Conrail's rugged Boston line stretches from Selkirk Yard, near Albany NY east to Boston Mass. The former NYC Boston & Albany route features rugged mountain scenery as it crosses the Berkshire mountains, and was home to serious railroading. For a long time it was home to most of Conrail's GE fleet, but toward the end of the era also served as a proving ground for the SD80mac.
You can also view this gallery on an interactive map.
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N21 van 21273 on the rear of the extra 2562 east at Becket, MA. in Aug., 1979.
62
Three veteran U-Boats pulling uphill at Bancroft, MA on the Boston line, early 1977. The lead unit is ex-PC(NYC) U25B 2564, followed by ex-PC(PRR) U25B 2624, and the trailing unit may be ex-PC(NYC) 2832, a U30B.
63
Two ex-PC(NYC) U-25Bs bring a westbound past Five Mile Pond on the Boston Line at Springfield, MA on a dreary day in March 1977.
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A rare visitor to the Boston line, SD70 2573 leads a BOSE-X through Chester, MA. on Feb. 20, 1999.
65
U25B 2587 leads a westbound through Ballou's in Washington, MA. in Aug., 1979.
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SD45 6212 aids the extra 2587 west at Ballou's in Washington, MA. in Aug., 1979.
67
U25B 2609 leads an eclectic lash-up on a westbound at Bancroft, MA. in June, 1979.
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U25B 2652 led a TV off the A.H. Smith bridge and east on the Castleton Cutoff near South Shodack, NY on the Boston Line on 11 September 1977.
69
Ex-PC(NH) U25B 2673; ex-PC U33B 2894; and ex-PC(NYC) U25B 2548 take a westbound empty autorack job across the low trestle over US 202 in Westfield, MA on the Boston Line in February, 1977.
70
Extra 2677 west along Rt. 20 in Huntington, MA. in Aug., 1979. The 2677 is nee NH 2517.
71
Taken on 10 February 1978 as eastern Massachusetts began to dig out from the Great New England Blizzard of 1978. On this date Conrail managed to move some freight west out of the snow-bound region.
72
SEBO-B continues around the curve and along the shore of Muddy Pond in Hinsdale, MA. The signal bridge at MP 138 is visible at far right in the distance.
73
Conrail B23-7 2808 leads at westbound west of Becket, MA at 0930 hrs on 10 October 1983.
74
B23-7 2808 on the head end of PWSE near Bancroft (Middlefield station), MA. on Dec. 30, 1982. Between 40 and 50 of P&W's bright orange boxcars comprised the first half of the train.
75
Three GP-40/-2's, including the 3002, aid the 2808 with PWSE in Middlefield, MA. on Dec. 30, 1982.
76
N5C 23101 follows along behind PWSE in Middlefield, MA. on Dec. 30, 1982.
77
B23-7 2812 leads several others of her kind on SPSE at the "new location" around mile 129.2 in Becket, MA. on Nov. 28, 1981.
78
SPSE's head end going away at the "new location" in becket, MA. on Nov. 28, 1981. The second unit MAY be another U23-C.
79
TV6 descends through the shadows in the big cut just west of MP 129 in Becket, MA. on July 25, 1992.
80
B23-7's 1986 and the "class unit", 1900, bring up the rear of TV6's lashup as they continue past MP 129 in Becket, MA. on July 25, 1992.
81
U33B 2906 leads westbound tonnage near MP 129 in Becket, MA. in Dec. 1979.
82
NHSE running left-handed up the east slope at MP 129 in Becket, MA. on July 1, 1982.
83
SD40 6278 shoves NHSE up the east slope past MP 129 in Becket, MA. on July 1, 1982.
84
CR SPCP-5 rolling west through Chester, MA on the Boston line with a train consisting largely of B&M/CV traffic brought down the Conn River line to Springfield, MA. Monday, 5 April 1982.
85
CR 3004 leads a gaggle of GP-40's with TV6 near the "art colony" in Middlefield, MA. on April 27, 1983.
86
GP40 3039 leads a southbound out of the Columbus Ave Yard in Springfield, MA in the early afternoon of 5 October 1977.
87
A quartet of EMD units led by ex-PC(NYC) GP40 3040 bring an eastbound TV around the curve at Bancroft, MA on the Boston Line during 1978.
88
GP40 3075 on the head of SPSE in Chester, MA. on Jan .9, 1982. The signal on the right is one of two home signals that were in Chester, this one usually referred to as "signal 126.3" even though, as a home signal, it has no number board.
89
GP-40 3185 leads TV8B over the crest of the west slope at MP 142 in Hinsdale center, MA. on Feb. 26, 1983
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GP40 3201 heads up an SPSE-0X at the "art colony" on the Chester/Middlefield, MA. town line on Dec. 30, 1982.
