New ownership - Cape Cod Central RR

MickD wrote:At the very least it would have to be 55-60 MPH from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay and 70 beyond to build a year round customer base from The Cape
Seasonally 50 MPH I think would be lowest to sustain it to Middleborough.

You will never see 55/60 mph on the Cape Maybe 40mph tops and service from Hyannis to the bridge only Im sure with the Bay to Middleboro going to the T. with a Passing siding or 2 added also a layover facillity would be needed in buzzards bay. The cape is not dead for freight either the potential is there. I have talked to Tony Shepley on the subject of rail service in the Past. He would have funded the entire Cost of a Team track in Hyannis if Bay Colony could guarantee the Service.......They could not.

paulrail wrote:A few years ago, John Kennedy, Ted Michon and George Betke (Farmrail) put together aproposal to provide feeder passenger service [using] 6 or 7 Buddliners available in Canada.

Something tells me this service would find passengers. Even if a two-seat ride to BOS is time-equivalent to driving, the time spent aboard could otherwise be productive.

If some of those cars were RDC-2's, the former baggage area could be recycled for snackbar, bicycle, accessible or maybe meeting space.

paulrail wrote:John once told me that his "long range" goal was to provide passenger service with a dining car and lounge car direct to and from South Station to the Cape.

Hmm ... first a diner then maybe a parlor car? How cool would it be riding an open platform parlor car to the Cape on a sultry Friday afternoon!

>poof!< you guys wouldn't believe the daydream I just had. lol!

* JB *

I also live in Dennis.. acording to some former BCLR employees, the reason for Bay Colony giving up the South Dennis track is the rapidly-deteriorating Bass River bridge.. the abutments date back to the 1880's and would be far too costly to repair.. plus, i think that pro-bike dipstick Eric Turkington has his eyes on the ROW. sadly, it is an end of an era.
Also, to answer CSXConductor's question about John Kennedy, he had left CCCX afew years ago, but it was Phil Doherty then owner of the company who basically brow-beat John into it. If it werent for John, I never would have worked for the railroad. I think the new owners have far more railroad knowledge than Phil ever had. Doherty was VERY scroodge-like, also. I mean who cancells Santa trains?

I don't think 40 MPH is worth the long term investment.You wouldn't make Boston in 2 Hours,which is what it needs to be competitive with P&B.
With the bus it's a one seat ride to South Station.Granted not always under the best of conditions but one seat none the less.If you weren't a rail buff would you use a 2 1/2 hour service with a transfer on regular,
perhaps, daily basis?Don't know that I would.And if I were a tourist
coming to Cape via Logan I wouldn't either.This service has to be attractive to commuters to work and nothing less than 55-60 will do it.

There is absolutely NO REASON that the Cape line could not be back at
what it was in the New Haven days in 1957. All that would be needed is
for a signal system that was partially installed a few years ago over at
least a portion of this route. Under the New Haven, this line was fully
signaled with a good CTC system all the way to Buzzards Bay with a 79
MPH speed to match the signal system. The lack of signals between
Buzzards Bay and Hyannis held the speed to 59 MPH which is quite
respectable too.
With the right operation, signal system and track maintenance and
structure, trains could make the run between Boston and Hyannis in two
hours or probably a little bit less. The New Haven Railroad did it fifty
years ago and it could be done today.
Noel Weaver

Sure it could be done But People do not want the trains back Period. Ive been to the meetings and its the people that retire down here from everywhere else that complain.
Also the Signal system that was installed back in the early 80's was never turned on ( Buzz Bay to Hyannis ) the Funding Ended when Dukakis left office "A Real Rail Buff".
Im with everyone Id like to see the Trains back to the Cape But they would never approve the Speeds needed to obtain the service. Look at the Rediculas costs of the "BIG DIG" and the Rotary "Improvement" at the Sagamore bridge. It will just improve the traffic jams in the Summer time. The Trains would relieve some of the Tigh-up...?

Different set of circumstances though.The New Haven owned the line
and to my knowledge,which I may be wrong about,wasn't at all state subsidized,which is also why they stopped running The Cape Codder.
Plus the other Old Colony lines had ceased passenger operations,now they're being rebuilt in areas that have as much or more need of the service.Which leads to wonder if the State Department of Transportation
will ever come to the sensible conclusion that ithe Cape's commuter population is growing.I mean that flyover is being built for the tourists
not for year round residents,only because our govenor got stuck in summer traffic.I do believe that John Kennedy has serious intentions about reviving Off Cape passenger operations but realistically these guys
are up against a lot

BayColony1706 wrote:I also live in Dennis.. acording to some former BCLR employees, the reason for Bay Colony giving up the South Dennis track is the rapidly-deteriorating Bass River bridge.. the abutments date back to the 1880's and would be far too costly to repair.. plus, i think that pro-bike dipstick Eric Turkington has his eyes on the ROW. sadly, it is an end of an era.
Also, to answer CSXConductor's question about John Kennedy, he had left CCCX afew years ago, but it was Phil Doherty then owner of the company who basically brow-beat John into it. If it werent for John, I never would have worked for the railroad. I think the new owners have far more railroad knowledge than Phil ever had. Doherty was VERY scroodge-like, also. I mean who cancells Santa trains?

The Bridge is just an excuse, when they destroyed the platform at Mid Cape center and wanted Mid cape to Pay Mid cape Threatened to go to Trucks So BCLR abandoned Mid Cape With the Excuse of the Bridge.
Ive gone over Worse Bridges on the Main Line with 8000 Tons and a Mile and a Half of train Day in and Day out "those bridges are just as old as Bass River Bridge 1 Engine and 2 cars aint $hit...!

Yeah that was the reason.That jibes with what I was told by someone who was employed there at the time.As far as Turkington goes,Dennis would be wise not to press for a rail trail extension.Have you ever gone off the rail trail by the Harwich resevoirs?Lotta'garbage left there in season.
The Indian Consevation land behind the Town Hall in South Dennis is relatively free of that.I go back there from time to time.If the rail trail
crosses 134 the town would have to deal with considerable more upkeep
back there.

The ant-rail dipstick, Turkington, as someone put it, was able to negate the rail-with-trail agreement for the Falmouth line for a bike-path-only from the wasted Falmouth station to North Falmouth, by a closed-door agreement in connivance with the EOTC. While this was distasteful, it is ultimately the silent majority who was afraid to stand up to Turkington and his shenanigans.
The memorandum of understanding states that the Falmouth rail line can be reclaimed by the state at any time.
Whether this will happen or not depends on the people all being on the same page and not be intimidated by the opposition.
The best we can hope for the foreseeable future is rail service from Hyannis to the Boston area, and maybe that will make Falmouth look foolish and stupid.
If Falmouth wants the subpar bus service, as well as traffic and air pollution, that is their choice.
John Kennedy told me it's better to fight for the service that can be done the easiest, then fight the 'brush fires' later. Maybe other towns will 'come around' once the initial service is restored.
getting the initial service is a difficult step granted, but it is one step. The others will follow with less difficulty once the original one is attained.

Are we talking about Cape rail service in general, or the new ownership of the Cape Cod Ralroad?

-otto-

Thread began with very recent(last week) change in ownership of The Cape Cod Central,tourist operation that runs from Hyannis to Bourne on the east side of the canal on the only active rail line here.Bay Colony has the freight rights and at one time the owner ran the tourist operations until a
scandal caused the state to take it away and put it out to bid.Since then there's been a change in ownership every couple of years.New owner
last week expressed interest in providing passenger service that would hook up with MBTA's Middleborough line sometime in the future,but in this case, in all likelyhood it's the very distant future.Freight rights go back up for grabs next year and new owner of CCC with his partners has expressed interest.

BayColony1706 wrote:I mean who cancells Santa trains?

Don't tell me that at your age you still believe in Santa?!? LOL

Otto Vondrak wrote:Are we talking about Cape rail service in general, or the new ownership of the Cape Cod Ralroad?

Otto, are you surprised that we strolled off-topic slightly?!? Haha. I think it's become more of a vent of everybody knows of people who ruin rail service in the area to squak about them.

To get back on track so to speak, I do agree that the new owners look to be very promising. while I have yet to meet the others, John Kennedy is DEFINATELY in the right place. Not only does he care about the rail aspect, but he is a cape codder and cares about the area. In short, i think that this is by far a well-needed boost to a financially-strapped railroad. I agree that we can probably look forward to good things coming out of the new era of Cape Cod Central. I for one can't wait for the trains to start for the season!

Anyone looking for a more than Qualified Licenced Locomotive Engineer..?