Not What I'd Planned...But Not Bad
I knew that Pan Am Railway's OCS was going to be running east today, but has absolutely no idea when they would be leaving Mechanicville so set my alarm for 0500 and headed west 2 1/2 hrs toward Florida Mountain. After the requisite stop at Shelburne Falls Coffee I got there around 0815. Nary a soul was around, the signals were dark, the the radio was silent, and it was damp and gloomy. But that was OK, and honestly I was glad about the predicted overcast because I really wanted the east portal shot coming out of the mist. I knew the train had a freshly repainted spit and polished C40-8 leader (the FP9s can no longer be used when the train is running through MBTA territory as they don't have ACSES installed), and having never shot one of those emerging from the tunnel I kind of had my heart set on that.
So after three tries with the soaking wet wood I got a little fire started in the pit out at east portal and enjoyed a most relaxing morning with some good coffee amidst the cool damp Berkshire mountain air. A few random folks came and went but none knew anything about the train. I'd really just gotten the fire going good when a retired railroader and fellow railfan showed up and said they were about 30 min away. So I grabbed the camera to start scoping out my options.
Alas by then the skies had parted and I wasn't going to get my gloomy portal shot and had to 'settle' for this!
Pan Am Railways C40-8 MEC 7542 (GE blt. Aug. 1988 for CSXT with the same number) leads the four car OCS east out of the Hoosac Tunnel, across River Road and over the Deerfield River Bridge as they approach CPF415 on Pan Am Southern's Freight Mainline, the ex Boston and Maine Fitchburg Division.
It is pulling the four car train consisting of sleeper 103, dome car 102, lounge car 101, and observation/business car 100.
ST100 was originally Norfolk and Western business car 102 that was rebuilt and streamlined in 1957 from diner 1011 that was originally built by ACF in 1934. It was purchased by the D&H in 1976 and then passed to Guilford in 1984 and was retained after the 1988 bankruptcy and divestiture of the D&H.
ST101 also came from the D&H but was one of four originally built by Budd for the D&RGW in 1950 for use on the Denver-Salt Lake Prospector and was numbered 1290 named the Castle Gate. After that train was discontinued in 1967 the D&H acquired it and named it Champlain.
ST102 was also built by Budd in 1950 for Wabash's Chicago to St. Louis "Blue Bird" and originally wore #201. It later became N&W 1611 until stored at Roanoke in 1966. In 1971 it went to Amtrak where it stayed for 22 years before ending up in private hands for 20 more years until PAR bought it in 2013.
ST103 is a former Southern Railway sleeper dating from 1917 that was part of CSXT's business car fleet until being sold to Pan Am in 2019. The car had come to CSXT by way of the Conrail split as this car was part of Conrail's OCS and was numbered Conrail 8. Conrail had acquired the car from the SOU in 1983 and was completely remodeled after decades of revenue service. To learn more about this car check out this fabulous history: www.the-boring-the-adoring.com/conrail-blog/conrail-sleep...
ST103 is currently named 'Syd Culliford', after Sydney Culliford, a retired board member and long-time B&M Employee. Sydney was first introduced to railroading by interning at the Boston and Maine Railroad in the Engineering Department. Following college graduation, Sydney began a career with the railroad that would span over 50 years, eventually becoming Vice President of Transportation and serving as a member of the Board of Directors for Pan Am Railways until his retirement in 2014. He passed away in February of 2019 and the 'new' car was subsequently renamed in his honor.
Florida, Massachusetts
Saturday November 13, 2021
Not What I'd Planned...But Not Bad
I knew that Pan Am Railway's OCS was going to be running east today, but has absolutely no idea when they would be leaving Mechanicville so set my alarm for 0500 and headed west 2 1/2 hrs toward Florida Mountain. After the requisite stop at Shelburne Falls Coffee I got there around 0815. Nary a soul was around, the signals were dark, the the radio was silent, and it was damp and gloomy. But that was OK, and honestly I was glad about the predicted overcast because I really wanted the east portal shot coming out of the mist. I knew the train had a freshly repainted spit and polished C40-8 leader (the FP9s can no longer be used when the train is running through MBTA territory as they don't have ACSES installed), and having never shot one of those emerging from the tunnel I kind of had my heart set on that.
So after three tries with the soaking wet wood I got a little fire started in the pit out at east portal and enjoyed a most relaxing morning with some good coffee amidst the cool damp Berkshire mountain air. A few random folks came and went but none knew anything about the train. I'd really just gotten the fire going good when a retired railroader and fellow railfan showed up and said they were about 30 min away. So I grabbed the camera to start scoping out my options.
Alas by then the skies had parted and I wasn't going to get my gloomy portal shot and had to 'settle' for this!
Pan Am Railways C40-8 MEC 7542 (GE blt. Aug. 1988 for CSXT with the same number) leads the four car OCS east out of the Hoosac Tunnel, across River Road and over the Deerfield River Bridge as they approach CPF415 on Pan Am Southern's Freight Mainline, the ex Boston and Maine Fitchburg Division.
It is pulling the four car train consisting of sleeper 103, dome car 102, lounge car 101, and observation/business car 100.
ST100 was originally Norfolk and Western business car 102 that was rebuilt and streamlined in 1957 from diner 1011 that was originally built by ACF in 1934. It was purchased by the D&H in 1976 and then passed to Guilford in 1984 and was retained after the 1988 bankruptcy and divestiture of the D&H.
ST101 also came from the D&H but was one of four originally built by Budd for the D&RGW in 1950 for use on the Denver-Salt Lake Prospector and was numbered 1290 named the Castle Gate. After that train was discontinued in 1967 the D&H acquired it and named it Champlain.
ST102 was also built by Budd in 1950 for Wabash's Chicago to St. Louis "Blue Bird" and originally wore #201. It later became N&W 1611 until stored at Roanoke in 1966. In 1971 it went to Amtrak where it stayed for 22 years before ending up in private hands for 20 more years until PAR bought it in 2013.
ST103 is a former Southern Railway sleeper dating from 1917 that was part of CSXT's business car fleet until being sold to Pan Am in 2019. The car had come to CSXT by way of the Conrail split as this car was part of Conrail's OCS and was numbered Conrail 8. Conrail had acquired the car from the SOU in 1983 and was completely remodeled after decades of revenue service. To learn more about this car check out this fabulous history: www.the-boring-the-adoring.com/conrail-blog/conrail-sleep...
ST103 is currently named 'Syd Culliford', after Sydney Culliford, a retired board member and long-time B&M Employee. Sydney was first introduced to railroading by interning at the Boston and Maine Railroad in the Engineering Department. Following college graduation, Sydney began a career with the railroad that would span over 50 years, eventually becoming Vice President of Transportation and serving as a member of the Board of Directors for Pan Am Railways until his retirement in 2014. He passed away in February of 2019 and the 'new' car was subsequently renamed in his honor.
Florida, Massachusetts
Saturday November 13, 2021