‘Maine’ line cab ride

YOUR section ‘Thanks For The Memories’ in the July issue, reminded me of my favourite train memory.

I was born in 1931, and in 1946 I received one of the thrills of my lifetime. I had a cousin who was an officer of the Boston and Maine Railroad Company (B&M), and he arranged for me to ride in the cab of one of their new diesel locomotives (upon payment of the usual fare).

B&M had a train named ‘Mountaineer’ which ran from Boston, Massachusetts to the north in the state of New Hampshire for the benefit of the flocks of people who vacationed at the lakes and mountains there. It ran only from June 12 to October 12. I was to ride in the locomotive of that train. In addition to the locomotive were three coaches and a parlour car, which had only one seat on each side of the aisle and provision for light snacks.

I boarded at North Station in Boston and produced my ticket and train order form, which authorised me to travel in the cab. There were comfortable armchairs for the engineer and fireman, and a jump seat for a guest. We departed Boston at 11.15am and, shortly after travelling through suburban Boston, we entered southern New Hampshire with its small cities and rolling farm country.

Continuing on, we approached the White Mountains, and the White Mountain National Forest. At the small town of Littleton, we ended the first leg of the trip at 4.10pm (193.1 miles). This was about 45 miles south of the Canadian border.

We left Littleton at 4.45pm for the return trip to Boston (without a crew change), arriving at North Station at 9.45pm, where my father picked me up for the 12 mile drive home to Wellesley Hills.

The travel through the Mountains and National Forest was spectacular; a deer crossing the tracks in front of us was exciting; and the entire trip was all a young railroad fan could ask for.

John Eliot Spofford

Boston, Massachusetts, USA