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• There was a derailment on Conrail's Boston Line at Palmer, MA early this morning. See details below in Conrail news.
• OCS-701-20 was last reported at CP-Field, PA at 07:54 ET with D&H 7303 and CP 5647
• Conrail OCS-502 was last reported by CP-2, NJ at 08:31 ET. Train is operating behind schedule.
• MARC will operate a Passenger Special on Monday May 25. Train is to depart Washington, D.C. for Brunswick, MD at 13:35 ET.  Train is scheduled to return at 17:38 ET from Brunswick to D.C. Trip is hosted by several area Historical Groups.

  BOSTON LINE WRECK

We have breaking news that TV-13 has derailed at Palmer, MA. Reports indicate that there is damage to the Route 32 overpass and that the line is shut down.  TV-13 was reported at Palmer, MA at 02:20 ET with Conrail C40-8W 6176, SD40-2 6516, and SD60I 5650. Train was forty-four loads, 3,688 tons and 6,427 feet in length. ML-433 was held at CP-79-NE, MA at 05:32 ET and TV-10B was held on the other side of the wreck at CP-107 in Westfield, MA.  Wreck train WRE-301 was dispatched from Westboro, MA and was scheduled to depart at 05:00 ET this morning, arriving at the site by 09:00 ET.  Additional services from RJ Corman and Hulcher may be utilized.  ML 433's power has been cut from its train and run back to Westboro for equipment due to return as WRE-301. TV-9 appears to be held at Beacon Park, BOSE was being held at CP-57. TV-10B is to be held at West Springfield until further notice. SEBO's crew was called for 03:00 ET, but this train too appears to be held at Selkirk. TV-7, TV-24, TV-14 all made it through before this  happened. Last word was that Mass DOT was inspecting the bridge with vehicle detours setup through town. Further reports are indicating that all three units and at least seven stack cars have been derailed.  One source reports that the double stacks hit the bridge, causing the train to derail. Another source has indicated that  the stone abutment of the new bridge fell apart into the path of the train. There is a large fuel spill from the locomotives and the line is expected to be closed for at least 24 hours. The three units are just east of the New England Central diamond. WRE-300 with 4117 leading 24 cars of panel track and ballast arrived at the scene by noon. The plan was to split the power putting an SD80MAC on each end of WRE-300 at CP-92 and back into the derailment site. WRE-300 was followed by a high rail car and two pieces of track equipment. We will bring you more on the wreck as details become available. -Railnuts, R.O. Moore

OFFICE CAR SPECIAL

Conrail's OCS-502 departed Toledo, OH last evening bound for Philadelphia, PA via Selkirk, NY. After returning the passengers to Philly, the train will go back to Altoona.  OCS-502 is powered by E8A 4020 with business cars 1 and 5.  The trip will operate from Philly to Harrisburg over the Harrisburg Line.  This will provide an opportunity for a meet with OCS-701, the Canadian Pacific Railway Office Car Train.  You can get to the schedules by clicking on the link at the top of the page. -Kevin Burkholder

SD70MAC TRACK

Today, the last pair of SD70MAC's delivered have been placed in local service. Here is where they line up:

 

4130	Oak, PA	5/20/98	22:43 ET	URN-460
4131	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/21/98	04:45 ET	SEEL-0B
4132	Oak, PA	5/20/98	22:43ET	URN-460
4133	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/21/98	04:45 ET	SEEL-0B
4134	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/21/98	03:00 ET	NFSE-1
4135	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/21/98	03:00 ET	NFSE-1
4136	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/20/98	15:30 ET	NFSE-0
4137	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	5/20/98	15:30 ET	NFSE-0
4138	Elkhart, IN	5/20/98	22:30 CT	ELIN-0A
4139	Elkhart, IN	5/20/98	22:30 CT	ELIN-0A
4140	Shire Oaks, PA	5/21/98	03:30 ET	WICE-24
4141	Shire Oaks, PA	5/21/98	03:30 ET	WICE-24

-Railnuts

OFFICE CAR SPECIALS ON TAP

CPR will be operating several passenger trains in honor of the D&H Railroad's 175th Anniversary, CPR is sending Beaver Logo SD40-2 5647 to assist D&H-painted 7309 on a string of Employee Appreciation Passenger Specials.  CPR will also be using the train to host Norfolk Southern officials next week for a trip to Albany, NY.  The train consist will include four CPR Business Cars, two Green Mountain Railway passenger cars, and four NYS&W business cars.  Two legs of the trip will be operated between Dupont Jct. on the Reading & Northern and Conrail to and from the Philadelphia-30th Street Amtrak station.  The southbound carried Conrail symbol OCS-701 and the northbound trip will carry OCS-702.  The trip arrived in Philadelphia this morning. On May 22, the train departs Philadelphia for Scranton where the train will be tied down at Steamtown all day on May 23. You can see the full schedule by clicking on the link at the top of the page. -Mike Collins, Kevin Burkholder

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

The following FEC trains will be annulled for the Memorial Day Holiday:

• Sunday, May 24th: Extra South, 105, 117, 123, 935 (WPB local).
• Monday, May 25th: 105, 204, 208, 216, 220, 226, 98, 343, Unit Train( Miami-Cocoa, Cocoa-Miami), 905 Bunnell Turn,  910 Dorena Turn, 915 Hall Turn, 920 Pineda Turn, 925 328 Turn, 945 WPB Switcher, 950 WPB 1500 Switcher, 955 Little River Turn, 960 Boca Local, 965 Lauderdale Switcher, 970 Contract Job, 980 Palm Beach Turn.
• Tuesday May 26th: 119, 123, 202, 210.
In addition, the pig ramps at West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale will be closed from 12:00 ET Sunday until 20:00 ET Monday. Yard jobs at Bowden and Hialeah will be annulled accordingly.-J.L. Hollahan

Tickets are $15 and will be available at the gate. Lumedyne lighting will be provided by Steve Barry, Fred Jones, Frank Etzel, Kermit Geary and Joe Calisi.