Exploring ABANDONED Iron Horse Park (Billerica, MA)

J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial
Join me as I explore one of the most fascinating abandoned locations I have visited thus far for this channel: a massive former railyard repair facility, today known as Iron Horse Park, in Billerica, Massachusetts. Built back in 1913, this facility was owned and operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad, serving as a repair and maintenance operations center. Thousands of trains from all across the east coast of both the United States and Canada would enter through this facility to undergo repairs, a practice that continued at this location until sometime in the 1980s. Today, Iron Horse Park is only partially in use--Pan Am Railways (the company which purchased the Boston and Maine Railroad back in 1983) currently has operations here, and trains still make their way into the industrial park. However, the massive repair facility, which I explore in this video, has been closed and abandoned for decades.
Iron Horse Park is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing abandoned places I have ever visited during my urbex career. The site itself is massive, with two large warehouses and dozens of connecting rooms, including upper levels. There are also hundreds of leftover handbooks, manuals, sheets, and accounts from the facility's operation...I found one paper dated as far back as 1957! Unfortunately, there is one glaring issue I must address: Iron Horse Park has been an EPA Superfund site since 1980, and will likely continue to be for the next few years (a Superfund site is a location contaminated with hazardous substances, designated for cleanup by the EPA). As such, I would NOT recommend visiting Iron Horse Park, despite how much I loved exploring it. It is a very dangerous site with contamination and hazardous chemicals. There are also still trains that actively pull through. Nevertheless, please enjoy my video on this amazing former train repair facility in Billerica! If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ho...
00:00 "J-MASS Explores New England" Intro
00:20 Introduction to Iron Horse Park
02:34 First Floor, Part I
07:49 Second Floor, Part I
13:30 First Floor, Part II
22:59 Historic Records and Documents
27:02 Historic Train Ticket & Second Floor, Part II
30:25 First Floor, Part III
35:11 More Historic Records and Documents
38:58 Outro & Skit

[@mad011]

Born and raised in Billerica, this was our hang out spot for years, lotta extra curricular activities and running from cops, looking back I’m glad we survived! Went back one day and a large section of the ceiling had collapsed in, I hung out there almost daily so lucky we weren’t there when it collapsed! Been waiting for someone to make a good exploration video of it, super cool!

[@j-mass]

Haha that sounds like a fun time! 😂 It really is a cool place!

[@Bottlesbybigd]

Probably some decent bottle dumps around there

[@cathyrobi3891]

My great grandfather George Murray was the engineer for the B&M southern district in 1901-1939 (fireman to engineer) there in Billerica . He ran the locomotive from in back of his house at the old train station to Maine . I wish you found something with his name on it- that would be very cool .

[@j-mass]

Wow, that would have been amazing to see! I’ll have to go back another time and look for it! Thanks for sharing!

[@cathyrobi3891]

Let me know please if you find anything @@j-mass

[@news603redux]

My father was a B&M engineer as well, 1917-1962 out of Concord, N.H. I have an old B&M Roster and I'll look for your great grandfather when I have some time.

[@abarrows11]

Wow, what a location! Awesome video as always!

[@Williewonders]

Please. Don't go in there, the chunks of glass that break off the roof constantly will easily kill you, or at best leave you with massive gashes

[@bloomluc]

Yo you be making the best vids theres nothing here in boston, keep making these great vids

[@_witac]

Insanely well done video, I’m local to the area and have been wanting to check the place out sometime

[@j-mass]

Ayy thanks man! It’s definitely worth a visit!

[@AysaTheNotSoGreat]

I live in the area and this is making me want to explore the records again. Really jealous of the train ticket grab lol

[@Williewonders]

I took dozens of boxes, I have about 1000 blueprints, original photos, magazines, payroll books from 1912, property purchases from 1900s-1950s, tons of tickets ect ect

[@bray7482]

@@Williewondersyou’re a bum

[@news603redux]

Most of what you refer to as "warehouses" are locomotive shops. The pits in between the rails {now filled with water} were where the workers stood under the engines to work on them.

[@Williewonders]

Yes its still a superfund site, you shouldve toured the entire park theres much more too see including the old B&M dump at the end of the park, the electric power plant building, the pond lock building, ect ect

[@j-mass]

Yeah, I wish I could have seen those things! That sounds wicked cool!

[@joemama7031]

I went years ago and it was super cool to explore. Would recommend exploring the Fernald school in Waltham if you’re ever in the area again.

[@j-mass]

I’d love to visit the Fernald School and have tried in the past, I just know security is wicked strict there… but definitely sometime soon!

[@joemama7031]

@@j-mass Good luck if you do visit. Look out for the tunnels too if you go, they're the best way to escape any unwanted visitors and you can travel to different areas unseen

[@NoahFaraday]

Yo Jmass, if you do ever come back to this location I would love to collaborate with you dude. Billerica is my hometown and iron Horse is just a 10 minute walk for me. I know you like exploring alone but if you ever need a buddy to adventure with, I'll be there!

[@j-mass]

Much appreciated dude! I don’t live too far from Billerica either!

[@AustinT247]

Crazy how ballsy you are with the condition of the roof and the floors. That roof collapses all the time

[@taylorelliott9605]

I went there like 13 years ago looks about the same, as we were walking around one of my friends who’s no longer with us had a seizure as we walked back there

[@j-mass]

Wow, I’m sorry to hear that!

[@JDProductions09]

basically the reason it's a super fun sight it because iron horse park is contaminated with oil because back then the way they would dispose of oil, they would bury it in the ground. there is also a asbestos waste disposal sight (i don't know if the rest of the place is contaminated with asbestos but as far as i know the asbestos waste disposal sight is safe because i've been right next to it before no problem)

[@jarrodlangton987]

The pic of the light house in Marblehead I climbed to the top of 10 of 10 view

[@JDProductions09]

also, what's the best way to get in? i live right down the street and have been wanting to explore but i don't want to get caught. i've been on the very outer edges but my anxiety has got the best of me and i t turned around. what's the best way in?

[@j-mass]

If I’m being perfectly honest with you, I just walked right inside on the main street in broad daylight 😂 now to be fair, I went early on a Sunday morning, so the place was quiet and nobody was around. My best recommendation to you is to only go on weekend mornings, and not on a weekday (the area is still an active worksite). But if nobody is around, you can frankly just walk right in.

[@JDProductions09]

@@j-massok lol. so tomorrow early morning would be good? if so, what time? and if i do get caught, would they just turn me around or call the cops

[@j-mass]

Unfortunately I’m not really sure. I’ve only been here once, and never had any problems, so I’m not exactly sure what could and would happen here. I would just use your best judgment and be cautious.

[@JDProductions09]

@@j-mass alright thank you

[@user-ry7qj5fh8e]

This is honestly so cool bro, big fan of yours. Do you have any recommendations for abandoned places I might be able to take my girlfriend near the Northampton area?

[@j-mass]

Definitely my favorite spot in that area is the Mount Tom Ski Area in Holyoke, not too far from Northampton. I actually made a video on it last summer, it’s a dope spot! If you don’t mind driving a bit further up north, there’s a huge abandoned paper mill in Turners Falls-I believe it’s called the Southworth Paper Mill. Good luck, and have fun!

[@user-ry7qj5fh8e]

​@@j-mass God bless

[@JDProductions09]

hey j-mass, update, i'm in there as we speak!

[@j-mass]

Nice dude! How is it?

[@JDProductions09]

@@j-mass very scary lol. definitely planning on going back. my way is going down the yankee-doodle tracks and then there are 2 track that switch off of it and go straight there. you can look up the yankee doodle tracks on the maps in billerica

[@JDProductions09]

@@j-mass is there a way i can dm you some videos i took in there? like instagram or reddit or something?

[@j-mass]

Feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram, jmassofficial! Sounds like a good time, I’d be interested to hear more!

[@JDProductions09]

@@j-mass i dm'd you

[@annemariezaccagnini7531]

Iron Horse Park is named after the steam locomotive, since it was referred to as the Iron Horse replacing live horses. My BF worked there from 1974-1984. If you would like further information on some of your questions in the video, feel free to reach out.

[@j-mass]

That’s awesome, thanks for the information!

[@thomasmccaffrey2356]

does he have any pictures of inside?????

[@bobbrown917]

No but there are several on line. Boston and Maine Historical Society is a good resource. Are you related to Ray MaCaffrey?@@thomasmccaffrey2356

[@ParkerTA]

Were there workers there during the day when you went?

[@j-mass]

I only saw one worker the whole time I was there, otherwise it was pretty empty!

[@ParkerTA]

@@j-mass that’s great, I was just there and there was a good amount of workers so I wasn’t sure if I could enter the warehouse

[@ParkerTA]

@@j-mass any idea about going there at night?

[@j-mass]

Honestly, I would recommend going in the morning on a weekend instead of a weekday. I went at 8am on a Sunday and had no problems at all, I think weekdays and even night is probably riskier.

[@ParkerTA]

@@j-mass yes, that’s what I’m thinking now. Probably going to scope it out at night and see how security is and such. Thanks for the help man! Love the vids

[@NE-Bandos]

If you ever go back you missed all of the cars and 2 buildings.

[@Williewonders]

Also you should be wearing gloves touching the documents theyre all covered in black mold & asbestosis, I got sick af for days going through them, i left with 2 loaded flatbeds of boxes of documents from the 2nd floor ended up with 1000s of blueprints photos payroll property purchases ect

[@pamelamayton3135]

I love your stories, but please, please slow down when you pan! 🤢

[@j-mass]

You’re right, I really do find myself spinning around too fast…something I need to improve upon. Thanks!

[@pamelamayton3135]

🙂 I do enjoy seeing all the old paperwork. 🙂

[@Ghost_Of_FPV_1151]

I want to fly that spot.

[@lakespeed9299]

Your vids are great. Why are you in a big hurry all the time? Relax and slow down.