Berkshire & Eastern Thriving

[AdvancedApproach]

Take notes UP, NS, CSX, BNSF, CN, CPKC.

https://www.trains.com/pro/freight/short-lines-regionals/berkshire-eastern-proves-good-service-drives-growth-analysis/

 

[JCitron]

Take notes UP, NS, CSX, BNSF, CN, CPKC.

https://www.trains.com/pro/freight/short-lines-regionals/berkshire-eastern-proves-good-service-drives-growth-analysis/

The B&E is a Genesee and Wyoming operation that operates the former Boston and Maine route that became the Pan Am Southern when NS and Pan Am Railways created the partnership and the 50-50 split ownership of the route between Ayer, MA and Mechanicville, NY.

As part of the sale to CSX, CSX had to divest itself from this route due to a conflict of interest when they purchased Pan Am Railways because they already operate a similar route in the region between Selkirk, NY and Boston. It's been rumored that the B&E will become the operator of this line once CSX sells its portion of PAS because they have no interest in operating this redundant line.

 

[sw1500]

The B&E is a Genesee and Wyoming operation that operates the former Boston and Maine route that became the Pan Am Southern when NS and Pan Am Railways created the partnership and the 50-50 split ownership of the route between Ayer, MA and Mechanicville, NY.

As part of the sale to CSX, CSX had to divest itself from this route due to a conflict of interest when they purchased Pan Am Railways because they already operate a similar route in the region between Selkirk, NY and Boston. It's been rumored that the B&E will become the operator of this line once CSX sells its portion of PAS because they have no interest in operating this redundant line.

CSX did not divest their portion of PAS and B&E is already the designated operator.

 

[JCitron]

CSX did not divest their portion of PAS and B&E is already the designated operator.

They may not have divested, but they can't run it either as part of their purchase of PAR. I should've worded it better. The B&E is operating it on their behalf for now. We'll see what happens. CSX definitely said they don't want the line. It's a good thing that it was done this way instead of letting everything rot like Guilford did with the Mountain Division and with the D&H's line between Binghamton, NY and Carbondale, PA.

It's hard to believe that this was once a 60 mph passenger and 40 mph freight line. My late piano teacher had relatives out in Hoosac Tunnel MA. Her father was a freight agent for the B&M and got free tickets on the railroad. She would ride out there in the summer for vacations and her brothers would continue on to North Adams to go shopping and hang out. She remembered seeing the electric locomotives pulling the passenger trains through the tunnel. On the trip out there, she mentioned one day that young boys would board the train at various stations then get off at another station down the line. She said that they were selling ice cream and other treats. She passed at 100 back on Jan 1st, 2021.

 

[sw1500]

It was a 60 mph passenger and 40 mph freight line more recently than that. I was on a couple of excursion trains One to Rotterdam Junction and then another one to Adams MA in the 80's. The Fitchburg Route tracks were better than the B&A back then.

 

[JCitron]

It was a 60 mph passenger and 40 mph freight line more recently than that. I was on a couple of excursion trains One to Rotterdam Junction and then another one to Adams MA in the 80's. The Fitchburg Route tracks were better than the B&A back then.

Yup. Guilford killed it. They had the route down to 10 mph through Gardner and Athol. Sad.

 

[TSwenson]

That 10mph was timetable too... the way Guilford/Pan Am did things there probably were a bunch of 5mph slow orders as well (and all just far enough apart so you never really did 10mph). I work on the "East" end of the former MEC/Guilford/PAR property and, I can say, there have been a lot of good changes with CSX ownership, and some bad ones too.

 

[JCitron]

That 10mph was timetable too... the way Guilford/Pan Am did things there probably were a bunch of 5mph slow orders as well (and all just far enough apart so you never really did 10mph). I work on the "East" end of the former MEC/Guilford/PAR property and, I can say, there have been a lot of good changes with CSX ownership, and some bad ones too.

I've heard that too. I saw that CSX had a hiring page up for crews out of Lawrence not long ago. Their starting rate was far lower than the rest of CSX and their maximum rate was only $45K a year. I thought that was not only odd but also, really, really unfair given the cost of living these days.

 

[TSwenson]

I've heard that too. I saw that CSX had a hiring page up for crews out of Lawrence not long ago. Their starting rate was far lower than the rest of CSX and their maximum rate was only $45K a year. I thought that was not only odd but also, really, really unfair given the cost of living these days.

That may be the start/training pay (but with theses knuckle heads who knows). The Lawrence area T&E has traditionally been filled from NH/ME by forcing junior personnel "west" to follow their seniority. Our joke is "welcome to Pan Am 2.0" and it does seem to be uncomfortably accurate.

 

[JCitron]

That may be the start/training pay (but with theses knuckle heads who knows). The Lawrence area T&E has traditionally been filled from NH/ME by forcing junior personnel "west" to follow their seniority. Our joke is "welcome to Pan Am 2.0" and it does seem to be uncomfortably accurate.

Starting pay sounds okay, but I'm not so sure. The Merrimack Valley has always been a lower pay area historically.

Let's hope this isn't PAR 2.0 that would mean removing customers and rails!