Railroad Activity on the MBTA's Fitchburg Line

[BoiseBuddFan]

I was riding the Fitchburg line in the early '80s and at that time the F40 HEP would only work in run 8. Can you imagine what it would sound like at the station end of the platform with the engines all at run 8? One time in the winter they turned the train on the Y at Ayer because they were afraid the snow conditions would derail the control car.

[jph0917]

Peter - When did the MBTA reverse the engine and have it push the train inbound instead of outbound? The videos you post from the 1980s show the old engines pushing the old Bud Rail Cars on the outbound runs. I've seen a lot of other old MBTA film footage from the 80s showing outbound push/inbound pull. It had to be in early 1990s, right?

[PKingman]

@jph0917 The old videos that I am just putting up are from 1987. I noticed the same thing about the engines pushing outbound from Boston and pulilng going in. Not sure when they changed that to the normal way now of having the engines pull outbound on all the lines.

[pete5668]

they used to run doubledeckers occasionally on this line, but it didn't last very long at all.

[JeffreyIowa]

where is that you filmed the last 2 trains?

[PKingman]

Where the MBTA Fitchburg Line crosses Brighton Street in Belmont, MA.

[bassbone6]

Anyone hear bout the lady that got her arm ripped off by the train in fitchburg? I have seen some of the folks hanging around the train station and I can say that I'm 94% she deserved it.

[dragongrl61]

I gotta ride that monday! XP

[PKingman]

A fine enjoyable ride on the Iron Horse into the Hub of the Universe.

[aboldys]

I'm surprised they don't use double-deckers on the Fitchburg Line, given that it has so many stops and is probably very busy.

[PKingman]

I haven't ridden that line in many years so I don't know, but maybe the overpasses and bridges are too low. Or maybe the MBTA hasn't got enough double deckers. They use the doubles on the Worcester line. Never see them on the Lowell line.

[oni1121]

yes,unless you're high school student,lol

[PKingman]

$7.75 will add up to alot of money if you got to do the trip everyday. Not a bad deal for one ride though.

[oni1121]

$7.75

[PKingman]

One way to Fitchburg?

[dragongrl61]

all because I had to visit my ex who lives in leominster lol

[mrmbta]

Tell me about it-LOL

[dragongrl61]

Around that time id be coming BACK from Leominster lol

[MuttsMooch]

For some reason, I love the sound of the F40's horn.

[PKingman]

Me too. There are better, but it's pretty good. Some horns are pitiful, unbecoming of good engines.

[PKingman]

Sometimes I think the engineers are having fun with those horns.