Cape Cod Central Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located in Cape Cod
, Massachusetts
.
Originally founded in 1999, it operates a variety of excursion trains from downtown Hyannis
to the Cape Cod Canal
during spring, summer, and fall. Recently, it has expanded service in a limited capacity to offer rides that travel the reverse of the normal route. It also offers special trains during the spring, summer and fall that travel to Wareham. Most of their trips are made during the Scallop Festival or during the summer when the Family Supper Train and Scenic Train depart together from Buzzards Bay. It offers daily sightseeing trains, a Family Supper train, Brunch and Lunch trains, and an Elegant Dinner train that was rated one of the top 3 in the nation by the Food Network
. Past offerings have also included special Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas trains.
Ongoing politics have prevented restoration of passenger rail service from Cape Cod to the Boston area, causing the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
to be used less, except for train service to Camp Edwards
(where it picks up trash at the Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station
) and dinner trains.
The Cape Cod Central Railroad has three locomotives, and generally uses two on each train in a pull-pull configuration due to a lack of convenient switching locations. ALCo RS-3M #1201, nicknamed "Lulubell," was originally built in May 1951 for the New York Central Railroad as locomotive #8246. It has also served Penn Central, Amtrak, Connecticut Central, and Providence & Worcester railroads. #1201 did not run during the 2011 season; since it was at the end of its useful life, it was scrapped on 9/17/2011. EMD GP-7 #1501, along with its sister engine #1502, was originally built in 1952 for the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay railroad. The 1501 recently emerged in a new paint scheme identical to sister railroad Massachusetts Coastal's paint scheme. The engine is now in service on Cape Cod Central trains. Sister 1502 has not run in several years and a return to service is not likely in the foreseeable future.
The railroad has 8 cars in service, as well as a Budd RDC which is currently being restored. The Barnstable (#101), Sandwich (#102), and Bourne (#103) cars are used for sightseeing tours, and are all former Long Island Railroad 2700 series commuter cars. The kitchen/generator car (#250) is used on dining trains, as all meals served are prepared on board the train. The Cape Codder (#200) lounge car is a vintage piece of equipment originally from the Illinois Central Railroad. Much of the interior is original, including a number of pieces of plate glass. The Sandy Neck (#201), Great Island (#202), and Race Point (#203) dining cars were all built in the early 1940s and have since been completely restored. This Railroad should not be confused with, although is affiliated with the newly formed Mass Coastal - the freight railroad that transports trash off of the Cape.
Since 2006, the Cape Cod Central Railroad has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Cape Rail Inc., which also operates the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
.
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Originally founded in 1999, it operates a variety of excursion trains from downtown Hyannis
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape"...
to the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
during spring, summer, and fall. Recently, it has expanded service in a limited capacity to offer rides that travel the reverse of the normal route. It also offers special trains during the spring, summer and fall that travel to Wareham. Most of their trips are made during the Scallop Festival or during the summer when the Family Supper Train and Scenic Train depart together from Buzzards Bay. It offers daily sightseeing trains, a Family Supper train, Brunch and Lunch trains, and an Elegant Dinner train that was rated one of the top 3 in the nation by the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
. Past offerings have also included special Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas trains.
Ongoing politics have prevented restoration of passenger rail service from Cape Cod to the Boston area, causing the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
- External links :*...
to be used less, except for train service to Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards
Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It forms the largest part of the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
(where it picks up trash at the Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station
Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station
The Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station is a municipal waste transfer facility located at Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod. The facility is within the town limits of Falmouth, but on state-owned land at the southern end of the military reservation, and is about a mile west of the...
) and dinner trains.
The Cape Cod Central Railroad has three locomotives, and generally uses two on each train in a pull-pull configuration due to a lack of convenient switching locations. ALCo RS-3M #1201, nicknamed "Lulubell," was originally built in May 1951 for the New York Central Railroad as locomotive #8246. It has also served Penn Central, Amtrak, Connecticut Central, and Providence & Worcester railroads. #1201 did not run during the 2011 season; since it was at the end of its useful life, it was scrapped on 9/17/2011. EMD GP-7 #1501, along with its sister engine #1502, was originally built in 1952 for the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay railroad. The 1501 recently emerged in a new paint scheme identical to sister railroad Massachusetts Coastal's paint scheme. The engine is now in service on Cape Cod Central trains. Sister 1502 has not run in several years and a return to service is not likely in the foreseeable future.
The railroad has 8 cars in service, as well as a Budd RDC which is currently being restored. The Barnstable (#101), Sandwich (#102), and Bourne (#103) cars are used for sightseeing tours, and are all former Long Island Railroad 2700 series commuter cars. The kitchen/generator car (#250) is used on dining trains, as all meals served are prepared on board the train. The Cape Codder (#200) lounge car is a vintage piece of equipment originally from the Illinois Central Railroad. Much of the interior is original, including a number of pieces of plate glass. The Sandy Neck (#201), Great Island (#202), and Race Point (#203) dining cars were all built in the early 1940s and have since been completely restored. This Railroad should not be confused with, although is affiliated with the newly formed Mass Coastal - the freight railroad that transports trash off of the Cape.
Since 2006, the Cape Cod Central Railroad has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Cape Rail Inc., which also operates the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is the successor operator of portions of Bay Colony Railroad.-History:On December 31, 2007 the contract to operate the freight railroad lines owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts administered by the Executive Office of Transportation expired. These...
.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of train stations on Cape Cod