Steam on the Central Mass.

I have read that the Central Mass. was the last branch on the B&M on which steam trains operated --- into the 1950s. Does anyone know if that was the case right up until the abandonment of passenger service to Clinton (1959), or was the railroad using Budds by that time?

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http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 9&start=15

Scroll down to the February 16, 2007 post for last steam and last trains info...

The Central Mass. was the last branch on the Fitchburg Division to use steam, but the last steam on the B&M (July 1956) was between Boston and Salem on the Eastern route.

Clinton service ended May 17, 1958. It had already shrunk by then as several trips originated or terminated in Hudson. The Hudson service was set up by deadhead moves in one direction; morning out, evening return. RDCs and steam both operated for a time on the CM. Once RDCs were worked into the operating scheme, the B & M began expanding service with the 9 cars on hand before the 55 unit big order was placed at the end of 1954. One expansion was to kill the first trip out of Clinton in the morning as far as Hudson and the RDC that covered Boston-Troy #55 made a deadhead trip to Hudson and covered the truncated first schedule of the day into Boston.