I’m gonna have a spare hour or two while my other half is shopping Saturday & Sunday. Any easy to find places for railfanning? Right now we are going to be in Natick, Medford and maybe Wrentham. I won’t have a scanner and while not directionally challenged, the further I go away from these places the less time for railfanning. Tips or Suggestions?
Your best bet is the RT. 135 Framingham T station (downtown) next to the CSX yard, it’s the next town over from Natick and only minutes from Rt. 9.
Closest to you in Natick is Framingham. This is an Amtrak station and major point on the MBTA commuter rail. CSX has numerous operations out of the area, and is a terminating point for a few trains. East of Framingham, towards Boston, is really devoid of good freight traffic.
However, a much better location is to be had about 20 minutes west of Framingham at Worcester, MA. This is one of favorite spots. Traffic is VERY heavy here. Worcester is home to a major CSX intermodal yard just east of the beautifully restored station. Most intermodal terminates here.
Also located in Worcester is the home base for the P&W, or Providence & Worcester. This is a colorful, railfan friendly (keep to etiquette though, the ROW is off limits) regional. If you get lucky, P&W will right past Worcester Union Station up towards Barber Junc and on to Gardner. It is not totally uncommon during daylight. Also using the Barber Junc line are CSX’s Q426 and Q427 to/from Ayer. If the P&W doesn’t come right on through, you can head down to the P&W Southbridge St yard about 5 minutes west to see the action.
If you decide to go to Worcester, my strongest recommendation, I’d suggest arriving around 10AM to catch the morning rush of intermodal. Don’t be afraid to see the yard empty when you arrive; it will fill up very quickly. The peak traffic period is between 10am and 3pm, and especially between 11am and 2pm. Amtrak should be through around 2pm. Q427, off the Barber Junc line for a great photo shot (there is a tunnel below a hospital just north of the station) comes through reliably around 3:30pm. If you’re planning to go, I and I’m sure others will be very happy to provide you with more information and the best locations to watch.
Another great location is Palmer, MA. However, it is about an hour and a half from Natick, especially if you follow the truly scenic route along the tracks (not the interstate).
Thanks for the help carnej1 and yoshi. Now here is hoping for the time and weather for Saturday
If you like Passenger Trains, it might be better to go east from the Natick/ Framingham exit on the Turnpike, one exit to I-95/Rt128 south. This is Boston’s “Inner Beltway”. Drive south on I-95 a few miles to the “Route 128” passenger station, located alongside I-95. You can watch at the station or Safely explore down the line for places to watch the trains.
This is the “Northeast Corridor”, no daytime freight. Each Hour, you will see a northbound and southbound Acela Bullet Train, every couple of hours Amtrak Regional Trains, and 3 or 4 MBTA Commuter Trains per hour serving Providence, or Attelboro, or Stoughton.
Corridor Tracks (formally New Haven) are owned by the MBTA and Dispatched by Amtrak in this area. It you go to Framingham or Worcester the tracks are owned by CSX (formally Boston & Albany) and dispatched from Jacksonville. SECURITY RULES IN THIS AREA, you MAY be asked for identification by any railroad employee. The reason for photographing is “Rail Fan” or “Amature”. He will write down your name for future referance and leave you alone. Professional Photographers need a permit.
Thanks DMU. I downloaded the Amtrak Schedules so I should have a good handle on things.