18-09-07 PHOTOS: New Haven Line - Part 1

The New Haven Line is dull. The signals are dull, the catenary is dull and even with the M2/4/6's the trains were dull too. I used to ride Amtrak over the line a lot and the best use of the time was to sleep or catch up on some reading. I had previously recorded video over the line between New Rochelle and New Haven, but I had never seriously tried to do a photo survey because, like I said, the whole damn line is dull.

Well with my videos all captured I really needed some content and so on my annual Labour Day-ish trip to Boston I brought along some cameras and lenses to shoot out the back of an northbound Amtrak Regional en route to Boston. This would be paired with some Amtrak NEC and Hellgate line photos along with some Shore Line photos east of New London. Part 1 covers everything up to, but excluding New Haven and Part 2 will cover New Haven through Boston and beyond. You can find the full set of photos here or on Google.

Waiting at BWI for my Regional, a southbound MARC commuter train rolled in with Kab Car #7850 and HHP-8 #4912. MARC was trying to retire the HHP-8's after Amtrak threatened to withdraw support, however they soon discovered that their monster length peak trains were no match even for the intended HHP-8 replacement, diesel SC44s. Therefore MARC got the HHP-8's refurbished.

MARC MP36PH-3C #28 with a solid train of bi-levels awaits its departure from the Perryville, MD station early in the AM.

Since my last Boston trip in 2017 HAROLD interlocking has been completely re-signaled with new scissors crossovers installed east of the main plant. All of this is to support the boondoggle East Side Access project, which is ultimately intended to reduce congestion on the (7) train.

Here we have a GoPro video documenting the Amtrak Hellgate Line between F Interlocking in Sunnyside and SS22 in New Rochelle. This pretty much completes my NEC GoPro series between Gunpow and Boston.


A trio of P&W C40-8W's, including #4050, sit on the freight track east of Oak Point yard. After the takeover, short line conglomerate Genesee & Wyoming wasted no time in re-painting the P&W fleet in perhaps the only paint scheme that less attractive than the old red and brown.

Passing an inbound Metro North local train of M8's just east of the Mamaroneck station.

MoW work underway on track #2 at Harrison.

Passing another westbound train of M8's east of Rye.

Cos Cob movable bridge and it's famous catenary break.

Amtrak Acela Express power car #2028 at Old Greenwich.

A cut of M2's still holding on at Stamford.

Walk movable bridge.

MNRR MoW Geeps #104 and #105 at Norwalk dropping new rail on track #4.

Saga Movable Bridge with a westbound train of M8's.

SRS Doodlebug #129 checking track #2 just east of GREENS FARMS interlocking.

Eastbound train of M8's on track #4 stopped next to an MoW crane on track #2 at Fairfield.

MNRR BL20 #130 with a Waterbury shuttle at Bridgeport.

Catenary repair hi-rail truck just west of the Devon movable bridge.

A westbound train of M8's about to cross over from track 3 to track 1 at SS73 WOODMONT.

The new-ish West Haven station. This necessitated the reconstruction of the old track 3 for passenger operations between SS73 and SS75.

Finally we have a pair of 6000-series CSX GP40-2's operating westbound out of New Haven with a lot of high capacity hopper cars typically used for wood chips or light scrap metal.

That's all for now. I will cover the New Haven terminal next time in part 2.