Producer: Broken Knuckle Video
Locations: Mass.VT. ME. CT. NH.
Timeframe: 1980s
Length: 2 hrs 44 minutes
Source: Donald Haskel
Comprehensive coverage of a changing New England scene in the 1980s. Major to minor lines. Guilford operated lines. Boston and Maine, Maine Central, also Delaware and Hudson.
Central Vermont, Green Mountain, Providence & Worcester, Steamtown (VT) and more.
If you are curious about this era of New England. A smorgasbord program, can be a good way to go. This one offers variety, and has some narration.
So, the water seems fine. Let’s take a dip…
A single DVD-R. Detailed Chapter Menu. Subtitles with, locations and dates. No maps.
A limited narrative. Provides some needed information. Environmental audio for the remainder of the soundtrack.
Picture is sourced from the VHS tapes. Ranges are from, fair to good. The later tapes appear better. Do not expect modern standards. Historical footage.
There is a large quantity of tape here! Smart organization. Railroad and date. Chapters, as well. A wide variety of locomotives. Paint schemes seem unlimited. Cabooses are still common.
Freight Railroads are the show centerpiece. Passenger trains are here, as well. Public and Tourist lines. Steamtown is a Train Museum.
Highlights only…
Providence and Worcester Freight and Passenger.
P&W MLW 420R. The first US bought Wide Cab locomotives. Performing freight and passenger service in the 1980s on this Railroad.
Boston and Maine Begins in 1983. Under Guilford. Willows, Gardner, Ayer, Hoosac Tunnel, Brattleboro, Shirley.
Short freight moves through Gardner, Massachusetts. Boston and Maine GP9 1741.
Plenty of Boston and Maine coverage. Many of the standard hot spots. Enough blue paint that should satisfy.
Guilford’s B&M Ayer Guilford paint shows up.
Guilford appears without fanfare. The newer scheme integrates with the timeline. B&M blue still hangs on.
Central Vermont Brattleboro 83. Final decade.
Green Mountain Bellows Falls Vermont. Former Rutland. Alco RS-1 power for the main. Same as ever.
Guilford’s Maine Central
Gold paint and GE power sets. Danville Jct. 1987. Different looking cabooses on MEC. Canadian National wide cabs.
Maine Central GP38 259 leads a GE U-Boat at Bangor, Maine.
Conrail
There is a large supply of Conrail. Perhaps, this could have been edited down. It gets repetitive. A hog on time. Nothing special as far as equipment. Action from Ashland – Framingham 1983. Freight and Piggyback. All power sets, of 4 to 6 units.
MBTA F7 1153 with some ex: B&M ( ex: RDC? ) cars at Gardner, Massachusetts. Could have used narration on this train.
Walpole, 1984. Framingham. At Charlton, an Amtrak #209, gets orders via the hoop.
Conrail with long GE lash-up at Worcester
1985 thru 1988. Caboose has nearly disappeared from these scenes. Boston Line traffic increased, with Guilford fail.
Tourist and Museum
This entire section is not long. Viewers get a brief visits to each subject. Highlights…
Steamtown Vermont
1983 at Chester/ Riverside, Vermont. CP 1246 shuffles about. A quick ride and see storage area.
Conway Scenic , Conway New Hampshire
1987. #47 runs on 7 miles of ex: BM track. Turntable view. #108 next out. Diesel is 4266 as BM. Various trains run.
Connecticut Valley Railroad
Essex, Connecticut. 1987. Alcos RS-3, FA 401. U25B. Steam to Deep River on 97. Photo freights and a mixed train.
The Cape Cod and Hyannis RR
1984 Hyannis Mass. GP9 1210. Passenger trains. Alco switcher. A working lift bridge. Amtrak in 1985 began service from New York there.
The Boston and Maine caboose, was common. As the decade neared it’s end. A caboose was becoming hard to find.
New England Rails, A Decade of Change
A whirlwind tour of New England! A long player. This show has much ground to cover. Has the large to the small. Viewers shall gain an overview, of the advertised.
The good. A large collection of vintage video. Natural audio. Narrated show. Hard to find footage. Historical value.
The concerns. Not modern viewing standards.
The bottom line… An overall solid show.
Rating: 4 Stars
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