Autumn Boston Area Railfanning Day 2 of 3. 10/23/24

[@BrianJColby15YT]

1) The MBTA is doing trackwork on the Orange Line between Ruggles and North Station, hence the bunching up of trains between North Station and Oak Grove. 2) With the delivery of the new Rotem coaches to the south side, the 1700 cab cars and a majority of the 900s were transferred north to replace the MBBs and the 1600 cab cars. It looks like there was an extra from the South Side around 18:55. 3) There will be more heritage units to come besides 1129 - the MBTA might paint one in the B&M McGuiness blue scheme, another in the traditional B&M Minuteman red scheme, one in the New York Central scheme, and one painted in the Penn Central scheme (complete with the famous mating worms). The MBTA's commuter rail colors of silver, yellow and purple look like they were strongly based on colors for the Erie-Lackawanna (similar to the one painted on the engine for NJT), with the lightning stripes based on the New York Central.

[@MbtaVideoClips]

24:00 1647 single level CTC-1B on SCR test extra. 1643 single level CTC-1B on North Side Laser train. Various MBBs held in rochester with controls for testing new geep rebuilds.

[@nathanielcoleman5694]

Note the 200 series single-level cars on some of the trains. They were all built by Pullman in the 1970s, the only American-made cars currently in service on the MBTA

[@MattyC62185]

That bridge that you can see from the platform at assembly is where the orange line fire that retired the hawker siddelys occured

[@thomasstambaugh5181]

Very nice piece. I enjoy railfanning in Ayer -- easy to get to on the Fitchburg line, a wye, lots of freight traffic, and just a fun place to watch trains. Another great spot is Palmer, though only accessible by car. The Steaming Tender is a great spot for train watching and the food is decent as well. The owners are railfans themselves, as is apparent from the equipment on-site. They offer a rehabbed caboose with great views of a freight yard as an AirBNB -- check it out! FWIW, the witch trials actually took place in what is today Danvers. That was part of Salem when the trials happened, but the actual events happened a few miles north of today's Salem. Finally, if you haven't already done it, the Rockport line is a very nice ride. Now that Haverhill is open again, thar's also a nice spot for watching trains.

[@3985uprr]

I have been to Rockport and the line and the town itself is gorgeous

[@nathanielcoleman5694]

6:12 MBB car! Can’t believe they’re still running those

[@slim.reacts]

So that cab car that was in the consist is a deactivated Car so the control stand is covered up and it acts as a blind trailer coach

[@3985uprr]

Right

[@MattyC62185]

Yes all former CTC-1As are deactivated and used as blind trailer cars. All them and the BTC-1A are supposed to be retired by this latest order of Rotem Bi- levels

[@GaryGP40]

There was a time you couldn't pay the MBTA to put bilevel cars on the north side. I wrote the governor even and got a dear John letter. Would have been fun to meet you!

[@SteveSnow1]

Hey there, my friend! Glad you're up in Beantown again! I fell in love with Swampscott station once I saw it from the train last Summer and had to make a pilgrimage back to photograph it later on. I wonder what all the fuss is with the single-level cab cars. There's a huge load of them sitting on three tracks in Fitchburg yard recently and I understand the only one still being used as a cab car is working the test trains in New Bedford/Fall River and I presume eventually it, too will be stored. Figure they will either be scrapped or sold and either CSX or NS will get the sad job of hauling them away...

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Great video, and good to see so many F40s running !

[@MrMark2026]

I just wanted to say how much I enjoy watching your train videos. I'm from Lynn,MA which is pretty much the next town over from the 🧙‍♀️ witch city, good old Salem, Massachusetts. I can't wait to see Part 3. Great videos by the way. I love watching the trains arrive and depart the many stations all around the Boston area. I use to live down the street from the old Swampscott train station.Thanks once again. Take care my friend. Happy Rails!! 🚉

[@chaddallesandro2057]

Love the Boston area trains!!

[@Victor-bo4ws]

These subway cars remind me of the lirr m7 when they stop and take off

[@NA_Railfanning_Productions]

I came to Route 128 the same day. I was there during the evening rush. I gotta say, it was something!

[@nickmorgan1690]

Good spot for fanning would be in Beverly right at the track split

[@3985uprr]

Didn’t have time to go there

[@CharlieB53]

Love the Boston area and its trains

[@MattyC62185]

Malden center has a really nice Irish pub around the corner from it Hugh O’Neills

[@3985uprr]

I saw it.

[@MbtaVideoClips]

19:53 they do these every october for Salem services on weekends. On weekdays they just go wherever they please.

[@TheBostonRailfan]

I am always surprised at how much rush hour ridership those Reading short-turns actually get, considering that almost all the stops are too close to each other and there is relatively frequent bus service from Reading to Malden.

[@codfish1113]

Aye, nice to see some Boston content! :D Love them F40PHs and GP40s, even got to see 1129 on the NEC back on the 24th while railfanning in Attleboro during the late morning.

[@BostonOnRails]

Holy shit im in one of your videos lol I love your videos man

[@MattyC62185]

That little marker at the bottom of the wheelchair ramp as a memorial to all of those those killed in that 1957 train wreck that occurred at Swampscott station

[@MBTA.1035]

Nice I was in Salem Mass back in April, but unfortunately I only got to see two trains and both of them had an HSP46, Salem is an interesting town.

[@MbtaVideoClips]

1127! one of two left with classic mech bells

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

MBB cars are my favorite! You can actually see out of them! 20:29 look at that! You can see right through it!

[@christophercancel934]

What problems is MBTA having?

[@3985uprr]

A lot of delays. No good information given on train status. One train due at Route 128 never showed up. No explanation given for the delay. It’s like the train never existed. It reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode.

[@dutchvanderlinde154]

Tim, you should try out the m7 simulator at oyster bay railroad museam that would ve a cool video

[@broyofroyo1207]

Boston!!

[@MattyC62185]

Also, all the trains on Newburyport and Rockport line pass a GE factory when they roll through Lynn, Massachusetts

[@3985uprr]

River Works. Big place

[@MattyC62185]

@@3985uprr yes it’s a jet engine factory. My dad used to work there

[@MattyC62185]

@@3985uprr yes my Dad used to work there

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

I was just wondering why I hadn't seen any postings from you in a while.

[@3985uprr]

I was kind of busy with other things for a bit

[@MbtaVideoClips]

1031 has had its dent for years

[@3985uprr]

Really?????

[@MbtaVideoClips]

@@3985uprr yep. I have footage of it from 2022

[@tokugawa12able]

Tim, love the videos and love your love of all things EMD. I listened with interest on your comment about the MBTA CEO solving their problems, Educate me please: what problems and what can he do about them? Thank you.

[@3985uprr]

Delays safety issues, bad track, maintenance of equipment, getting new equipment

[@tokugawa12able]

@@3985uprr And his predecessors ignored those issues?

[@maalik826]

Thanks for going to the north side. Also, do you know any conductors who work for Keolis?

[@3985uprr]

No I don’t know any.

[@maalik826]

@@3985uprr Ok

[@TheRandomRailfan]

Nice catches! You really lucked out with 1127 as well. Currently my white whale so to speak, lol.

[@georgejenista9487]

Is it me (or camera/mike positioning), or do the MBTA EMD's sound quieter than their NJT/MARC counterparts (better mufflers, perhaps)? Insofar as the "Goofy Grapes" are concerned, reengining them with Tier-4 Cummins QSK's oughta solve their troubles, eh??

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

1:59 Phil eng?

[@3985uprr]

That’s who I meant. I knew a guy named Robert Eng.

[@Videowatcher10p]

MBTA using diesel on the NEC will always be stupid

[@mbrproductions160]

Who cares, at least then they don’t have to pay Amtrak to use their catenary.

[@chaddallesandro2057]

to many ads!!!!!!