Berkshire & Eastern (former PAS)

Thanks for the info. I thought this might be unusual because of the intense interest being given this train on Facebook. It seems to be a really big deal there that went beyond the BNSF pumpkins.

This is the first Ardent Mills-bound grain train to be operated by B&E over PAS from RJ to Ayer (in fact, I think its PAS symbol was RJAY). Previous unit grain trains unloaded at Ardent Mills by B&E crews came via the B&A and the Worcester main and generally had the BNSF power removed at Selkirk in favor of a CSX unit leading other CSX or Pan Am power.

For RJAY, the BNSF units ran uncapped east to E Deerfield where BERX C40-8 #7489 was added ahead of the BNSF power to provide cab signals and ACSES PTC to get through MBTA territory. RJAY dropped half its train on the Camp track on Friday night and the BERX + BNSF power set took the first half to the Millings and started unloading at around 0730 Saturday. Unloading the first half took approximately 6 hours and the crew spent another hour re-arranging the BERX unit to lead the empties west to Ayer with another crew.

In general, foreign power has become rarer in Ayer due to the need for PAS/NS to use power sets swapped out at Binghamton led by SD60E ACSES/I-ETMS units on its 264/265 intermodal trains (which quite often feature BNSF or UP power west of Binghamton) and 16R/11R manifest trains.

I figured there had to be something unusual about this; many thanks for the full explanation. As I have mentioned in a few previous posts, I believe the past and present PAR/PAS/BERX/CSX forums offer some of the most informed and interesting posts to be found on the entire railroad.net site.

Another G103 is enroute from Cicero with 3 BNSF units and 116 cars, however they had a propane tanker hit a bridge in Glenville, NY, as they were passing over it and explode:

https://x.com/TwoButtonsDeep/status/173 ... 25496?s=20

https://twitter.com/CBS6Albany/status/1 ... 6293175567

Someone's in trouble, as this is only a 10' overpass.

Does anyone know the operational status of this overpass following the conflagration? Is it out of service pending inspection/repair/replacement?

I hear via radio transmissions B-100 and B-101 instead of 264 and 265. Has B+E or NS changed the symbols ?

B&E and CSX seem to have changed some PAS and PAR train symbols. CSX now refers to most if not all ex-PAR trains east of Rigby Yard as "Lxx" locals (eg, L069 and L070 are the symbols for the daily manifests between Rigby and Waterville that used to be called WAPO/POWA). As far as B&E train symbols are concerned, so far only 264/265 seem to have been supplemented or replaced with the B100/B101 designations (NS still calls these trains 264/265 as far east as Mechanicville). I've not heard of any new symbols for 11R/16R or RJED/EDRJ. Of course B100/B101 are short timers on PAS as track work at Voorheesville progresses. I wonder what symbols CSX will use when NS IM trackage rights operation begins over the B&A - ZXXX? For that matter, I wonder if NS will change the 264/265 symbols east of Binghamton when the CSX B&A routing takes place...

I’ve seen videos where 11R and 16R have become edsa/saed east of Deerfield
SA is supposedly San vel

It wouldn't be anything else, given that the videos I posted from Mr. Demboske last week were all trash and racks.

Interesting, SAED/EDSA was Salem (Ma) to East Deerfield back in B+M days. I don't think there was a B-100 but locals in the Boston area were "B" such as B-44.

LGT currently running over PAS as 48A with BERX 7489/NS 1017/NS 9601/NS 2758/MEC 3403. They hit Royalston at 09:45.

https://youtu.be/1SxOoFQVR54?si=moXekQWimN2qwI8G

Took a ride through Ayer today 11:00-12:00. Grain train (AY-1) entering Ardent Mills.
EDSA tied down with racks on #2 track at Wagon Wheel.

B-101 putting train together at Hill yard.
FI-1 BERX 5936 with a string of cars on South Track waiting to get into Hill Yard.

B+E dispatcher having a very busy day, all of the above talking to him in addition to a Keolis train, signal maintainer, and track foreman getting Form D at CP 333.

"Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members last week ratified a new contract with the Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (B&E).

The agreement governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for 32 workers. Members governed by the pact belong to either BLET Division 112 or Division 191."

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/ ... oad--71438