Tag Archives: Berkshire Scenic

This Budd Could Be For You!

May 29, 2016 brian solomon 1 Comment

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Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum’s Hoosac Valley Service is operating with a vintage Budd-built Rail Diesel Car.

Budd Company’s RDC made its debut in 1949 and was first used in regular revenue service on New York Central’s Boston & Albany in 1950.

I made these views of Berkshire Scenic’s RDC on the former Boston & Albany North Adams Branch yesterday, May 28, 2016.

Berkshire Scenic plans to operate this car on weekends and select public holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For details see: http://www.hoosacvalleytrainride.com/schedule.php

Also see Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/hoosacvalleyservice

Berkshire Scenic's new North Adams station area. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing. — Berkshire Scenic’s new North Adams station area. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Want to learn more about Budd’s RDC and other classic streamlined trains? Check out my new book: Streamliners—Locomotives and Trains in the Age of Speed and Style published by Voyageur Press.

A Budd with a view! FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Looking southward on the old B&A branch. At one time Boston & Albany's North Adams Branch connected its namesake with Pittsfield. As late as the 1940s, through trains operated fro Grand Central Terminal to North Adams using the Harlem line to Chatham and B&A mainline to Pittsfield. — Looking southward on the old B&A branch. At one time Boston & Albany’s North Adams Branch connected its namesake with Pittsfield. As late as the 1940s, through trains operated fro Grand Central Terminal to North Adams using the Harlem line to Chatham and B&A mainline to Pittsfield.

Berkshire Scenic's RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing. — Berkshire Scenic’s RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Where else does the old Boston & Albany cross below the old Boston & Maine? Here we have trains top and bottom. — Where else does the old Boston & Albany cross below a route of the old Boston & Maine? Here we have trains top and bottom.

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Berkshire Scenic Railway’s RDC-1 is on the roll Memorial Day Weekend

May 29, 2016 brian solomon Leave a comment

Saturday May 28, 2016, I rode and photographed Berkshire Scenic Railway’s RDC-1 on the former Boston & Albany North Adams Branch. (More RDC photos see: This Budd Could Be For You!)

On Saturday May 28, 2016, Berkshire Scenic Railway's classic RDC-1 worked between North Adams and Renfrew, Massachusetts on the old Boston & Albany branch. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing. — On Saturday May 28, 2016, Berkshire Scenic Railway’s classic RDC-1 worked between North Adams and Renfrew, Massachusetts on the old Boston & Albany branch. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Last autumn my dad and I rode this classic railway vehicle, but at that time it was being hauled/propelled by a vintage SW8 diesel. Saturday, I found the RDC-1 running as intended as a self-propelled diesel rail car.

I recalled riding RDCs on the Springfield-New Haven shuttle back in the 1970s and 1980s, and on Metro-North branch line trains, as well as Boston area service.

For details on Berkshire Scenic’s Hoosac Valley service which is now running out of North Adams, Massachusetts see: http://www.hoosacvalleytrainride.com

Also see Berkshire Scenic Railway on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/berkshirescenicrailway

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Berkshire Scenic’s Hoosac Valley—A Dozen Photos!

October 13, 2015 brian solomon 3 Comments

On Sunday October 11, 2015, my father and I drove over the Berkshires to travel and photograph’s Berkshire Scenic’s Hoosac Valley excursion that is now operating on a short portion of the old Boston & Albany branch between Renfrew in Adams and North Adams, Massachusetts.

This presented an opportunity to travel in an old Budd RDC and ride a rarely used portion of the Boston & Albany. This new excursion service had only begun on the previous day, and should run over the next few weekends.

Berkshire Scenic's former Boston & Maine Budd-built RDC. Lumix LX7 photo. — Berkshire Scenic’s former Boston & Maine Budd-built RDC. Lumix LX7 photo.

Berkshire Scenic train departing Renfrew. FujiFilm X-T1 photo.

At Renfrew I met my friends Otto Vondrak, and Kevin Chittenden. Kevin was the engineer for the day.

The weather was nearly perfect—clear polarized sunny skies.

On the only hitch was that a day or two earlier the RDC had developed an electric fault, and as a result was being towed/propelled by a vintage EMD SW8 switcher.

My Irish friends will note that this 800 hp locomotive is remarkably similar to CIE’s Class 121s (also built by EMD).

I made this selection of photographs with my Lumix LX7 and FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera. However, I also exposed a few colour slides with my father’s Leica M4 with 35mm Summilux lens.

Thanks to everyone at the Berkshire Scenic/Hoosac Valley for making this an enjoyable day out.

For details on the new excursion service see: http://hoosacvalleytrainride.com/

Or look at: Hoosac Valley Service on Facebook.