Coal Delivery at Otis ANG Base Heating Plant: The GreatRails North American Railroad Photo Archive

The GreatRails North American Railroad Photo Archive

Coal Delivery at Otis ANG Base Heating Plant

Coal was king on Otis AFB and later Otis ANG Base when all the buildings were heated from the central heating plant over on the airfield side of the base. Coal was delivered to Otis by Conrail and its predecessors to the coal yard which is now the site of the Otis Transfer Station and delivered to the heating plant by 102nd Civil Engineering Squardron using this 44 tonner. I worked in a building across the street from the heating plant for a number of years. This is the location of the turn-around point when Cape Cod Railroad ran a rail fan trip in 1990. Because the track passed very close to the end of runway 05/23 I had to get clearance from Otis Tower for us to pass the end of the runway. When I contacted the tower I keyed my railroad radio so those who brought radios could hear the conversation. There are not too many rail fan trips that need to get permission from the FAA to cross by a runway.

Photographed by Fred Pegnato.
Added to the photo archive by Fred Pegnato, December 25, 2024.

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Visitor Comments about this Photo:

Further Photographic proof that the Otis line was in regular active use well after WW II ended, despite claims from the BRT Bike path group that the line has been out of use since the war ended.

Posted by John A Speers on 2024-12-25 12:40:55

Excellent photo and very interesting info. I was on that 1990 fan trip and remember the special permission business regarding the runway. I also remember that we backed to the end of a short remaining stub of some old branch that hadn't seen any kind of train for about 20 years - talk about rare mileage! The Cape Cod RR F units pulling the train had literally just been painted orange/green and at least one of them hadn't even been lettered yet.

Posted by Alan Marshall on 2024-12-25 17:36:57

Who could resist a little 44-tonner with the aspirational "United States Air Force" lettered on its hood as it trundles about doing its earthbound chores....."A guy can dream, can't he?"

Posted by Brian Gilleran on 2024-12-27 21:00:33

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