WASE (Waterville-Selkirk)

Does the start-up of WASE mean that there are now 3 trains heading to and from Rigby from the West, or has one of the other trains (i.e. POSE, POMO) been annulled? In other words, is this really an additional new train, or just one that's been resymboled? Thanks.

I haven't heard of any new trains on our system.....just the normal Q427 which is our symbol for Guilford's POSE.

We heard that it is to keep from having to use Portland for switching cars.

If you look back over just the last 4 years you will note that the Big G is constantly changing the blocking scheme, symbol and running time on trains out of Maine to CSX. Sometimes its to bypass Rigby Yard which has been source for labor unrest and then no sooner do they do that then Waterville gets choked with cars and with only 1 switcher working there, they revert back to Rigby. They even try to pre-block inbound Maine traffic at East Deerfield, only to back up that yard. Basically when you have a fixed infrastructure and no desire to invest in expanding it, you keeping pushing the same congestion problem around to different areas.
Or - if you can't fit 10lbs. of crap in a 5lbs. bag then don't expect to fit 200 lbs. of crap into 3 different 50 lbs. bag, you still end up with 50lbs. with no where to go.

Anyway to support my example of the ever changing symbols game:

2002: WAED handled CSX traffic to RJ via Rigby & E Deerfield
BAED handled CSX traffic to Worcester via Ayer by dropping the Worcester traffic off at the Willows or at Westford for AYPO/POAY to pick up.

2003: WARJ was used as a "thru" train from Waterville to RJ, but actually stopped at Rigby and E. Dfld to swap and drop other traffic
POSE was the thru train from Rigby via Ayer to Worcester, replacing the POAY/AYPO though there was no change in crew change points.

Mid way thru the year, WAED was changed to PORJ, POSE remained unchanged

2004: RURJ replaced WARJ and Rumford was now the origin point, again it still stopped at Rigby to p/u more CSX RJ traffic, and ditto at E. Dfld
POSE continued to run as before

2005: RURJ was reverted back again briefly to PORJ, and now its WASE, with POSE still active as well.

Remember no how matter how much the Big G slices and dices it, there is a fixed amount of crews and they run the same route each time.

Specifically: Waterville Crews run to Dover (WADO for lack of better term)
and at Dover hand the train over to a Dover to E. Dfld Crew (DOED)
at E. Dfld at crew on rest from RJ or Mohawk takes the train west again (EDRJ or EDMO)

Meanwhile the crew that operates from Ayer to Portland and return on rest from Portland to Ayer handles whatever POSE/SEPO is being called. There had been a crew that was handling the Worcester to Ayer portion and return of the POSE/SEPO train but as of late I've heard one of the various locals being put on the job instead (FI-1 or AY-1 or AY-R).
Given that the entire Worcester Main Line is down to 10 MPH for most of the trip, it now takes 2 hours to run from Ayer to Worcester when 2 years ago it took an hour.

Another thing as you can see that governs the origin of the trains is the Paper Mills. If Rumford or Jay is cranking out the majority of the CSX destined freight, the Selkirk trains originate there. If its Waterville then its most likely Sappi at Skowhegan, and if its Bangor, its IP in Bucksport.

Interesting post! One question though, what are the daily trains operating in and out of Portland from the West?

Another reason

To Answer RobertTosh question, there are 2 pairs of trains operating between Rigby and the West End or "B&M".

Here is how best to describe them withouth getting caught up in all of the symbol changes.

1) Rigby to Worcester and Worcester to Rigby (1 train in each direction)
These trains operate with the crews originating at Ayer, taking rest in Portland and coming back. Most recently called POSE/SEPO

2) Rigby to East Deerfield and Deerfield to Rigby (1 train in each direction)
Currently the train originates out of Waterville to Rigby with crew change at Dover, NH. Dover crew takes train to East Deerfield, takes rest and comes back.
Sounds like this is currently called WASE/EDPO has also been known as several other incarnations including POMO/MOPO, RURJ/MOPO, PORJ/EDPO, WAED/EDPA

There was at one time as mentioned earlier a 3rd pair called BAED/EDPB but that was converted back to the current POSE/SEPO due to traffic patterns.

3) There are no extras being run (well other than the fact they are all considered Extras, I mean you won't find more than 2 pairs of freights operating in this corridor.) due to limited number of locomotives and not enough people on the spare boards that you couldn't create a third pair if you needed to. They keep the spare boards slim, just enough to cover sicknesses and vacations, not enough to have to worry about paying a guy to stay home for the day.

There have been no crews operating out of Dover for a few years

Question.

Doesn't SE represent Rotterdam Junction? Or are selkirk and rotterdam so close that it doesn't matter?

[edit] i'm seeing now that RJ must be Rotterdam Junction, correct?

Guilford

I have to agree with Mick about the reasons for the symbol changes due to the FRA rules regarding air-slips and block testing.

I disagree on the following:

"There have been no crews operating out of Dover for a few years now, currently all the jobs start out of Rigby (Except for DOBO). "

Sorry but the WASE job runs a crew from Waterville to Dover, then changes crews for the journey on to East Deerfield. Conversely its Eastbound counterpart MOPO/EDPO runs East Deerfield to Dover, changes crews, and then Dover crew goes to Rigby and onto Waterville. Been that way for years.

"THREE sets of trains between Rigby and Deerfield/Worcester, (not two, as stated in a previous post). "

Excluding the AutoRack train Q294, there is only 1 Portland to Worcester round trip. The RURJ and WASE would constitute 2 westbounds to East Deerfield but you might find that there are not enough engines and crews to pull off 2 Maine-East Deerfield round trips consistently.

Then again what do I know...I only work there.

I

Uhhhh.... Hey ProRail. I work there too and Mick is right on the money. I would bet you are not in train service, unlike Mick.