Our 'Third Thursday' program meetings feature presentations by speakers knowledgeable about railroad history, operations and rail travel. Meetings are generally held at 8:00 PM on the Third Thursday of the month, live-streamed as a Zoom Webinar. All are welcome to view our programs, Mass Bay RRE membership is appreciated but not necessary. Links to the program meetings are posted here about a week in advance, and are also sent by email to our contact list. Upcoming programs are listed below.
In-person meetings are occassionally held at the Union Church in Waban (14 Collins Road, Newton, MA), at the intersection of Beacon Street and Waban Ave., just west of the MBTA Green Line's Waban station. See below or all 978-470-2066 for directions.
On the first Tuesday of odd-numbered months we hold a more informal on-line gathering: "First Tuesday Members Night." This is a time for members to share their photos or short video program with others in an informal session. Individual presentations are usually 5 - 15 minutes in length and cover a wide variety of topics. Members and non-members alike are welcome. Links to the First Tuesday meetings are posted here about a week in advance, and are also sent by email to our contact list.
For last minute updates or meeting cancellations in bad weather, please call our information line at 978-470-2066.
Meetings will continue to be held monthly and streamed remotely via Zoom video webinar. Video of our Third Thursday programs is available for later viewing on the Mass Bay RRE YouTube channel.
NOTE: Due to technical issues, we are unable to live-stream meeting programs on Facebook at this time. Programs will continue to be live-streamed via Zoom Webinar and available for later viewing on our YouTube channel.
PAST Third Thursday Program Meetings
Past Third Thursday program meetings may be viewed at any time
on the Mass Bay RRE YouTube channel.
For details of previous Third Thursday programs that are available for viewing,
go to the PAST MEETINGS PAGE.
Thursday, December 19, 8:00 PM, live-streamed via Zoom Webinar:
'White Pass & Yukon'
Presented by Bill Deen
The White Pass & Yukon is a 3-foot gauge US-Canadian railroad that originally ran 110 miles north from Skagway, on the southeast coast of Alaska, across a corner of British Columbia to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. Conceived during the spectacular Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, it has survived several major transformations to become the most popular tourist railroad in North America. No wonder, because its steep and winding route from tidewater to the summit of White Pass, and beyond, compares well scenically with any train ride in the world.
The presentation will focus on a 3-day charter in September 2024 that covered the 67 miles still in service. Featured were original WP&Y 2-8-2 #73 and unusual 6-axle diesels from three manufacturers. Supplementing that will be a few views from a single-day steam charter in July 1982 that went the entire distance from Skagway to Whitehorse. The railroad was still intact then and in its final months as a year-round common carrier.
Bill Deen is a retired chemical engineering professor who for many years has photographed steam in the US, Canada, and occasionally overseas. He is President of the Friends of Bedford Depot Park, a rail preservation group based in Bedford, Mass. His book detailing the history of the Boston and Maine's Lexington Branch, Minuteman Railroad, was published last year. He is also a model railroader, focusing on steam-era Pacific Northwest logging in HO scale.
To view the program REMOTELY, click the link below
on December 19 at 8:00 PM.
VIEW IN ZOOM WEBINAR
Thursday, January 16, 8:00 PM, live-streamed via Zoom Webinar:
'200 Years of Beauty: Transportation and the Catskills'
How the railroads and steamboat lines helped to build America's first great "destination resort area"
Presented by Carl Fowler
From 1823-1942 the Catskill Mountains area in Greene County, New York was built by a remarkable early/original multi-modal transportation system, combing stagecoaches, steam trains (both narrow and standard gauge), a mile-long inclined railway and Hudson River steamboats to move literally tens of thousands of visitors each week to fill amazing grand hotels, boarding houses and cottag
Carl Fowler will trace the rise and fall of the 3-foot gauge Catskill Mountain RR, the CMRR-affiliated Otis Inclined Railway, the standard-gauge Ulster and Delaware RR, the Hudson River Day and Night Lines, the West Shore RR, and the resorts they served, including the Catskill Mountain House and the amazing Hotel Kaaterskill, which with 1200 rooms was for a time the largest hotel in the world.
RIGHT: The fabled Otis Elevating Railway
The program places these carriers and landmarks in the context of the amazing natural wonders that drew them – the 3,000 foot deep Kaaterskill Clove, the towering Kaaterskill and Haines Falls and the five state views from the Hudson Escarpment. Here too was the center of the first major American movement in paintings – the grand landscapes of the "Hudson River School" painters. The program includes both contemporary and historic photos, maps, brochures and even deck-plans for the overnight river palaces of the Hudson River Night Line(s).
Carl Fowler worked full time selling passenger rail service for 34 years as General Manager, Vice President and finally President of Rail Travel Center/Rail Travel Adventures. He was able to travel over 350,000 miles by train during his life and can share perspectives both as a devoted train buff and as a rail travel professional. He is a 50-year member of the Rail Passengers Association (aka NARP) and served as a past Vice Chair of the RPA, as well as a long-term member of its Council and Board.
To view the program REMOTELY, click the link below
on January 16 at 8:00 PM.
VIEW IN ZOOM WEBINAR
Thursday, February 20, 8:00 PM, live-streamed via Zoom Webinar:
'A Life in Railroading: From Tower 15 to Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill'
Presented by Ross Capon
Ross Capon fell in love with railroading while hanging out at the B&A's Riverside station, which was an impressive railroad junction before the Highland Branch was converted to what is now the MBTA's Green Line. Working for Guy Rosmarin, a special assistant to Gov. Francis W. Sargent, and later for Secretary of Transportation Alan Altschuler, Ross played a role in saving the region's commuter rail system when powerful interests sought to kill it. His work in Washington helped Amtrak in general, and its national network in particular, survive life-threatening budget challenges. For the past decade, and particularly since 2018, Ross has worked to show Amtrak that Capitol Hill values the continued operation of private cars. His program will recount his life and career in railroading, from those early days to his advocacy for the MBTA, Amtrak, and passenger trains in general.
RIGHT: Riverside Station and Tower 15 in 1961. (Ross Capon)
Ross Capon is president emeritus of the Rail Passengers Association, where he worked from 1975 to 2014, serving as Executive Director then President/CEO. For the past 10+ years he has been Washington Representative for the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners. A 1965 graduate of Newton North High School, he received his B.A. from University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign in 1969, and worked 1971-75 on railroad issues for the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction, precursor to today's MassDOT. He is an amateur musician, plays string bass in the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra and Victorian Lyric Opera Company in Rockville, MD, and is also rehearsal pianist for VLOC.
To view the program REMOTELY, click the link below
on February 20 at 8:00 PM.
VIEW IN ZOOM WEBINAR
Do you have a suggestion for a Third Thursday meeting program?
We are now developing our Third Thursday programs for May 2025 and beyond. To offer or suggest a program, contact us at info@massbayrre.org or call us at 978-470-2066. We expect that most programs will be presented remotely over ZOOM.
First Tuesday 'Members' Night' Meetings
(Held on the first Tuesday of odd-numbered months)
First Tuesday 'Members' Night' meetings are currently being conducted as a Zoom video meeting. The next 'Members' Night' is scheduled for Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM.
If you have photos or video that you'd like to show, please contact us!
To view the First Tuesday program LIVE, click the link below
on January 7 at 7:50 PM or later.
(Zoom meeting will open 10 minutes before start of program)
VIEW IN ZOOM MEETING
Virtual Rail Events Calendar
One of the surprising benefits to come out of the pandemic was the rise of Zoom virtual meetings. Several railfan groups quickly took advantage of this and made their monthly programs available to the world. George Chiasson recognized this development and began emailing a spreadsheet calendar of railfan Zoom programs in 2020. He paused that effort a few months ago due to increasing work obligations.
But railfan Zoom programs continue unabated. Even as some groups have returned to in-person meetings, they have recognized the value of continuing virtual programs on Zoom. John Williams has revived George's calendar of virtual railfan programs in a new format – it's now hosted on Google Calendar. The new format's advantages go far beyond just being easy to maintain. It makes possible a big addition to the entries with minimal effort, including meeting times in all four time zones! Clicking on a meeting entry will reveal more detail, including a link to the group's website.
Meeting Location
In-person Mass Bay RRE Program Meetings are occasionally held at the Union Church at 14 Collins Road (corner of Beacon Street), Waban, MA, (near the Waban MBTA stop on the Green Line):
If you are arriving on the T, exit the station onto Beacon St.; the Church is adjacent to the Waban Station.
If you are driving, take Exit 21 East off Route 128 (I-95) onto Rte. 16 (Washington St.). At the first traffic light east of 128 fork right onto Beacon St. and go 0.9 mile. The Union Church is on the right just before Beacon Street jogs to the left over the Green Line. If the church lot is full you may park on the street or in the Waban Station parking lot. CLICK FOR MAP
Check the Callboy or the website to confirm date, time, and location of meetings.
Contact Us:
Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc.
P.O. Box 4245
Andover, MA 01810-0814, or
Information Line 978-470-2066
Email: info@massbayrre.org or visit our "Contact Us" page.
