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This year I took my yearly CME trip to Boston, Mass. Boston is the home of some stellar OGR Forum members. This week I had the opportunity to visit 2 great layouts......The layout of Chris and Linda Lonero....and with Marty Fitzhenry and Dotty Perry.

 

Boston is a great town for train people......I love any excuse to use the rapid transit system....

 

I got into Boston on Saturday morning, the 11th....I took the Silver express bus line to South Station and then the Red and Orange Lines to Back Bay, where my hotel is located.

 

After checking in, I walked across Copley Square to catch the Green Line to North Station where my trip would really begin.

 

Peter

 

 

Last edited by Putnam Division
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After a great lunch with Chris and Linda at a local restaurant, they dropped me off at the station and while I was waiting for the train back the North Station, Amtrak's Northeaster passed us by!

 

 

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Here's more piccs of the ride back.....including some shots of the MBTA service facility...unfortunately, through the train window....

 

 

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A great day......thank you Chris and Linda!

 

Peter

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3 days and 26 hours of classes later, it was Tuesday night, the 14th.....now to meet Marty and Dotty.......

 

No longer is the MBTA using F40s (do I have it right?). They have new, sleek diesels that look like purple Talgos to me.

 

Marty and Dotty met me at the commuter rail station, and the 1st stop was a great Italian dinner at a local restaurant.

 

2nd stop was the Canton Viaduct, a great negineering feat of the 19th century, that carried the New Haven main line out of Boston to New Haven.

 

 

 

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What an amazing structure! What a treat to see it up close!

 

Peter

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Peter, Thanks for that tour.. Great pictures and wonderful friendships.  It is also a gift you give to these members by taking the time out of your busy life to reacquaint and spend time with them! 

 

It is surprising to find so many wonderful layouts in our area.  I tell my non-train friends that it is the "underground" hobby.  Within in my own community I have had the pleasure to visit Captain John and his magnificent layout, and he is only 20 minutes away.  A wonderful artist name John Silvia who has an amazing HO layout is just a mile away.  I sought out the advice and help freely given by Marty Fitzhenry last week and drove up to visit him, 55 miles away, and in May Spence and I hope to connect and he is only 45 miles away.    

 

What a gift of resources we have and all we have to do is call..... 

It was great having you here, Peter. You're welcome anytime, as are all Forum members who happen to be in the area. Ralph, of course, loves company. 

I got a video of Peter's train coming in to Dedham Corp. The engine is one of the new HSP-46s that were delivered last May. The MPI HSP46 is a four-axle AC-traction diesel- electric locomotive for commuter trains, designed and assembled by MotivePower, Inc.

I also managed to get a picture of an Amtrak train led by their new ACS-64 (Amtrak Cities Sprinter) electric engine going over the Canton Viaduct, and one of Peter and Marty in front of the Viaduct.

 

Peter Condro 007

Peter Condro 008

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Originally Posted by dottyperry:

I got a video of Peter's train coming in to Dedham Corp. The engine is one of the new HSP-46s that were delivered last May. The MPI HSP46 is a four-axle AC-traction diesel- electric locomotive for commuter trains, designed and assembled by MotivePower, Inc. 

 

Wow! Beautiful train. Looks like the Atlantic Coast Line rides again! I see that the train has the sometime nickname of The Boston Barnstormer. Pretty engine - just read it has 4,650 horsepower! That should be adequate to pull lightweight passenger cars up all the mountains in the Boston area.

 

Front View 2 HSP46

Last edited by breezinup

Dedham Corp, I know that station!  Back in 2000, we stayed in a hotel within walking distance of it when my second-eldest graduated from the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. Graduation weekends fill up Boston area hotels, and Dedham was the closest we could get.  We took the T back and forth into Boston. Had a great time. He now lives in Somerville, so we make Boston trips with some regularity.

 

Great post, Peter!  And, what a great way to combine work and pleasure.

VERY impressive layouts!

 

 

Dedham corp Center

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We had the crew out to make sure the rails were clear for Peter's train to get in.  

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Breezinup, We have small hills, but no mountains in our area (Coastal Plain area). Good thing or we would still be digging out from under the 118 inches of snow we got in 2 months. I grew up in northern New England, and have family in western Colorado and Alaska...those areas have Mountains. 

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Peter,

 

Thanks so much for sharing your trip to the Boston area. It's nice to read positive stories about our subways and trains for once.  With the record storm we've had, there have been both many patient and many unhappy riders.

 

Here is a link you and others might find useful for identifying the MBTA commuter engines. Scroll down a ways or click "Equipment" to find a useful table with years, models, builders, and engine numbers. The photos are a bit small for identification, 'though.  

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBTA_Commuter_Rail

 

That Canton Viaduct is amazing! There's tremendous heritage history in Massachusetts rails that takes a while to uncover. Glad you got to see, ride, and enjoy some of it -- not to mention those fabulous model layouts! Looking forward to meeting some of those wonderful local people I've been reading about at an event someday, and thanks again for sharing your excellent "road trip".

 

Tomlinson Run RR

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Originally Posted by dottyperry: 

Breezinup, We have small hills, but no mountains in our area (Coastal Plain area). Good thing or we would still be digging out from under the 118 inches of snow we got in 2 months. I grew up in northern New England, and have family in western Colorado and Alaska...those areas have Mountains. 

 

Hello, Dotty. Yes, I know about the Boston area topography. I was just making a joke (my usual low-quality type) about such a high-horsepower engine (4,650 hp) being used to pull light commuter cars (actually, I do wonder why that's necessary - maybe they plan to push snowplows in front of them! ).

 

I've been to Boston many times. In fact, one of my sons lives there, and I'll be up there again next month for his graduation from BC (MBA) and his wedding as well. Having lived in Boston the past several years, he now better understands the tall tales I used to tell him about winters growing up in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota! (Well, some of them.)

 

I really like New England - have a brother who lives in Connecticut as well. I also lived in Colorado for 5 years back in the 70s, and was lucky to witness some great Rio Grande mountain snow operations, and occasionally rode the Rio Grande "Snow Train" from Denver to Winter Park ski area. As you know, there were some great "snow trains" in New England back in the day as well; I have an original Boston and Maine poster from the 50s advertising their trains to NE ski areas. Those areas have certainly had several good years lately!

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