Trains To Planes
For many years the Rhode Island Air Show was a very popular and free event sponsored by the Rhode Island National Guard that saw 60 to 80,000 people attend! Canceled due to deployments in 2019 and then covid in 2020 and 2021 it was supposed to be back in 2022 as a paid event on Quonset State Airport property billed as the Ocean State Air Show. But then yet again the National Guard canceled it for multiple reasons.
But what does any of that have to do with trains? Well one cool thing as a railfan was that RIDOT sponsored their 'Trains to Planes' service where they contracted the MBTA to run a free shuttle with two train sets operating from Providence and from the large parking garage at the Wickford Jct. station. This provided the rare opportunity to see 10 revenue passenger movements over about four miles of the otherwise freight only trackage of the Seaview Railroad operating on the vast Quonset Business Park.
So here is a look back to the last air show in 2018 and one of the two train sets operated by Keolis. Here is an eight car train of all bilevels being shoved by an HSP46 passing the Seaview's Yard and small shop headed back to the connection with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor a half mile ahead. Sharp eyes will note MBTA 904 an ancient GP18 that was at the Seaview for ACSES equipment upgrades.
To learn more about the Seaview Railroad check out the caption with this shot: flic.kr/p/2ndaWTG
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Sunday June 10, 2018
Trains To Planes
For many years the Rhode Island Air Show was a very popular and free event sponsored by the Rhode Island National Guard that saw 60 to 80,000 people attend! Canceled due to deployments in 2019 and then covid in 2020 and 2021 it was supposed to be back in 2022 as a paid event on Quonset State Airport property billed as the Ocean State Air Show. But then yet again the National Guard canceled it for multiple reasons.
But what does any of that have to do with trains? Well one cool thing as a railfan was that RIDOT sponsored their 'Trains to Planes' service where they contracted the MBTA to run a free shuttle with two train sets operating from Providence and from the large parking garage at the Wickford Jct. station. This provided the rare opportunity to see 10 revenue passenger movements over about four miles of the otherwise freight only trackage of the Seaview Railroad operating on the vast Quonset Business Park.
So here is a look back to the last air show in 2018 and one of the two train sets operated by Keolis. Here is an eight car train of all bilevels being shoved by an HSP46 passing the Seaview's Yard and small shop headed back to the connection with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor a half mile ahead. Sharp eyes will note MBTA 904 an ancient GP18 that was at the Seaview for ACSES equipment upgrades.
To learn more about the Seaview Railroad check out the caption with this shot: flic.kr/p/2ndaWTG
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Sunday June 10, 2018