New ownership - Cape Cod Central RR

Yesterday, the Cape Cod Central Railroad, headquartered in Hyannis, was officially sold to new owners. The link below gives all the details.

As far as I can tell, this is the strongest management team that any Cape Cod based railroad has ever had. I'm sure we will see some nice/new things happening this season.

Paul


www.capetrain.com/newownership

Are the new owners interested in restoring passenger service to Braintree or even Boston? We used to have it, back when it was called the Cape Cod & Hyannis Railroad.

Most definitely YES!

A few years ago, John Kennedy, Ted Michon and George Betke (Farmrail) put together aproposal to provide feeder passenger service from the MBTA's Middleboro/Lakeville Station to Hyannis and Falmouth.
It would NOT be "high speed" commuter rail service, but moderate speed passenger service. (as was the case when the New Haven RR provided a rail connection to the Cape)

The three men had 6 or 7 Buddliners available in Canada to use for this service and would have been perfect for use in this capacity. The State (EOTC) met with the group but it went nowhere. A slight operating subsidy of about a million dollars a year would have been necessary, but the State did not want to go along with the subsidy idea.

Plans are still on the table and now that John and Ted are actually OWNERS of a passenger carrying railroad, chances are the EOTC might be willing to take another look at the proposal at this time.

John once told me that his "long range" goal was to provide passenger service with a dining car and lounge car direct to and from South Station to the Cape.

Time will tell!

Paul

That would be nice if they indeed do restore service from BOS to Hyannis. Especially when there was that train from Braintree to Hyannis which I rode in 1988 (last year of service).

This would mean great news, mainly now that the train can go all the way to South Station now.

I thought that John Kennedy had "pulled the pin" and left the CCR.

I've been pessimistic about service for restoration of service to Boston
on the threads we've had here,but maybe this will provide some real impetus for some serious consideration on the state's part to at the very least make a summer service into Hyannis available.I'm hopin' they have
plans to get the RDC goin' under it's own power on a regular basis.
I think the operatoes they're buying from have done a quality job with
the CCCR,considering what Bartholmew left behind.Love watchin' that
Alco&the Geeps.Wish there was an F unit to go with 'em!!

Id like to see seasonal service return here to the Cape....But its getting all the Clowns that moved out here to get away from the city to agree with the Service. also the Track speed would have to improve greatly. 25mph just wont cut it. But The 60mph from the Bridge to middleboro is what im talking about. I used to work for the CCR back in the Bartholmew days and operated the 1100 & 1114 and the 1789 also the Bud cars on occation also put in my time on the BCLR.

Id also like to know how many more unnessesary studys have to be made to determain rail service back to Cape Cod

Ditto.None are needed&you've gotta the higher speeds to make it viable.
I think one of the biggest, if not the biggest is the CCRTA itself.
I don't believe the know-how is there to pull it off,but it's well known
that John Kennedy is a protagonist fot restoration,so maybe this will encourage the process.I used to use the service to both Attleboro and
Braintree.as I was living in NJ with family here&was going back and forth often.Loved it,and they were always more than just a few people on board.Except for the last year when it was often slow going to Braintree,
as I remember,due to track work,it was almost always near or on time
t.Also,many of those towns along the line west of the canal
weren't developing like they are now.Wareham as a primary example.
Maybe that might persuade the state to try it for a while seasonally.

I attended a Transportation meeting in the late 90s at the Barn/County Airport and we were assured that track improvements and commuter service would be back someday........Well a New Transportation Center in Hyannis and Major Bridge repairs have been Made now the state should step up and fund the Track and Grade crossing improvements That need to be made. I also know that a Transportation Team track Deal could be made by Bay Colony to accomadate Huge Freight increase with Shepley Wood product and Botello Lumbers and Anyone else that needed Box car loads...Multi Millions in revenue...But BCLR is not interested in the Business.....SAD

I live in So. Dennis where the tracks used to go to Service Mid Cape Home Center But Bay Colony Morons let that Go after shoving a Loaded Flat car a car and a Half past the Bumper and never fixing it.

I remember that.It seems like once Bay Colony got that garbage contract
nothing else mattered.I work up on White's Path for Dennis East International in the old Christmas Tree distribution center that we share
with Mid Cape Home Center.Don't know how true it is but I was told that even before that happened they were looking to switch to trucks

That also holds true as then the relationship with ConRail and the Middleboro freight/Exchange was very poor. the trainmaster for Conrail at the time was a Joke "Jim Ebbing" was an SOB that wanted to squeeze the rail service dry. This is True I knew the man and had the Unpleasure to be Boarded several times by him in his Intoxicated condition. As he went on to slur his dissapproval of George Bartholomew and us "Scabs" taking there work away. I have Since moved on to Bigger things as a CSXT Engineer "out of work do to a Cronic illness" and thank God for my Hand up the latter from such people as Bob Thompson, Ed Kelley, Herbie Clark, John Pemential, Lou Sabo and Very Few of the Clowns and Dopes I have worked with At My almost 10 Year Career at Conrail/CSX " CSX Conductor" is not one of them... If you all just knew what I was going through..............But he knows what Im talking about!!!

CSX conductor-

John Kennedy did leave the Cape Cod Central RR. The working climate with the owner was complete disaster.

John teamed up with Chris Podgurski and they bid on the Bay Colony Medfield/Millis/ Newton operation when the MBTA put the bids out a couple of years ago. Due to some incorrect information, the bid was retracted. It was supposed to go out for re-bid, but I don't think it did.

John and Chris have both been interested in handling both the Cape passenger rail and feight business, which they would love to expand.

BTW, the contract with the State (EOTC) for the "trash train" comes up for renewal this year in June. It would not surprise me in the least if John and Chris put in a bid for that contract.

Also, does anyone know the track speed on the Cape when the New Haven was running passenger service until the 1959? It seems to me I read somewhere it was 40 to 50 mph maximun.

Paul

This is from New Haven Railroad employee timetable no. 3, dated
April 28, 1957:
Boston - Buzzards Bay passenger 79, freight 60
Buzzards Bay - Hyannis passenger 59, freight 45
Buzzards Bay - Woods Hole passenger 59, freight 40

Not exactly modest when it comes to time.
I do not think any private operation out of Hyannis will be permitted to go
beyond Middleboro, too many operating conditions will likely prevent it.
Noel Weaver

At the very least it would have to be 55-60 MPH from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay and 70 beyond to build a year round customer base from The Cape
Seasonally 50 MPH I think would be lowest to sustain it to Middleborough.

I do not think any private operation out of Hyannis will be permitted to go
beyond Middleboro, too many operating conditions will likely prevent it.

Yeah, that's why it would be a Shuttle from the Middleboro/Lakeville MBCR station, and then synchronize the schedule with the MBTA trains so that passengers can transfer to and take the Hyannis extension.