Eastern Railroad Discussion > Pan Am OCS Out and About Again

Pan Am's OCS got out again on the former B&M last week.  In the past, the normal practice was the for the train to come from Waterville, spend the night at the old Ford yard in Ayer under the watchful eye of the railroad cops, and then pick up the bigwigs around 9am at the Ayer MBTA platform.  More recently, however, they have begun laying over at Boston Engine Terminal and departing from North Station, which is what happened on 11/13.

The day's run would see the train follow the former B&M New Hampshire Division to Lowell, then pick up the Stony Brook Branch to Ayer, where they'd wye and return to Boston.  Since the sun was out, I dropped my son off at school and then headed for Lowell, hoping to catch the train near CPF-WA.  But when I got to Lowell, there was no sign of an OCS.  The circumstantial evidence made me think they were already gone, when the smoking gun presented itself - the single track west of Lowell was turned over to a MOW foreman for the next two hours.  With that intel, I high-tailed it for the Stony Brook.  At the first crossing I came to, I noted no rust on the railhead, and then heard a horn.  Running west to the next one, I just caught the markers of a passenger train disappearing around the bend - I called tallyho, and the chase was on!

1 - The next spot I could get ahead of the train was the overpass above Willows East interlocking in Littleton.  The bridge has a high fence, but I threw the stepladder in the back of the truck before I left the house.  (The interlocking itself is behind the camera.)

They got to Ayer before I did, and managed to elude me, turning on the wye while I was still looking for them at the Willows.
 
2 - With that completed, we're now in Westford (railroad location Graniteville), eastbound over Stony Brook and Bridge Street.

3 - Last shot was at the old tower in Lowell, where I had started the morning.  I shot the head end here, but I thought the tail end was the more interesting shot, with Pan Am's ex-N&W office car bringing up the markers.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/19 23:46 by pennsy3750.

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These are three first-rate photos with a truly interesting set of comments.
bob

Excellent captures! Pan Am OCS has roaming the system a few times this fall - I wonder who is being entertained? 
I've heard from a fellow fan that for the first time in decades, Pan Am has got MoW picking up discarded ties along the D3 main line. Maybe they're trying to clean up the property a bit? Or maybe Massachusetts is making them do so ...

JPB Wrote:
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> Excellent captures! Pan Am OCS has roaming the
> system a few times this fall - I wonder who is
> being entertained? 
Word on the street was they were holding on-board meetings with a new customer.

> I've heard from a fellow fan that for the first
> time in decades, Pan Am has got MoW picking up
> discarded ties along the D3 main line. Maybe
> they're trying to clean up the property a bit? Or
> maybe Massachusetts is making them do so ...
Pan Am management has clearly turned a corner from the Pease/Fink Sr days (ie, the Guilford Era), so maybe the newer elements of the brain trust have less of a "Public Be Damned" attitude.  Or maybe they're just trying to avoid another lawsuit and hefty fine from the DEP.  More likely, both.

Very nice..!!

Good story; nothing worse than having to play catch up with a train ahead of you!

Andy

Does anyone know the heritage of the dome car in the executive consist? Thanks in advance for sharing the information.
Silver View Mike

Mike, it was a Wabash Vista Dome Coach built for the Blue Bird.

Hubert