• 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

  by johnpbarlow
 
Given B&E and P&W have recently performed several headlight meets to exchange consists at Gardner (rather than asynchronously setting out / picking up blocks in the yard), I wonder if the PAS plan for Gardner yard rehab is to just add a crossover between M2 & M1 just west of the P&W to M2 turnout as shown? That way EDPW & WOGR consists longer than can fit on a single yard track (ie, ~2,500 ft) can pass each other without requiring a back up move of one of the trains to clear a path?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
  by jaymac
 
It's definitely a possibility.
The question about headlight meets for EDPW and WOGR is how long they'll continue to meet at the same place and the same time. Mebbe now with the P&W being totally G&W and the B&E being 1/2 G&W, former PAS lapses will be in the past.
  by johnpbarlow
 
Once such a crossover is installed, perhaps the $3B owner of the B&E and P&W locomotive pool could dictate that the 2 operators share power for run-through?
  by jaymac
 
The possibility of a prefab crossover could explain the 2 Speed Swings.
  by jaymac
 
0620-0820/10-24-2024 was a quiet 1, mainly cuz the antenna connector had come adrift some time between the start and EB by the dark 330 WLs. That's what I get for paying more attention to what's outside the windshield than what's inside.
The 333 WLs were dark at 0650 and again at 0724. The 334s were dark, as would be the 335s, The new meter socket was still MT, and a good number of pickups and cars had assembled in the 335 lot.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs were at Stop and the 1 WL at Clear. The yard was MT except for w/f KCIR BERX 7541 on 1 by the W end of Chair City Oil. Guessing mebbe a set-out since the FI-1/2 power couple would later be visible at EFitch. The missing Speed Swings, the flashing dome lights on the tamper and regulator on the House, the B&E dump with a trailer that had mebbe just offloaded a tracked excavator, the pile of removed ties by the MART fence, and the dome-lit pickup SE of the compressor shack all pointed to past and future activity.
As well as the earlier-mentioned 330 WLs being dark, so were the 330 ELs. The GL WLs, however, were at Stop, as would be the FG WLs and ELs. There had been Yard-Channel garble that included car countdowns but naught on Channel 1 until the 0742 start of EA breakage to 427, the clear bits being about the lead engine and at least trying to get to an XNG. There would be more later.
EFitch showed the usual T coaches and semi-obscured NewBlues???? and 5967 on West Side and only the 2 isolated racks visible on East Side. The RVJ lot was busy, but 3 covered hoppers were still visible on the stub.
At 0756, the EA renewed broken contact with the 427, the clear bits being about getting a cab there, tying down, and the new crew. There was more EA garble at 0813, and unattributable Dispatcher-side hash at 0820.

(Note to self: Next time, double check to make sure the BNC is actually secured.)
  by jaymac
 
0600-0750/10-29-2024 was a trip filled with hash and garble, the BNC connector being firmly connected. To get the sole meaningful clarity outta the way, at 0624, EDSA began a Channel 1 car countdown, ending in a couple with a farnuf. There would be some following garble that suggested they were getting their train back together. Naught further IDable would then be heard to from. or about EDSA.
At 0630 -- and again EB at 0700 -- the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334s and 335s.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were at Stop, the same time as the B&E was engaged in a badly broken convo with a Foreman at or about CPF 370, mebbe a Line 4. The yard was MT except for 1 GACX and 1 Lineage -- the recent Cryo-Trans acquirer --plug-door boxes, a shortie, and a total of 10 DS trash containers -- container count, not well count -- on the Extension. It was still kinda dark, but it also looked like all the recent equipment had gone elsewhere.
Further E, the EB staggers for 330 showed an Approach for 1 and a Slow Approach for 2. the 330.8 WBs and 330 WLs and ELs were dark, things being dark enough to see for sure, and the GL WLs showed a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding. The FG 1 WL was at Limited Clear, the 2 WL and ELs at Stop.
EFitch looked unchanged, T coaches on West Side, partially obscuring New Blues ???? and 5967 and 2 isolated racks the only visibles on East Side. RVJ also looked unchanged, 3 covered hoppers on the stub.
Hash was the sound track for the rest of the trip.
neman2, if I could warp time. then I'd bring us all back to when Channel 1 was not warped.
  by jaymac
 
0600-0815/11-06-2024 was busy, once the radio got busy at 0620 when the Fitchburg garbled something to the 402. There would be a number of other calls to the 402, all broken. For shear quantity, the Fitchburg and Boston West would predominate, along with Boston East.
At 0627, the 333 WLs were dark, as would be the 334s. The 335 ELs were at Stop, the Single WL at Approach and the Controlled Siding at Medium Approach. At the 335 lot, the new meter socket was still MT. The W kept on getting louder, and at 0644, a probable EDSA with NSs 6971, 9885, and 8046 came into view. The Single EL musta gone to Clear cuz there was no call, but there was a long train, 32 racks led by a long string Republic and then Arrowhead trashes. Just behind the power was a mix of open hoppers, slurries, USG centerbeams, and boxes, all E of the 335s at 0648.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were at Stop. The Extension and 1 had mixed general and then trashes-- Arrowheads? -- from the computer company W to the Pratt yard. 2 had mixed general and then a large number of Cryo-Trans and Lineage plug-doors, also to the Pratt yard. A loader with a bucket in its jaws sat between the House and the MART fence, and tie bundles were on the old platform. Up against the MART fence by the Heywood were joint bars and old ties. There was an unIDable pickup SE of the compressor house, and a good amount of stone had been placed in the yard, the Yard Lead almost looking like a main.
EB at time-effective 0710 , there was a broken Form D G207 to TC ????, a Line 4 for No. Chelmsford to So. Nashua. 5 after that, the 333 Controlled Siding WL was at Medium Clear, and 1 later, 406 OKd themselves to depart Wachusett. Rte. 2 EB had been jammed -- solar glare and or/accident? -- so lotsa others had gotten off at the Princeton Road/Rte. 31 exit, complicating recording sights and sounds. Solar glare also complicated views of the EB staggers for 330, and later the 330.8 WBs and 330 ELs.
Post refueling stop, racks were visible just W of the Rollstone Street OHB on the 2, changing to Arrowhead trashes at the Water Street OHB and E past the platform. The GL WLs were dark, but the 330 ELs at Stop.
0731 was the start of an FI-1/B&E exchange. They wanted East Side, the B&E asking if they'd need a light at GL, FI-1 responding that they shouldn't. A bit after that, the stopped and presumed EDSA power was visible a bit W of the gym. the FG WLs were at Stop. FI-1 with NewBlues 5946 and 5967 creeping W on 1 with Arrowhead trashes. There would be further -- and broken -- FI-1/B&E exchanges and FI-1 car countdowns, the last being a broken B&E to FI-1 at 0758.
There had still been 3 covered hoppers on the RVJ stub.

The Deity of Randomness seemed to have been in the giving vein this trip, except for whatever the EB mess on Rte. 2 was.
  • 1
  • 213
  • 214
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217