Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

At only 10 miles of railroad, the NECR will never get rid of the CV between Millers and E. Northfield. The back-up move and haul to Deerfield just to have to go back north negates any financial gain of ditching such a small portion of trackage. Also, just because these are both GWI companies does not mean operations can mingle as simple as that. Deerfield would not handle NECR cars. Also, removing that link ultimately cuts the CV In half and would make it less desirable in any future sale.

Using Millers as an interchange only makes sense if there is substantial future NECR - PW Worcester area traffic that warrants not hauling all the way down to Willimantic. Also a unit slurry move such as this also could be an option, but they would need to upgrade approximately 7 miles of Class I (#1 Main) track to support such an expedited move if a crossover was not installed. Or the more likely scenario is the #1 is ripped up between Erving and Millers Falls due to reduced train counts and a new interlocking introduced at 377. That stills gives 2.5 miles of space to hold eastbounds without crossings.

It’s a straight shot through ED, the crossover at greenfield and up the conn river to BF so I don’t really see the point of the unused millers falls connection.

There isn't a wye at Millers Falls as the NECR track heading south toward Palmer paralleling PAS doesn't connect to PAS.

Thanks. For some reason, I always assumed there was a connection there. One of the closest things to a wye without actually being one that I know of — but there are no doubt others.

If we add a PAS main 1 to 2 crossover to my proposed NECR-PAS connection on the southside of Millers Falls, the 5 mile backup move I identified in my speculation becomes a runaround move on the PAS main (probably also would want to shorten M1 east of Millers Falls by moving the CP at Erving five or so miles west). I didn't reference the point in my previous post but a consolidation of PAS and NECR classification at E Deerfield should also give NS a more direct interchange to points on the NECR south of Palmer (I guess such traffic today would go through Worcester?).

But if we need to prevent PAS and NECR from commingling their traffic at E Deerfield Yard, PAS could give NECR trackage rights over the high quality under-utilized state owned Conn River line between E Northfield and Springfield. Then NECR could get rights over the good (but busy) track to Palmer (no reverse moves needed) which may itself become state owned. Or alternatively, NECR could turn at CSX W Springfield yard (as Guilford used to do) with haulage rights for NECR Palmer traffic via the existing CSX W Springfield-Palmer local. And maybe G&W roads NECR and CSOR could interchange directly.

Just food for thought....

While speculation is nice, remember that one of the key terms of the STB's approval of CSX's purchase of PAR was that while G&W would be allowed to operate PAS as a neutral party, they had to keep it completely separate from their existing NECR/P&W/CSOR operations to avoid making the Conn River Line a single-operator route. G&W isn't going to be allowed to purchase PAS any time soon, even if it's something they would be interested in. There isn't going to be a consolidation of PAS/NECR operations to simplify interchange - not until the STB is no longer watching the results of the CSX-PAR combination play out.

B&E told my contact at Keolis today they plan to rebuild Fitchburg yard and they want the T to install an interlocking at the East End. They want to use it for storage and possibly interchange with CSX. We'll see.

No crossovers for quite a way east of Fitch now. Derby may be next one. So the successor to B&M freight carriers have perpetual track rights to run freight for free over the T’s track, but what rights do they have to require the state/T to make infrastructure improvements? I’ve never seen the latter discussed

Perhaps the interlocking at the east end of B&E's Fitchburg yard is just a remotely controlled switch at OX without a M1-M2 crossover? The west end of the yard can be full of cars plus FI-1 often drops loaded Arrowhead trash containers there for 11R to pickup. I wonder how Fitchburg yard would be used for CSX interchange given CSX has no rights to access it?

It looks like G&W power is on the way from two directions. Eastern Alabama Railway 3807 and 807 sighted yesterday on NS in Vermillion Ohio. No confirmation of destination, but users on another site seem pretty convinced where they are headed. From the other end, Quebec Gatineau Railway 6904 and 6908 appear to be heading toward Ayer on M427.

johnpbarlow wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 7:20 am Perhaps the interlocking at the east end of B&E's Fitchburg yard is just a remotely controlled switch at OX without a M1-M2 crossover? The west end of the yard can be full of cars plus FI-1 often drops loaded Arrowhead trash containers there for 11R to pickup. I wonder how Fitchburg yard would be used for CSX interchange given CSX has no rights to access it?

It seems a rather silly location to interchange to me.

The hill yard is the obvious place for interchange

I thought the work CSX proposed to do at the Hill Yard was supposed to help interchange.
See the post by Mr. Barlow with excerpts from the STB filing at this link---
https://www.railroad.net/post1569984.html#p1569984

My understanding of the post acquisition Hill Yard operating plan is, given the length of the existing Thoroughfare track is 4,750 feet, PAS will only permit CSX M426/M427 to make set-outs/pick-ups in Hill Yard if consists are less than 4,750 feet (ie, less than 80 or so cars). Many M426/M427 trains exceed that length at Ayer so CSX can only change crews at Hill Yard.

Re: B&E EDPO/POED traffic, I do see on the list of current CSX trains at railroadfan.com/wiki that there are 2 train symbols for handling such traffic: L074 Ayer to Rigby manifest operating on Monday & Thursday and its reverse counterpart, L075, operating on Sunday & Tuesday. I guess CSX has enough crews now to operate these additional trains? If W Main St and Camp tracks weren't occupied by empty trash cars staged for placement at Arrowhead and Republic, perhaps L074/L075 wouldn't have to enter Hill Yard?

Some washouts on the Fitchburg line around Leominster. MBTA service west of Shirley is suspended. Wonder if some PAS trains get re-routed via the B&A?

264 just derailed in Ashburnham. Not sure if due to washout or what. 3rd unit and 1st car on ground. Not too bad.