Greetings to one and all. Wednesday is here, so that means it is time again to begin the Midweek Photos once again. I hope all who participated in the Martin Luther King Day or weekend activities enjoyed themselves. With brutal cold and wind chill in Pennsylvania, most people were encouraged to stay indoors. Last week, I began this thread with a few photos from 10 years ago. This year, I am posting a few from 5 years ago. In January, 2014, I attended the Big Railroad Hobby Show in West Springfield, MA. I was at the show in 2004 and 2005, but was very impressed to return again to see how the show had expanded. The most notable item that year for me was this full scale (although 2-foot gauge) dairy car, preserved by one of the preservation groups. In the last few years, live steam locomotives, also 2-footers, have added to the show.
Winter railroading has its challenges, but also so many neat things to catch if you are fortunate enough. While I was in New England, I was traveling with a friend who led me to some really neat locations. Here are only a few of them. One day, we went to Ayer, MA to catch this MBTA train rolling into the station past these interesting signals.
Another stop on our journey was White River Junction in Vermont. The New England Central RR was rolling through town.
And in Palmer, MA, Amtrak was making a back-up move to get "The Vermonter" from one rail line to another on its way to St. Albans.
Looking at these photos, only 5 years old, I see how much has changed. The train show has improved in so many ways, yet, MBTA has changed locomotives to the point that the F40PH is not seen much on trains. Also, New England Central, in 2014 was owned by RailAmerica, but now is owned by Genessee & Wyoming, so the blue and gold is not seen as much on their rails. The Vermonter no longer uses the switching maneuver in Palmer due to a track improvement allowing for a straighter run to Vermont from New York. The P42s are being phased out on Amtrak, too. Much is changing right before our eyes.
If you have any photos to share, from the past or even just this past weekend, how about sharing with us here? Thank you to anyone who has contributed. Have a great week.
