Activities:
Upcoming Excursions, Tours, and
Special Events
Excursions
Saturday, June 21: MBRRE 'ZIP TRIP': Reviving a Mass Bay tradition, this is a group circle tour on Amtrak, South Station - New York Penn - Albany - Boston using regularly-scheduled Amtrak trains.
Itinerary: Amtrak #195 Regional Service - Dep BOS 6:40 AM, Arr NYP 10:55 AM. Amtrak #233 Empire Service - Dep NYP 12:20 PM, Arr ALB 2:50 PM. Amtrak #448 Lake Shore Limited - Dep ALB 4:10 PM, Arr BOS 9:45 PM. Possible shop tour in Albany, time permitting. Cafe car service on #195 and #448, no food service on #233.
Fare: There is no group fare for this event; purchase your own ticket from Amtrak and let us know you're coming. Ticket purchasing hints: DON'T use Julie for this booking, it's probably beyond her capabilities. DO book the BOS-NYP-ALB segments as a single leg rather than as separate legs to get the best fare. OR book the whole thing as a single "multi-city" trip on Amtrak.com. Fares as of 5/14/08: BOS-NYP $84, NYP-ALB $37, ALB-BOS $22, Total of separate legs $143. BOS-NYP-ALB as single leg $85, Total of combined legs $107 (save $36 this way). 10% NARP and other discounts do apply to these fares.
After booking: Call John Reading at 617-734-0209, Dave Brown at 978-470-2066, or the RRE information line at 617-489-5277 and let us know you're coming!
Replacement of the Thames River Bridge and the associated service interuption on the Northeast Corridor has been rescheduled by Amtrak for June 24-27. The delay was due to problems encountered removing the counterweight on the existing span. Our ZIP TRIP will go on as scheduled on June 21!
Saturday, July 12: PICNIC AT PALMER: An informal get-together at the Steaming Tender Restaurant in Palmer for train watching and socializing. DETAILS HERE . Steaming Tender Restaurant web site HERE.
Saturday, July 26: MAINE EASTERN RAILROAD: Group trip using Maine Eastern's regularly-scheduled train Brunswick to Rockland & return. Side trip in Rockland to Owl's Head Transportation Museum. Package will include motor coach transportation Boston to Brunswick. FULL TRIP DETAILS HERE.
Saturday, August 16: GATHERING AT CHESTER at the well-preserved Western Railroad station in Chester, MA. Train-watching, optional dinner and speaker. Details in late June.
Thursday, September 18: Annual meeting and DINNER in the DEPOT at Pearl Street Station in Malden, MA. Speaker TBA. Details in July.
Saturday, October 18: Providence & Worcester FALL CIRCLE TOUR: Worcester - Providence - Groton CT via Shore Line - Worcester. A reprise of last year's trip, without the rare mileage but with photo stops. Details available late July.
Saturday, January 3, 2009: Another 'STEAM IN THE SNOW' photo special on the Conway Scenic. Details in late October.
Historical Information From Excursions
Mass Bay RRE publishes a "Historical Brochure and Route Description" booklet for each of our rail excursions. Each booklet contains extensive information on the history and points of interest of the routes traveled. To obtain a list of brochures from past trips that are available for purchase, Click Here . The list is in reverse chronological order and lists the trip title or train name, the terminal points for the trip, and the purchase price for each brochure. Details on how to order brochures are also contained on the list. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this list. To get a free copy of Acrobat Reader, click here: www.adobe.com.
Tours
GRANITE RAILWAY Quarry-to-Wharf Tours:
Explore and learn about the first chartered commercial railroad in our nation, right here in West Quincy and East Milton, MA. Our 3-1/2 hour guided tours explore the history and surviving remnants of the Granite Railway.
Tour details and 2008 tour schedule now available.
Other MBRRE Events
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 10 AM - 6 PM: DiscoveRail: Discover New England's Railroad Museums & Tourist Railroads. Displays & discussions. Located at the South Station Concourse.
Mass Bay RRE's annual exposition for New England tourist railroads and railroad museums, returns to the main floor of South Station for the third time. Come visit us! Plan your summer railfanning with museum representatives, pick up a stack of 2008 brochures, ask the questions you've been saving all winter.
To Contact Us:
Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc.
Box 2742
Woburn, MA 01888-1342, or
Mass Bay RRE
P.O. Box 4245-BV
Andover, MA 01810-0814
Information Line 617-489-5277 or 978-470-2066
Email: MassBayRRE@aol.com or visit our "Post Office" page.
