Program Meetings are held, unless otherwise noted, at 8:00 PM on the Third Thursday of the month at the Union Church in Waban, 14 Collins Road, Newton, MA. These feature programs with speakers knowledgeable about railroad operations, history and travel. Upcoming programs are listed below.
On the first Tuesday of each month we hold a more informal social gathering: FIRST TUESDAY. This is where we usually prepare a trip flyer or our monthly newsletter, the Callboy, for mailing. These sessions are also held at the Union Church in Waban, starting rather casually about 7:00 PM and are usually followed by an impromptu slide show or video program unless there is a Board meeting or the work session runs unusually late. Members and non-members alike are welcome.
For last minute updates or meeting cancellations in bad weather, please call our information line at 978-470-2066.
Third Thursday Monthly Program Meetings
(Held at the Union Church in Waban unless otherwise noted.)
Be sure to join us for an informal Social Hour with light snacks and beverages,
starting at 7:00 PM before every Third Thursday program meeting
Thursday, November 21, 8:00 PM at the Union Church in Waban:
Doug Scott presents ‘11 Days in Oregon - October 2018'
Doug’s multi media power point slide presentation will feature steam on the Sumpter Valley Railway, Daylight No. 4449 in Portland at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, and steam on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, as well as a visit to view modern diesels in Vancouver, Washington. Also part of the presentation will be visits to the Yaquinah Pacific Railroad Museum in Toledo, Oregon, The Tillimook Air Museum, the Oregon Trail Heritage Museum in Baker City, Oregon and the Yaquinah Head and Haceta Head Lighthouses along the Oregon coast.
Doug Scott’s photos have been a regular feature in Callboy for many years. In retirement, Doug and his wife Ellen have traveled extensively around the United States. We’re pleased to welcome Doug to Waban for what is, amazingly, his first Third Thursday presentation for us in many years!
Mass Bay RRE's Annual Meeting and election of officers will be held at 7:30 PM, before the start of Doug Scott's program.
Mass Bay RRE members: Can't attend the Annual Meeting?
Cast your Proxy Ballot: www.massbayrre.org/proxy2019.htm
Thursday, December 19, 8:00 PM at the Union Church in Waban:
Classic Railroad Film Series: 'Brief Encounter'
Our traditional December program meeting features a theatrical movie with a railroad theme, or one in which trains play a major role. This year we’ll be screening Brief Encounter, the classic British film centered around two people who meet at a railway station and whose love story is set against a gritty background of steam railroading. Kevin Keefe of Trains Magazine writes in his blog:
“Filmed in 1945, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard and directed by the great David Lean, it’s a taut, tense, ultimately heart-wrenching story of a halting affair between two people who by chance meet at the station. Both married to someone else, they try to resist their attraction for each other, their earnest flirtations played out against the relentless pressure of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway’s timetable and that implacable clock. [in Carnforth Station, where the movie was filmed. -ED.]
“Today’s audiences – especially younger ones – might find the movie dated or melodramatic. There are no action heroes, no violence, no digital effects, just a couple of middle-class Brits suddenly in over their heads – to the music of Rachmaninoff.
“The movie deserves its high rank among railroad movies. Filmed largely at night in deep black-and-white, the film is peppered with scenes of LMS locomotives and trains roaring past the platform in clouds of steam, their shrill whistles screaming into the night. It’s as if O. Winston Link himself was looking over the shoulder of cinematographer Robert Krasker the whole time.”
Meeting speakers always wanted! We are now developing our 2020 program of speakers. To offer or suggest a program, contact us at info@massbayrre.org or call us at 978-470-2066.
We are seeking volunteers for our Program Crew, to take responsibility for all aspects of our Third Thursday meetings, including refreshments, room set-up, audio-visual setup, etc. If you are interested in being part of the team, please contact us. No long-term commitment or special skills necessary - we need people who can be relied on the show up and make sure the program is ready to go at 8:00.
First Tuesday Callboy Mailing Meetings
(Held at the Union Church in Waban)
Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019: 7:00 PM: MEMBERS NIGHT - Member slides and videos welcome. (No Callboy mailing in September!)
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019: 7:00 PM: Callboy mailing session; Board Meeting at 8:00 PM. No program.
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019: 7:00 PM: Callboy mailing session. 8:00 PM: MEMBERS NIGHT - Member slides and videos welcome.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019: 7:00 PM: Callboy mailing session; Board Meeting at 8:00 PM. No program.
Meeting Location
MBRRE Program Meetings are usually 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.
"STOP - LOOK - LISTEN!"
Mass Bay RRE members currently volunteer their time and skills to:
--Serve as Officers and Directors (we have no paid employees)
--Organize, prepare for and staff our excursion trains
--Write for, edit and produce our Callboy newsletter
--Arrange our program meetings and special events
--Maintain and constantly improve our website
--Tell the media and the public about our trips, meetings and events
--Handle our “back office” financial, legal and corporate administration
We always welcome new volunteers. With today’s expanded e-communications, more RRE members find they can contribute from home or work locations beyond the Boston area. Join us in keeping Mass Bay RRE one of the most active railfan groups in New England!
To Volunteer, Contact Us:
Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc.
PO Box 4245
Andover, MA 01810-0814, or
Information Line 978-470-2066
Email: info@massbayrre.org or visit our "Contact Us" page.
