The Ever Changing Seasons
Having decided to take a vacation day Wed and having free time till noon with no need to go right home to sleep I did the only logical thing...head out on the B&A! A quick check revealed that there were three trains all moving east (Q436, Q264, and I022 in that order) out toward the mountains and they should all be through the Palmer area between 10 and 11. That timing was even better since it was absolutely miserable with low clouds, dark gloom, and rain at 'sunrise,' but that all blew out replaced with sparkling clear blue skies by later in the morning come train time.
I shot Q436 arriving in Palmer to start his work setting out in the yard and then headed to this favorite spot out at the Warren line. I kept an eye on things and as it turned out hotshot long pool intermodal I022 ran around Q264 at CP92 in Wilbraham and Q436 in Palmer which made them the first to show.
They are seen here crossing the old double stone arch bridge over the Quabog River at about MP 75.5 on CSXT's Boston Subdivision. Compare this shot to one of the exact same train at the exact same spot taken just shy of a month prior: flic.kr/p/2mCkYPo The colors change quick in New England and the brilliant yellow elms are now bare while the oaks on the hillside which were mostly green now dominate the scene with burnt orange and rust brown tones.
In the next 30 minutes two more trains showed up spaced 15 min apart so I relocated for a wide angle briadside shot I've been wanting to try that features the ancient bridge dating from the line's construction in 1839. When the Western Railroad was completed in 1842 formed the longest and most expensive railroad constructed in the United States up to that point.
The three predecessors merged to form the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1870. Thirty years later the B&A was leased by the New York Central Railroad and the line would pass successively to the Penn Central in 1968, Conrail in 1976 and CSXT in 1999. To this day it remains as the preeminent freight route and the only Class 1 trunk line still serving New England...truly a testament to the forethought of those who laid out and built the line over 180 years ago.
Check back soon for a view of train number two here!
Warren, Massachusetts
Wednesday November 10, 2021
The Ever Changing Seasons
Having decided to take a vacation day Wed and having free time till noon with no need to go right home to sleep I did the only logical thing...head out on the B&A! A quick check revealed that there were three trains all moving east (Q436, Q264, and I022 in that order) out toward the mountains and they should all be through the Palmer area between 10 and 11. That timing was even better since it was absolutely miserable with low clouds, dark gloom, and rain at 'sunrise,' but that all blew out replaced with sparkling clear blue skies by later in the morning come train time.
I shot Q436 arriving in Palmer to start his work setting out in the yard and then headed to this favorite spot out at the Warren line. I kept an eye on things and as it turned out hotshot long pool intermodal I022 ran around Q264 at CP92 in Wilbraham and Q436 in Palmer which made them the first to show.
They are seen here crossing the old double stone arch bridge over the Quabog River at about MP 75.5 on CSXT's Boston Subdivision. Compare this shot to one of the exact same train at the exact same spot taken just shy of a month prior: flic.kr/p/2mCkYPo The colors change quick in New England and the brilliant yellow elms are now bare while the oaks on the hillside which were mostly green now dominate the scene with burnt orange and rust brown tones.
In the next 30 minutes two more trains showed up spaced 15 min apart so I relocated for a wide angle briadside shot I've been wanting to try that features the ancient bridge dating from the line's construction in 1839. When the Western Railroad was completed in 1842 formed the longest and most expensive railroad constructed in the United States up to that point.
The three predecessors merged to form the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1870. Thirty years later the B&A was leased by the New York Central Railroad and the line would pass successively to the Penn Central in 1968, Conrail in 1976 and CSXT in 1999. To this day it remains as the preeminent freight route and the only Class 1 trunk line still serving New England...truly a testament to the forethought of those who laid out and built the line over 180 years ago.
Check back soon for a view of train number two here!
Warren, Massachusetts
Wednesday November 10, 2021