New England Railfanning???

Hello,

Does anyone know of some nice spots to railfan in the CT-NY-MA area? I have
been to CSX yard in Selkirk NY and Palmer MA (not a lot of traffic?). I would like
to find a place that I can watch about six - ten trains per hour.

I have been to Horseshoe Curve and Cresson in PA. That was great. A lot of
trains and really great scenery to shoot them against.

I lived in San Antonio TX for about five years and was really spoiled with the amount
of trains I saw everyday. Just in my daily commute, I would see anywhere from four
to ten trains.

Thanks in advance

 

Sorry Garth, I was railfanning in New England a number of years ago and there was not the volume of traffic there that you might catch around Dallas/Ft Worth etc but there was a greater variety to see. Between CR ( now CSXT), PW, Gilford, CV (now New England Central), Mass Central, Amtrak, Conn Central, and a lot of scenic locations - State Line Tunnel, Hoosic Tunnel, Conn River Line, I thought it a great area to railfan - just have to luck out, catch something, and chase it for all your worth. You also have the Vermont Rwy & Green Mountain RR's, I loved it!

 

Garth, I don't know where to tell you to go today ... but I sure wish I could take you back 50-60 years to anywhere in New England.

Just seeing a New Haven Alco FA-B-B-A lash-up hauling an 80-100 car freight over Hudson River High Bridge at Poughkeepsie, NY was out of this world!!!!!! Riding in a Boston & Maine open vestibule wooden coach behind a smokey teakettle up into the New Hampshire woods ..... Standing near an EMD FT A-B-B-A set "roaring" along the longest B&M tangent between Petersburg Jct., NY and Hoosick, NY (3+/- miles) .... OH WOW!!!

I'm sure that "Harron", and many others who live there today can tell you of some great locations for fanning throughout New England.

 

The only place I can recommend is the Hudson Valley line. It offers mostly Amtrak and MetroNorth passenger trains but some freight as well and on a somewhat regular basis.

Russ

 

Thanks everyone for the responses. I may just head down to New Haven / North Haven CT and look around there. It seems there is a decent sized yard (for CT) near the highway.
Another place I have heard about include places just off 95 for Amtrak Acela traffic. I guess I will just have to keep looking.

The last time I was through Boston, I saw a yard that paralleled Storrow Drive. The besty thing about it was I believe there was a Hotel that overlooked the tracks.

 

There are 3 Green Mountain excursion trains in Vermont.
If you haven't ridden them yet, they are wonderful.
Going to Bellows Falls to ride the 3rd one, I found that there is a neat Green Mountain RR yard there. There was some movement there, but probably spending a few hours there might be worthwhile. You can cross into New Hampshire right there too where there are more trains on their side! There are several shortlines in Vermont too, and I saw the Central New England running in Burlington. Check out phone #'s for the railroads online and hope you don't get an anti-railfan on the other end. Ask them when and where is a good time and spot to go. What might be lacking in action, will still bring an array of nice old motive power and stunning scenery!

 

95 is a good place in NY through CT. I once tailed the Vermonter in my car up 95 right up to CT and I noticed quite a few sidings along the way with some old NH equipment. I just do not know if there is anyplace to pull over along the way.

Russ

 

Check out the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire.

http://www.conwayscenic.com/

It's a tourist railroad that runs steam and diesel coach and dinner excurisions in the White Mountains up through Crawford Notch on ex-B&M and Maine Central tracks.

 

place

The only place i can think of is palmer but you've already been there. The steam engine was actually moved there from hubbardston i put up photos in cause you wanted to see it