Train Time At Wachusett
Aftet a 1 hr 39 minute and 54 mile run from North Station outbound Keolis/MBTA train 425 has reached the end of its trip at Wachusett Station. Battle worn GP40MC 1121 has pulled the train on to the elevated station track which diverged from Main 2 of the Fitchburg Route mainline at CPF 333 just out of sight around the corner. Opened in 2016, this station is the longest distance run in the commonwealth and the second longest on the entire MBTA network with only the Wickford Jct., RI trip from South Station being further.
Moments later right on their heals came Berkshire and Eastern train B1010. B101 is the symbol B&E uses for this to Ayer to Park Manor Yard in Chicago intermodal which turns into Norfolk Southern train 263 at Mechanicville and used to be known as 23K. The train is led by the standard SD60E which is necessary due to it being one of a small fleet of this model equipped with ACSES for operation on the MBTA property between Ayer and Westminster. Berkshire and Eastern is a Genesee and Wyoming owned company which was created to serve as the neutral third party operator of the former Pan Am Southern property as a condition of the sale of Pan Am Railways to CSX in 2022.
This train is on borrowed time here because another condition of the sale of Pan Am was the granting of trakage rights to NS for the operation of one daily pair of premium trains (this one and its eastbound counterpart) over CSXT's former Boston and Albany route. These trains will leave their current routing via the Boston and Maine Fitchburg Route and instead depart Ayer south on the Worcester Main then utilize CSXT's, Boston, Berkshire and Castleton Subs to Selkirk then west to Voorheesville where they will hop onto NS's old Delaware and Hudson Albany main to Delanson where they will rejoin their current route to Binghamton and points west. Allegedly, that routing will commence anytime, so if you want shots of 'the pig train' on the old B&M the time is now
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Friday September 26, 2025
Train Time At Wachusett
Aftet a 1 hr 39 minute and 54 mile run from North Station outbound Keolis/MBTA train 425 has reached the end of its trip at Wachusett Station. Battle worn GP40MC 1121 has pulled the train on to the elevated station track which diverged from Main 2 of the Fitchburg Route mainline at CPF 333 just out of sight around the corner. Opened in 2016, this station is the longest distance run in the commonwealth and the second longest on the entire MBTA network with only the Wickford Jct., RI trip from South Station being further.
Moments later right on their heals came Berkshire and Eastern train B1010. B101 is the symbol B&E uses for this to Ayer to Park Manor Yard in Chicago intermodal which turns into Norfolk Southern train 263 at Mechanicville and used to be known as 23K. The train is led by the standard SD60E which is necessary due to it being one of a small fleet of this model equipped with ACSES for operation on the MBTA property between Ayer and Westminster. Berkshire and Eastern is a Genesee and Wyoming owned company which was created to serve as the neutral third party operator of the former Pan Am Southern property as a condition of the sale of Pan Am Railways to CSX in 2022.
This train is on borrowed time here because another condition of the sale of Pan Am was the granting of trakage rights to NS for the operation of one daily pair of premium trains (this one and its eastbound counterpart) over CSXT's former Boston and Albany route. These trains will leave their current routing via the Boston and Maine Fitchburg Route and instead depart Ayer south on the Worcester Main then utilize CSXT's, Boston, Berkshire and Castleton Subs to Selkirk then west to Voorheesville where they will hop onto NS's old Delaware and Hudson Albany main to Delanson where they will rejoin their current route to Binghamton and points west. Allegedly, that routing will commence anytime, so if you want shots of 'the pig train' on the old B&M the time is now
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Friday September 26, 2025