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  • Symbol Changes

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1131497  by atholrail
 
Seems to be quite a few symbol changes going on lately.

Loaded Bows are now MOBO.

Empties are now BOMO.

Loaded Oil is now RJMA.

Empty Oil is now MARJ.

AYMO is now NS 23K.

MOAY is now NS 22K.

I wouldn't expect to always hear these symbols over the radio. LCT/ECT/LOT/EOT/AYMO/MOAY seem more familer.
 #1131594  by jaymac
 
atholrail-
Again, thanks.
The changes do seem to be starting to take hold. The new crew on the WB oil job at Gardner on 01-09 initiated the transmission to D-3 with MARJ as the ID, and D-3 responded in kind. The changes for MOAY/AYMO might take longer, especially when yarding.
 #1131744  by newpylong
 
Close. MOAY and AYMO are now split up into intermodal and autoracks. The intermodals have the symbols you outlined and the rax have 200 series symbols (I forgot what they are off the top of my head).

I'm guessing the one sided MEAY was abolished and the intermodal is now on 22/23K now that train length is decreased and they needed the crew for the extra pair.
 #1131987  by jaymac
 
The rack/pig split makes good sense. There might be some occasional easing of Line 13 issues for occasional non-DS pigs. Also, things could get hectic at Ayer, depending on the timing. A straight haul to the Auto Yard for the racks, and hopefully a haul and not a shove into Hill Yard for the intermodal should simplify things a bit.
 #1132168  by KSmitty
 
So AYMO/MOAY are now running under NS train symbols all the way to Ayer?
 #1132176  by newpylong
 
jaymac wrote:The rack/pig split makes good sense. There might be some occasional easing of Line 13 issues for occasional non-DS pigs. Also, things could get hectic at Ayer, depending on the timing. A straight haul to the Auto Yard for the racks, and hopefully a haul and not a shove into Hill Yard for the intermodal should simplify things a bit.
We're still talking almost two miles of containers and pigs daily here. Regardless of train length (we used to shove in even if we only had 1 track worth) they will always shove into the pig yard using the east wye because its a powered switch, and the power (engines that is) will be at the east end of the yard when they are done spotting. Also depending on train length they might need paper if they pull through the yard and setover from the west end.
 #1132297  by jaymac
 
newpylong-
True dat, but occasional optimist that I am, adjustments might be made, especially with the T's reinvestment in the Fitchburg Line.
 #1132380  by newpylong
 
Yah i remember something about interlocking the west wye, we will see.
 #1134546  by ST214
 
Yes. Yesterday, the crew referred to themselves as AYMO between each other, but when calling D3, used 23K.
KSmitty wrote:So AYMO/MOAY are now running under NS train symbols all the way to Ayer?
 #1134658  by CPF363
 
Are the NS symbols used on the D&H also between Mechanicville and Binghamton?
 #1134840  by ST214
 
No. The D&H continues to use their own symbols.
CPF363 wrote:Are the NS symbols used on the D&H also between Mechanicville and Binghamton?
 #1136025  by jaymac
 
Dunno if it is an East-of-Mechanicville-Only phenomenon, but in addition to racks, the 01-18-2013 206, had 25 wells (no tables). More details to be posted on "Gardner Gawking."
 #1136055  by conrailsharedassets
 
Jaymac,

The deal with the 205/206 and 22K/23K changes taking place when they did mainly stems from forced changes on the part of Canadian Pacific. Under original Trackage/Haulage Rights agreements dating back to 1998 and 2002 respectfully between CP and NS on the D&H operations, it was agreed to NOT run mixed NS Auto/Intermodal trains on the D&H. If NS was going to run Autoracks, they had to be in a seperate unit train and the same went for Intermodal. Because NS had no Auto business prior to the PAS venture running on the D&H, it wasn't a problem for years. But then once they got involved with PAR, the auto business came and they were given a bunch of "temporary ok's" by CP to run the autos mixed in on 22/23K and 205/206 UNTIL Mechanicville opened, then at that point they would have to be seperated under the agreement.

Well things kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed with NS getting Mechanicville up and running and when it finally happened, NS continued running the mixed trains eventhough it was against original CP/NS agreements. It was looked at as "no big deal" under the old regime (Fred Green) at CP, but when the new regime came in (Hunter Harrison) they found it to be unacceptable that NS was breaking signed agreements (from what I was told it was also looked at as a bargaining chip for CP on future CP business plans utilizing NS trackage as well). Eventually CP's patience with the mixed trains wore thin and EHH stated that at the beginning of 2013, the Autos and Intermodal HAD to be seperated and run in unit train form on the D&H. This forced NS's hand to make changes to the 22/23K and 205/206 on the D&H. Essentially it is mandated by signed contract that 205/206 be autos only and 22/23K be Intermodal. I figure because they were making these changes anyway that NS just decided it was the right time to begin running the long anticipated second pair of trains to and from Ayer. Of course PAR/PAS wasn't quite ready crew wise, so things are a bit tight on manpower on D3 at the moment from what I was told.

So after that long story (maybe more than many wanted to know), the bottom the line is the 205/206 only have to be Auto's only when on the D&H. Otherwise they could be mixed. I know 205/206 handle NS Taylor, PA Intermodal b/w Buffalo and Binghamton and do setout/pickups in Binghamton of that traffic and then from what I was told 205/206 are also handling overflow intermodals to and from Mechanicville on the PAS as well. Any intermodal traffic out of Mechanicville heading towards CP is doubled onto 22/23K however.

Ok I'm done rambling now! I just figured everybody may have wanted to know the background with all of these changes, as on the surface they appeared to come out of nowhere...

Jim Cerulli
cprsunburysub yahoo group Owner