25-03-23 PHOTOS: Shirley (You Can't Be Serious)

The last time I went to Lowell, MA was during the height of COVID and I only had enough time to walk the length of BY interlocking where the MBTA Lowell line briefly merges with the old Guilford Rail System Freight Main Line. With all of the re-signaling that is currently taking place along that route, I returned with a friend for a day of craft beer appreciation and searchlight signal photos. This post will detail the more interesting parts of the trip along with my return to the Mid-Atlantic via Acela express.

On weekends service to Lowell is pretty awful with trains running on a 1-2 hour headway. Today was no different and the only thing I was able to catch at Lowell's transportation was an empty high-low island platform. Lowell has an interesting layout as the two tracks on the left are used for MBTA service to Boston, while the three on the right are part of the former Guilford Rail System "Freight Main Line" that at one point stretched 714 miles from central Maine to Sunbury, PA.

A few years ago what remained of the Guilford was purchased by CSX which has wasted no time assimilating the line with new chaining, signals and, in this case, bridge art.

Due to the presence of hydro power, Lowell had become an early industrial hub, mostly specializing in textile production. The advent of electricity and modern logistics allowed this industry to move to more suitable locations turning Lowell into the stereotypical "gritty old mill town". In 1978 Federal money was obtained to create the Lowell National Historic Park as an urban renewal. One component of this was a heritage streetcar operation coined the "National Streetcar Museum", which I was able to visit and ride back in 2006. On this march day 20 years later the vintage streetcars weren't running, so I made do with a photo of Boston and Main 0-6-0 switcher #410, which is displayed on the streetcar platform.

Since 2006 Lowell has undergone an impressive recovery as the cost of housing in the core Boston area has exploded. Helped by the presence of UMass Lowell and MBTA service, the city is full of new development with many of the old mill buildings converted into artist lofts or new housing. This vintage service station sign was located across the street from the National Streetcar Museum.

Heading out of town my host suggested seeing the old B&M station at North Chelmsford. The trackside structure is being relocated for preservation with the wooden building already gone and the foundation marked up for disassembly. This project is likely one of CSX's "good will" gestures after taking control of neglected Guilford assets.

The MBTA Fitchburg Line station Shirley might look like something out of the 19th century, but it was actually constructed in 1993 after the station itself was reactivated in 1981 after over a decade of Fitchburg Line extensions and retrenchments. Although the minimal infrastructure gives the station a vibe similar to some of MARC's least used stations, Shirley currently serves a respectable 100+ passengers a day.

Because I had been out all day getting photos of 1940's and 50's vintage railroad signaling I hadn't really noticed that it was almost sunset when I had encountered an actual train movement in the form of a Norfolk Southern run-through freight with a former Guilford C40-8 leading a trio of NS units including SC70ACC #1807, AC44C6M #4857 and C44-9W #9928. In the 2010's NS had invested in a joint venture with the Guilford to run freight from Harrisburg to Ayer in conjunction with NS's of the former Delaware and Hudson route between Sunbury and Schenectady.

25-03-22 PHOTOS: Guilford Autos

With the Vermonter route now completely re-signaled the next chapter in my big New Englande adventure is pivoting to the former Boston and Main Western Route Main Line which is currently under assimilation by CSX. Having made friends with a local signal enthusiast who also happens to have a car I was able to round trip myself up on the Acela for a weekend of signal shenanigans. The first half of the trip involved seeing what could be documented on Amtrak's Downeaster route between the Massachusetts border and Saco, Maine.  The photos will cover the trip up and a couple of Downeaster catches on the WRML. 

Like so many of my recent journeys my trip started off at the BWI Airport Rail Station where I managed to catch an uncommon MARC diesel doubleheader with MP36PH-3C #34 and GP39H-2 #75 with a northbound Penn Line train. 

Because BWI only twos 2-3 Acela departures each weekday I was having to first backtrack to Washington Union Station. Arriving near the start of the evening peak I caught the lineup of MARC cab cars at the Union Station buffer stops before waiting for my 6pm Acela departure. My train that day would be Acela set #11 with power car #2017 on the south end.

The 6pm Acela out of Washington is a Friday only run to Boston that completes its journey at 110am. Here is ACS-86 #639 at Penn Station and ACS-86 #618 across the platform from Acela power car #2036 at Boston South Station.

The new hotel that sacrificed about 2 car lengths of South Station platform length was nearing completion with the arched pedestal forming a somewhat open air concourse in front of the existing South Station train hall. Because the last Red Line had already departed shortly before 1am, I was forced to take a much more expensive Uber to my friend's house. 

Heading out the next day my first catch was Downeaster Train #694 with Amtrak Phase III Heritage painted F40PH cabbage car #90406 with P42DC #95 pushing on the rear passing under the B&M signal bridge at CPF-241 near Rollinsford. The new CSX signals are waiting to be put in service.

 

25-01-31 PHOTOS: Post Road Branch

 For my 2025 visit to New York Capital Region I turned my attention south of the city to Amtrak's Post Road Branch and the former Conrail Boston Line to revisit some infrastructure I had not kept up on for over 15 years. Unfortunately actual encounters with train movements was rather slim so I have included additional photos from SS72 DEVON junction on the New Haven Line plus some MARC Camden Line activity so I hope you all find this worth your while. 

Albany can be considered the Harrisburg of the New York Central. A major hub located in an eastern state capitol that has to coordinate multiple flows of freight and passenger rail traffic. Located at the junction of the old New York and Hudson River, Mohawk and Hudson, Boston and Albany and West Shore Railroads this created quite a bottleneck in the downtown Albany area where all of these rail lines met. Operations were further complicated by a pair of swing span drawbridges and "stiff" (for the New York Central) grades on both sides of the Hudson Valley. All of these problems were solved by the 1924 Castleton Cutoff that provided a low grade freight route that completely bypassed Albany and Schenectady. The signature work of engineering was the high level Alfred H. Newman Smith bridge over the Hudson River Valley. The entire mile long bridge recently underwent a renovation that cleared the right of way, repaired the steel supports and re-pointed the concrete footings.

You can see some of the specific work that was carried out with replacement beams and gusset plates painted a lighter shade of brown and the new concrete also readily apparent. The new steel also used high strength bolts instead of hot rivets. 

The Smith Bridge features two steel truss spans over the Hudson River navigation channels, one of 404 feet and the other 610 feet.

Despite the renovation work, CSX did not use the opportunity to demolish the old base of SM tower which stood at the eastern end of the bridge where the connecting track to the Hudson Line branched off. Today this branch typically sees a daily overnight freight round trip to and from New York City.

It was here I caught the sole freight train of the trip, the cars making a bit of noise as they pounded the frog on the #3 switch at CP-SM.

 

24-10-12 PHOTOS: HART and SPRING

For Columbus Day weekend 2024 I set myself the major goal of finally going to Hartford to explore the former New Haven station there and hiking out to the derelict HART interlocking tower north of the Central Business District. Despite going to school in the area and passing through Hartford countless times on Amtrak's Springfield Line, I had never found the time to get off there, even after the opening of the CR Rail Hartford commuter rail line in the 2010's as a stopover always seemed to involve getting to New Haven by like 8am. Well in 2024 I finally decided to bite the bullet and take overnight Train 66 to get to New Haven, but given some other priorities the plan became a bit more complicated ( mirror ) than catching it at the BWI Airport Rail Station.

The complication was needing to stop by Philly to see family at some point this weekend. My solution was to catch an afternoon Amtrak Regional to Philly, pop across the Delaware River on PATCO, deal with stuff, then return to 30th St in time for Train 66's midnight departure. This had me setting off from BWI in daylight where I managed to catch Veterans ACS-86 #642. MARC MP36PH-3C #35, SC44 #80 and cab cars #7852 and #8054 before my Regional with ACS-86 #616 arrived..

For some reason my Regional set had been reversed and I was able to get some photos and video out the back. Here my train transits northbound through the ailing B&P tunnel.



Making the cross-river transfer courtesy SEPTA and PATCO.

Finally returning to 30th St Station close to midnight where the short consist Regional Train 66 was sporting two ACS-86 electric locomotives, #664 and #662.

Because Train 66 can be pretty loud, to ensure a good night's sleep I managed to book a single seat one one of the old Metroliner Service first class cars that now serve as Business class on Train 66/67. I conked out at some point before Penn Station and when I got off New Haven and #664 was nowhere to be seen.

It was perfect October weather and Metro North M8 EMU's were hanging out on various shoppe and storage tracks.

With Shore Line East service having been M8-ified, the previously diesel hauled equipment was now on Hartford Line duty. My train was waiting on Tack 12 with P40DC #6711 in the Coke Zero scheme and Mafersa cab car #1701.

One might assume that things would be pretty quiet at 8am on a Saturday morning, but when I got out on Platform D I found three adjacent signals for track 10, 12 and 14 into SS78 FAIR ST interlocking displaying proceed indications.

24-03-23 PHOTOS: East Deerfield

In part two of my trip to Greenfield, Mass I check out the Boston and Maine's former East Deerfield yard, which has become a significant railfan hotspot in the Guilford era and beyond. I then work my way up the Connecticut River valley to catch some New Englande Central action at the town of Putney, VT before catching Amtrak back to Philadelphia. You can catch part 1 of this two part trip here and see the full set of photos for part 2 of the trip here ( mirror ).

After a morning spent getting photos of searchlight signals, but no trains at CPR-33, I made the short hop to East Deerfield yard, which was a major hub on the old Boston and Maine with extensive shop facilities and connections to both the Connecticut Valley and east-west main line between Boston and Mechanicville, NY. After parking I saw crews warming up a familiar face, Ottawa Valley Railway GP40-2LW #3029 and ex-CN GP40-2 #6409 that I had caught the previous day in downtown Greenfield. They were sitting next to former CSX C40-8W #7875, which was part of a bevy of power purchased by Guilford from CSX in the 2010's that then found itself back in CSX ownership when Guilford decided to sell out in 2022.

With the western end of the Guilford system spun off into a G&W owned regional railroad, most of the Guilford's bargin bin fleet seemed to be sitting idle while G&W brought in units from across its empire to handle the remaining tasks. OVR #3029 and CN #6409 seemed to be on local freight duty for customers on the Boston and Maine's Connecticut Valley Main Line and I got photos of the pair rolling past WX tower and then under the railfan bridge to begin the day's flat switching. While taking these photos I got a notification that my reservation on the following day's southbound Vermonter was being cancelled due to a freak snow storm that was about to drop a foot of snow across Vermont, but little to the south. Fortunately I was able to book a seat on an earlier Valley Flier out of Greenfield, which was actually the more expensive option when I had first planned the trip.

That morning the East Deerfield engine terminal help a mix of former Guilford equipment (nee Maine Central, Boston and Main and Springfield Terminal), former CSX -8 units and Bay Line Geeps brought in by G&W. Those with a sharp eye might also notice some old B&M MoW snow ploughs.

WX tower at East Deerfield was closed as an interlocking station many years ago and now sits adjacent to the present day CPF-384.

Bay Line units included GP40-2's #3018 and #3019, which might be a commentary on the condition of the former Guilford power.

Former CSX C40-8W #7875. #7655 and #7898 were still in a hastily overpainted YN scheme while #7797 was in Dark Future. Note Guilford #350 is a former B&M GP39-2.