Greetings from Provincetown

Hi everyone; I just joined the group and thought I'd say HI.

I grew up in Meriden, CT, and as a kid remember being stopped at the tracks watching the old Budd cars in the early days of Amtrak between NHV and HFD via MDN. I then started taking that line myself for travel to/from HFD and NHV to visit the "big cities", checking out colleges, and doing some volunteer work in Hartford as a high school er.

Growing up in a small city that had good, frequent train service really helped form who I am. Had I lived in a more remote town in CT, I would never have gotten around as I did on my own to the "big cities" of Hartford and New Haven. My dad had died when I was in high school, and my mom didn't drive out of town, but for some reason trusted me to be jumping on the trains to HFD and NHV. I remember an Amtrak cop keeping an eye out for me, and even once or twice walking my home when I was taking the train back back late at night. I always thought he was just being friendly, but now recognize that he was concerned about a high school kid walking around Meriden on his own and wanted to make sure I got home OK. I wish I remembered who he was and would really like to thank him for his kindness.

I also did the Lake Shore to a high school conference in my senior year, though by that point, I had already been an experienced rail rider! I continued to commute while in school at UConn to goback to MDN on some weekends, and started expanding my ventures to NYP, as well as other places in CT on the newly formed Metro-north lines, as well as NJ Transit and SEPTA connections to PHL (as it was a cheaper alternative to Amtrak!)

After graduation, I moved to Boston, and enjoyed the inland MDN-HFD-BOS route while it lasted.

Then I moved to San Francisco, where I got to know the Amtrak California routes, but now am back on the east cost in Provincetown, which which doesn't have rail service of course, but I find my way to Boston.

I've now been on the EB, CZ, and as of last week, the SC ( with a 5 hour delay and missed connection to CS a few days ago - but that's a whole separate story!)

Look forward to chatting more here

Regards

Peter

Welcome aboard for another in Red Sox Nation! :hi:

Of course Provincetown doesn't have rail service - the lower Cape is barely wide enough to fit Route 6. (Or is it 6A, I've only been out to Truro once.)

:hi: Welcome to AU, are you a Yankee fan or Red Sox Nation Guy? That seems to Matter in New England! ^_^

Ha. Yes - Meriden actually is the midpoint between Boston and New York, and our town was pretty split between Red Sox and Yankee, with the tracks through the center of town as the split. Ironically, the west side of the tracks tended to have more Red Sox fans, while the east side was more Yankee fans - though probably some crossover. But I lived on the west side of the tracks!

Actually, Provincetown did have rail service well before I knew it on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. I did take former "new" Cape Cod Railroad trains in the 80s that went from Braintree to Hyannis, and the new MBTA Cape Cod Flyer from South Station to Hyannis this past summer. The tracks past Hyannis have been removed and much of it turned into a bike trail.

But last summer at a yard sale in Provincetown, I aquired a real find - a large metal sign saying "Left Luggage" The houseowner at the yard sale indicated that his house was the former train master house for the end of the line of the Cape Cod branch of the NY NH&H RR, and that he found the sign in his basement.

The sign is apparently from the old Provincetown train station, as either the desk where you would check baggage, or store baggage after your arrival. I think the terminology may have been used for either or both purposes back in the day.