Pan Am Worcester Main Line

F74265A wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 2:12 pm Commentary aside- to each their own on that - I like his video content so I can see what’s moving. Appears to be heavy traffic on PAS and more mixed traffic on Worcester main. He’s got a new video now of a welded rail train on the B&A heading for transit of the Worcester main.

On the topic of grain trains on the Worcester main, will they stay after B&E? The milling is, I think, a PAS customer

Commentary like this? http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 011907.jpg

Guy goes to Deerfield once and catches an extra and assumes that's all that there is for northbound traffic. Also 3 trains a day on the Conn River? Maybe in the 1950s. The last years of the B&M it was one in each direction that set off and picked up the CP block in Deerfield (since CP didn't own the D&H at that time).

I hate what Mellon did to the railroad as much as the next guy (I worked there and bore witness), but there is little reality in this content other than the physical trains on the track. But, like you said, the videos are good to see what's moving if you can put the commentary aside.

Factually inaccurate commentary or guess work stated as fact is unhelpful- and he has plenty of that. My “to each their own” was aimed at the blatantly political stuff he throws in, not the inaccurate stuff or negative comments about train crews or claiming that he’s not on RR property.

I’ve been watch trains on the B&M since 1973 when I first lived within sight of the Worcester route mainline in Lancaster and then spent an inordinate amount of time in Ayer in the 1980 and early 1990s. Now that I don’t live nearby I really appreciate this guy’s videos so I can see the current state of the infrastructure and traffic flows . I can turn the volume down if I find the commentary annoying. Like when he’s assuming that all loaded box cars carry paper.

Stony brook production has commentary free videos largely from the wye in Chelmsford and are useful too but they are not quite as personally interesting to me since my youthful railfanning was overwhelming Ayer south and west,

I've never seen any of Subaru Person's videos or whatever his name is, but I imagine he appreciates all the free publicity he's getting here!

I have no idea who he is, but he posts videos relevant to the board under the name birch hill Subaru guy. Among his favorite filming locations are royalston on the Fitchburg and oxbow refuge in Harvard on the Worcester main and just south of Gardner on the now p&w (ex B&M) line to Worcester. Keep the volume off the first time you watch!

Today (Friday) I saw the rail train leave CP45 in Worcester and headed up the line I'm assuming Burncoat to Ayer. I heard it looking for switch info about 5pm and District 3 walked him through. It departed around 11am headed north. It was actually a smaller amount of rails than the last one that came through. I assume maybe headed up to Keag. Does anyone know any other info as to where exactly the work is being done now? Also I heard District 3 radio the M427 about not being able to tie down trains anymore somewhere between New Bond and Burncoat, but I didn't hear the whole conversation. Maybe they can't tie down at Dunkins anymore.

F74265A wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:52 pm I have no idea who he is, but he posts videos relevant to the board under the name birch hill Subaru guy.

His name is Stephen Demboske and he worked in Guilford's marketing department for ~2 years beginning ~1990, IIRC He originally posted videos using his name but was apparently hacked and, consequently, with all content lost.

I saw him on Burncoat Street the day CSX did the 25 MPH test on the new rails. I noticed that it was a Subaru SUV and he was filming the single engine coming down the line through the Worcester CC to stop just shy of the Burncoat crossing.

Geo train with CSXT 9969 Form D Burncoat to MPX 25 at 0903.

1132 and 1136/03-05-2023 EB XNG noise for X 6.0 and X 7.8, X7.8's getting repeated x2, so guessing snowshoers, XC skiers, snowmobiles and/or Bambis. I'd been out shoveling ice 1/2 hour + w/o any earlier noise, so mebbe an X 6.0 tie-down/recrew.

The extra noise at X7.8 may be related to ongoing work at the crossing. It is not unusual to see CSX vehicles congregated there during the daytime, and my transit of the crossing this morning @0730 was immediately preceded by the transit of a CSX high rail pickup dashing across during a break in traffic and continuing westbound on the rails. Other off-rail vehicles were in attendance near the crossing as well.

A new dragging equipment detector has been installed at MP X7.8 a few yards further east than the old one and in addition, hot box detectors have been added.

Do you know if the output wattage remained the same or has it been increased?

Per the agreement with the MWRA, there should a 2nd detector installed northeast of the Wachusett watershed. From the 12/15/21 meeting between CSX and the MWRA:

Install monitoring equipment to detect irregularities with railcars including dragging equipment and hot bearing detectors at either side of the watershed.

https://www.mwra.com/monthly/wscac/staf ... wachrr.pdf

In the conrail era, the eastern side DED was located at south meadow road in Clinton, which is just before the reservoir watershed area begins heading WB

GEO train with CSXT 9969 as leader Form D MPX25 to MPX 12 at 16:00 hrs.