I decide to bail on the Vermonter, spending the extra $22 to buy a ticket on Shuttle Train #405 in an hour to photograph the northbound train backing out. I walk through a very crowded Springfield Station–(40 Photos), and walk south down Main Street trying to get along the Connecticut River. Downtown Springfield has major problems of roads without sidewalks or crosswalks. I first get to the Memorial Bridge that offers excellent views down the tracks for the back-out move.
I then see a strange pedestrian grade-crossing (without bells, just stop signs) south of the station and decide that it’s the best place to start. I start with photos of the Vermonter I just got off of heading south at 2:55. I hear it slowly leaving the station, going down the same track it entered on. This should be the last Vermonter ever with locomotives at both ends and a cab car. St. Albans has a wye the train can use to reverse between runs on from now on.
I take a walk and see if I can find a better spot for the Northbound Vermonter but decide to stick at this strange grade crossing that I can’t figure out why is still open to the public, there is a pedestrian tunnel just north of the station and a pedestrian bridge slightly farther south that could seal the rail line off in this area. Perhaps ADA reasons I wonder? I don’t find a better spot and remain for the northbound Vermonter.
Train #56 starts pulling through at 3:10. It’s as glamorous and long as I expected. First two P42s running back to back pull the train.
Then come the regular five Vermonter Cars followed by the 3 Amtrak Business Cars: Amfleet Office Car “Beach Grove” (President Boardman’s Car), Ex-Heritage Sleeper Car #10021 “Pacific Cape”, and the former prototype Viewliner Sleeper that’s now “American View” a Theater/Track Inspection Car #10004. A ride on it’s captain chairs at the back with a view of the tracks directly beneath must be awesome.
I then walk up to the Memorial Bridge and start waiting there. The train is late but I wonder how short the service stop in Springfield could be made. At 3:35 I hear noise and see some strange white lights off in the distance.
Slowly the Vermonter backs out of Springfield, led by the American View with its headlights on. The conductor looks very comfortable spotting the engineer, sitting in one of the captain chairs in American View. After tomorrow’s southbound trip it will be just opening the back door of the last Amfleet on the train.
The back-up move finishes at 3:38. The train sits for a minute. The track is set.
It then slowly continues north up the new track, becoming the inaugural northbound Vermonter via the Knowledge Corridor and first trainset not to require push-pull or pull-pull capabilities for a back-up move at some place on its run. I see it stop briefly off in the distance with the crossing of the east-west CSX railroad before continuing north to Northampton and Greenfield.
I’m cold and have a train to catch. I walk the 4 blocks back to the Springfield Station and find it relatively crowded in the waiting room. I get back there at about 3:50 desperate to get on a train to begin processing my photos and continuing to write this trip report. I ask the station agent if Shuttle Train #475 has boarded yet and am told it isn’t in the station yet. There currently two shuttle trainsets sitting in the station, one is north of Track 1 on a siding, the other is idoling on track 2.
I hear a train pulling in from the siding north of the station. It’s the two car consist of an Ex-Metroliner Cab Car, an Amfleet-I coach and the P42 at the rear in push mode. The train is ready for boarding at 3:57. It’s in push mode with the cab car closed. I find a forward facing seat in the Amfleet-I coach
At 4:05 I hear the conductors radio say Amtrak train #475 depart on signal indication. I leave Springfield and go down the wye track to reach the Connecticut River main line of Amtrak, in the eastern direction for the third time this trip.
- 4:21 – Cross the Connecticut River for the last time on this trip.
- 4:24-Run along Windsor Locks State Park and the industrial area along the river.
We pull into the Windsor Locks bus shelter at 4:25. I notice the cab car has already been opened. Often they wait until Hartford. We leave at 4:27.
We pull into the other Windsor, CT at 4:32. The first time I’ve stopped here this trip since the Vermonter bypasses it..
- 4:36-The conductor is wandering the train announcing Hartford and that he will need all seats. The train will get pretty busy. I’m processing photos and not really paying attention to anything.
We reach Hartford at 4:42 and people board from each end of the regular Amfleet coach. The crew really should have all of us board the cab car in Springfield for better loading. It’s a quick stop. We leave at 4:44. I’m joined by a seat mate.
It’s a quick ride to Berlin where we arrive at 4:55.
Meriden is next at 5:05. We start leaving and stop again, still along the quite long platform to let one last passenger on.
We get to Wallingford at 5:15 for 2 passengers as I get sick of cell phone and music pollution.
- 5:29 – I see New Haven-State Street with the new bright signs. Then the lights of the yard.
We arrive in New Haven–(8 Photos) at 5:31 and I see the next Metro-North train leaving that would get me to Fordham only 3 minutes earlier since the following train at 5:47 is a stopping at Fordham express train.
I walk into the Station and get some photos of the bright LED new departures board that feels like a stadium diamond vision with a second display next to it that just says Welcome to New Haven.
I buy my $12.75 ticket to Fordham and head out to the platform. My train originates at State Street and hasn’t arrived yet.
My train pulls in a minute before the scheduled departure time.
The train of M8s arrives and we leave at 5:47 on time, as the Regional that connected with my Shuttle train fades into the distance. I hand my ticket over. There is something wrong with the automated announcements. There simply saying this station is…As you leave the train watch the gap between the train and the platform
- 5:54 – New West Haven station. The announcement say “this station is. This is the train to Grand Central. The next station is Milford.” I guess West Haven hasn’t been programmed yet!
- 5:58 – Milford, and the announcement’s work along the LCD screens are off in my car.
- 6:41 – Im not paying attention, processing photos from my long day. I look up at East Norwalk and see a shuttle train stopped in the station.
We reach Stamford at 6:57, they announce this is an Express train to Grand Central without saying its stopping in Fordham. One man asks does this train stop in Port Chester and just manages to run off.
- 7:09 – Look up in Port Chester. I’m back in New York State.
- 7:22 – I feel us switching in New Rochelle.
I get off at Fordham at 7:34 and walk down to the Bx12-SBS stop in its still temporary location by Fordham.
I put my MetroCard in the fare box and get on the bus to Inwood-207th Street, ending a trip by going home the ultimate back way. I’m home at 8:10, definately faster than going to Harlem-125 Street or via Grand Central.
