Just spent 2.5 hours at the Steaming Tender. Good food, great railfanning. I saw about 7 trains, CSX, Amtrak Vermonter and Lakeshore Ltd.(Late as usual), NECR and three Mass Central trains. The owners have been really good about rebuilding the station, and there's a lot of cool stuff, like a schedule from 1894 of the Boston & Albany RR. Outside the resturant is a 1914 steam engine and the resturant itself is situated right between the main line and a rail yard. By the way, they have a schedule of when Amtrak trains pass by. My recommendation? Come at 1:30. The southbound Vermonter goes by at 1:40 and the westbound Lakeshore Ltd. goes by at 2:20. Plus, there's a lot of switcher and freight movement.
Right now the Steaming Tender only has a order/pick-up system, but in a few months, they'll open up a resturant/bar in the old waiting room of Palmer Station.
But the best part of the trip was talking to the older railfans there. They were very friendly, and I actually met a couple from northern Virginia who had come up to see Palmer. There was another guy who lives in Worchester who told me all about the schedules of the trains in this part of Massachusetts and other cool stuff. Seriously, I implore you, go to the Steaming Tender! It's a railfanning experience like no other.
P.S. TONS of photo ops!