Siding onto the BigE grounds at W. Springfield, MA?

Thinking about the Amherst Show, it would be nice to have EVERY scale represented including 1:1. There was once a siding leading into the grounds. I remember the annual Eastern States Exposition and believe it was in 1963 or 64 that you could tour through a few cars leading through an F unit body into the cab. Anyone else remember or able to give more detail?

That was a NYC-B&A spur.
it went behind the livestock building by the loading dock.
must have been sued for feed for animals.
Anyway, I also remember touring the cars, and picking up comic book brouchures from AAR.
I think they were there for a couple of years at Big E show.
we went every year!

I also remember some time in the mid 70's that a new Amfleet coach was displayed.

Yes I remember something like that perhaps in the mid 1960's. I do recall that the spur had a short runaround track some where near the large parking lots to the east. Once I did see a little 40'CP boxcar half full of hay spotted at the dock behind the livestock hall (Young Building?).

is there any rail line near the grounds anymore?
it would be nice to have an excursion train while the big-e is going on

w.r.branch wrote:Thinking about the Amherst Show, it would be nice to have EVERY scale represented including 1:1. There was once a siding leading into the grounds. I remember the annual Eastern States Exposition and believe it was in 1963 or 64 that you could tour through a few cars leading through an F unit body into the cab. Anyone else remember or able to give more detail?

theozno wrote:is there any rail line near the grounds anymore?
it would be nice to have an excursion train while the big-e is going on

There is still a siding that goes from the West Springfield Yard to a couple of businesses adjacent to the Big E grounds, not sure if they still get cars though.......but a pax train is just a dream for ya.

When I worked in Springfield-Chicopee '66-'68, I remember the ICE CAPADES show cars there. I belive the Ringling Circus also used the spur.

Ringling Brothers normally appeared on the Springfield side of the Connecticut River and the cars were parked in the New Haven yard. Doubt the Eastern States siding would have enough room for the entire train.

Our family used to go to the Exposition every year, from the late 50s through most of the 60s. I remember the New Haven Railroad's display well and have 3 of the "Honorary Engineer" cards that were given out on the locomotive. Most years featured a shiny FL9 with stairways in and out, and with some foam rubber taped over the low locomotive doorways to prevent head injuries. One year had an RS3 and primarily freight equipment, and one year had an EF4 "Brick" electric loco. I believe the last year for the New Haven display was 1967, maybe 1966. I remember going over to the display area (behind the Young Building) and just finding a couple of boxcars with partial loads of hay the year after the final NHRR display.
When Amtrak was introducing the new Amfleet cars in 1975, they brought over a coach, a cafe and a baggage car with a diesel generator inside for "head end power" for the passenger cars. I helped staff the display, which was located east of the Young Building instead of where the NHRR display had been. I think there was only one year for the Amtrak display, but in any event the siding was removed shortly afterward and with it the likelyhood of displaying any full sized railroad equipment.
The only other full sized rail equipment outside of MoW that I remember was a narrow gauge steam locomotive on the lawn of the Mass. state building during an Edaville revival attempt during the 1990s.

Thank you CVRA7! I was absolutely sure this was New Haven equipment although I've been challenged by my so-called esteemed associates regarding distant and extant memories. Someone even changed the heading of this thread I started! I KNEW this was NH equipment! If this had lightning stripes I would have reported it as such. Thanks for the memories! I still have the GE brochure the engineer gave me about the NEW U25 b'S and c's. Now the big question----how and why did NH equipment get here even though this was a NYC spur from the West Springfield yard?

I'm surprised none of the people who rent their Private Cars brought one. If I was a PV owner, I would have brought mine to be like an open house.