Robin and I arose at the Best Western in Chelmsford and then drove to the Alewife Red Line subway station which we would be taking to Park Street to transfer to the Green Line to North Station. I would spend my day riding the Boston T commuter trains getting new rail mileage on all trips and while Robin looked around Boston, I would ride out to Rockport and back, then make a round trip to Fitchburg before taking the subway to South Station. There I would rejoin him later in the day to ride the CapeFlyer this evening. We paid the parking fee then bought our Charlie Card Day Pass and followed the signs to the train.
The Red Line train at Park where I transferred to the Green Line to get to North Station.
A Green Line light rail train took me two stops to North Station.
That train departed then I bought my tickets for my two round trips before having some Dunkin' Donuts maple donuts for my breakfast then watched the train board.
The North Station train board.
About ten minutes before departure time the gate number was displayed and people walk out to the train. I prefer Metrolink's way of just having the same track assigned to their train every day in Los Angeles versus this method. I first walked out for a picture of my train.
One of the MBTA HSP-46 built by MPI in 2013, the new motive power on some of the trains here.
My train for Rockport led by MTBA GP40MC 1131 (nee Canadian National GP40-2LW 9577 built by General Motors Division in 1975) and I boarded the bi-level car for my first ride of the day. Sit back and relax as I take you all the way there.
The train arrived in Rockport and was the most scenic line of all the MTBA daily lines out of Boston. I detrained for some pictures.
The platform.
The train at Rockport. On the return trip the conductor squeezed us all into a low-level car and would not let us use the car. I rode back to Beverly and just beforehand, he chastised me for wanting to move. The other passengers were really upset at him for doing that to me but his excuse was that he was working this train alone. I had a quiet trip after that to North Station and back in Boston, I detrained for a few more pictures.
The new and some of the old.
My train that returned me from Rockport. I went into the station and had lunch then went on-line thanks to the free wi-fi from the Boston Garden above the station. I uploaded one of my stories then just checked the things on the Internet before going inside the station to watch the station board for the train to Fitchburg. I then boarded the train to my next new destination so sit back and view a few things on the way there.
A few pictures on the way to Fitchburg where I detrained.
The train at Fitchburg.
My motive power for this trip, MBTA GP40MC 1115, nee Canadian National 9474 built by General Motors Division in 1974.
One more picture before I reboarded the train to return to North Station.
The train arriving at North Station. It had been mostly a great day of riding MTBA commuter trains on two new routes. I took the Green Line to Park and the Red Line two stops to South Station, walked in and found Robin sitting at a table waiting for me.
| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |