Gardner Gawking

0455-0715/12-07-2020 was busy, starting off with a car warmup for deicing and somebody on Yard Channel asking somebody else what the initials were on the marker. It turned out they were CSX, and it also turned out there were temporary telemetry troubles that would eventually seemed to get solved when "armed" got heard.
In the midst of that, D-3 told somebody -- AY-3? -- that he had a POED at Graniteville and wanted to see if he could get POED around the somebody.
At 0513, D-3 breakingly told Q427 to standby, then at 0514 answered 427 and fulfilled 426's Form D G310, next issuing a time-effective 0515 Form D G302 for MP X25 to Burncoat. The power IDs for both the 310 and 302 got hashed although I was in an area generally not subject to D-3 hash. D-3 advised he was ready for the updated train info -- acknowledged without repetition -- and asked for time into DCS, that acknowledgment at 0518.
At 0523, AYPO with the 7643 called out to D-3, going then to Channel 2. D-3 got on the air, and the discussion focussed on AYPO having 1/2 hour left and wanting details for the recrew, the response being to go to the trailer and meet them there.
At 0535, the 333 1 WL showed a Medium Clear for the approaching 22K with NSs 6595, ????, and 6953. 16 racks and 69 well and tables positions -- all loaded and including 1 trailer -- were east at 0539, the increasing speed suggesting that there had been a recrew. In the meantime, there had been a D-3/AY-4 convo about status, Track 9, and the trainmaster wanting to prioritize trash cars.. At 0539, D-3 got on the air with AY-3, advising of switch problems at WL and to take the the switch for Freight 1 to Freight Main 2 off power and leave them lined normal. making sure that it was Freight Main and not Keolis switches.
On my way over to 334, there was a 0545 D-3/POED-with-the-3405 convo concerning a pickup from Track 1 in Gardner -- 7 MT racks and 1 MT freight. POED was stronger than D-3, so mebbe Fitchburg or slightly west, but given the signals at 334 -- ELs Stops and 1 stagger dark -- and 335 -- ELs dark -- not that far west.
There were minimal slope lights on Mount Wachusett, and at 0552, there was D-2 garble to 204's equipment -- probably concerning Hall, given the "lined and locked normal."
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, and the aforementioned cars sat on Yard 1. Surprisingly, the #2 had undisturbed snow cover. Dunno when the snow had stopped in Gardner. The logging machine was still by the MART fence, and the icy mixed precipitation seemed to have brought the Heywood vegetation low, but the plow berms at the Main Street crossing were still high.
Post refueling stop, the EB trip was quiet until D-3 asked AY-3 about the status of lining switches, but Mount Wachusett hashed any further understanding. At 0620, 404 OKd themselves to depart Wachusett. The 333 Controlled Siding WL was still at Medium Clear, but a total of 4 flats and 1 bi plus the 2019 did the dropping at 0622, the same time a breaking D-3 241d AY-3 -- the 7517? -- 1 east at WL to 1 on the Freight Main.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs were at Stops, as were the 330 WLs, The GL Controlled Siding WL showed a Medium Approach Medium, 404 dropping that at 0631. 22K was sitting on 2, and the 330 ELs were all at Stop.
The FG WLs were at Stop, 22K's leader east of the gym, at 0630, NewBlue 310 was dark, solo, a facing west in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and at 0645, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, 4 company gons still on the RVJ stub.
Things got busy at 0650 -- 406 briefly got on the air, D-2 advised somebody that D-2's ? radio was out, but he'd talk to them on the other one and that Amtrak was on time. There was also an "AYPO with the 7643," but naught further.
At 0653, D-3 reached out to AY-3 for a progress update, they advising they were coming along. 0700 would be when D-3 acknowledged that AY-3 was in the clear at the Milling and switches were lined and locked normal.
Anyone guessing that at 0704 and when I was 1/4 mile north of Temple Street/ Rte. 140/MP X7.8 crossing that B&M Detector Mileage 7.8 would start checking train is absolutely right. That was also the same time the C or U told AY-4 to drop the 3 and come ahead 30. My arrival was too late to see the power, but gates up and no defects was at 0707, so not a longish 1, leader CSXT 5394 giving the acknowledgment.
The 0715 last words? "AY-4. 6 more."

0500-0700/12-09-2020 started off quiet, some small amounts of unIDable hash with clear stuff only from Boston West.
Yard Channel clarity came at 0518 with "89 on the marker," followed quickly by a coupla calls from Q427 with CSXT 4566 to D-3. There was more hash, and at 0526, somebody offered that AY-3 was coming in on Track 9, D-3 next telling Q426 to stand by. 0529 would be when D-3 would answer 22K, naught further heard, a puzzlement, given what would soon happen.
At 0531, the 333 WLs were all at Stop, NSs 6951, 4183, and 6922 followed by no racks, but lotsa pigs. Mebbe they weren't 22K, but they sure looked like 1 and were close enough 2 minutes earlier that I shoulda been able to hear their transmission to D-3.
0531 would also be when D-3 would begin the process of fulfilling Form D G322 to 426 with CSXT 3295, that happening at 0532. Form D G301 to the aforementioned 4566 for X25 to Burncoat would have a 0536 time effective. The totals were asked for and acknowledged without repetition, and the hazmats were determined to be residues and not loads. The answer to the question about whether it was the same marker that they had come up with was also acknowledged without repetition, and wishes for a good trip were given. Never heard an acknowledgment for time into DCS, but to save suspense, there was crossing noise at 0701, 0711, 0730, 0740, and 0749, appropriate intervals for Campground, Prescott Street, Temple Street/Rte. 140. MP X7.8, Shrewsbury Street/ MP X6.0, and Burncoat Street.
There would be more hash served up, but there was some 0539 clarity with a D-3/AYPO exchange, items including needing to recrew, coming down 11 to the east end, and there being 29 tested cars to pick up.
The 334 ELs and 1 stagger were all at Stop, pigs extending west. At 0543, there would be garble, only "AY-4" being clear. Over at 335, the ELs were at Stop, as was the Single WL, the Controlled Siding WL at Medium Approach Slow. The lot had seen lots of traffic since the snow, and the pig marker was a bit east of the State Road/Rte. 2A UGB.
There was some hash WB, and up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, the yard MT, the tree service truck by the MART fence, the Main Street crossing plow berms intact, and an optimist in the Jade lot.
On the EB leg of the trip, there was a both-sides-audible POED/D-3 exchange, but the combination of my decrease in antenna height and Mount Wachusett did the expectable. 4 later, FI-2 would reach out to D-3, hash ensuing, FI-2 advising at 0611 that they were ready for a light.
At 0612, the 333 WLs showed a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding, 404 already at the platform. The Pony trio and IM followers were still in place, and I continued EB to see the 330.8 WBs with a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL with a Slow Approach.
The GL WLs were dark, car countdowns -- sometimes attributable to AY-4, sometimes not -- continued.
Just before seeing the dark FG WLs, I heard "POED," and a few hundred yards later, 2 tree-obscured units were stopped on the UGB just east of the FG ELs. In back what was being picked up were the top half of NewBlue 310's stationary number boards at 0626.
At 0631, AYPO and D-3 resumed a breaking-to-me exchange -- the double was about to start and they were OK on signal indication.
At 0633, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, and 4 company gons sat on the RVJ stub. 0637 would be more D-3/POED hash, quickly followed more of the same to, from, or about AY-4 and AYPO.
There would be more IDable AY-4 activity, and at 0700, somebody told AY-4 that AYPO was shoving down to hang a marker.
Whether racks for both the PW and San-Vel would be coming east on EDPO, dunno.

0459-0700/12-11-2020 did have some activity, starting with the reception of "Back 3," possible from AY-4 who'd be frequently active throughout the trip and give the last words heard -- "AY-4, on the pin" at 0658.
At 0501, "AY-3" would be heard hashed on Channel 1, and 0503, D-3 would ask, "AY-3, you calling?"There would be a renewal of D-3/AY-3 activity at 0520, but naught intelligible to me.
0524 would be when AY-4 would advises D-3 that Track 3 was clear, and a minute later let the listening world know that they were engaged in the old back-and-forth.
Following servings of hash would be exchanged between D-3 and AYPO who was tied down on 11. There may have been something about waters, but hash being hash, hoonose?
At 0535, the 333 WLs were at Stop, 22K having done just that on 1. NSs 6971, 6965, and -- no lie -- 6964 sat east of a goodly number of racks, wells and mebbe tables extending west to just east of the 335 ELs. The 334 ELs and 1 stagger were all at Stop, as were the 335 ELs and WLs, a surprise since the Controlled Siding WL would usually be at Medium Approach Slow unless the 2 had been lined for a move, the Stops on the Single WL and the 2 EL kinda arguing against that.
AY-4 continued to provide easy-for-me listening, and up Da Hill the 345s were at Stop, 3404's number boards visible by a Pratt building. It was probably the NewBlue, but mebbe the one of Pony persuasion had made a return visit. While the 3404 was lifting the yard, DS trash and other general sat on the 2, blocking any view of what might be going west. That it was a POED was given some weight by Irving and Taylor Lumber centerbeams. The marker? By the Jade lot. The Sameoldsameold Ledger entries were the inactivity on the Heywood and the Northern Tree Service truck -- actually a hyrailer -- by the MART fence. The piece is shown in Al LaPierre's http://photos.nerail.org/s/?p=260983 of 12-09. The caption indicates it was headed towards the House, but the snow on the House remained undisturbed.
A surprise had come at 0552 when D-3 reached out to AY-5. It's good to hear they're back again. 0x56 was acknowledged, as was heading up to 312 for a runaround.
On the EB leg of the trip, there was extended D-3 garble involving "346" and "switch." It obviously wasn't from the Gardner antenna, so dunno. A couple later at 0609, There was more Dispatcher-side garble. Again, dunno.
0614 was when the 333 WLs were all at Stop, 22K elsewhere or cloaked and no 404 yet visible at the platform. Further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Stop and the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach. The GL WLs were dark, but a swing by the platform was made to see if 22K's marker could be seen. It couldn't, but the unanimous Stops on the 330 ELs could.
The FG WLs were dark, and at 0628, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT. 0532 was when a breaking D-3 reached to AY-5, their train info garbled and acknowledged without repetition. There was a question -- broken -- about San-Vel Switch and then a request to stand by.
At 0635, the EB staggers for Derby showed a Clear for 1 and Stop for 2. 22K? FI-2? Dunno. And yes, 4 company gons were still on the RVJ stub.
At 0640, there was a broken "C&E Extra 373," but broken so bad that I have no idea if it was a G2?? or G3??.
At 0651, a garbling D-3 OKd AY-5 on signal indication at ? on the FMW.
0658 you/ve already read about.
Q426/7? Dunno. Naught heard, not even crossing noise near my home as of 0840.

0500-0700/12-14-2020 was low on visual input, but busy sound-wise, starting with power and crossing noises heard from inside my home from ~0400 and on. The ID got missed, but somebody told somebody else at 0500 that the brake test was good. Guessing it was AY-4, who would be the major occupant of the airwaves throughout the trip.
At 0501, Q427 being at New Bond and west and clear of Burncoat by telemetry, Form D G301 was called fulfilled, power deets unheard. The same minute, AY-3 with the 7517 called D-3, both sides flipping into Hash Mode, but somebody was just outta Wachusett.
A few later, D-3 asked Keolis 7400 what they had gotten for a signal at GL, acknowledging it was Medium Clear. Yes, not only Reduced Service 7400 with a due time outta Wachusett at 0450, but also with a Service Alert of 30-40 late cuzza later equipment arrival. ????, jaymac mused cuzza the usually well-stocked layover facility. In More Of The Same News, at 0530, D-3 asked 7400 what signal they'd gotten at Camp, the rogered answer unheard by me. On a so-called "good" day, 7400's published time at Ayer would be 0518, so the 30-40 seemed more precautionary than accurate. Never heard any other requests for what signals were showing, so dunno the cause of the questions.
At 0535, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s to follow. There had been more hash, including a possible "AYPO" and car countdowns.
Heard at 0546 while WB on Rte. 2, a breaking 346.6 gave her report, "temperature 31" -- close to my car's 34 -- being the clarity. D-3 also called out to AY-3, further developments unheard by me.
The 345s were and would remain dark, so it was a WB that had gone through the Parkers talker. As future receptions would show, it wasn't FI-2, and if it had been a POED, there were racks from the easterly FP of Yard 2 morphing into general up by the westerly FP, MT centerbeams among them, ant Yard 4 occupants being obscured. Unobscured were the tree-service truck by the MART fence and optimists in the Jade lot.
Post refueling stop, the EB leg of the trip featured occasional hash. The 333 WLs were dark at 0611, and at 0612, D-3 reached out to FI-2, immediate garble including " at the Willows" to follow, so mebbe AY-5's reinstatement noted on 12-11 wasn't of the long-term type.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Clear for 1 and a Stop for 2, the 330 2 WL at Slow Approach. The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0629, the FI-1/2 parking spot was predictably MT. 0629 was when the EB staggers for Derby were dark and 4 company gons still sat on the RVJ stub. AY-4 continued to be busy, and at 0641, AYPO gave broken totals, again acknowledged without repetition.
Up through the end of listening heard naught to, from, or about 22K, EDPO, or POED -- unless it was POED through the 346.6 earlier.

0500-0655/12-16-2020 had its moments, but not initially. Yes, there had been ~0400 power and crossing noise heard inside Château-jaymaque that might indicate that Q427 was getting closer to Burncoat, but if so, a Form D fulfillment was never heard, not a total surprise with the surplus of places unreceptive to reception. To conserve precious suspense, also unheard would be anything to, from, or about AY-3, AY-4, and AYPO.
Things were quiet until 0519 and a both-sides-breaking D-3/22K exchange that sounded like yarding instructions with serious hash about power and racks and San-Vel.
At 0533, the 333 WLs were dark, and between 334 -- ELs at Stop and 1 stagger dark -- and 335 -- ELs dark -- there was a 0538 breaking D-3/POED exchange, POED later to be heard and eyeballed at FG.
On my way up Da Hill and at 0541, 22K would get OKd ahead, reception quality decreasing with distance increasing.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark. There were MT racks on the easterly end of Yard 4 with mebbe some general west. Yard 2 had general from Chair City Oil west that included 2 NW and 1 CR gons, covered hoppers, and a CRYO-TRANS. The tree service hyrailer was still by the MART fence, but no optimists were in the Jade lot. In a propagation puzzlement, 22K garble reached to The Shrine Of The Deity Of The CPF-345 Dunks at 0547.
22K's C or U was clearer at 0556 when he announced they were starting down East Wye with about 15 to a stop. At 0601, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach and the GL WLs dark.
At 0612, POED with the 7595 called out to D-3 -- no immediate response heard by me -- and at 0612, the POED C told the E to take it ahead 42 cars. Yes, the FG WLs were at Stop, and at 0612, D-3 gave permission to POED to reverse direction from where they stood and to proceed west on the #2, KCIRs 7595, 7528, and 7535 hauling west of the gym. Given the number of unplacarded black tanks on the headpin, I'm guessing that these had been lifted from East Side after a local had taken them from West Main Street or the Hill Yard.
At 0623, the POED-obscured FI-1/2 parking spot looked like it might be MT, an impression given weight at 0652 when D-3 rogered whatever FI-2 had just said.
At 0629, the EB staggers for Derby where dark, and 4 company gons still sat on the RVJ stub. 0632 was when D-3 241d POED 2 east to 2 at FG, POED adding that they might not clear the interlocking, D-3 saying it wasn't an issue. D-3 would next give 22K with NS 6959 permission to reverse direction from where they stood at AY and proceed east on the #2. Given the car countdowns that followed, this would be for spotting pigs on 2 or 3 and not for taking racks to San-Vel, the 0655 reception being, "Far enough, 22K."
May the snow into Thursday be fluffy and dry, not heavy and wet!!

Hi all,

A couple of quick questions about operations in Gardner for a New Englander who hasn't lived in New England since the last century. These are prompted by a youtube I just saw posted by Stephen Demboske (Stephen - if you read this page - thank you for posting your videos!), of an EDPO which had 60 or 70 cars to drop at Gardner for the P&W. Struck me as a huge amount of interchange traffic - but my sense is that this amount isn't that out of the ordinary these days.

First question - Did this P&W interchange traffic pick up meaningfully as a result of NS coming in with the creation of PAS? My sense is that it did; I don't think the interchange traffic was ever close to these levels in the 1990s when I would visit this area.

Second question - How does it physically work when a train drops 60+ cars in Gardner? Is the crew having to split that among three or four tracks in the small yard there? Very time-consuming! I think an alternate way of handling this would be to build out a mile or two of double track, and give the P&W rights over that bit of PAS mainline, so that the interchange could be conducted as one single string (without the need to split it). This would save a TON of time for both RR's - one company spends hours splitting a train, and the other company has to come in and spend hours un-doing that work shortly afterwards.

I appreciate the amount of knowledge on this forum, and peoples' willingness to share it!

This article talks a bit about the Gardner traffic https://railsandports.com/2020/12/pas-battleground/

mrj1981
Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:33 am
...First question - Did this P&W interchange traffic pick up meaningfully as a result of NS coming in with the creation of PAS? My sense is that it did; I don't think the interchange traffic was ever close to these levels in the 1990s when I would visit this area.
Second question - How does it physically work when a train drops 60+ cars in Gardner? Is the crew having to split that among three or four tracks in the small yard there? Very time-consuming! I think an alternate way of handling this would be to build out a mile or two of double track, and give the P&W rights over that bit of PAS mainline, so that the interchange could be conducted as one single string (without the need to split it). This would save a TON of time for both RR's - one company spends hours splitting a train, and the other company has to come in and spend hours un-doing that work shortly afterwards.

First answer: Yes. During the '90s, the yard had become a place for whatever local traffic then remained in Gardner or for setouts. The condition of the yard tracks reflected that, and it was only after the uptick in PW auto and -- later -- freight interchange that yard trackage got to be less than -- as I phrased less than 10 years ago -- Toonerville Trolley.

Second answer: It's been a few years since I've been there during afternoons, so it's been that amount of time since I've seen actual PW operations, but historically, there was a variety of condition-dependent possibilities. If both PAR and PW were in the yard at the same time, there could be combined efforts post-job-briefing.
If PW was there solo, it would depend on how much they brought up and how much they had to bring back. They would occasionally arrive with the power split head and tail to reduce runarounds in the yard. Also when the yard tracks were pretty well occupied, they could get permission to open up West Switch -- a bit east of the Timpany Boulevard UGB -- and use the #2 Main for headroom. The choreography was generally ad hoc and varied with the situation and/or crew.

For those less familiar with the area, an online ETT and/or GEarth might be a good resource.

@woodeen - thanks for the link - very interesting indeed! Somehow Atlantic Rails & Ports got their hands on a copy of the PAS operating agreement. (I don't think it's in the public domain?) I'd love to see what that doc has to say about the rights of one party to buy out the other party...

@jaymac - thanks for your response as well, and for your rigorously detailed reports from Gaaahdnah over the years. In the nineties I sometimes found myself wondering why the P&W bothered to keep that Gardner branch active... Apparently they figured that at some point, the West End would get fixed up and then, with two credible interchange partners, they'd be in a better position to negotiate better rates than whatever CSX was giving them back then. I don't believe there is much, if any, business located along their Gardner branch?

Related question then - I'm curious if anyone has a sense of how much P&W interchange traffic goes to CSX vs to PAS? The share sent to PAS is large enough that I'd assume it's at least equal to what they give CSX at Worcester?

CSX interchange to the P&W over Worcester is about double NS (PAS) interchange over Gardner.

0500-0650/12-18-2020 had minimal activity and gave the impression that snowmageddon recovery was still a work in progress.
Receptions started off at the start with D-2 -- clear for a bit --asking AYPO with the 7727 if they could hear him better now, then getting hashed about POED getting to or through Bleachery and having to get outta their -- POED's -- way, some garble about a cab to Westford, and then an OK to 307.
0510 would produce more D-2, this time to POED with the 7609, the rest of the reception being hachis á la mode suprême.
At 0522 there was Yard Channel garble, and at 0527 a clear but unattributable "I keep looking, but I can't see the line." To save suspense, among the remaining rarities of even garble, there would be naught received to, from, or about AY-3, AY-4, or 22K.
0532 was when the 333 WLs were dark, the usual pattern of Stops on the 334 ELs and darkness on the 334 1 stagger and 335s to follow.
Almost all the way up Da Hill, there was D-3 breakage involving a Form D, no other details clear to me. The 345s were and would remain dark, and except for extra snow, the yard seemed the same as on 12-16, including the 2 NW and 1 CR gons, the covered hoppers, the 1 CRYO-TRANS, and then more covered hoppers. The Sameoldsameold Ledger entries included the tree-service hyrailer by the MART fence and no sign of any activity on the Heywood. The optimist census at the Jade lot was 1 truck.
The EB trip was quiet until I was a bit more than 1/2 way to the Princeton Road/Rte. 31 exit and at 0601 when the X7.8 talker announced he was checking train. My decrease in altitude and accompanying increase in interfering topography killed any report reception, and no Form D fulfillment would be heard for either a late 426 or a more usual 427 before 0650.
At 0604, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, 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 were dark, as was west-facing NewBlue 516 at 0618 just south of the usual FI-1/2 parking spot. Dunno whether the 516 was solo cuzza covered hoppers obscured the back half.
At 0618, the EB staggers for Derby looked dark and 4 company hoppers looked to be on the RVJ stub, "looked" cuzza activity in the RVJ yard.
At 0640, D-3 reached out to POED, saying he wanted to see if they had stopped. Dunno where POED was, but it sure seemed like they had made unimpeded progress since D-2 had talked to them.

0500-0700/12-21-2020 was only initially quiet. At 0502 -- the very minute the Winter Solstice transpired -- D-3 advised 7400 that there were no messages. A minute later, B&M Detector Mileage 7.8 announced he was checking train, 0506 being when no defects was announced and Q427 acknowledged. The 2 later that I did my own crossing showed that even at 10 MPH MAS a marker --like so much of PAR/S -- can be 'round the bend.
There was only occasional Yard Channel garble, and at 0517, D-3 advised Keolis 7400 that he had them lined up all the way outta his territory, then some 7400 garble, then D-3 asking if it was the Camp giving them a Restricting, followed by the words that he would make some calls. There was more D-3/7400 garble at 0520, concluded by a D-3 roger.
Things were quiet to me until 0531 when D-3 called out to AY-5, more about which later, but nothing further reaching my ears in the near term.
At 0533, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual sequence of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s in effect. As a hedzup for any non-frequent visitors to that stretch of roads and even after the 12-20 snow squalls, the upper stretch of Authority Drive, Development Road, Fifth Mass. Turnpike, and Curtis Road had gotten only minimal attention. Given gradients and curvature, things can be iffy, especially with opposing traffic.
There was only scattered garble going up Da Hill until a breaking signal call from the 7552 which -- along with KCIR 7795 and fellow NewBlue 3403 -- was coming to a halt on 2 just by West Switch. The marker was by the Jade lo and not much walking and winding would be done before the brake test, but that was still more time than I had to spend in Gardner. Was it EDPO? Mebbe, but I never heard, but I would later hear D-3 call out to EDPO with the 7643, so dunno. There were racks visible on Yard 1, blocking the view whatever might be on 2 and 4. Also visible were the tree-service hyrailer by the MART fence, the undisturbed tundra that is the Heywood, and a rewarded optimist in the Jade lot. While still up Da Hill, there was broken 0558 fulfillment of whatever 427's Form D was. Oh yeah -- the 345 ELs and WLs remained at Stop.
The EB trip was quiet until 0607 when somebody said "Here we go" to somebody else, 2 later being the time when the 333 WLs were at Stop.
At 0612, there was D-3 garble to EDPO with the 7643, and further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach and the GL WLs dark.. A couple later, came "AY-5, you got a Restricting," followed in another couple by the Restricting on the FG 2 WL being dropped by racks being shoved onto east onto FMW by KCIR 7875. At O621 and while the shove was ongoing, a weak, but clear EDPO with the 7643 reached out to D-3 giving a 21x13, 3057 tins, and 2199' for train info. Dunno where they were, but that would be the last bit of clarity to, from, or about them.
The FI-1/2 parking spot at 0627? Dunno -- AY-5's racks were inna way. AY-5 was also busy on the airwaves doing all the expectables of a major shove that involved hitches with already-there cars.
The EB staggers for Derby mighta been dark but company gons were visible despite activity in the RVJ yard.
There would be a period of Dispatcher-side has at 0645, but there never was anything clear to, from, or about AY-3, AY-4, AYPO, FI-2, or 22K.

This is just a possible outcome of the CSX Sale,PAR/PAS are sold as separate companies Ex-B&M Main ,Ayer to Rotterdam JCT sold to NS,PAR east of Ayer sold to CSX
CSX (B&A) Springfield to Worcester sold to MassDOT/MBTA/Amtrak, STB happy as there's no monopoly "takeover" by CSX.

0500-0655/12-23-2020 was on the quietish side, Dispatcher-side garble at 0502 opening things up. Dunno whether it was part of the same Dispatcher-side transmission, but D-3 would fulfill Form D G321 to Q426 with CSXT 3358 at 0505, 0507 being the time effective for G301 for X25 to Burncoat. The requested train info got rogered, followed by the request for time into DCS. Never heard an acknowledgment for that, but to save suspense, did hear X7.8 crossing noise from inside Château-jaymaque at 0708.
At 0516, D-3 asked Keolis 7400 what signal they had called out. An Approach to Camp and AY? It sounded like D-3 acknowledged a Restricting for Camp and a Clear for AY. If this sounds like déjà entendu all over again from 12-21, so did it to D-3 who advised that it had happened before, he'd reported it, and he'd report it again.
The hallmark of this trip was the lack of received Yard Channel activity, the next reception at 0527, a weak exchange between D-3 and 22K involving partials about AY-4, Track 1, and 20 racks off the Camp. There'd be an even weaker D-3/22K exchange at 0529, no deets getting to me.
At 0532, the 333 WLs were dark with Stops on the 334 ELs and darkness on the 334 1 stagger and 335s to follow.
The trip up Da Hill was quiet until some more Dispatcher-side hash at 0544. The 345s were and would remain dark, Yard 4 had racks, and Yard 2 was FP-FP with some racks east and general -- lotsa covered hoppers -- west. At 0655, there was a garbled D-3 reception involving EDPO and the 7655, possibly a 241. To again save suspense, naught further would be heard to, from, or about EDPO, the same holding for AY-3, AY-5, AYPO, and POED. The tree-service hyrailer was gone, but an optimist in the Jade lot wasn't.
Things were quiet EB, the 333 WLs dark at 0604. Further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear and the 330 WLs at Stops. The 330 ELs were checked cuzza the 330.8 WBs, but showed 9-for-9 reds. The GL WLs had been dark, ditto for the FG WLs, and at 0618, dark, solo, and east-facing KCIR 7875 sat in the FI-1/2 parking spot.
Post-refueling stop, the EB staggers for Derby were dark at 0630, and 4 company gons continued to rust-weld to the RVJ stub.
At 0638, there would be a both-sides-garbled 22K/D-3 exchange involving East Wye, not even garble for the rest of the trip.

Keep it happy and safe!

0500-0650/12-26-2020 wasn't a lot of time, but there was an actual rolling-wheels sighting, but not Q427 cuz their varied crossing noises were heard either side of 0400, giving them more than enough time to get west of Burncoat and get their Form D fulfilled before I was scannerized.
At 0520, there would be a both-sides-breaking EDPO-with-the-7622/D-3 convo that involved 335 and penalty. At intervals, there would be a coupla spurts of Dispatcher-side garble, but just enough to lock up the scanner. At 0529, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual pattern applying only to the 334 ELs -- Stops -- and 1 stagger -- darkness. However, the 335 ELs were at Stop as was the Controlled Siding WL, the Single WL being at Clear, signaling -- heh, heh -- my return to the 335 lot.
EDPO called themselves on the move at 0538, KCIR 7622 and NewBlues 7518 and 5968 getting 54 trash positions and 46 general east of the EL at 0544. Mebbe ~1/3 of the trashes were single-highs and the general had boxes that including a pair of Smurfs and a Big G, tanks both placarded and corn-product, and a good number of MT centerbeams. Guess that the 5968 was returning from the shop for reassignment to a local.
At 0547, D-3 and EDPO renewed contact, their Ayers and Barbers -- yes, EDPO with Barbers -- to go to the Thorofare. As will be seen soon, that plan was etched only in air and not in stone.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark. Yard 4 was pretty much FP-FP with racks west and general east that included coil cars. The easterly stretch of Yard 2 had 6+ rack loads, and the Extension had a QTTX flat with a shiny black LEFORT -- all caps is the style per the website -- scrap metal machine. Sameoldsameold Ledger? The snow might be gone from the Heywood, but apparently still ditto for traffic, given the surviving vegetation. The optimist occupancy at the Jade lot was up to 2, and they might have something to see a lot later on, as will be seen later on.
At 0609, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and Clear for 2. The 330 1 WL was at Slow Approach, 1400's platform advertised being 0638.
The GL and FG WLs were dark, and at 0621, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT, and there was activity in the Keolis Engineering lot.
At 0624, EDPO called out an Approach at CPF-AY, soon followed by "Alright, AY-3, whenever you're ready, take it ahead." At 0626, a breaking D-3 would tell EDPO that garbled was to go to the Thorofare and the trash cars to 11. That was the same time as the RVJ lot was active, so no good count could be made of the company gons, but from Nashua Street, the EB staggers for Derby showed a Clear for 1 and Stop for 2, mebbe a never-heard FI-2.
At 0630, AY-3 reached out to D-3, and to save suspense, no further developments plus no further reception from, to, or about AY-3 reached me. 0637 would be when someone called out a Restricting, mebbe EDPO starting their shove. 0645 would be when D-3 would reach out to POED -- not EDPO -- but naught further would be heard to, from, or, about those guys.
No AY-4, AY-5 or 22K, but still busy enough for the day after Christmas.