Daylight operations?

Can anyone summarize the current P&W operations relative to the best lines or operations to find daylight trains to photograph. I'd like to railfan the railroad this coming August or September.

Thanks,
Rich

Rich,

If you are looking for an easy chase -- more or less, I would recommend Googling Mill Street in Cumberland, Rhode Island. This will give you directions to the P&W yard there, which is conveniently located a block away from a Dunkin Donuts and across from a small park with a parking area. The P&W makes up two local trains out of the yard Mon - Friday. The first is made up around 7 a.m. and goes out on the Northeast Corridor and the second is usually getting going around 9 a.m. I don't remember the symbols for either train but I am sure there are lots of people here who can fill in those details.

My favorite of the two is the 9 a.m. train because it often heads down the George Bennet Highway on the other side of I-95. The tracks run right next to the street and cross many side streets, which means the crew has to get out and flag the intersections -- there are a lot of nice photo opps there. You are also relatively close to the NEC and you will have a chance to take in a lot of Amtrak and MBTA action and if you drive down to Providence you can get a P&W freight going by the Rhode Island state house, but with the catenary it isn't the greatest shot in the world.

Brian

In Rhode Island, the locals are PR-2 and PR-3. PR-3 typically goes out first around 7-ish and switches the Port of Providence, Motiva, and other businesses on the NEC along the way. PR-2 goes out shortly after and can go up to Woonsocket as well as switch the East Providence secondary through Pawtucket (Bennett Hwy) into E.Prov and up the East Junction to the state line (as req'd.). I agree with NYNE, PR-2 is the more photo-friendly of the 2. PRWO (the road freight from Providence to Worcester) goes on duty at 19:00 and can occasionally get out of town before dark.

Presuming you are only concerned with daylight operations, here's what's available elsewhere:

WX-1 - local switcher in and around Worcester
NR-2 - out of Plainfield switches the NEC between New Haven and Groton
NR-3 - local switcher in and around Plainfield
CT-1 / NH-1 - local out of New Haven.

These all go on duty between 7:00 and 8:00 or so. I'm sure some of the posters from CT. can provide more detail on locations and photo-ops.

There are also several jobs in Worcester, WX1 which services the yards, ( WOrcester and Greenwood) as well as other plcaes like polar... also there is WOGR which is the Worcester to Gardner job, Normally ahs Racks and General frieght for the B&M in Gardner. Not sure of the times I have also heard WX 3 working theyard during the day also.

boatsmate wrote:There are also several jobs in Worcester, WX1 which services the yards, ( WOrcester and Greenwood) as well as other plcaes like polar... also there is WOGR which is the Worcester to Gardner job, Normally ahs Racks and General frieght for the B&M in Gardner. Not sure of the times I have also heard WX 3 working theyard during the day also.

Recently I've been working in the Worcester area and frequently I drive past the P&W engine facility yards to get on to 146 south around 5:15-5:30 PM weekdays. More often then not I see two "WX" trains, one working the top of the yard and the other working farther South near the interchange with the Mass. Pike. I also occasionaly see CSX power on the south end..