Visitor Comments about this Photo:

This is a terrific picture! Mail trains had the most interesting and diverse consists. Not a lot of revenue on this train - Was this train one of the last PC bulk mail trains to operate after Amtrak took over? Great capture!

Posted by John Barlow on 2023-11-05 05:17:59

Wonderful portrait of a transitional era in NE railroading. The Boston & Albany RPO had finished sorting mail on this route but mail storage trains would operate here for a few more years. Lots of passenger equipment shown here but I don't recall the mail and express carrying regular passengers. Judging by the impressive lashup and the variety of cars trailing besides those used for mail service, it appears that this train is accommodating an equipment transfer.besides moving the mails.

Posted by Ron DeFilippo on 2023-11-05 08:28:34

Yes, another wonderful photo of a transitional era, only a few days into Amtrak. I did not that think that even this storage mail train was running at that late date. Whatever, it certainly did not carry passengers. If my memory serves, Amtrak came May 1 of that year, 1971, and even the remnant of the New England States got axed; west of Worcester the only passenger train was an inland route train to NYC via Springfield. I do remember a mail train wreck at Ashland in July 1969 that I worked on, and I think that it had a lot more Flexi Van mail cars. But, as you say, the PC certainly did use these trains for equipment deadheading. Things just happened so fast, and being young, I did not really realize that. Good to see such nice photos taken by those who had the wisdom to record such- Thanks!

Posted by Robert Waters on 2023-11-05 10:25:23

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