessors have so thoroughly proven -- prevention is better than remediation.

And now for 0345-0555/02-10-2019, the early parts of which were either silent of featured Yard Channel garble. At 0413, D-3 reached out to AYPO -- mores about which later -- and asked if they hadn't made a pick up and if they hadn't seen cars on Track 4, the response and possible response to the response unheard.
At 0414, the 333 WLs were -- no surprise -- dark, and a couple later there was a broken D-3 shoutout to Q426 -- yea, six --followed in a couple by the sight of the 334 ELs and 1 stagger all at Stop and no brightness visible to the east. There was a surprise on the way to the 335s: A cable with a few yellow caution-tape streamers was hanging low across Curtis Street at the Fifth Mass. Turnpike intersection, more about which later and more proof that it pays to look where I'm going. That was not the end of surprises -- the 335 ELs were dark. Spurious shunt? Short EB? Supposition will follow.
There had been a Zombiefied D-? call of a Form D being fulfilled, followed in a few by the time-effective-0425 Form D G-302 to CSXT 3199 all the way from MP X25 to Still River, which translates to MP X23.19, again more about which later.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark for my duration. There was general on Yard 1 from the westerly end to a bit west of the switch and 7 loaded racks on the easterly end of Yard 2. Anyone expecting any changes on the House or Heywood is more of an optimist than I am.
The immediate reward for my offering of thanks came first at 0437 with D-3 doing another Zombiefied reach out to AYPO -- mores again later -- followed at 0445 when D-3 confirmed that Q427 was tied down at Still River, adding he'd hopefully get someone down there later to move it along this morning. PAR crew to Burncoat? Dunno.
Down Da Hill, the 335s were dark, and a trip was taken to investigate what mighta happened on Curtis Street. There were no downed branches, trees, or poles, so a high load mighta snagged the wire. The 334 ELs and 1 stagger at 0450 and the 333 ELs at 0454 shared darkness, 2400 not due outta Wachusett until 0630.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach. There would be a Zombiefied and only-mebbe "AY-4" at 0503.
The GL and FG WLs were dark, as was was solo NewBlue 326 in the FI-1/2 parking spot at 0506. The 326 was facing east, so mebbe a short or light EB FI-2 had been the cause of the earlier 334 Stops and 335 darkness. A bit east and on West Side was west-facing and dark KCIR 7561 followed by at least 1 rack. Shortie ED-9? Dunno.
At 0518, the EB staggers for Derby were both showing Approach, so some time was invested. By 0525, no EB had showed up, so it was probably holding just a bit east of Derby.
At 0535, AYPO with the 7609 would reach out to ?, and at 0539, D-3 would give AYPO the OK to come to East Wye, saying he'd get them across. 0542 was when a now-breaking D-3 told 22K something about autos, hinting that 22K had been holding to the west -- Approaches on the EB Derby staggers -- until AYPO was outta the yard.
Busy predawn for a supposed day of rest.

"Busy Predawn for a supposed day of rest"? Reads more like a Pan Am still life to me.

The last few times I've been trackside for a few hours in the past month along D3 (S Royalston, Gardner, Ayer, Wachusett, etc) I've come away almost empty handed freight train-wise. Daytime activity on Pan Am Southern seems to be ebbing significantly these days.

I'm starting to become addicted to watching trains go by at various rail web cams from the comfort of my couch, like NS at Chesterton, IN (75 NS/CP/Amtrak trains per day so they say!) and Horseshoe Curve. Saves gas money and can observe a wide variety of traffic (eg, oil, ethanol, coal, coke, steel plus general and IM).