A Proper Pan Aming - Part 1
I headed to Ayer right after work on Friday in hopes of catching that M427 with the epic EMD consist that was all the rage coming down from Rigby on Thursday. Normally they bring them down the Worcester main to Barber first thing in the morning, but not this day. Due to two extra eastbounds up from Worcester (a loaded grain train then a welded rail train) there was no crew nor no place to send the 427 west. So they left it parked out at Graniteville deep in the shadows where I couldn't even get a stationary shot. Strike 1!
But then I heard that the G954 grain train was in the Hill Yard and getting ready to be taken over to Ardent Mills east of the Willows so I figured that would be somewhat of a consolation. Even though the power wasn't cool, just standard GEVOs, at least the light was amazing. But the leader didn't have ACSES for the short trip from AY to the Willows so the Ayer yard crew had to cap it with a yard engine for the short trip. And what should they find, nothing but the finest in terms of MEC 5933, a rat bag patched B40-8. But just for good measure, as if that wasn't enough, they ran it out lhf, Strike 2. Pan Am may be gone but it's spirit lives on in Ayer where you can still get a good and proper 'Pan Aming'!
Anyway, here is the AY3 crew with CSXT G954 on CSXT's ex Pan Am Freight Main at CPF WL at MP 313.77 diverging onto the old Boston and Maine Stony Brook Branch away from the MBTA/Keolis Fitchburg Route mainline.
Ayer, Massachusetts
Friday December 9, 2022
A Proper Pan Aming - Part 1
I headed to Ayer right after work on Friday in hopes of catching that M427 with the epic EMD consist that was all the rage coming down from Rigby on Thursday. Normally they bring them down the Worcester main to Barber first thing in the morning, but not this day. Due to two extra eastbounds up from Worcester (a loaded grain train then a welded rail train) there was no crew nor no place to send the 427 west. So they left it parked out at Graniteville deep in the shadows where I couldn't even get a stationary shot. Strike 1!
But then I heard that the G954 grain train was in the Hill Yard and getting ready to be taken over to Ardent Mills east of the Willows so I figured that would be somewhat of a consolation. Even though the power wasn't cool, just standard GEVOs, at least the light was amazing. But the leader didn't have ACSES for the short trip from AY to the Willows so the Ayer yard crew had to cap it with a yard engine for the short trip. And what should they find, nothing but the finest in terms of MEC 5933, a rat bag patched B40-8. But just for good measure, as if that wasn't enough, they ran it out lhf, Strike 2. Pan Am may be gone but it's spirit lives on in Ayer where you can still get a good and proper 'Pan Aming'!
Anyway, here is the AY3 crew with CSXT G954 on CSXT's ex Pan Am Freight Main at CPF WL at MP 313.77 diverging onto the old Boston and Maine Stony Brook Branch away from the MBTA/Keolis Fitchburg Route mainline.
Ayer, Massachusetts
Friday December 9, 2022