More to Come!

As I mentioned before, I could take the shoreline, first and comeback along the inland. I first tried that but on second look at operating times of destinations might me reverse that trip might be more productive. But for this blog, I will relate the first option. I will lay out the alternative, just to get the best way. It is only January. I have all kinds of time and, who knows, may change the whole trip, anyways.

I had added to the 1978 itinerary Railroad Museum of New England, Inc, Naugatuck Railroad and Essex Steam Train before Mystic. In my research, there are many good Amtrak, MNRR, and SLE watching opportunities along that route. So I need to add at least one watching stop, along the way. Here is were YouTube comes in handy. I chose a location and see on YouTube an idea of layout. From this I determined that Straford CT was a good location for the Metro North New Haven Line and not far from Naugatuck. Old Saybrook CT is good for the Shoreline East. All before Mystic Seaport.

FRom Old Saybrook a stop at Old Colony & Newport Railway, Newport, RI and Cape Cod Central Railroad, Hyannis, MA are new attrations since 1978. Than there is Plymouth Plantation, being a 17th century model.

I did initially remove from the list Edaville Railroad. Actually, Edaville Railroad has been turned into a amusement park with a train. As I looked back to Edaville Railroad, I visited when it was a heritage railroad with a collection making it more of a museum. Today, it is Edaville USA and reminds me of an amusement part with railroad. From what I have read, all the original equipment has been sold and moved. The current website is different from the last that I looked at and maybe, it sufficiently new. Now I may have to weave a swing by into my trips. I would do what I dis at Tweetsie two years ago. I would just pull up into the parking lot, set up my video and take it from there.

Northward past Boston is Saugus Iron Works. It is strange and remarkable that I never visited or even knew about this site, until just a few years ago. I lived in Lynn, MA less than 5 miles from the site, in 1983/84 and did visit the SS Constitution in Cambridge, near Bunker Hill, but never know about Saugus. I even visited Lynn Woods, just a stones throw from Saugus Iron Works. I did questio whether it was worth the detour, to visit but at present it is a part of my vacation plans.

Three attractions, in a line accross  MA are Old Sturbridge Village, Hancock Shaker Village, Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum and Berkshire Scenic Railway.  I have an interested in communes and intentiona commnities, as Hancock is a Shaker settlement in Western Mass. It was part of the 1978 visit and a brief visit is in order now. Just for fun the new destinaions are added. the Bekshire has been changing so I might be different that I am thinking now.


That is the last of New England. Now, the trip home. I would cross the Hudson and down the Garden State Parkway to connect with I95. I have a plan to detour to Staten Island, take the RR and ferry and back. This would add a bit more RR watching. The whold vacation would be 10 days, door to door. I have thought to reverse the trip and making adjustment to timing. The plan does not include the run by at Edaville. It is only January and I can and will make many adjustments. I might even decide to do something all together different.