Boston railfanning opportunities?

Hi all, so later this week I will be "shipping up to Boston" to visit friends of mine who go to school up there. I'll be staying with them at their place in the Allston neighborhood, and though most of my time will be consumed with catching up, seeing the sights, etc. I should have some down time to myself. Having never been to Boston, I would love to use this time to get in some railfanning. So, I leave it to you my New England Forum friends, what are some good (and safe) spots to see trains that are easy to get to by public transportation? What frequencies should I have programmed into my scanner? Should I expect to get hassled by police or local residents? Any help you guys can provide is greatly appreciated.

Allston is where CSX's Beacon Park Yard is. Cambridge Street crosses over the west end of the yard. There is a sidewalk, but of course you'll have to contend with fencing if you want to take photos. If you time it right you'll likely see a switcher working the west end of the yard, and commuter trains pass through on the adjacent mainline. Pizzeria Regina in the old Allston Depot is a good place to have a slice and watch trains too - the former platform area has been enclosed and you can sit mere feet from trains passing by.

If streetcars are your thing, the Green Line operates frequent service along nearby Commonwealth Avenue and provides a link to the rest of the system throughout the area.

The usual caveats apply when photographing. You probably can assume to be challenged by somebody at some point. If you're not trespassing on railroad property, CSX, Amtrak, Commuter Rail crews generally don't care unless you're obviously taking pictures of them, and not their trains. I don't know how Boston police deals with railfan photographers, but as always if they tell you to move along, it's probably best to move along. Photography of MBTA trains from publicly accessible property and station platforms is legal, however many T employees mistakenly believe it is not, and you are almost certain to be challenged. If you choose to photograph MBTA subways and streetcars, check out this link at the MBTA Forum here and read and print out a copy of the document to keep with you: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=41504. If you do photograph in the subway, tripods and flash are a no-no. Trying to photograph non-public areas like tunnels and carhouses/yards will attract unwanted attention too - when on MBTA property, it's not a bad idea to assume you're probably within range of a CCTV security camera.

Thanks for the info, being a resident of Central NJ I am well aware of police and others being "over-cautious" when it comes to photography, and I always carry a letter from NJT stating photography is legal from their platforms, just in case. What frequencies should I program into my scanner to pick up area train movements, and could you provide me with what times are better then others for catching movements into and out of Beacon Park Yard? Will definitely be taking the Green Line into downtown Boston, and thanks for the tip on the pizza place, will also be stopping there, at least once, for a slice.

I hope your trip went well, and on the off chance that you're still in Boston and have time, you may want to take the "E" branch of the Green Line to Heath. Beyond Brigham Circle, that streetcar line actually runs in mixed traffic, old-school style, which isn't an easy experience to ride or photograph otherwise.

Can I bump this topic for a bit more specifics? I'll be taking my kids to Boston area soonish, and ideally looking for a spot where we can see some freight action, enlivened by (preferably diesel) commuter service. A kind of Boston equivalent of Bound Brook, NJ for those who know it.

What kind of freight action can we expect to see, and where are the best places to see it? Trains per hour? Busy times and quiet times? Anywhere within 20 miles of downtown Boston is fine.

Thanks

Mike

If you want freight and diesel commuter action,
pay a visit to Ayer, MA. You did not note whether
you are driving to Boston or not. You could take
the commuter rail out to Ayer from North Station,
but having a car at Ayer probably would be better.
Ayer is just off I-495 and MA Rt.2. The "station" is
really only a plaform downtown, but it is in the middle
of the PAR wye track from the Fitchburg main line and
the line to Worcester. The Ayer tower, no longer used
for train control, is there. There are some sub shops
closeby and fast fooders one mile east from downtown.
There will be less commuter rail and freight action on
weekends. The two PAR heavy freights to/from Maine
pass through Ayer, unit grain and coal trains pass Ayer
and the Ayer-Chicago trains arrive and depart Ayer.
More often than not, there will be railfans in attendance.
I should note that the MBTA is doing major trackwork
east of Ayer, so some commuter rail trains are being
bussed. Check the MBTA forum here or MBTA.com.

abaduck wrote:Can I bump this topic for a bit more specifics? I'll be taking my kids to Boston area soonish, and ideally looking for a spot where we can see some freight action, enlivened by (preferably diesel) commuter service.

The MBTA station at Ayer is a great place to go, but freight train frequency is unpredictable, of course. Weekdays are better than weekends, of course. And there's no electric commuter rail in Boston, only diesels. The only electrics are the Green Line light rail and the PCC trolleys at Mattapan. Personally, I go up to Boston for the trolleys on the Ashmont-Mattapan High-Speed Line. That's not to say that MBTA commuter rail is not worth shooting. Another location worth looking at would be Framingham, where you have the potential for MBTA, Amtrak (the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited) and CSX freight.

-otto-

Unfortunately, rail freight service in Boston itself is a pale shadow of what it once was, and freight action is hard to find in the city itself except for CSX's Boston & Albany line into Beacon Park Yard in Allston, and action there is largely after dark and early in the morning. I would second the above recommendations for Ayer and Framingham, although at either location you'll probably only see one or two freight moves in the space of a few hours. Boston has a lot of MBTA and Amtrak passenger activity, but it's no longer a place to see a lot of freights.

Ayer for freight + commuter rail.

Andover for freight + commuter rail + Amtrak.

Andover probably sees alot less freight, though. But I've been trying to get to Andover from 1pm-4pm for a while. AFAIK, it's the best time slot to catch all 3 railroads in action.

I am heading up to NH to pick up my kid from college next wednesday (may 15) and will have the day to railfan. Can i get any guidance on what may be running on the G and U, their usual schedule, and some decent photo locations. thanks.

On the Southside, and close to Boston, I would suggest Readville. Although the show here is almost exclusively passenger oriented. But you will see a little of everything Amtrak has to offer -- including a diesel hauling an electric locomotive and passenger consist if you are lucky and early. In addition to that you will have the best the MBTA has to offer in regards to commuter rail and, again if you are lucky, a CSX local coming out of the yard at Readville itself. There is also the prospect of watching trains leaving and entering the mainline at the flying junction there. And finally, one last selling point, you wouldn't be all that far from the Mattapan PCC line. The best times to go there are in the morning and afternoon rush hours to see the commuter traffic at its best.

I would also vote for Framingham. If you go up to the top of the parking garage on Pearl Street you can take in the yard and the CSX locomotive facility, as well as keeping an eye on the passenger station.