Obscure Facts about MBTA

Never seen those shots before, the shots I remember seeing were trackside, but thanks regardless, if anyone could find any other shots of Original F40s on the Old Colony, I would greatly appreciate it. In fact, any shot of the Old Colony Lines in the late 90s/early 2000s would be great, especially any shots north of Braintree.

Not a photograph technically but you get the idea

I wish they'd bring those schedules back!

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:42 pm Amtrak locomotives pulling commuter rail trains, roughly winter or summer of 1997 obscure enough? I have a nice picture of one at Roslindale Village station.

Wasn't Amtrak the contracted operator at the time?
Heres another, Not too many years later, during an equipment problem, there was nothing in the shed so they borrowed the DE consist for a Saturday night turn to Lowell.

caduceus wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 1:01 pm

arthur d. wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:18 am I went through my ETT's as far back as 1922. There was a "West Lynn" listed in the B&M timetables, @ .70 miles from "Lynn". Could this have become Riverworks?

I believe that refers to the West Lynn section that was further north, just after the Saugus Branch Junction at Commercial Street. Riverworks is closer to a mile and a half from Lynn Station.

Thanks for the clarification and a correction; West Lynn was .97 miles from Lynn.

arthur d. wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 5:51 am

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:42 pm Amtrak locomotives pulling commuter rail trains, roughly winter or summer of 1997 obscure enough? I have a nice picture of one at Roslindale Village station.

Wasn't Amtrak the contracted operator at the time?
Heres another, Not too many years later, during an equipment problem, there was nothing in the shed so they borrowed the DE consist for a Saturday night turn to Lowell.

IIRC there was also a period where some Amtrak F40s were assigned to MBTA commuter service in the 1990\s as "loaners" while MBTA units received ACSES for the NEC. The 1997 date would seem about right for this, since the electrification up to Boston (which brought ACSES to New England) would open within a couple years.

And there's been several instances of Amtrak doing short-term emergency leases of MBTA units to protect Downeaster service. I believe one of these happened within the past year or so.

arthur d. wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 5:51 am

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 7:42 pm Amtrak locomotives pulling commuter rail trains, roughly winter or summer of 1997 obscure enough?

Wasn't Amtrak the contracted operator at the time?
Heres another, Not too many years later, during an equipment problem, there was nothing in the shed so they borrowed the DE consist for a Saturday night turn to Lowell.

Amfleet luxury at commuter rail fares.

Amtrak was the commuter operator until MBCR assumed service on July 1, 2003.

There are also some unusual work equipment on the commuter roster that is not listed by NETransit, including a caboose and a MHC (1411) purchased from Amtrak surplus sale. The latter runs in one of the more unusual trains, the "salt train" dropping off pallets of salt at stations before the winter season.

It's been a while since I've ridden the Eastern Route, but years ago you could spot the West Lynn station location by the concrete stairs and platform remaining on the inland side of the tracks.

Platform is gone but the stairs are still there.