History of the MBTA Commuter Rail

Senior Project 2022

[@mr.f40]

Great video Ben. I have been working on the railroad (all the live long day) since January of 2005. After working during and after graduating high school as a real estate appraiser, one day I decided out of the Blue that The F40 was the coolest machine on earth. I ditched real estate for an entry level job on Amtrak as a coach cleaner. After doing that for a year I became a CSX train dispatcher. After 2 years of that I came to MBCR as a dispatcher. Then after applying a handful of times to engineer I finally got in in July of 2011. Been in the seat ever since. What an amazing journey it has been the past almost 18 years. And boy how much room for improvement there is. Amazing video.

[@NortheastCorridorFilms]

how does it go with training

[@mr.f40]

@@NortheastCorridorFilms ?

[@NortheastCorridorFilms]

@@mr.f40 you get trained to be an engineer (i assume) what do you do in training?

[@mr.f40]

@@NortheastCorridorFilms That’s a loaded question. It’s a very involved process.

[@NortheastCorridorFilms]

@@mr.f40 gotcha

[@semectual]

There is still one of those old cars from the 1940s as the Haverhill line train pulls in to North Station! Nice Video and great background music!

[@80__HD]

There is two of them

[@NorthmassRails]

Yup, right under the Zakim bridge!

[@fastcar405]

Very good film. Accurately depicted. My grandfather and father worked for the B&M. I worked for the Commuter Rail for 35 years and retired 15 years ago. Was a heck of a job.

[@benfranco5035]

Thank you! That's very cool, what was your job there?

[@fastcar405]

@@benfranco5035 Mech Foreman BET & S Hampton

[@samtrak1204]

Thank you for informative presentation. I rode MBTA commuter trains in 2018 and the cars were dusty and dirty. There was only (1) conductor working crowded rush hour commuter train to Lowell on Friday afternoon..making it easy for others - like me - to ride free.I am retired Amtrak Conductor and get free rides and complimentary upgrades all over the world because that's how we roll on the railroad.😃

[@owentherailfan564]

The Cape Flyer is the train that is basically all of my railfan videos, the cape flyer are coming to cape cod coming on Friday at 8:20 PM in Hyannis, leave at 8:45 PM, Saturday & Sunday coming to Hyannis at 10:18 AM them leaves at 6:10 PM. The cape cod uses the Sat/Sun schedule for holiday trains

[@MervynPartin]

That was an excellent history video of one of my favourite railroads. During our first vacation to Boston, my wife and I used the Commuter Rail from North Station to visit Salem and Rockport. Both cities were great to visit and the ride behind a F40PH was most enjoyable. That was when Amtrak were running the service. Afterwards, I bought a H0 gauge MBTA F40PH to sit in my display cabinet as a memento of our ride.

[@80__HD]

Oh my God thank you so much for doing this. My son is 7 and he adores the commuter rail. He and I have so many great memories on the commuter rail. It should also be worth mentioning there are still two abandoned MBTA commuter rail budd cars by where the orange line runs past North station before community college.

[@DillianTrainzStudios]

As a Bay Stater, I can say that this is very well made!

[@patrickscott838]

Your a maskachusettsen!

[@jamescerone]

Bay Stater

[@DillianTrainzStudios]

@@jamescerone Right, sorry.

[@jamescerone]

@@DillianTrainzStudios no need to apologize, it’s not a very common moniker. Technically Masshole is the word of choice 😂

[@DillianTrainzStudios]

@@jamescerone LMAO

[@tonymento7460]

In 1978 the RDC cars were tow by the B&M GP 7’s which the MBTA leased on the south side of the commuter rail service it was like a train museum there was the GP - 9 ‘s and the E - 8 engines then the MBTA leased the D & H R R PA - 4 ‘s ( 16,17,18 and 19 ) there was even a F - 7 B leased from CP of Canada to help out the GP - 9’s from South Station the MBTA brought a few used RDC cars from other railroads the MBTA brought a lot of used GP -9 engines from other railroads so the GP - 7’s can be returned to the B&M my best engine was the GP -9 engine # 7538 this was the only GP - 9 rebuild by the MBTA I have a picture of it still in the NH RR colors with a Penn Central engine # 7538 number on it I have this engine on my HO Scale railroad set too

[@brianog5267]

I always loved Saturday am growing up in the 70’s… meant we were picking my grandmother up at Waverly Square station in Belmont…. Loved watching the Budliner coming down the track! Ps anyone ever see the subway in Kiev… puts USA to shame

[@JoseRamirez-mg4pn]

Pretty cool I love using it since I live so close to boston

[@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars]

Thanks for sharing this Train history 👍♐️

[@ctvalleyrailfan]

Wow! Awesome work! Where’d you get the old video clips?

[@jamallhayden2512]

Thanks for the video!

[@nasirroper4011]

Can you please do one for all of the commuter railroads? I think that’d be dope

[@lionelslouber8880]

Awesome video!!!!

[@loubna1627]

This guy needs more subs

[@paulmoreno6279]

Awesome 😎

[@raillifelines6659]

Beautiful video my friend ❤️

[@Moonlight_Zilla]

It's crazy how I recognized car numbers, train numbers, and station locations in the video

[@GroovedSlick]

Great work on this. Hope you got an "A"

[@toadscoper4575]

With the future of the MBTA in question due to the current FTA investigation combined with the confirmed electrification plan, there is a lot in store for the future of the commuter rail

[@timregan1005]

broken promises from politicians to get votes. it is a taxpayer pit. just like everything else infrastucture wise in east coast california. only difference is at least boston has the excuse of being older and unplanned

[@jamallhayden2512]

I hope that the MBTA follows the GO Transit’s expansion and electrification projects!

[@rainbowrailroadcrossing7798]

I’m very hopeful about the electrification especially on the north station side! Haverhill,rockport,Newburyport,Lowell, Worcester,etc…….

[@mbrproductions160]

Electrification is not confirmed, the MBTA is bankrupt already, and the FTA investigation already shows that they have to invest what little they have into repairing the Subway system. Commuter Rail electrification makes no financial sense for them to ever pursue, especially with how their fiscal situation is now.

[@benfranco5035]

Absolutely, the electrification plan seems a little "pie in the sky" right now, the priority needs to be on making sure the T runs safely, then we can worry about environmentalism.

[@WendyMangels-uv9lo]

0:05 bro that shot is epic. can you tell me the location?

[@narnrojvachiranonda7059]

BEN!!!

[@stuew6]

Should check out GO Transit history and Update

[@jph0917]

You failed to mention that there is legislation in the Massachusetts State House to take the commuter rail and boats out of the MBTA and put them under MassDot.

[@benfranco5035]

Yes that happened just two months ago, will be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

[@mtanyctrainatlantamartatra7164]

Ya'll been having problems with ya'll trains period, subway and railroad

[@patrickscott838]

The mbta commuter rail system is a total third world system!

[@mtanyctrainatlantamartatra7164]

How dare you say,I would never.

[@mbrproductions160]

I have actually been on third world systems and the Commuter Rail is so much nicer to take than any of them could ever hope to be, so no, it isn’t, not even close