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Chatham is mentioned in the Connect plan, and presumably the Lake Shore could stop there too. Could be a good railhead for the area (isn't that train also the only non-stop at Hudson?) heading in each direction - it's a popular part of the world to visit and for second homes. Covers Southern Berksh...

Was that station built for the Valley or the MW&CR?

Was up in the Berkshires/Litchfield Hills over the weekend for the first time since before the 'Ro. The track in Mass looks great-- nice clean ballast, welded rail. Long cut of ballast hoppers marked for Mass DOT on the siding in Stockbridge. South of the Conn line though-- jeez Louise. The track in...

You're missing the point; Amtrak stopping at Bridgeport and or NRO doesn't do anything for Amtrak except slow it down; the passenger counts are negligible. It's not about capacity. Devon definitely helps. It's a waste running Bombs. They could even run through all the way to Hartford via Berlin. No...

Most of the coaches on the CR are very like that. You step and it should spring up. However, that may not have been the case here and she tried to raise the trap by hand and something tragic happened. Terrible news, I feel for her family and the crew running the train. That's just awful. This is th...

The 3rd rail is 750V DC. The catenary is 12.5kV AC. The trains can't (obviously) take power from both so they need to coast while making the changeover. Remember, steel wheels on steel rails = very little friction. Trains can roll without power for a decent distance and the infrastructure is designe...

In a state with a lot of "never should have existed" railroad lines I've always thought the MW&CR stands out as being one of the most pointless-- right up there with the Central New England's West Springfield extension. If I recall correctly the line was almost abandoned for lack of tr...

The Western side of the state has economic and cultural ties with NYC and the Hudson Valley going right back to the beginning. That's why the river that flows through Manchester, VT is the Batten Kill (kill = river in 17th century Dutch). It makes total sense to restore a rail linkage.

I've read about some refurbished RDC's having a door wide enough for a wheelchair. So I assume a stock RDC, with a stock bathroom, are not HP accessible. Not 100% sure but I think the wheelchair-accessible ones are refurbished RDC-2s. The baggage door would clearly be wide enough for a wheelchair.

Seeing them side-by-side confirms that I prefer the way the Acela I looks over Acela II. It's the headlights for me. I have grown to no longer hate the new Acelas but those headlights are too garish. Get rid of that black stuff that looks like eyeliner. I'd like to meet the obviously blind and tast...

Well Mr. Shepaug, South Kent School has set my 60th Reunion (61 years after graduation; thank you Mr. COVID) as well as other Classes for May 20, and for which I plan to come back. I understand that they finally laid the welded rail along Hatch Pond that sat there for many years, but your report fr...

I think "capacity" here doesn't just mean "velocity" but also "flexiblity". Remember, you may have sidings, but if a freight is longer than the siding, the shorter of the trains is going to get the siding and going to wait while the freight clears out of the way. Overa...

I think they'd certainly have acquired the ~2.5 mi from Farmington down the diamond crossing with the Highland at Plainville. Even if not, the traffic generated (inbound coal, etc.) might well have been enough to keep that stub of the Canal Line in service.

The rationale for the 1923 electrification is interesting, and new to me. Why eliminate the Stamford terminal in favor of Danbury and not, say New Haven (Cedar Hill, even)? Danbury was a major engine terminal in steam days. Power working the Maybrook line west over the summit of the Highlands at Po...

Here we go again... /eyeroll When was the first study produced? 1979 or so? I distinctly remember being told as a very small child that Conrail was looking at restoring the wire and I'm 46 going on 47. Restoring the wire is more trouble than its worth. The original installation in 1923 was done sol...