STEAMING TENDER is open with food at Palmer MA!

Hi kiddies

In case you haven't been there lately, the station at Palmer MA is now open and serving food as the Steaming Tender. They have a brochure calling this "Phase One" of the grand plan to have a full sit-down resturaunt inside the station. For now, it is what they call take-out, but so far the food is very good. Not cheap stuff. Atmosphere is great with two rail lines next to you as you eat. You can munch on clam strips while Amtrak switches track! Or munch a burger while CSX zips by. And of course, NEC will park an engine or two next to you while you add toppings to that hot dog.

We've already seen a pickup in people-traffic in the area. Only thing is, photos from Palmer no longer seem special. Doesn't really matter, though, as long as the changes are positive to railfans!!

I recommend the location highly... unless you are a grouch like the one we saw this weekend who couldn't just be gratefull. "Not like it was with Conrail... the music could be better..."

Well, I wasn't around for Conrail, and some of the music is very appropriate, so I say sit, eat a french fry, and enjoy the trains that ARE there!! (ooops, being snippy, am I?)

Jonelle

What's the history of that steam engine they have there?

Take a peek around the forum, I think someone already listed a little history. All I know is it used to sit at an nearby flea market and has had some "old west" alterations. I sure hope that in time it gets restored, but I guess they want the resturaunt done first.

The big fake smoke stack is hideous! Why do people always want to "phony up" stuff? If they simply restored the locomotive to its original appearance it would be a step in the right direction.

The name of the restaurant is ridiculous too. Tenders don't steam unless they have a booster engine! What utter nonsense. Why not call it the steaming cab, or the steaming cowcatcher? Uchhh!

I'm just guessing, but they're probably trying for a play on words. Everybody likes their steak "tender" instead of tough so they figured it would be cute. They probably know more about food than about trains. Hey - it's better than tearing down the depot for a McD's and scrapping the loco for a parking lot!

That's what I say, be thankfull... geesh... I mean, who in this day and age would actually ALLOW customers to mill around two active rail lines! I say we are lucky... Guilford would have an anti-aircraft gun on the property to keep us away!!

(BOOM)

JD