Gardner Gawking

0500-0650/12-28-2020 had some moments, the first kinda echoing an earlier post -- crossing noise heard inside the house -- this time pre-0330 -- and no Form D fulfillment cuz the scanner didn't go on until well after enough time, so naught got heard to, from, or about Q427, unheard to, from, or about additions being AYPO, AY-3, and AY-5, although there was 0500 Yard Channel hash.
At 0528, there was a mutually hashed 22K-with-NS-6959/D-3 exchange, 22K with something about "head down to" and D-3 with a "Roger, OK," more to follow. At 0531, the 333 WLs were dark and, in a couple, the 334 ELs at Stop and the 334 1 stagger dark. At 0535 and on the way over to the also-dark 335s, the words were given to FI-2 to take it ahead, more -- also -- to follow.
0540 was the time of a 2-east-to-2-at-WL 241 to NS 6959 --22K -- hinting the IM was already in place.
Up Da Hill, the 345 ELs were at Stop and general sat on 2 at the Timpany Boulevard UGB. The 345 1 WL was at Clear, and the marker of the presumed POED -- slurries and Irving wraps -- was at the easterly end of Chair City Oil.
The usual viewing of the Jade lot was bypassed for the trip west. There were racks by the easterly end of LaChance Furniture, the illegible power just west of same. Given the radio silence and the poor positioning for a recrew, my guess was that update paperwork was in progress, so my progress was EB. Not that it means anything, but I heard naught to, from, to about the WB.
Just east of the Gardner crest of Rte. 2 EB and at 0557 came "AY-4, back 15." AY-4 --sometimes clear and others not so -- would be an intermittent constant for the remainder of the trip.
At 0603, the 330 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 and FG WLs dark.
At 0614, D-3 had served up some hash to AY-4, dunno what about. Whatever else FI-2 had transmitted since 0535 hadn't reached me, but at 0616, OldPaint 330 was dark, solo, and west-facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot. But wait! There's more! to the south also sat dark and west-facing NewBlue354, solo status blocked by the 330. Dunno who was the true FI-2.
At 0624, the EB staggers for Derby were dark and 4 company gons still sat on the RVJ stub. At 0627, there was a semi-intelligible exchange between D-3 and TC T669 -- Wachusett now or wait for ???? to leave? Talk to you in 4 minutes. More retentive readers will be aware that the intervening 4 minutes would have Mount Wachusett intervening between the the Paxton antenna and the in-motion jaymac antenna, so no deets to add.
0626 was when distance and topography would allow only "Form D G204" to reach me, mebbe for AYPO or equally mebbe not.
AY-4 would continue active, and at 0550 and when I'd gotten far enough along my driveway, AY-4 called out "Far enough."

The overture for 0500-0655/12-30-2020 was the crossing noise each side of 0400 and at the appropriate interval and the appropriate change in volume to suggest a WB at the X7.8 and then X6.0. No Form D fulfillment got heard after my scanner got turned on, and it does seem from the last several observations that a new operational pattern might be in place, but then again...
The 0500 Yard Channel garble came into clarity a minute later with "AY-4, back." As will be seen, AY-4 also got the last words. 0501 was also when D-3 told 22K that they would be 1 to 2, but to wait for 7400 and then take the light. Hash aplenty would now get served, slightly clearer hash coming at 0520 in a D-3/AY-3 convo, AY-3 advising that they had shoved that train off on 11. Naught further was heard to, from, or about AY-3, so guessing they were putting up for the night.
0532 was when the 333 WLs were dark, 0534 being when "22K" and garble ensued. The 334 ELs were at Stop and the 1 stagger dark, 22K now being clear with car countdowns. The 335 ELs were dark and at 0540, 22K got told far enough, to back it up on a Restricting at AY, and good for 40.
A different voice was doing car countdowns on my way to the 345 ELs -- at Stop -- and a C headlight was by West Switch with power a bit west of the Timpany Boulevard UGB. The 345 WLs were also at Stop, the marker however far east of the the Pearson Boulevard UGB The yard -- or what I could see of it -- looked MT, and the cars visible on the 2 included slurries, boxes, and a new sight for me -- a short string of shiny and MT BNSF centerbeams, the load straps also still shiny. At 0551, the POED C told the POED E that the switch was lined and locked normal on the #2 and to back it to the rest of the train. The simultaneous Gardner presence of POED and me of late might also serve as a hint of change in operational patterns. Despite the activity, the Jade lot was optimist-free.
The EB trip would be highly radioactive, with alternating countdowns and other business from AY-4 and 22K. At 0601, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, the 330.8 WBs showed at Stop for 1 and Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Clear.
The GL and FG WLs were dark, at 0616, an also-dark and west-facing NewBlue 354 sat in the FI-1/2 parking spot.
Post refueling stop, the AY-4/22K chorus would continue, and at 0628 and cuzza hauler activity in the RVJ lot, the EB staggers for Derby seemed dark from Nashua Street. There was still a company gon presence, but a census couldn't be done.
The only interruption of the AY-4/22K chorus would come at 0630 when Keolis 1400 called out to D-3, a time when I was in the wrong place at the wrong time to hear any D-3 response.
Vacillating reception quality would continue, clarity being the closer at 0655 when AY-4 told themselves to drop the 3 and back for a hitch.
Have a Happy -- and a Healthy -- New Year!

And now for 0500-0655/01-03-2021 -- What! A Sunday trip? -- a test of randomness to see how much different things might be. Why a Sunday trip? Saturday's freezing precip was the main cause, forecasts of more climatic unrest for 01-04 clinching the decision. The first few minutes were spent in the driveway waiting for the defroster to clear away ice from the inside of the windshield, the result of the 01-03 afternoon melt and later snap freeze..
One result of the Sunday trip was less writing -- 0 pre-0655 local receptions. The first reception would come at 0513 when D-3 answered Q427 with CSXT 717 at New Bond, asking if they were west and clear of Burncoat and then fulfilling Form D G302 at 0517. There was more conversation about whether they needed a cab, D-3 -- as well as me -- not hearing the answer and then repeating the request with the request for a yes-or-no answer, next asking if they copied that. Hope the new owner will do something about good comms.
At 0539, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual sequence of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s following.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark. Yard 2 and 4 were pretty much FP-FP with general, 4 having some red 2-high trash containers and 2 having a number of Brand X gons. The 2-day-delayed Sameoldsameold Ledger entry was yet again 0 sign of Heywood activity. The optimist census in the Jade lot had just gone to 2, the 2nd backing in for a presumed non-shouting 411 exchange.
At 0609, the 333 WLs were dark, 2400 not due out until 0630, and at 0613, "EDPO" was the filling of a garble sandwich. To, from, or about? D-3 or D-2? Dunno.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach. A check was also made of the 330 ELs -- 9-for-9 red.
The GL WLs had been dark, and so were the FG WLs. Also dark and at 0621, were NSs 4033 and 6953 on the westerly end of racks on FME. The FI-1/2 -parking-spot view was blocked, so dunno if occupied, and the Keolis Engineering lot was active.
At 0629, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, and 4 company gons sat on the RVJ stub.
The trip home was generally quiet, somebody on the Amtrak channel offering proof of scanner function. At 0652, there was some Road-side Channel hash, but with neither repeat nor response by the 0655 end of listening.

0500-0655/01-05-2021 was a bit on the quiet side. There had been distant power and crossing noise either side of 0430, and at 0503, the X7.8 came on, giving a no defects at 0506, a few before I was on scene. At 0515, there was some Yard Channel garble, followed at 0518 by "AY-4, back 30 or so," followed by car countdowns, followed by more garble, followed by a lengthy period of -- at least for me -- radio silence.
At 0533, the 333 WLs were dark, followed by the usual pattern of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s.
Radio silence would get broken at 0543 when D-3 answered Q427, next asking if they -- with leader CSXT 3151 -- were west and clear of Burncoat and then fulfilling Form D G302 at 0544. Radio silence would again get broken at 0547 when D-3 reached out to POED and advised that there pickup list would be at the Fitchburg office.
The 345s had been and would remain dark for however long, and the FP-FP MT racks on Yard 2 blocked whatever might be on Yard 4 except for the covered hoppers on the westerly stretch. 1 optimist was keeping watch in the Jade lot.
The EB trip featured more radio silence, and at 0600, the 333 WLs were all at Stop. 1400's equipment was already at the platform for their 0630 departure, but the route hadn't been put in yet.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Approach and the GL and FG WLs dark. At 0618, the FI-1/2 parking spot was MT and there was no sign of POED. 0624 produced dark EB staggers for Derby and 4 company gons on the RVJ stub.
At 0639, there was D-3 hash to POED, followed at 0641 by D-3 clarity in answering LA-23, rogering what they said, and OKing them on signal indication. Naught was heard to, from, or about either AY-3 or AY-5, so dunno if there might be some subbing going on.
Not even hash got served for the balance of the tri. 22K? Dunno.

0459-0656/01-08-2020's report -- even after paring -- will be long, 0459 starting things off with "AY-4, on the pin," a pause, and then "3-step." At 0500, D-3 breakingly advised POED that they'd have pickups from FMW and 1 West, a list to be faxed to the Fitchburg office.
The next input was visual -- Q427 crossing over the Rtes. 12/140 UGB while I was crossing under, distant power and crossing noise having been heard from 0430. 0512 was a hash sandwich with "22K" being clear, and 0516 was when the X7.8 talker announced he was checking train. More 22K receptions started at 0517, and their car countdowns -- alternating with AY-4's -- would be the preeminent presences on the airwaves, causing me to wonder if they had stomped on the X7.8's report. Additionally, at 0518, D-3 had 241d AY-5 with the 7605 1 east at WL to FM 2. 0522 was when D-3 reached out to AYPO, naught further to be heard to, from, or about those guys.
At 0524 and when I was in a bad spot for both elevation and topography, the X7.8 report mighta then have been given, but too garbled to be sure, yet if so, a particularly long interval. 0525 was another D-3 reachout to POED, but the AY-4/22K chorus stepped on any immediate further developments. 0525 was more of the D-3 side of contact with AY-5 -- how many MTs and what did San-Vel look like? 29 MTs got repeated, but San-Vel's status got hashed.
At 0534, the 333 WLs were dark, the AY-4/22K chorus continuing on the way over to 334 -- Stops for the ELs and darkness for the 1 stagger. before my drive by of the dark 335s, D-3 served me some more hash at 0538, this of the 22K variety. On my way WB, at 0544, D-3 answered AY-5, rogered what they said, and OKd them on signal indication.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark, Yard 2 had occupants -- 7 or so racks from the easterly end of Chair City oil and then general to around the westerly FP. There was 1 optimist in the Jade lot, and the Sameoldsameold Ledger entry continued to be the untrafficked Heywood.
The EB trip started with D-3 answering somebody, but PD Gardner activity crowded out any further immediate receptions. Favorable topography got entered just in time to hear "POED MEC 7518" to be followed by D-3 saying he was out. More favorable topography permitted reception of a POED/D-3 convo that started at 0558. POED had gotten an Approach for 335, and at 3 MPH had gotten an PTC overspeed penalty. Could they take take it offline? There was POED discussion about the 335 transponder mebbe not being read, and D-3 gave the OK, adding POED should put it back online when they had gotten up Da Hill.
The 333 WLs had been dark at 0600 when I pulled in the lot to get my POED notes on paper, and at 0603, there was another D-3 side of a convo with AY-5 -- when they got to Fitchburg, they would put together a rack train with 30 from FWM and 14 from 1 West. My semimental math added 44 to their preexisting 29 and came up with 73. Busy days at San-Vel! The dark 333 WLs came on at 0604 with a Medium Clear for the Controlled Siding, 1400's equipment coming up to the platform for their 0630 DEP.
Further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 1 WL at Slow Clear and the GL WL darkness. At 0618, it sounded like D-3 acknowledged that POED's PTC was back in, and the FG WL was dark. 0620 was when dark, solo, and west-facing KCIR 5956 sat in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and 0621 was when Q427 with CSXT ???? got their Form D G302 fulfilled.
0626 was when the the EB staggers for Derby showed an Approach for 1 and a Stop for 2, not what I expected to see if AY-5 was still east, but given the AY-5/D-3 convo that started at 0627 showed that AY-5 was mebbe already west, AY-5 wanting to know if they were supposed to take all 44 cars, getting an affirmative, and next getting a hedzup about 1400 gonna pass. 4 company gons? Still on the RVJ stub.
Yard Channel hash was received for the balance of the trip, the exception being a 0654 D-3 callout to 22K, naught further to, from. or about heard as of 0656.

Before the 0500-0655/01-11-2020 report, an update of the 01-08 report concerning POED and PTC troubles -- Bruce Macdonald's http://photos.nerail.org/s/?p=261418 shows POED getting underway at the 335 ELs at 0810. In more POED news, 0501 was when D-3 told the 01-11 POED that there'd be Gardner pickups and that he'd send the paperwork to Fitchburg.
0515 and later would start Yard Channel garbles, and at 0517, D-3 would roger whatever somebody had just said, and at 0517, D-3 would start a convo with Q427, first fulfilling Form D G307 to 426 with CSXT 715 and then issuing a time-effective 0521 Form D G304 to 427 with CSXT 5489 for X25 to Burncoat. The train info was acknowledged without repepetition and followed by a request for time into DCS. Never did hear the acknowledgment of that, but did hear from inside the warmth of my home the 0712 and later the X7.8 and other crossing noises.
At 0528, there was hash either side of "POED," and at 0532, there was "POED 7595" and "Track #2 FG," mebbe a signal call. To save suspense, naught further would be heard to, from, or about POED, let alone seen.
0536 was when D-3 called out to AY-5, naught further to be heard to, from, or about those guys, either. 0536 was also when the 333 WLs were dark, the usual pattern of Stops for the 334 E:s and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s in full force.
0544 was the start of AY-4 making their presence known, followed by an exchange with AYPO, requesting them not to back up. In a distinct break with the usual pattern, the alternating chorus for most of my trip would be AY-4 and AYPO, nor 22K. In fact, 22K would not be heard to, from, or about -- at least by me -- during the trip.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark. POED's pickup-to-be sat on Yard 2, 7 brand X gons by the easterly FP and mostly -- mebbe all -- covered hoppers out to the westerly FP. There was 1 optimist in the Jade lot, engine at idle in honor of the 17° showing on my car's thermometer. 17° might be a warm Spring day in D-1, but not so in D-3.
On the way EB, AY-4 and AYPO continued to be the occupants of the airwaves. At 0604, 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 and FG WLs dark.
At 0621, KCIR 5959 was dark and west-facing on the westerly end of covered hoppers in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and there was no sign of POED, so we'd possibly bypassed each other.
Post refueling stop, the EB staggers for Derby were dark at 0629 and 4 company gons still sat on the RVJ stub. 0630 was when it sounded like AY-3 got into a convo with AYPO, AYPO saying they'd shove back clear of AY.
The rest of the trip featured more AY-4/AYPO alternations, more frequently from AY-4 who got the 0655 last words -- "AY-4, 1 more."

The prelude to the 0500-0645/01-13-2020 report were pre-0430 crossing noises for X7.8 and X6.0, followed by a 0506 D-3 reachout to Q427, followed by hash, followed by D-3 asking for an ID, followed by D-3 asking if CSXT 405 was west and clear of Burncoat by telemetry, followed by "Dispatcher out." What was unheard by me -- the usual caveats in full force --was a fulfillment of a Form D.
Naught more would be heard until 0529 when D-3 asked the LGT if they were calling him, more hash in response. Next, a protracted period of non-reception would begin.
At 0531, the 333 WLs were dark, the usual displays at 334 -- Stops for the ELs and darkness for the 1 stagger -- and 335s -- darkness -- to the sounds of radio silence.
Almost all the way up Da Hill and with Mount Wachusett between me and the Paxton antenna and at 0541, D-3 issued a breaking authority for the LGT to enter Track 2, possibly at OX, as later events might show.
Up Da Hill, the 345s were and would remain dark for the drivethrough. Yard 2 was pretty much FP-FP with MT racks east and general west that included covered hoppers and 1 or mebbe more MT centerbeam(s). For those interested in optimist sightings at the Jade lot, 1 was the number.
EB down Da Hill, the scanner batteries were conserving there charge until 0551 when AY-4 got into a convo with someone, the subject a car's reporting marks and numbers. Things would change to hash and then "7594" would emerge clearly. Dunno if that was AY-4's power.
At 0557, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east and at 0559 the LGT C&E began a convo about being on the Main without a marker and needing a marker, reaching out to D-3 at 0601 and -- with me in and outta ZombieZones -- advising D-3 it was too cold to wait for a cab and asking for permission to reverse direction from where they stood to get the marker off what they were leaving. D-3 granted that to the 7655, adding it was OK for them to then re-reverse and go east.
The 330.8 WBs had shown a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2 and the 330 1 WL a Slow Approach, the GL and FG WLs dark.
The LGT C&E confirmed the marker ID, armed status, and -- my words -- being good to go.
At 0611, KCIR 5956 was dark, solo, and west-facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot. There were the usual large number of covered hoppers on East Side, but no visible BNSFs, so mebbe they were plastics or equally mebbe non-BNSFs were carrying the grain.
At 0618, the EB staggers for Derby were both at Approach, mebbe from the LGT being east. And yes, 4 company gons still sat on the RVJ stub.
At 0620, there was D-3 hash to AY-4, the balance of the trip -- right up to 0645 -- being silent to me.
With the LGT having to dance between the Saturday-schedule Keolises, it was not surprising that there was naught to, from, or about 22K, POED, AY-5, or AY-3, those guys being held outta the way. Hoonose? AY-3's crew might even be on the LGT.

For 0455-0645/01-15-2020, things were initially busy at the start. There had been distant crossing noise heard from inside my home before 0430 and again and slightly stronger at 0537, suggesting a WB. To get things taken caer of, there would be naught from the X7.8 talker, naught visually at the various West Boylston and Sterling sites where 427 could be seen, in fact naught at all 427-related until 0618 and "Q427, over" This was when I was at the RVJ lot on Nashua Street, North Leominster, generally a place for good Paxton antenna reception. There would be a short spurt of garble and then "Have a good day, gentlemen. District 3 out." If there was a Form D fulfillment, the seconds-earlier static didn't seem long enough, so mebbe a new operational pattern is in effect, given what also didn't get heard on 01-13.
Back to chronological order: At 0457, it sounded like "POAY" emerged from a hashing. Then at 0500, D-3 asked AY-5 to advise when they were stopped at 312 for a 241. At 0502, D-3 advised AY-3 that he'd get them going as soon as the racks cleared. 0506 was FI-2's turn. The ?? and ?? switches lined and locked normal, right? Then FI-2 with the 5956 got permission to reverse direction from where they stood and to proceed west to Derby. 0507 was when the 241 to AY-5 with the 7523 for the Single west to 2 got issued, 0514 being when AY-3 with the 7622 was 241d 1 east to 1 at AY.
The preceding 10 minutes were more than a bit busy. Good luck, Jacksonville!
In some 0519 garble, it sounded like POED got mentioned, and at 0527, there was D-3 garble to AY-3 about not having time, and at 0529, there was more D-3 garble, "leave it there" emerging clear. 0527 was when AY-4 receptions started, and they would be an ongoing presence until the 0645 end of listening.
At 0530, the 333 WLs were dark, and the usual pattern of Stops for the 334 ELs and darkness for the 334 1 stagger and 335s was doing what usual patterns do.
There was only occasional garble up Da Hill to the dark 345s. 4 racks were on the Extension, the general west on Yard 1 to the FP. FP-FP with MT racks was Yard 2, and no idea about the 4. Unles, there's a sign of activity, I'm gonna stop mentioning the Heywood. It continued to show no signs of traffic. The optimist count in the Jade lot had increased to 2, vehicles parked in classic PD exchange of information arrangement.
The EB had both garble and clarity, AY-4 being the only attributable contributor. At 0558, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 3301 WL at Slow Approach, and the GL and FG WLs dark.
At 0612 the aforementioned KCIR 5956 sat dark, solo and west-facing on West Side and not the more usual FI-1/2 parking spot. 0618 was when the EB staggers for Derby were dark, and yet again, 4 company gons sat on the RVJ stub. In a break from the more usual pattern, no RVJ trailers were in the lot.
22K? Dunno -- naught heard to, from, or about.

2 days without another post? C'mon, people!

We're just waiting for Godot- aka CSX before we post our ponderous perceptions.

Jaymac, where is the usual FI-1 parking spot? 25 years ago when I worked in the area it was on the west side adjacent to the (then) MBTA parking spots.

Safetee wrote:We're just waiting for Godot- aka CSX before we post our ponderous perceptions.

Dag! Where else but in Pan Am Railways (formerly Guilford Rail System) would there be a theater of the absurd reference! Beckett must be beaming!

johnhenry wrote:Jaymac, where is the usual FI-1 parking spot? 25 years ago when I worked in the area it was on the west side adjacent to the (then) MBTA parking spots.

Since I've been gawking, it's generally been East Side, even with or a bit west of the brick building first in from the driveway.

0455-0658/01-18-2020 started off a bit unusual -- no pre-trip crossing or power noises from Q427, more to follow.
There would be only occasional Yard Channel garbles untiil 0525 when somebody told somebody else that a handbrake test was being done right now.
At 0528, the 333 WLs were dark, and in another couple, the 334 Els were at Stop and the 1 stagger dark. At 0533 and while on the way over to the also-dark 335s, there was Dispatcher- and Road-side hash on Channel 1, that to be followed by a period of no receptions.
Up Da Hill the 345s were dark, and a string of general -- covered hoppers and gons mostly -- on Yard 1 ran from the computer-repair company west to close to the FP. At 0544, D-3 reached out to POED and at 0545 told Q427 to hold on a moment so he could talk to POED. A garbled 241 to 7564 -- more to follow, but probably for FG -- was followed by a broken 0548 fulfillment of 426's Form D G309. That in turn was followed by a time-effective 0550 G303 to CSXT 3268 for X25 to Burncoat. There next was a garbled D-3 request, followed by repetition-free rogers and more hash. Crossing noises for X7.8 at 0735 and X6.0 at 0745 would be made. For the record, today's Jade lot optimist count was 0.
The EB trip was quiet, the 333 WLs dark at 0601. Further east, the 330.8 WBs were both at Clear and -- naught having happened in the interval -- the 330 WLs at Stop.
At 0604, a breaking D-3 called to to FI-2, more and a with only a bit more clarity coming at 0613 that involved FI-2 going to Moores and the Camp, then -- per the Chief -- getting into a cab to Track 11 to start getting AYPO ready.
The GL WLs had been dark, but the FG WLs were at Stop, 7564 and friend on 2 a coupla hundred yards east of the UGB. The friend's number boards were dark and the light level didn't show either's paint scheme.
Even if it hadn't been already established that FI-2's power was 11+ miles east, the 0619 view of the FI-1/2 parking spot was blocked by the long string of racks that POED was in the process of lifting.
Post refueling stop and at 0631, the EB staggers for Derby were dark, as were the 4 company gons on the RVJ stub.
Only scattered hash got to me for all but the end of the the trip, the exception coming at 0658 with "AY-4, set the brakes."
AY-3? AY-5? 22K? Dunno.

0454-0645/01-20-2020 produced some surprises. 0454 was when the car got started to start getting rid of the overnight icing and was also when D-3 started Form D G301 to Q427 with CSXT 3015 for X25 to Burncoat. Train info was probably before I started listening, and the time effective was 0455, followed by some hash and a roger that, Dispatcher out.
During a pause at the start of the Form D, 22K stepped in with a car countdown, and in a break with past practice, 22K would be the most radioactive alphanumeric group of the trip, as will be seen.
At 0509, D-3 would reach out 427, hash heard by me in response, followed at 0510 by a D-3 roger and thanks, mebbe acknowledging 427 into DCS. Naught further would be heard radio-wise from 427, but inside Château-jaymaque at 0647 and again at 0658 came crossing noises for X7.8 and X6.0. During a period of light sleep and just after 1200/01-20 came 426's crossing noise for the X7.8. Dunno if CSX is delivering later of if 426 is sitting longer west of Burncoat.
At 0522, FI-2 broke 22K's monopolization of the airwaves by reaching out to D-3 on Channel 1. The first part of FI-2 convo got hashed, but they wanted know if POED would highball Fitchburg. D-3's answer -- thanks to Mount Wachusett -- was hashed, and FI-2 next asked if anybody was going to pickup there, more D-3 hash-to-me in response.
At 0530 and amid an ongoing hashapalooza, the 333 WLs were dark, followed by Stops on the 334 ELs and darkness on the 334 1 stagger and 335s.
My position had changed enough that it now became marginally clearer the hasher was 22K. As illustration for those who have yet to experience the phenomenon of the advantages of increased altitude and decreased topographical interference, at 0540 and while I was on Rte. 2 WB just west of the Aubuchon building, would come "22K, all lined for Track 2. Good for 40."
Up Da Hill, the 345s were dark, and general mostly covered hoppers sat on Yard 1 from the easterly Royal Steam Heater building up towards the FP. If there were racks, I didn't see them, although I did see 1 optimist in the Jade lot.
The EB trip started off with garble, clearing itself to 22K activity.
At 0555, the 333 WLs were dark, and further east, the 330.8 WBs showed a Stop for 1 and a Clear for 2, the 330 WLs and ELs all at Stop, so no route in either for 1400 or the POED that FI-2 had mentioned -- seemingly theoretically -- earlier. At 0601, 22K had gotten the go-ahead for 1 rack, and in their turn, the GL and FG WLs would be dark.
At 0610, KCIR 5956 was dark, solo, and west-facing in the FI-1/2 parking spot, and a number of unbranded shorties -- mebbe for and/or from Lafarge -- were also on East Side. 0616 was when the EB staggers for Derby were dark and 4 company gons still occupied the RVJ stub.
0625 was when 22K called D-3, who said he'd call ahead and that they were OK to head to San-Vel.
Garbles were the rest of receptions up through 0645.
The actual POED? AY-3, AY-4, AY-5? AYPO? Dunno.

Jay,
Do you have an occupation that requires you to be up and about at this time of day driving this route or are you simply out of your mind?

I prefer to think of it as a preoccupation, especially since I've been retired since 06-30-2008. And yes, I have been avoiding second opinions.
It had been earlier, but Commonwealth covid driving restrictions pushed the start time back. Going back to the forum's start, it had been later, but then my wife joined the ranks of the retired.