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By John Erickson

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Trip to Horseshoe Curve

Saturday August 10th

Today would be a search for some surviving stations, not for moving trains, though Union Station would yield a couple passenger trains, and a freight train. I had heard about most of them as having railroad webcams. The first station would be one I would stumble upon in Lee, MA. This former New Haven station is now holding a antique shop and had six Mass DOT rock cars behind it, and an unidentified caboose at one end.

Chester was formerly home to the Western Railroad helper station for the Berkshire mountains. This railroad is said to be the first real mountain railroad because it was the first to crest a major mountain pass. If it seems the station has been moved it's actually the rails that were moved. When the roadbed was realigned to reduce the curvature this meant the main line went to the west about 100 feet. Many of the original bridges used are stone and are now accessible by trail. There is also the remains of a stone cutting and polishing works across the road from the station.

The Westfield Station now houses an insurance company and the chamber of commerce. The security cameras on the platform side here are also let out as webcams. I also found the Pioneer Valley Railroad yard just around the corner.

Springfield's Union Station is still used by Amtrak an I found them shuffling equipment and saw a CSX freight here as well as some preserved items from older days.