Mass Coastal Meet
Another Friday spent along the rails of Cape Cod did not disappoint.
My main goal was to photograph newly repainted FL9 2011 which I did and then I had planned to again photograph the meet and swap with the northbound energy train. But those plans got changed when this unexpected train showed up.
Mass Coastal train MC2 was thrown into the mix as they came down from Rochester with a string of empty C&D gons for Cassova at Otis that they were going to swap out with loads before heading back north to Rochester and on to Wareham. Here they are holding the main at Taylor at MP 54.9 on the MassDOT owned and Mass Coastal operated former New Have Cape Mainline.
Leading the way is MC 2008, a GP9RM blt. Apr. 1956 as CN 2020. They have held here for a few min waiting on the Cape Cod Central passenger train to finish up their station work. The passenger consist is now pulling north into the siding to clear up the single main. Leading the way is freshly repainted FL9 2011 (blt. Sept. 1960 as NH 2038) with a couple of colorful super domes trailing. Despite the mismatched colors I do love the look of these cars.
And just like me both of these domes spent time in Alaska and were in fact still there and in service when I first moved north in 2007. The dome immediately behind the locomotive still wears its scheme from its time in Alaska and its name Matanuska but was built by Budd and delivered to the SantaFe in 1954. It never ended up in Amtrak service instead going to the private Auto Train and then the NYSW before being bought by Westours in 1985. After an extensive rebuild it came to Alaska in 1987. It would travel south for more upgrades in 1997 but would last under Westours successor Holland America Lines until 2009. That year it was acquired by Iowa Pacific and saw use on the Saratoga and North Creek before ending up here on the Cape. After IPH went defunct it was acquired outright by the Cape Cod Central and seems to have a secure home here.
The trailing dome was also built by Budd and delivered to the Great Northern in 1955 for use on the famed Empire Builder. It passed to BN in 1970 and then Amtrak in 1971 before being sidelined in 1979. After that it had a pretty fascinating history before being saved by Westours and restored to the tune of $1 million! It came to Alaska in 1997 and stayed for 22 years leaving in 2009 when Iowa Pacific bought it. They subsequently removed the rooftop a/c units from Holland America days and restored it to its rightful GN paint and name, Prairie View.
To learn more about these cars' histories check out this link:
alaskarails.org/fp/me/art/index.html
Anyway, once they are clear and the bridge is lowered MC2 will head south toward the Falmouth Branch and on to Otis meeting the waiting energy train at Canal Jct. The latter will use the same bridge closing to scoot back here and hold the main for a meet and crew swap with the passenger consist before they each then head on their respective ways to Seamass and back down to the station.
For a small little shortline it sure got busy here for a moment requiring some decisions on what I wanted to prioritizing shooting. Not a bad problem to have!
Wareham, Massachusetts
Friday September 15, 2023
Mass Coastal Meet
Another Friday spent along the rails of Cape Cod did not disappoint.
My main goal was to photograph newly repainted FL9 2011 which I did and then I had planned to again photograph the meet and swap with the northbound energy train. But those plans got changed when this unexpected train showed up.
Mass Coastal train MC2 was thrown into the mix as they came down from Rochester with a string of empty C&D gons for Cassova at Otis that they were going to swap out with loads before heading back north to Rochester and on to Wareham. Here they are holding the main at Taylor at MP 54.9 on the MassDOT owned and Mass Coastal operated former New Have Cape Mainline.
Leading the way is MC 2008, a GP9RM blt. Apr. 1956 as CN 2020. They have held here for a few min waiting on the Cape Cod Central passenger train to finish up their station work. The passenger consist is now pulling north into the siding to clear up the single main. Leading the way is freshly repainted FL9 2011 (blt. Sept. 1960 as NH 2038) with a couple of colorful super domes trailing. Despite the mismatched colors I do love the look of these cars.
And just like me both of these domes spent time in Alaska and were in fact still there and in service when I first moved north in 2007. The dome immediately behind the locomotive still wears its scheme from its time in Alaska and its name Matanuska but was built by Budd and delivered to the SantaFe in 1954. It never ended up in Amtrak service instead going to the private Auto Train and then the NYSW before being bought by Westours in 1985. After an extensive rebuild it came to Alaska in 1987. It would travel south for more upgrades in 1997 but would last under Westours successor Holland America Lines until 2009. That year it was acquired by Iowa Pacific and saw use on the Saratoga and North Creek before ending up here on the Cape. After IPH went defunct it was acquired outright by the Cape Cod Central and seems to have a secure home here.
The trailing dome was also built by Budd and delivered to the Great Northern in 1955 for use on the famed Empire Builder. It passed to BN in 1970 and then Amtrak in 1971 before being sidelined in 1979. After that it had a pretty fascinating history before being saved by Westours and restored to the tune of $1 million! It came to Alaska in 1997 and stayed for 22 years leaving in 2009 when Iowa Pacific bought it. They subsequently removed the rooftop a/c units from Holland America days and restored it to its rightful GN paint and name, Prairie View.
To learn more about these cars' histories check out this link:
alaskarails.org/fp/me/art/index.html
Anyway, once they are clear and the bridge is lowered MC2 will head south toward the Falmouth Branch and on to Otis meeting the waiting energy train at Canal Jct. The latter will use the same bridge closing to scoot back here and hold the main for a meet and crew swap with the passenger consist before they each then head on their respective ways to Seamass and back down to the station.
For a small little shortline it sure got busy here for a moment requiring some decisions on what I wanted to prioritizing shooting. Not a bad problem to have!
Wareham, Massachusetts
Friday September 15, 2023