Safe trainwatching spots in NH and MA

trains that you don't normally see. I am just beginning to enjoy diesel locos with my 2 year old son. Of course he thinks every train is thomas but none the less hey loves trains. I enjoy taking pics and want to start taking pictures of trains and was wondering the best place to do so. I noticed that some UP trains run up in nashua NH. I am interested in stuff like that. Also one side question, what happened to the lehigh valley line?

I am from Haverhill

There used to be a fenced pedestrian along the upriver side of the approach to the drawbridge at North Station. You walked onto (or maybe into) it from the parking lot of the Spaulding Rehab Center, which is next to the Suffolk County Jail. It was a great place to stand or sit during rush hour. Now, with the Downeaster, I imagine it's an even better place, if it's still there and still accessible. You could also see the East Cambridge Viaduct of the Green Line, and on a summer day, there were boats on the river, and the drawbridge opened and closed. You stood with the tracks right at eye level and had a great view of where the rails of the bridge met the rails on land. It was all perfectly legal and safe, with a good fence between you and the tracks; the only doubt I have is whether the railing on the river side was enough to keep a 2-year-old from falling into the Charles. Pretty easy train ride for you, too, depending on how easy it is to walk there from N. Station right now. I haven't been there in maybe 15 years, so I don't have any idea if you still can get to it, but it was such a great place that I've thought of going many times. The thing is, I live in Indiana now and only visit Boston for a week or so a year. If someone else knows if the walkway is still there, I'd love to know.

There's been a lot of reconstruction around the Spaulding Rehab Hospital in recent years, but there is still a publicly accessible patio along the river behind the hospital that offers a great view (if not necessarily great photos, because of fences) of trains entering and leaving North Station.

Your Lehigh Valley question is probably better answered in the New York State forum. After April 1, 1976, Conrail shut the LV mainline down between Sayre, PA and Buffalo, NY.

-otto-

If you don't mind taking a ride, head out to Worcester. You can stand on the platform of the passenger station there and see Amtrak passenger trains, MBTA commuter trains and lots of big CSX freight trains (some with foreign power from other railroads).

The commuter rail platform at Readville is also a great location if you like watching passenger trains - lots of Amtrak action (Acela high-speed trains and regular coach trains with electric locomotives) and MBTA commuter trains.

JD

There's always the Sunday Ayer Railfan Club! Head on down to Ayer MA station and chat with the oldtimers... and youngtimers such as myself! Just look for the hats with an upside-down "G"



Oh, but Guilford doesn't have much of a set schedule. Though there should be some locals working the area. Also MBTA commuter trains.

The Downeaster goes right through Haverhill, and I know up here in Durham, NH there's also a fair amount of freight going by. Maybe if you went farther north on the Downeaster route you'd see some Amtrak trains plus more freight than you're used to.

Another good and safe area is the Tyngsboro Curve. Take a look at this picture from NErail http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... y=wintrain You have the church and the bridge as a back ground. I have seen thousands of pictures from the Tyngsboro Curve; I even believe some have made it into magazines. If you want to get your last chance to see the Tyngsboro Bridge you better hurry up, because the bridge is coming down as you can see from the picture posted here the legs for the Temporary Bridge are already finished in the picture. Today you won't be able to see the bridge in clear few from the south because the Temporary Bridge is almost finished and blocks a good portion of the Tyngsboro Bridge. There are a few areas where you can pull of onto the side of the road to take pictures. Pictures have also been taken from the bridge as well http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 3A8%3ABNSF