Maine Ski Train

[NS VIA FAN]

Here’s some nostalgia from a Ski Trip 13 years ago today.

It’s 9 hours from Halifax NS to slope-side accommodations at Sunday River Maine but I convinced a buddy we should stay in Portland and ride the “Silver Bullet Express”. It operated on the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad from Portland to Bethel, Maine. Power was SLR GP9s and (I believe) xATSF passenger equipment.

I remember talking with an attendant who thought there would be a connecting train from Boston by the following year. But it was another 6 years before the Downeaster’s first run and I believe the Silver Bullet only lasted another year or two.

Anyway.....We’re heading back to Sunday River today but driving all the way!

Silver Bullet 1.jpg

Silver Bullet 2.jpg

[NS VIA FAN]

Not really a Ski Train but VIA’s Atlantic provided service to the Greenville area of Maine. Back in the early ‘80s a group of us took the Atlantic from Halifax to Greenville for a weekend where the Hotel van from Squaw Mountain met us then returned us to the train. How convenient and the Atlantic had a great bar car!

Are there any hills in New England today with the potential for direct train service to the base lodge? (or close)

Atlantic.jpg

[TomNelligan]

Are there any hills in New England today with the potential for direct train service to the base lodge? (or close)

The MBTA currently provides weekend ski train service to Wachusett Mountain in central Massachusetts, with a train from Boston and a highway shuttle from Fitchburg station. Trains include a car whose seats have been removed to provide storage space for skis.

Wachusett ski train

[NHN503]

For NH you have the following with trackside skiing possibilities.

Brenton Woods - Detrain at Fabians station and the base lodge is across the street. A bus shuttle like Waterville Valley would be nice.
Attitash/Bear Peak - Detrain at their platform in the parking lot, base lodge is across the street.
Cranmore - Detrain in North Conway, but would need a shuttle to the base lodge, 2 miles away.

All would obviously need significant track upgrades to make it worth wild.

[CN9634]

Here’s some nostalgia from a Ski Trip 13 years ago today.

It’s 9 hours from Halifax NS to slope-side accommodations at Sunday River Maine but I convinced a buddy we should stay in Portland and ride the “Silver Bullet Express”. It operated on the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad from Portland to Bethel, Maine. Power was SLR GP9s and (I believe) xATSF passenger equipment.

I remember talking with an attendant who thought there would be a connecting train from Boston by the following year. But it was another 6 years before the Downeaster’s first run and I believe the Silver Bullet only lasted another year or two.

Anyway.....We’re heading back to Sunday River today but driving all the way!

Silver Bullet 1.jpg

Silver Bullet 2.jpg

Oh man does that bring me back! I rode the train probably 12 or more times when It ran but I used to see it a lot. When I lived on Sligo Road in North Yarmouth, my Dad would wake me up early and we would go to Yarmouth Junction to catch the train at the diamond. We then would follow it all the was down North Road to the final crossing before heading back. Sometimes we caught Guilford Trains on the way home. Its too bad that train is gone, I think it would survive in these days of Alternative transportation and Sunday River expanding.

[NEWanderer]

Not really a Ski Train but VIA’s Atlantic provided service to the Greenville area of Maine. Back in the early ‘80s a group of us took the Atlantic from Halifax to Greenville for a weekend where the Hotel van from Squaw Mountain met us then returned us to the train. How convenient and the Atlantic had a great bar car!

Are there any hills in New England today with the potential for direct train service to the base lodge? (or close)

Atlantic.jpg

The state of Vermont has wisely invested in Amtrak ski trains in the past, whereas New Hampshire has had its "Ski 93" campaign.

Not a hill but MBTA has a stop right across from the Weston Ski Track, one of the few Nordic centers in New England that makes snow.

[shadyjay]

Okemo's newer Jackson Gore area has the Green Mountain RR (VT Rail System) tracks passing right through. If you're on the slopes, you cross over the railroad before hitting the base lodge. This is the only ski area in Vermont with on-line access to the rail system. Others would require a bus meeting trains at existing stations and a minimum 10-15 min ride, max 30-45 min ride.

Then there's Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express which runs (for now) from NYC to Rutland, connecting with buses to both Killington and Okemo and with a schedule on Fridays/Sundays to permit a weekend of skiing/riding.

[Otto Vondrak]

Okemo's newer Jackson Gore area has the Green Mountain RR (VT Rail System) tracks passing right through.

Surprised GMRC and Okemo haven't considered Rutland-Bellows Falls Ski Trains. GMRC already runs regular excursions as far as Chester and occasionally to Rutland... or do most people just automatically drive in that area?

[shadyjay]

Okemo's newer Jackson Gore area has the Green Mountain RR (VT Rail System) tracks passing right through.

Surprised GMRC and Okemo haven't considered Rutland-Bellows Falls Ski Trains. GMRC already runs regular excursions as far as Chester and occasionally to Rutland... or do most people just automatically drive in that area?

I believe once this was talked about. It wouldn't be too complicated to throw up a platform and it'd be just a short walk away from the base area which has an inn right there. Couple that with a stop just a mile or so back at Ludlow and have some shuttles meeting up to take passengers to area lodging, and this train would be great. It could meet either the Vermonter at Bellows Falls or the Ethan Allen at Rutland.

Okemo is BIG on daytrippers as its a relatively easy drive from "down south". Same goes with Mt Snow and Stratton, but with those 2, rail access is 20-30 miles away.

[NRGeep]

I've been up there a few times, great resort. just wish i new about the the tracks when i was there(never when't all the way down to the gakson gorge base). lately I've been considering taking the ethan allen up there this coming season. would be amazing if they put a small platform right there on the slops and rain a connecting shuttle train then okemo could say they have both the only ski right up to place to eat (the walf cabin)in Vermont but also the only ski right up to train station! anyone have any photos of fraight operations though the mountain, can't find any my self...actualy all i could find is this

u fraighten mee!~!

[Rockingham Racer]

As the thread is nostalgia oriented, I'll chime in and say the B&M used to run ski trains out of North Station on Fridays.

[BostonUrbEx]

pardin my spelling please, its my one major weakness, i am only 15 yah know
so does anyone have any old photos of Freight operations threw the trails at okemo?

There was a photo on NERail at some point but I can't find it now. There are still some photos of freight in the area, and of the tracks through the resort, but no actual shots of trains in the resort.

This is still pretty cool though, taken from a chairlift:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20080 ... RING=okemo

[Ridgefielder]

As the thread is nostalgia oriented, I'll chime in and say the B&M used to run ski trains out of North Station on Fridays.

The New Haven ran ski trains to the Berkshires from GCT starting in the winter of '34-- there are some great pictures in Peter Lynch's New Haven Passenger Trains.

[Tadman]

Great thread, I'm an avid skier in addition to the hobby we all share here. I remember going to Steamboat in college and wishing the DRGW ski train went all the way up the Craig branch to Steamboat. It didn't, so the trip was made in a borrowed Suburban. I had the fortune to walk the ski train once before Ansco sold it to CN a few years back. Unfortunately I've never been on an operating ski train.

Hey, if you're not falling, you're not skiing hard enough!

I've also never skied out east but I'd like to try. I learned to ski in the midwest which presents somewhat similar conditions.

[trainsinmaine]

The Bangor & Aroostook ran ski trains from Bangor to Greenville and (I think) Mars Hill from the late '40s through at least the '50s. I've seen some of the old brochures.

Neither line is there anymore . . . sad.