• The Boat Train?

  • Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.
Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.

Moderator: MEC407

  by MikeInBoston
 
Hi there everyone, I'm brand new here so please hang with me. A have some railroad history in my blood. My grandfather purchased the B&M station and yard in Bedford, MA back when the trains still actually ran on the Lexington Line. He even built his own building for his electrical company on the site. Years later after his death, the town of Bedford would purchase the land and make Depot Park. I'm only 26 but remember walking around the old yard with him and my Dad.

Anyway's, I'm curious to see if anyone has information about the B&M Boat Train? I've found a number of posters online advertising a "boat train", from the 1920's. Is the line pictured that would pull up right next to the boats the recently rebuilt line that wraps around the Boston Convention Center and down to the Boston Cruiseport under Summer Street? Thanks in advance!
  by edbear
 
I have some B & M One-Day Excursion/1 Day Pleasure Outings by Train. For August 1932, on Sundays, the 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th, excursions were run from Springfield, Concord, NH and Dover to the Hoosac Tunnel Docks so excursionists could have an all day sail on Eastern Steamship Lines Evangeline, then regularly assigned to Boston-Yarmouth, NS service. There is a picture of the steamer and the excursions are called THE BOAT TRAIN. The steamer was on layover during the day. Eastern used India Wharf at the time, so once the night passengers had left, the boat was available all day. I suspect only deck space and public rooms were open to the excursionists unless someone was quite enterprising and get into a stateroom. The all-day sail cruised the inner and outer harbor, up to Cape Ann, down to Provincetown, over to the Sagamore end of the Cape Cod Canal and then back to the Hoosac Docks. The 3 trains arrived at Hoosac Docks between 9:00 and 9:20 std time and left for home between 5:15 and 5:30. Top fare was $3.00 with lowest $2.50. The Evangeline (and sister Yarmouth) worked the Boston-Yarmouth route until World War II, did war service, were returned to Eastern after the war and were refurbished. Evangeline closed out the Yarmouth service in 1954. It was too costly to operate under American registry so it was registered in Panama (I think). Sailing as the Yarmouth Castle (long story) in 1965 on a Miami-Nassau, Bahamas cruise, the Evangeline caught fire at sea and sank with substantial loss of life.
  by edbear
 
Here's the front cover of the Aug 32 1-day Excusions. See Ocean Liner Cruise at bottom.
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