He's Alive! (general post-session update - recent goings-on and upcoming plans)

Last long night of session
(pics by me, unless indicated otherwise)

Pic from CTMirror

After more late nights than I care to remember or recount (except to say, that's 10:45Pm on the clock above - and we got out about 2am the next morning), the 2023 legislative session is finally done as of midnight June 7th and I can turn my focus to fun things. MUCH MORE fun things...

Though this isn't one of them . . .

Got this the last Friday of session - 12 yards of mulch, delivered. That's the recommended amount for the square footage we wanted to do. It ended up being about 7 yards too much(!) If you need some mulch, let me know and I'll hook you up. I moved it all to the backyard for storage...

THIS is more what I had in mind . . .

On recommendation of my good buddy JimD, and totally sight-unseen, I ordered all 3 volumes of "Iron Roads of the Monadnock Region" which arrived just in time for end-of-session. Not only will they be a fine and welcome addition to my collection of New England railroad books, but the set was a wonderful gift to myself to celebrate getting through another tough year at work.

But the BIGGEST celebration is hinted at by the book I took off the shelf to read over this past weekend...

Pic from Amazon

Deb and I made plans early on to take advantage of the fact that our anniversary this year fell on the Saturday after session and we got ourselves over to Cape Cod for a long weekend of R&R and celebrating 28(?!) years married (It'll be 32 yrs together this October. Where does the time fly off to??)

And one of the MANY MANY reasons it's been such a long, wonderful time is that I can do this while away on an anniversary trip...Here are some scenes from Hyannis yard the morning of June 9...

Every successful marriage has its level of compromise - and I'll admit to the fact that all those photos took me less than 20-30 minutes to take ;^)

But wait! There's more . . . Here are some pics of the railroad station in Chatham, MA - along with a NYC caboose. The Chatham Branch of the New Haven RR lasted only 50 years (1887-1937), but the beautiful, and distinctive, station remains and hosts a really nice museum of railroading in the area. Unfortunately, it doesn't open until tomorrow(!)

Now that we're back from the Cape, I can focus on the upcoming New England/Northeast Railroad Prototype Modeler's Meet being held this coming weekend!! Ugh! It really snuck up on me this year, but I'm so glad that the new schedule that Dave Owens and his awesome team have worked out allow me to attend even in "long-session" years (we don't get out until early June in the odd-numbered years). I just hope with the upcoming change of venue that he's able to keep the same schedule!

And - BONUS! - this year I'll be able to give my presentation on "Modeling the Valley Local." Though I'm sure many of you have already seen it at some point, I haven't given this clinic at the NERPM since 2016. So there are a LOT of updates and new photos to share! Even those that saw it when I gave it at the NER convention last fall will find a few new things added.

But, honestly, if you'd rather attend Bill Badger's clinic on converting a BLI light 2-8-2 into a Rutland mikado, I wouldn't blame you. Frankly, I'm bummed my clinic is the same time as his (9am Saturday) since I was looking forward to seeing it.

No worries though - as always Dave & Co. have come up with a HUGE list of wonderful clinics and presentations for the weekend. Click here for the full list.

Besides all this wonderfulness, RPMs are really, first and foremost, about sharing our modeling efforts - no matter what level of skill or finish. I'm debating whether to bring my old warhorses along yet another year (some NH freight cars and a few Alcos), but I'll definitely be bringing the 1109 to show - if only to prove it's real!

And as if that all isn't enough to look forward to, the Valley Line will be part of the Sunday layout tours this year. While a full list and details won't be available except to attendees this weekend, I don't mind jumping on some coattails to let you know that I'm only 20 minutes south of Bill Schneider's NYO&W layout #justsayin :^)

So an awful lot of goodness coming up! I can't believe it's only been since Wednesday that I finished my busy time at work - but I've got to get a move on if I'm going to be ready for all that's next! Which reminds me - I have a powerpoint to review . . .

In the meantime, here's hoping I see you sometime this weekend. Please be sure to say "Howdy!" if our paths cross. And here's to a New Day (of hobby time) Dawning!

Chatham Sunrise, June 11, 2023

Portals into the Past: Railfanning the Batten Kill RR

What do you think about when you think about October?

The smell of wood smoke? The crisp nip in the air? The brilliant fall foliage? The shushing sounds your shoes make through the leaves after they've fallen to the ground?

What about ghosts? Sure, there's Halloween, but what about the ghosts of the past?

I've always thought of the month of October as the perfect time to see some ghosts. As the leaves reveal their true colors, right before they fall from the trees, and things begin to slow down a bit, we can start to recall - or sometimes we have to imagine - what life used to be like, before all the craziness of modern life.

And if you find yourself in just the right spot during the month of October, you might just think you've fallen through a portal into the past - and if you're truly lucky, you might just see some ghosts of 1950s railroading in upstate New York.

That's what happened to me on a recent Autumn day, exploring the Rod Serling countryside along the Batten Kill River. Follow along as I share some of the memories with you . . .

Evoking the old D&H, switching the feed mill near Greenwich Jct., NY

The main ghost, spotted - Former D&H RS-3, near the end of its life and fading, like so much of the foliage surrounding it, but still serving the same stretch of railroad it's run on for years - shot through the Rexleigh Covered Bridge.

And just off to the right, you can make out the ghost of an old mill along the river....

Southbound through Shushan, NY - only the modern vehicles spoil the specter of a mid-20th century meet between two freight trains in small-town America.

Two ghosts, divided by 100 years - Station built c. 1852, Locomotive built 1952

21st century digital zoom softens the colors and captures an echo of railroading from almost 70 years ago.

Our fading pumpkin of a locomotive makes its way over the railroad's namesake river and past a fading farm.

A little paint, a little polish, and a lot of elbow grease, and this ghost of a car might just live to chase another train on another day . . .

Grab shot tension

New meets Old

The gathering clouds and fading foliage provide the perfect metaphor for a farm which has seen better days.

Heading back north from Eagle Bridge, NY

Ghosts sometimes do cast a reflection...

Cornfield, barn, trees, engine - all fading, evocative, beautiful.

Only another unfortunately parked vehicle spoils the illusion of 1950s railroading, including one of the last (if not THE last) crossing sign of this type in the country.

Nature's Reclamation

Mirrored Streaks of Weathering - Heading back to the Junction, and finishing up for the day.

I hope you've enjoyed this little portal into the past - and that it's inspired you to keep your eyes open, especially during this time of year. You may find a few happy hauntings of your own. And if you do, I hope you'll share them here . . . I'm always looking for new opportunities for a little time travel . . .

* * * * *

Given the ephemeral nature of the BKRR, you really can never just "find yourself in 'just the right spot" when trying to capture it. You need a guide - someone who knows the place as well as the member of the family that it's become. My guide for this once-in-a-lifetime trip was Ken Karlewicz, who went out of his way - literally and figuratively - not only to give me the heads up that the BK was running the RS-3, but to make sure I was in every good location at every right moment all throughout the day. While "finding oneself in just the right spot" works well as a foil for telling a story of ghosts, the reality is that it doesn't actually happen that way, and never by accident. Thank you, Ken, for an amazing day and especially for sharing your love of the BKRR.

Technical Info: All original, unretouched, unfiltered photos shot with iPhone SE

Dad Op

It's been a crazy week. My dad had a heart attack on Tuesday and a quadruple bypass the next day. And I flew down to Tennessee early Wednesday morning. I'd hoped I could get there before he went into surgery, but even in this modern age it took forever to get down there - or at least it seemed that way. But I was there when he woke up. And I am very happy to report that the surgery went well, no complications, and he's recovering. There's a long road ahead, but the road ahead looks so much better than it did last Tuesday/Wednesday. The hospital he's at is in Cookeville, TN and I'm very impressed with the expertise and care dad's received there. They've won multiple awards for cardiac care, so I know he's in good hands, but please keep him in your thoughts and prayers - and my mom too: Dad isn't such a patient patient. . .

Suffice it to say, I much prefer Dad Ops to a Dad Op(eration)!

While I was there, I also discovered that the hospital isn't too far from the mainline of the Nashville & Eastern (I heard the tell-tale grade crossing horns one afternoon). So when we (my brother Jeff and I) went out to run a couple errands one day, we happened to see the local doing some switching. Since this is a railroad-related blog, I'll sign off for now with some photos and a video. I wish dad had been able to join me and Jeff on our little impromptu railfanning, but I look forward to some other time - hopefully in the not-too-distant future - when we can all get together again under much better circumstances.

Fall Foliage Fun

As you've probably figured, October is one of my favorite months. And New England is - IMO - one of the best places on the planet to enjoy it. Fortunately for me, some of the best places are within easy reach. The only downside is that if I'm out and about, I'm not in the basement working on the layout. But no matter how hardcore a model railroader you may be, it's hard to be in the basement on a bright, sunny, fall day. So these past couple of weekends, layout work has taken a back seat while I get outside for some brisk autumn air. Here are a few shots from my recent trips...

Stafford Springs, CT on the former Central Vermont Rwy (now New England Central)

Palmer, MA station on the former Boston & Albany (where the Central Vermont crosses). The station has been restored to a must-see/must-eat-at restaurant called The Steaming Tender.

The "blue cabooses" in Deerfield, MA, along the B&M's Connecticut River Line. Visiting these is an annual event for me and the Missus (I get this same shot every year going back close to 20 yrs now).

East Deerfield Yard on the old Boston & Maine, now PanAm/Norfolk Southern. Some pretty cool power laying over.

East Deerfield Yard from the "Railfan Bridge"

Former New Haven Railroad freighthouse in Shelburne Falls, MA - now the site of the Shelburne Falls & Colrain trolley museum.

#10 originally ran on the SF&C and has been beautifully restored and is fully operational.

Hoosac Tunnel, MA on the former Fitchburg RR/Boston & Maine. I haven't visited here in probably close to 20 years, so I'd forgotten how impressive it is. This is the east portal and very accessible (unlike the western portal). Used to be double-tracked, and electrified during the steam era.

Looking east from the tunnel at some beautiful foliage. Those are former catenary towers along the left.

Bridge over the Deerfield River just east of the tunnel. The Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad connected with the B&M on the other side of the river.

Looking across the bridge at the former station site. The HT&W branched off to the left to head north to Wilmington, VT.

Heading over to Adams, MA I happened across the Berkshire Scenic Rwy's new operation, including this recently-restored Budd Car.

In New Haven RR green & orange, the BSR's SW-8 switcher provides the power. Unfortunately, either they weren't running that day or had already ended ops.

Beautifully restored station at Adams, MA with the end of the BSR foliage train on the main.

Living in southern New England this time of year is like living in Disneyland, between the beautiful foliage, the quaint villages, and the railroading. I haven't even gotten to the steam train yet, but that's coming. I tend to follow the foliage as it peaks from north to south, so I have a little bit of time yet before it gets to the lower Connecticut River Valley.

In the meantime, I'll soak up all the modeling inspiration I can from these sojourns outside of the basement.