CR Boston Line Vol.6

Westbound tonnage, led by an SD40-2 who's number I didn't get, passes the cornfield on the east side of Palmer. Compare the background with a later shot in this album.

Rear of the westbound at the cornfield has the "New England Division White Safety caboose".

SEBO at the east end of the Alfred E. Smith bridge.

Rear of SEBO at CP SM.

LISE arrives at CP SM off the connector from the Hudson Line. Hudson Line freights almost always got solid lash-ups of B23-7's.

LISE passing SM cabin and heading out onto the Smith bridge.

Raer of LISE passing SM cabin and heading out onto the Smith bridge.

SENH at Muitzeskill Road with the same lash-up that brought BOEL to Selkirk, earlier.

SENH stretches off into the distance as his rear passes Muitzeskill Road. That's another ex ERIE van on the rear.

BOSE diverging from the B&A main at CP 187 and heading down the Castleton Cutoff. The origional B&A main, at left, from Here to Rensallear was dismantled by PC since they had no use for it....NO passenger trains. Amtrak had it rebuilt after they began running the Boston section of the "Lake Shore Ltd".

BOSE curves away on the Castleton Cutoff, headed for Selkirk. Origional, rebuilt B&A main ccurves away to the right. Since it's rebuilding, it has been referred to as the "Post Road extension".

Work extra 1901 shoves a string of ballast cars eastward near MP 161 in West Stockbridge. The open field in the foreground is the same one seen in the opening shot of this day's sequence of BOEL.

SENH coming up on the Sleepy Hollow Road overhead in Richmond.

Westbound SBSE blasting through the cut at the "art colony". The engineer had just called the DS to inform him that the third unit quit loading, although it was still running. The ENGR said he doubted he'd make the hill without doubling or a push, but said he'd try to keep it moving as long as he could. After this shot I jumped in the vehicle and....

...took off after him on the access road along the track. Caught him quickly and paced him for a bit in the vicinity of MP 129, vehicle speedo showed a speed of 7-8 mph. Moved up to the headend to hear the "music" emanating from the two lead SD40's as they were howling their guts out in Run 8. Now I'm admittedly a big ALCO fan, but the sound of those EMD's fighting to overcome gravity WAS breathtaking! SBSE is passing signal 129.91 at this point.

A quick sprint just a few hundred yards ahead of the last photo shows SBSE exiting the cut at MP 130.

Another sprint ahead gets me up to Bancroft and across the tracks well ahead of him. Looks like he's gained a little more speed, up to about 10 mph. We'll make a run for Ballou's, about 4 1/2 miles further up the hill, to see if he makes it that far.

Well, he made it to Ballou's, AND he's getting a break here as the grade "eases off" to 1.2 %. Good thing as he STILL has one more short stretch of 1.6 % about a mile ahead, but he'll make it. And I have a little more respect for the products of EMD.

Eastbound SEFR crests the summit of Charlton hill at 08:14.

Eastbound TV-8B slips beneath the Rt. 31 overhead and is about to crest the summit of Charlton Hill at 08:01. The signal mast to the right of the train is a remnant of the ABS system which has been replaced by TCS/261.

TV-8B at the summit of Charlton Hill, 57 miles west of Boston, and about 950 ft. in elevation.

TV-8B cresting Charlton Hill.

Westbound MBSE enters the controlled passing siding at CP 57 in Charlton. The Rt. 31 overpass and summit of Charlton Hill are in the background.

MBSE lights'em up as he continues into the siding at CP 57.

Eastbound TV-6 rounds Hammond curve and proceeds through CP 57. Fellow in the red cap is a Mr. Webber, no relation, who worked for the B&A RR from 1939 to 1972.

TV-6 continues through CP 57 at 13:39. Remnants of a pair of hand-thrown crossovers are visible.

TV-6 at Charlton, remains of a large signal gantry are at lower left.

Eastbound SEPW, as viewed through a 500mm lens, approaches East Brookfield through the Brookfield Flats. This tangent is about 2 1/2 miles long, and, considering the topography any east/west railroad in New England has to contend with, that's substantial.

SEPW continues on his approach to East Brookfield at 17:22.

Almost there, SEPW coming into East Brookfield.

Westbound PWSE holding at CP 64 in East Brookfield at 18:00. High green on the interlocking signal shows eastbound traffic due.

Eastbound traffic arrives at 18:22 in the form of Amtrak tr. 674, another of the "Inland Route" trains.

Amtrak 674 passes the interlocking as PWSE waits.

Rear of Amtrak 674 passes PWSE at East Brookfield station.

Dispatcher lines up CP 64 for PWSE at 18:25, who promptly notches 'em out to get out of town after a nearly half hour wait.

PWSE pours it on departing East Brookfield.

PWSE's engineer peers back to make sure everything is coming along properly.

PWSE entering the main track at CP 64.

On the main, Highball! As if we haven't been, all along!

Amtrak 449, the westbound Boston section of the Lake Shore Ltd., rolls past the old depot at East Brookfield at 19:19.

Amtrak 449 continues past the depot toward CP 64.

Amtrak 449 gets a wave from some admirers at CP 64.

Amtrak 449 passing CP 64.

Amtrak tr.448 at the old State Line crossovers at MP 162.

SEMB-X at State Line.

Westbound NHSE about to enter New York state from Richmond, MA.

MBSE descending the west slope into Pittsfield.

SEMB begins the climb out of Pittsfield's North Adams Jct., to the summit in Hinsdale.

SENH makes a setout at North Adams Jct. in Pittsfield.

Power back on the train, and now we have to start from a dead standstill, with 6 miles 0f 1.45% grade staring us right in the face.