Amtrak trip to CT, April 6-11, 2012

After the realities of the end of winter had set in, I set my sights on seeing my family for the Easter weekend.  I booked my trip on Amtrak and on April 6, I departed Waterbury VT on the Vermonter, bound for New Haven CT.  It was my first trip on this route since the new rail had been laid in Vermont, and since Wi-Fi was introduced.  The Wi-Fi is sporadic in spots but works pretty descent.  The new rail gives the train a much smoother ride, and with completion of additional improvements to the rails this year, some 30 minutes is expected to be cut off the trip.  We were on time into New Haven and I transferred to a Shore Line East commuter train for the last leg of the journey to Old Saybrook.

On Sunday, I stopped by my old work place at the Valley Railroad in Essex, before driving my dad’s truck to New Haven to pick up my brother and his wife in from NYC, then headed to celebrate Easter with my family.

Engine 3025 at the Valley RR in Essex on Easter Sunday

My Grandmother and some of the grandchildren on Easter Sunday.

Unfortunately, the trip had a somber note as my great uncle passed away and attended his service on Tuesday, and returned back home to Vermont on Amtrak on Wednesday April 11.

Amtrak's NB Vermonter awaits departure time at New Haven

It was my first time seeing my family since September 2011 and it was great seeing everyone again, plus riding the train.

To see the rest of the train pictures from this weekend, CLICK HERE

Amtrak 40th Anniversary Train at Union Station, Burlington VT

I finished my morning duty of the grounds crew at the Sugarbush Golf Course by 9am and was on the road to Burlington to check out Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train.  The Burlington stop was added as part of the nationwide tour – if it had not come to Burlington, I would’ve checked the train out in New Haven, CT back in July.  But seeing the train in Vermont is a lot better than in Connecticut, and the waterfront area of Burlington is great exposure for the train.

I parked up on the garage on Church Street around 10am and walked down to Union Station.  The locomotives on the train were facing south, and the train’s consist included a former 10&6 sleeper (used as a crew car), 3 baggage cars set up with displays, and a cafe car converted for use as the anniversary store.  Outside, the train is clad in Phase III paint (equal width red/white/blue stripes) which was common on Amtrak trains from the 1980s through the early 1990s.  Inside, the display cars show the history of Amtrak via memorabilia, vintage ads, seat and dining car displays, HO scale Amtrak trains, Amtrak horns exhibit, and more.  The displays were really well done, but some of the manequins were kind of creepy – there were a lot of them, too.  The anniversary store car had a lot of merchandise available and at reasonable prices too.  I picked up a t-shirt for $15 and the anniversary book & dvd combo for $40.
Outside, the air was heavy with humidity and you could tell it would rain within the hour.  After a brief stop through the lower level of Union Station (which had a HO scale layout, plus some tables for Vermont Rail Network and such), I headed back up the hill towards Church Street, bought a badly-needed new pair of sneakers, and headed back to the Mad River Valley.

Some photos are below…. for a link to the complete photo gallery, check out my Picasa photo gallery here:  (link fixed 8/22, PM)  http://picasaweb.google.com/shadyjayvt/Amtrak40thAnniversaryExhibitTrain

Photos 2 & 3 below will go full size if you click on them

“Berkshire County Rambler” 6/18/2011 Rail Excursion Trip Report

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO VIEW THEM FULL-SIZE!

Once again, Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts outdid themselves with another excellent rail excursion, including some “rare mileage”.  I ordered my tickets online at the last minute and I’m glad I was able to participate.

I left home base at Sugarbush Resort at 5:20AM on Saturday morning, June 18.  I had conflicting trip lengths from Google Maps and Delorme, with Google saying nearly 4 hours while DeLorme saying 3 Hours 20 Minutes.  Well, I had made it to Rutland in 1 Hour 10 Minutes, took a brief break just south of Rutland at a rest area, another hour later was in Bennington, and took a break to get a coffee in Lanesborough, MA.  I arrived at the Lenox station of the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum at about 8:40.  So the trip took about 3 Hours 20 Minutes.

I had plenty of time to photograph the equipment in the yard and the beautifully restored station.  The last time I was here (c 1993), the station was closed and no trains were running.  Inside the station houses various artifacts and exhibits, and in an old B&O coach-baggage combine outside, an exhibit tells the story of the various mansions built early in the 20th century in the Berkshires.

Our train, a 5-car consist bracketed by Housatonic Railroad GP35 #3601 at the south end and Berkshire Scenic’s SW-8 #8619 at the north end.  The coaches, north to south were:  328, 310 (where I sat), 3204, 341, 329.  After the Berkshire Scenic’s regular excursion train, led by SW-9 #9128 departed south, our train moved to the platform/main to board, then we departed at about 10:40AM, 10 minutes late.

We first headed north through New Lenox to Pittsfield, stopping parallel to the CSX Boston & Albany Line, just as an autorack train was speeding east towards Boston.  After a moment, we headed south back to New Lenox for a photo runby, then back south to Lenox for a bathroom break.  At this time, the locomotives were rearranged so that they were all on the south end, with #3601 leading.

What amazed me, especially between Lenox and Stockbridge, was the fact that Housatonic Railroad has laid welded rail in sections, giving a nice smooth ride.  There’s still plenty of “clickety clack” and some 10 mph slow orders, but a good amount of 25 mph running as well.

Photo Runbys at New Lenox (left) and South Lee (right)

Heading south, we had a photo stop at the US 20 crossing in downtown Lee, then another in South Lee, before our arrival at Stockbridge.  It was here we learned that former New Haven Railroad employee Peter Lynch had passed away within the past week.  He was a long supporter of the BSRM, and our conductor gave a brief speech about him, then had the locomotive #3601 perform a horn memorial, “calling in the flagman”.  After another runaround at Stockbridge, we continued south to Great Barrington, where the locomotives changed ends and another runby was performed.  We then headed back north, with a stop in Stockbridge at 4:20, then arriving back at Lenox at 5:05pm, completing the trip.

(left):  Locomotives are repositioned at north end of train at Great Barrington.
(right):  Heading back north through the Glendale curves

There is a good deal of scenery along this line, from boggy marshes to historic villages, old stations, industry, the Housatonic River, waterfalls, and other scenic highlights.  Mass Bay RRE, the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, and Housatonic Railroad should all be commended for a job well done!

BE SURE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERY AND THE PHOTO RUNBY VIDEOS ON MY YOUTUBE PAGE

White River Flyer Special Excursion: 6/4/2011

CLICK EACH IMAGE TO SEE THE FULL SIZE VERSION

On Saturday June 4, it was off to White River Junction with my friend Pete for a ride on the Green Mountain Railroad’s White River Flyer special excursion.  We met at the Amtrak station in Waterbury and then drove down to White River Junction, picked up our tickets, then boarded the train.  Our destination was Farmway in Bradford, an excursion I last took in 2007.

(left)  NECR GP-38 #3857 at White River Jct
(right)  Boarding underway for our train on the adjacent platform

Our consist:
GP40-2 #308 (leading NB)
Coach #1323 (we rode here)
Coach #1301
Cab Control/Coach #1317 (leading SB)

We departed about 15 minutes late (10:15am) and slowly began to make our way north up along the Connecticut River.  It was a beautiful cloudless morning in the Upper Valley.  Once we got to Wilder, we picked up some speed and would alternate between running at track speed and running at 10 mph due to slow orders.

(left)  Norwich-Hanover Bridge
(right)  Serious rock ledges alongside I-91, US 5, and the railroad in Fairlee

It was a picture perfect day, a welcome change from our recent bouts with heavy rain and severe weather.  We rambled up the river valley, passing through Thetford, Ely, and Fairlee, before arriving at around noon at the Farmway “station” in Bradford.  As we departed the train, a large group was boarding to ride north to Newbury.  While they did that, we headed off to the complimentary BBQ for some hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, and snacks.  We then browsed around Farmway and the area for a while.  Just around 2pm, our train returned from Newbury, and we reboarded for the trip back south to White River Junction, arriving at about 3:45pm.

(left)  Farmway complex alongside VT Route 25 in Bradford
(right)  Special excursion crosses VT Route 25 heading south

Thanks to Vermont Rail System for another great trip!

To view my complete photo gallery from this trip,
click here!

Amtrak Trip to Connecticut & New York City–November 8-12, 2010

 

Sleet and freezing rain was falling as I drove north on Route 100 towards Waterbury. With the train arriving on time, I settled into my seat, and we were up to track speed (50-59MPH) while traffic out on Interstate 89 was moving MUCH slower. The roads by now were covered in a layer of sleet and ice. A good day to spend on the train! Our consist was the usual standard-fare Vermonter setup of a P42 locomotive, 4 coaches, 1 café/business class, and another P42. I was seated in the coach closest to the café car.

Heading south, we were more or less on time at stations down the line. It wasn’t until we hit Amtrak rails south of Springfield when we were slightly delayed coming into Hartford, for I believe adjacent construction work. I got off in Meriden at around 4pm, just about 5 minutes or so behind schedule, and my cousin Matt was waiting for me. I spent the night in nearby Durham, CT, with him, his wife, and their kids.

Waiting For A Train – New Haven Union Station

The next day, Tuesday 11/9, they drove me to New Haven to catch a Metro North New Haven Line train to Grand Central. It arrived on Track 14, they saw me off, and I was NYC-bound. After arriving at GCT, I took the 4-5-6 line downtown to Union Square, then walked the remaining distance to my brother’s apartment on the lower East Side. Later that night, I saw his band Stark play at the Delancey.

 

STARK doing what they do best… ROCK OUT!

Wednesday was pretty uneventful, as I geared up for a train ride and hike the next day.

 

Grand Central Terminal

On Thursday 11/11, I woke up and headed off to Grand Central. While waiting for departure time for my Poughkeepsie-bound train, I walked around, bought a Trains magazine, and photographed a couple Metro North locomotives on my platform. My train had a Metro North P32AC-DM locomotive in the older scheme on the front, plus 6 or 7 Bombardier coaches. After arrival in Poughkeepsie, I walked the ½ mile or so to Parker Avenue and headed up the new staircase to the Walkway Over The Hudson. Entering the Walkway heading west, the day was beautiful – not a cloud in the sky and comfortable temperatures, but a little bit windy. The bridge had a descent amount of people on it today. After all, it was a holiday and a beautiful fall day at that! If you have never been to the Walkway Over The Hudson, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is 1.25 miles long and is a former railroad bridge over the Hudson. After decades of dormancy, it opened as a public walkway last fall. It gives you a great vantage point of the Hudson and surrounding area from some 200 feet up.

After arriving at the Highland side, I walked down a local road towards the Mid Hudson Bridge. Crossing the bridge, I get a nice view of the Walkway bridge which I just crossed. Arriving back at the Poughkeepsie railroad station, I had completed the 4.5 mile loop. I boarded the next train back to Grand Central, and upon arrival, took the #5 train to the L at Union Square to 1^st Avenue, thus reducing my walk by several blocks.

 

LEFT:  View of the Walkway Over The Hudson from the Mid Hudson Bridge
RIGHT:  Looking west to the Hudson from the Poughkeepsie Station

Friday morning, 11/12, I woke up and walked to the L, then took the A-C-E line north to Penn Station. I had over an hour to kill before my Amtrak train to Vermont would depart, so I spent some time in the Amtrak Waiting Area (which was surprisingly quiet and had free wi-fi) then got some food, and it was time to board. I boarded the 2^nd Northbound coach on the train, which was a TIGER/ARRA (Recovery Act) funded overhauled coach. It looks identical to other Amfleet coaches, with the exception of a strip of lights embedded in one side of the aisle. We left NYP on time, pulled by a pair of AEM-7s, and at New Haven, the electrics were taken off and a usual P42 was placed on each end. We arrived into Springfield MA on time and had a layover, which I used to pick up a box of timetables for the Waterbury station, and to take pictures of some of the locomotives in the station. We departed on time from Springfield and from Amherst. Things were going good.

 

LEFT:  The Vermonter’s Power Change at New Haven
RIGHT:  Vermonter on the right and another train at Springfield

Just before crossing into Vermont, our crew informed us that we would be stopped in Brattleboro for an “undetermined” amount of time due to a freight train derailment ahead of us. We arrived into Brattleboro on time, stopping short of the busy Vernon Road/Bridge St crossing. Some time passed, then were told the train was not going any farther and that buses would be dispatched to bring us further north. Since the buses wouldn’t arrive until around 9pm, I had some time to kill. I walked to the store, then met several fellow riders / new friends after moving up from the rear of the train to the front. While others on the train were frustrated, frantically calling for rides or seeking other alternate transportation, or blaming the Amtrak crew for the delay, the 4 of us were sitting in the dinette section of the café car having a good ole’ time, enjoying some drinks, listening to music, and talking. It made the time go by much faster than just sitting around by yourself.

By 9:30PM, we were on the buses and heading north. One bus handled stops from Bellows Falls to Randolph, while the second bus (which I was on) handled stops Montpelier, Waterbury, Essex Jct, and Saint Albans. It was 11:50PM when we arrived into Waterbury. My vacation was over and it felt good to be home!

For the full photo albums from this trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shadyjayvt

4 Hours In Brattleboro–November 12, 2010

 

Returning from my New York City vacation, I was on northbound Amtrak train #56, the Vermonter.  We were on time into Amherst, but north of there we were told we would be held at Brattleboro for an indetermined amount of time.  Arriving at the station at around 5:10pm, many passengers got off the train to stretch or go into the station while others remained in their seats and slept, read, or used laptops.  After hearing that the reason for the delay was a freight train derailment, some passengers became upset and blamed the Amtrak crew for the delay.  Since we were operating on a privately owned railroad, we were at the mercy of their operations and Amtrak is nothing more than a guest, so therefore wasn’t responsible.  They did announce complimentary coffee and soft drinks. 

I moved my seat up from the rear of the train closer to the café car.  There I met fellow passengers Scott, Hilary, and Mike.  Scott lives in Northfield and had Mountain, his traveling companion/dog with him.  Hilary was going to visit friends from college in Waterbury, and Mike was going to Montpelier.  While other passengers were arranging for rides, rental cars/vans, or ordering pizza, we all sat in the café car, turning it into a NYC bar called “TRAINS”.  I had a few Heinekens, while others endulged in wine or Scotch.  Nevertheless, the café car attendant Nichole did pretty well.  One of our train crew members, as a gesture of good will, opened up her wallet and bought pizzas for everyone on the train. 

It was around 6 or 7 when it was announced the buses were on their way but wouldn’t arrive until 9pm.  We had a few more drinks, exchanged cocktails, had some music crankin’, and made the best of the situation.  At around 9:20pm, we were on our buses heading to our final destinations.  I was just before midnight when I got off in Waterbury, over 3 1/2 hours late.

Amtrak’s slogans over the years have varied, but two of them stood out on this trip…. “Getting There Is Half The Fun” and “Enjoy The Journey”.   It is during incidents like these when those slogans really come into play.   I met some great people and over the course of the delay, others came over and joined our group.  You have to make the best of the situation and have a little patience. 

So if you find yourself on a delayed Amtrak train, take it in stride.  Don’t blame the crew.  Head to the café car and enjoy a beverage.  Meet new friends.  Talk.  Laugh.  And… Enjoy the Journey!

Conway Scenic Railroad Railfan Weekend Excursion “Day White Mountains” Trip Report – September 18, 2010

 

I haven’t been on a train ride since late April of this year, and for me, that’s a long time.  It’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been on the Conway Scenic Railroad so I had the desire to head over for their Railfan Weekend.  I was able to get the day off from work, gassed up the truck, and on Saturday September 18 at 5:20AM I departed Warren VT for North Conway NH.  The route I chose was via US 2 into St Johnsbury then I-93 to Littleton and US 302 from there down to North Conway.  I arrived shortly before 8am, went to Walmart, and was at the Depot Street parking lot by 8:45AM, the departure point for the Day White Mountains excursion.   It was a beautiful day – not a cloud in the sky, and the chilly temperatures from the overnight were starting to warm.

Around 9:25AM, the train pulled into the “station” (nothing more than a concrete platform and a dirt parking lot – the main station is about 2 blocks west and 2 blocks north).  F-7 #4266 was the power on the south end with GP-38 #252 on the north end.  We departed at 10AM, backed down to Redstone, then north to Intervale.  At Mountain Junction, #4266 was uncoupled, and #252 would be in charge of our train for most of the rest of the trip. 

Our consist for the rest of the trip:
GP-38 #252  (2010 debut)
Dining Car “Hattie Evans” (2010 debut)
First class car “Carrol P. Reed”  (where I sat for most of the trip)
First class dome car “Dorothy Mae”
Coach  “Mount Bemis”
Coach “Mount Willard”
Open Air Car  “Silver Cascade”

Our photo runby in Bartlett was cancelled and as we climbed through the Notch, we also learned that we would not be stopping at Crawfords.   At Fabyans, our engine ran around the train and a few lucky folks got the chance to get some fresh air (myself included – nabbing a shot of #252 passing by)…

After leaving Fabyans, #252 pushed us further west, passing through Twin Mountain, across US 3, and to the end of Conway Scenic-controlled track at Hazens in Whitefield.  After a moment, we began returning east back towards North Conway, stopping for a photo runby in Twin Mountain and again in Intervale.

LEFT:  Photo runby at Twin Mtn
RIGHT:  Photo runby at Intervale
LINKS TO THE PHOTO RUNBY VIDEOS ARE HERE

 

Around 4:40PM, we arrived at the main station and yard in North Conway, where we had about an hour layover before the train returned to Depot Street just across 16/302.  GP-7 #573 coupled onto our train to pull it north to clear the main track for the Valley Train from Conway, powered by 0-6-0 #7470.  Adjacent to the main track was GP-35 #216 (both the #216 and the #252 are new acquisitions to Conway Scenic, arriving this past spring from Pan-Am Railways).  Other equipment was displayed throughout the yard.

 

At 5:45PM, we departed for the short trip back to Depot Street, where I rode in the upper dome.  After disembarking and beginning the trip back home to Vermont, the train was returning back north to Mountain Junction to return to the North Conway yard.  I bid the train a fond farewell and thank Conway Scenic Railroad for a great trip!

THE COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THIS RAILFAN EXCURSION IS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING
RIGHT HERE

Cape Cod Railfan Excursion – Trip Report 11/21

On Saturday November 21, I left Ivoryton CT early in the morning for the trip out to Cape Cod for a railfan excursion put on by the Cape Cod Central and Mass Coastal Railroads. I arrived in West Barnstable with an hour to spare, and took some pics of the historic station there. The “energy” train arrived and parked on the siding, then after 11am, the passenger train arrived with the following consist:

MC diesel #2008

Coach “Sandwich” – former LIRR – rode here for 80% of the trip

Dining Car – rode here on night trip from Middleboro to Buzzards Bay

Dining Car

Kitchen

Dining Car

Lounge car – rode here on night trip from Buzzards Bay to West Barnstable

MC diesel #2007

We left on time and travelled west towards the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, stopping there and waiting for the bridge to lower. We then proceeded across it, and waited just west of Buzzards Bay, before returning to that station and picking up more passengers.

After leaving Buzzards Bay, we entered some really nice track, welded rail and 30mph speed, though if our engines were appropriate, we could’ve gone 60 mph. We arrived at the “T” station in Middleboro/Lakeville to board the dinner train guests, then returned back to Buzzards Bay, over the Canal bridge, then down the Falmouth Branch, reaching speeds of 30 mph. We were the first passenger train over the branch in over 10 years, and received a souvenir railroad spike in honor of the occasion. Returning north to the canal, we were treated with a beautiful sunset over Buzzards Bay. This was the highlight of the trip for many… myself included!

We stopped at BB to discharge passengers, then returned to Middleboro to drop off our dinner train guests. On the way back through Rochester, we dropped the #2007 at the SEMASS plant, then returned to the Cape. Once we were on the Cape, all remaining passengers were moved up to the lounge car, which had heat and was more comfortable than 3-2 commuter seating. We arrived back at West Barnstable at around 8:15 and I made the long trek back to Connecticut, arriving just after 11pm.

It was a great trip and the railroad did a great job. The only downside of the trip was my sweatshirt getting red wine spilled on it when the bartender walked past (it came out thankfully) and the limited food options available. While this was addressed prior to the trip saying only snacks and beverages would be available, those who were in charge of this only came through the car once, while all attention was paid to those who were in the dining cars, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce members. Despite this, it was a great trip on a great day. I hope to return to the Cape next summer and get the remaining mileage of the Cape Cod Central Railroad by riding east of West Barnstable to Hyannis.

For full pics of this trip, see my Picasa page at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shadyjayvt

For more information on the Cape Cod Central Railroad, visit

http://www.capetrain.com

Saturday 11/21: Cape Cod Rail Excursion

As I type this, its 60 degrees outside… very un-Novemberlike weather. I thought that I’d have a pretty good idea by now when I’d be returning to Vermont for the winter for work. But, well, sometimes you get thrown a curveball. So last week, when I learned of a rare mileage excursion on the Cape Cod Central Railroad, I decided to “go for it” and order tickets.

This will be my first ever trip to the Cape Cod Central, and my first trip to Cape Cod itself, though my parents told me once I had been when I was 1 or 2 years old. The train leaves from West Barnstable and travels east to Buzzards Bay, then to Middleboro/Lakeville, then south to North Falmouth, back to Middleboro, then back to West Barnstable. The weather is looking good so I am hoping that this will be a very successful trip.

I’ll be leaving CT early Saturday morning for the trip. Pics will be posted on my Picasaweb page, and will be linked here, along with a trip report, later in the weekend.

And once this trip is out of the way, I’m ready for winter!

Conn. Eastern RR Museum -11/7/2009

On Tuesday November 3, the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum of Willimantic, CT was vandalized. Initial estimates could put the cost of repairs to $100,000. Despite the fact that the museum grounds were closed for the season at the end of October, the museum held an open house during the weekend of November 7 and 8. I was there on Saturday November 7, my first visit ever to the museum. I gave a donation and checked out the facility, which has a sort of “Sturbridge Village” feel to it. Some railroad museums are located in a large rail yard adjacent to a station, but this museum has recreated a whole railroad village from the ground up.

The site is tucked away 1/2 mile down a dirt road, adjacent to the New England Central Railroad mainline. You parallel a rusty old track along that dirt road. After parking, you notice the equipment which is tucked away in the wooded site, along with various buildings rescued from a variety of locations. The highlight of the museum is the rebuilt Columbia Junction roundhouse and adjacent Armstrong turntable. The roundhouse took the brunt of the damage, as vandals smashed several windows, most which were custom-built especially for the structure. Adjacent track and work vehicles outside also received damage, including smashed windshields.

If you want to help the museum out, they could use it. Contact information and more information regarding the museum is available on their web site: www.cteastrrmuseum.org. The museum is a small group of volunteers working with limited resources/funds to preserve and maintain a piece of railroad history. A setback like this incident will not be easy to recover from, but from the looks of the crowds as I left Saturday morning, the wheels are in motion and there’s definetly interest.

To see pics of my morning at the museum, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/shadyjayvt