Coming to America

[cambus267]

I know this is a model railroad forum,but I am hoping for some help. My wife and I live in Scotland and at the end of September she is retirihg after being a teacher for 37 years. One of the things she has always to do is see Boston in the Fall. My question to the forum is : Are ther train services to areas around Boston ,so that we can take day trips into the country. Any help would be much appreciated. Regards Cambus 267

[gandydancer19]

Passenger rail service in America is almost non-existent.  Boston may have a local rail system, but someone that lives there is going to have to chime in on that.

The other way is to do a search on the city of Boston.  Most cities have web sites that will give you some information on their areas, services, and attractions.

[andrechapelon]

cambus267

I know this is a model railroad forum,but I am hoping for some help. My wife and I live in Scotland and at the end of September she is retirihg after being a teacher for 37 years. One of the things she has always to do is see Boston in the Fall. My question to the forum is : Are ther train services to areas around Boston ,so that we can take day trips into the country. Any help would be much appreciated. Regards Cambus 267

You might want to check the site for the Boston MBTA (aka the "T").  http://www.mbta.com/

Here's a rail map for the MBTA: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/

Subway (i.e. Undeground) map: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

Also, Amtrak has frequent trains between New York City and Boston (and points in between). http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage

If you're interested in farther north, Amtrak's Down Easter service has 5 trains/day each way between Boston and Portland, Maine.

You could also try Concord Coach Lines for bus service between Boston and points in Maine and New Hampshire. http://www.concordcoachlines.com/  They do go to North Conway, New Hampshire, which would allow for visiting the Conway Scenic Railroad. However, in looking at the schedule, you'd probably want to overnight in North Conway.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Note: Trains to the North leave from North Station. Trains to the South and West leave from South Station.

Andre

[wabash2800]

The last time I checked the MBTA runs commuter trains that fan out to outlying areas from Boston. Some as much as an hour's away.

http://www.mbta.com/

Also, Amtrak runs the Downeaster from Boston to Portland, Maine with stops in between.

Go to  Amtrak.com  for more information.

Have a great time in the U.S. I am of Scottish ancestry myself. (Baird) You live in a beautiful country.

[charlieB]

Just got back from Boston the other day.We drove up from New York to see a baseball game.We parked the car and took mass transit .Its the only way to get around Boston.The "T" is alot like the London Underground.Fall in Boston is great.Lots to see and do.Make sure you take the Park Service tour ,its a walking tour that goes thru many historical places like the Boston Massacre and ends at Paul Reveres house 

[galaxy]

Did he ever return?

No he never returned

And his fate is still unlearn'd

He may ride forever

'neath the streets of Boston

He's the man who never returned

SORRY, HAD to put in the "MTA song" where a guy gets on the Boston "MTA" and rides the train forever....

The song's lyrics tell of Charlie, a man who gets aboard an MTA subway car {as the MBTA was called then} . Charlie can't get off the subway as he didn't bring enough money for the exit fares that had just been established to collect an increased fare without upgrading existing fare collection equipment.

Have fun in America and Boston!

1. Let me tell you the story Of a man named Charley On a tragic and fateful day He put ten cents in his pocket, Kissed his wife and family Went to ride on the MTA Charley handed in his dime At the Kendall Square Station And he changed for Jamaica Plain When he got there the conductor told him, "One more nickel." Charley could not get off that train. Chorus: Did he ever return, No he never returned And his fate is still unlearn'd He may ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston He's the man who never returned. 2. Now all night long Charley rides through the tunnels Saying, "What will become of me? How can I afford to see My sister in Chelsea Or my cousin in Roxbury?"

Charley's wife goes down
To the Scollay Square station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charley a sandwich
As the train comes rumblin' through.
Chorus:

3. As his train rolled on
Through Greater Boston
Charlie looked around and sighed,
"Well, I'm sore and disgusted
And I'm absolutely busted;
I guess this is my last long ride."

Now you citizens of Boston,
Don't you think it's a scandal
That the people have to pay and pay
Vote for Walter A. O'Brien
And fight the fare increase
Get poor Charley off the MTA.

Chorus:
Or else he'll never return,
No he'll never return
And his fate will be unlearned
He may ride forever
'neath the streets of Boston
He's the man (Who's the man)
He's the man (Oh, the man)
He's the man who never returned.

 

[cowman]

There are quite a few excursion trains around New England, (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) you might want to check those out.  Probably would have to rent a car to get to them. 

Amtrack does run from Boston to Springfield, MA, as well as Maine, with connections to VT.  Not sure of the schedules, whether you could get somewhere and back in a day or if you would have to plan an overnight.  Just to Springfield and back would be a nice ride, if layover not too long.

Hope you have a wonderful time when you get here.

Good luck,

Richard

[Scarpia]

White River Jct, VT is a two hour drive from Boston (you can take the bus, or a rental car). Green Mountain Railway runs excursion trains up and down the Connecticut River (see their site for a schedule http://www.rails-vt.com/train-schedule)

As mentioned, public transport outside of Boston proper in New England is poor at best. Boston deserves a good couple of days, but if you have more time, I'd recommend a rental car, and you can explore Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine - especially that time of year, the local produce is just finishing up (like apples), and the views can be spectacular.

Besides the Conway Scenic Railway as mentioned, the Mt. Washington Cog Railway is really spectacular on a clear day.

Best bet for fall foliage is normally late September-mid October, but that varies depending on weather conditions. I've heard it's been a very wet summer so far, so that window may shift.

[steemtrayn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU&feature=related

[simon1966]

As a fellow Brit, but one who has lived and travelled extensively in the US for the past 20 odd years, I can tell you that Boston and surrounds are some of my favorite places to spend time.   Boston itself is a very compact city, a really good walking town with a lot to do.  The Freedom Trail walking tour is a bit corny in some respects, but is a very good way to take in many of the sites and then pick and choose where you want to spend more time.  The cuisine in the city, seafood in particular, is excellent.

One place I really enjoy, and in the fall it would be wonderful, would be The Battle Road Trail between Lexington and Concord,   http://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm  I was once able to hike. well stroll really. this trail when there were very few people around.  Very peaceful and a most enjoyable time absorbing some of the history of the first shots fired.  http://www.battleroad.org/sites.html

On a MRR theme, if you can a visit to George Selios Franklin and South Manchester in Peabody would be well worth the effort.  http://www.finescaleminiatures.com/about.html

Anyway, I hope you have a great trip?

[wjstix]

A US TV program recently did a segment asking the question "why do people in Boston drive like they're crazy?" so it's definitely a place NOT to drive if you can help it. The walking tour is a good way to get an overview of Boston history, particularly around the Revolution. I've heard from people who've visited both that DT Boston is a bit like London - an old city with narrow streets, but with most of the major sites within reasonable walking distance.

[MisterBeasley]

Rail service in and around Boston is very good.  The MBTA is a subway and trolley system which also runs buses.  The rail routes are mostly a hub-and-spoke system, so if you want to go into and out of downtown, it works well, but getting from one "spoke" to another takes time.

Commuter rail is also hub-and-spoke, but it goes out further.

Boston is the northern end of the closest thing in the US to true high-speed rail - the Acela train to New York and Washington, DC.  If you plan a side trip to New York, this might be an option.  (Be aware that it costs the same as an airplane ticket, although the hassles of air travel probably make the Acela a quicker trip overall.)  If you have a bit more time, though, the same trip can be taken on cheaper conventional trains.

Consider a trip north on the Downeaster, service from Boston to Portland, Maine.  You can make a day trip of it, or spend the night in a very pleasant small city on the Maine coast.

There are several bus companies that run tours as well, if you don't feel like walking.  And, don't overlook the ferries and excursion boats that serve the New England coastline.

[cambus267]

[G Paine]

MisterBeasley

Consider a trip north on the Downeaster, service from Boston to Portland, Maine.  You can make a day trip of it, or spend the night in a very pleasant small city on the Maine coast.

If you take the Downeaster to Portland, there is the Maine Narrow Gage Museum with 2' narrow gage trains that run along the waterfront. http://www.mainenarrowgauge.org/

Also, there is a ferry service to the islands in Portland harbor; a lot of people ride the ferry just to see the sights in the harbor. http://www.cascobaylines.com/

The Portland Old Port area has a lot of good dining and shopping
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g40827-d105082-Reviews-Old_Port-Portland_Maine.html

If you go to North Conway NH, and want to ride the cog railway to the top of Mt Washington, just remember that the summit is above 7000 feet (above the tree line), and can be a lot colder than the base level. Check conditions at the top before you buy tickets - it could be snowing up there!!
http://thecog.com/

Not a problem on the Conway Scenic Railroad; I would recommend the Notch Train that travels up Crawford Notch. On certain runs you can have lunch on their historic dining cars
 http://www.conwayscenic.com/

[Hamltnblue]

cambus267

I know this is a model railroad forum,but I am hoping for some help. My wife and I live in Scotland and at the end of September she is retirihg after being a teacher for 37 years. One of the things she has always to do is see Boston in the Fall. My question to the forum is : Are ther train services to areas around Boston ,so that we can take day trips into the country. Any help would be much appreciated. Regards Cambus 267

New England in the Fall is beautiful country. I lived there for 7 years.  As noted earlier the MBTA is a decent system but aside from that you should also rent a car and drive the area.  You'll love it.  There are also a few good MRR clubs that you should look into visiting . A quick google will show them.

I spent a few years in Scotland, riding a Sub out of Holy Loch.  There arent many places in the world more beautiful than there IMO.

 

[MikeFF]

You don't say where you are arriving.  If it is New York, here is a neat triangle trip you can take.  Take the Acela express from New York to Boston.  That will give you a run along a sea coast.  Then, catch the Lake Shore from Boston west to Albany, NY.  You'll be on a real mountain railroad through some of the nicest scenery in the east, especially in fall.  At Albany, take the next train (likely the Adirondack) south to New York. There is also frequent Empire Service on the same route.  You'll travel along the Hudson, often referred to as our "Rhine," which will be spectacular in the fall and a wonderful ride back to New York.  I did this a couple of years ago and enjoyed it.  Please check the current Amtrak timetables to make sure the connections all still work  You could also work this from Boston, but might have to overnight.  Also, be aware by late September the leaves will likely not have peaked in color and that the sun will be setting fairly early in evening.

[Voyager]

Cambus 267,

As other posters have noted, the Boston area enjoys a large network of commuter rail lines as well as Amtrack inter-city connections north through New Hampshire to Portland, Maine and south to New York via Rhode Island and Connecticut.  But you need to be aware that these lines feed into two separate rail terminals, North and South Stations, between which  no trains pass--not even the Amtrack trains. So, as in London, you often have to use a taxi or other local transportation to travel between them. 

Given that you plan to visit in the fall, you might consider coming in mid-October rather than the end of September.  In terms of weather, this is a good time, with drier, cooler days,  and usually it marks the peak of the autumn foliage display in the Boston area. But there is another bonus. On  October 13th, 14th, and 15th, the 2011 Fine Scale Model Railroad Expo will be held at the Holiday Inn & Expo Center in Peabody Massachusetts (for details see:  http://modelrailroadexpo.com/WELCOME.html  .  Along with the other exhibits,  George Selios' Franklin and South Manchester layout, which is located in that town, will also be available for viewing.  Peabody is easily reached  via the Gloucester-Newburyport MBTA commuter line out of North Station.  You might consider combining this with a stop-off at the previous station in Salem, a historic town with many 18th and 19th buildings as well as the excellent Peabody-Essex Museum which specializes in New England maritime art, a restored East Indiamen ship, and,  of course, much ado about the 17th century witch trials for which it was infamous.  And if time allows, continue on out to Gloucester,  the US oldest, continuous fishing port with its own fine local museum,  galleries, schooner rides  and whale watching trips. Like St. Ives in Britain, it's also famous for its painters (and  poets such as the young T. S. Elliot). The train ride there follows the old Eastern Railroad route, built in the 1840s, through coastal towns and coves comparable in beauty to those along the Great Western line through Exeter to Cornwall. Best of all, the round-trip MBTA senior fare from Boston to Gloucester is only $14.00!

[CTValleyRR]

galaxy

Charley's wife goes down
To the Scollay Square station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charley a sandwich
As the train comes rumblin' through.

 

Thanks for that one, Galaxy.  I just sang that for & with a bunch of Cub Scouts last Saturday night.

One of the great mysteries of American Railroading is contained in the stanza above:  Why didn't Charlie's wife just hand him a nickel?  (I know, Charlie was the breadwinner, used his last dime in the world to get on the train, and couldn't earn any more money because he couldn't get to work....)

The benefits of traveling to Boston and using its commuter rail etc. have been well covered.  If you travel by Amtrak between Boston and points south, consider stopping in Old Saybrook, CT (NE Regional Service only, Acela does not stop -- rips through at 90 mph!).  One of the first English (as opposed to Dutch) colonies in the area, and formerly home to movie star Katharine Hepburn, it has a great pizza restaurant right in the station, complete with two operating HO scale layouts.  A short 5 mile jaunt up the road is the Essex Steam Train -- a vintage 1923 Consolidation or a 1920 Mikado will pull your passenger train on an 8 mile excursion, which can be combined with a 40 minute riverboat trip.  If you hit the first weekend of the month, you can ride the caboose (I might be hosting, depending on when you go).

[cambus267]

[simon1966]

Cambus, are you having a hard time posting?   This is the 2nd blank post in this thread?

[cudaken]

 Don't forget to visit OLD Iron-side the frigate USS Constitution. When I went to Boston it was a must see for myself.

 Enjoy your self.

                     Cuda Ken