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, August 16, 8:00 PM at the Union Church in Waban:
Video: Bangor & Aroostook Railroad: The First 100 Years
This video from Northeast Historic Film of Bucksport, Maine, takes us on a ride on “The Potato Railroad” through a century of trail-blazing, exciting history as it forged an iron link of commerce between America’s rugged Northeast and the rest of the Nation.
We’ll relive this epic story as it unfolds through rare, archival black and white and color film footage of Bangor and Aroostook steam and diesel power in action, century-old photographs of the line’s construction era, and on-camera appearances by retired employees. Each brings a personal perspective of the railroad’s growth. See the road’s freight and passenger trains as they highball through Maine’s scenic railroad vistas!
This was railroading on a grand scale, as big as “The County” itself!
Thursday, September 20, 8:00 PM at the Union Church in Waban:
Sam Berliner III presents "Railroading at Naval Ammunition Piers"
Old friend Sam Berliner, III returns with a program that examines some railroad facilities that are rarely seen, even by railfans. There was, and in some cases still is, very significant railroad action at Naval Weapons Stations (NWS) and Military Ocean Terminals (MOT). Ammunition (bombs, shells, torpedoes, and other explosives) heading out of the country are delivered by rail to specialized port facilities for storage and off-loading onto warships or freighters.
The NWSs and MOTs had elaborate RR facilities and were located in isolated areas all along both coasts. We will focus primarily on the extant NWS Earle in northern New Jersey and NWS Concord in the Bay area of California, as well as several other major facilities, and touch on catastrophic disasters at these stations such as Black Tom in New York harbor and Port Chicago in the Bay area. We'll dwell on the complex trackage, see the highly-specialized white Navy boxcars that carried and stored ammo, the locos that hauled them, the shops that repaired them, and touch briefly on modeling possibilities.
Sam, a native Manhattanite, spent half of his early summers on Long Island and was a permanent resident there from 1945 until moving to West Medford in 2010. He has been interested in heavy equipment and especially railroads since early childhood. Sam's huge web site (over 500 pages, dating back to 1996) primarily covers railroads, old autos, the 1908-38 Long Island Motor Parkway, and ultrasonics.
Thursday, October 18, 8:00 PM at the Union Church in Waban:
Vincent Bono, President of Boston Surface Railroad Co.
The Boston Surface Railroad Company (“BSRC”) was founded in 2012 to provide metropolitan New England with a privately owned and operated rail service along underserved, high-traffic commuter routes that lack a convenient and affordable alternative to travel by car or bus. BSRC has secured operational authority from the Surface Transportation Board to operate passenger service between Worcester, MA and Providence, RI and plans to commence service in 2019. A milestone was reached this spring when the BSRC began construction of track improvements on the P&W main line between Woonsocket and Providence, RI, the first segment scheduled for service.
We’re pleased to welcome BSRC founder and President Vincent Bono as our speaker in October. He’ll give us an update on BSRC’s progress to date and plans for the future.
Meeting speakers always wanted! Brad Harding, Mass Bay RRE's Program Coordinator, is now developing our Fall/Winter 2018 program of speakers. To offer or suggest a program, email Brad at lbharding@verizon.net
First Tuesday Callboy Mailing Meetings
(Held at the Union Church in Waban)
Tuesday, September 4, 2018: 7:00 PM: MEMBERS NIGHT - Member slides and videos welcome. (No Callboy mailing in September!)
Tuesday, October 2, 2018: 7:00 PM: Callboy mailing session; Board Meeting at 8:00 PM. No program.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018: 7:00 PM: Callboy mailing session; 7:00 PM: MEMBERS NIGHT - Member slides and videos welcome. ELECTION DAY – Don’t forget to vote!
Tuesday, December 4, 2018: 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.
