I was wondering if anybody has directions to the Palmer MA hot spot from the Stamford Ct area.
Thanks,
Peter Cusden
No problem, good buddy. Get on I95 north. Turn in New Haven to I91 north. In Springfield, MA, turn east on 291. Take it to the Mass. Pike (if you miss the exit, not to worry – you’ll hit the Mass. Pike anyway!) which is also I90. Take the Mass. Pike east. Take the Palmer exit (next but one if you got on from I291). Turn right towards the centre of town. Turn left and the junction is right there. Good parking, good viewing. Have fun!
I do believe there is a book that Kalmbach published a few years ago called Feild Guide To North American Hot Spots, and if memory serves me right Palmer, MA was mentioned. They also gave driving directions from nearby interstates close to the site. I would recommend checking this out, then I would go on Map Quest to get exact directions from were you are starting from to you exact ending destionation.
Mapquest is one option for you, you can also try MSNMaps, both have railroads on most of their detail maps.
Palmer is Exit 8 on the Mass Pike. You turn right at the traffic light at the Pike entrance and then make a left turn at the 2nd light on to Main Street in Palmer. You’ll go over a narrow bridge and take a sharp right as you come off the bridge. Also watch for the signs for the Steaming Tender Restaurant which is located in the station. If you have time be sure to eat at the restaurant and take a look at their collection of artifacts.
Does the Amtrak still stop (not just run through) Palmer?
I realize it is just once a day in each direction (So much for Massachusetts transportation planniing and priorities), but it would be good to know if one can still ride a train to Palmer.
Two Amtrak trains, the Vermonter and the Lake Shore Limited go through Palmer but neither makes a station stop. The Vermonter actually makes a backup move directly in front of the station in order to switch between CSX and New England Central tracks. The closest station stops to Palmer are Springfield, MA (Vermonter and Lake Shore) and Amherst, MA (Vermonter).