01/02/2005
A great closing for another season

As I am writing this some hard-core fans are getting ready to ride the last train over Mt. Urann. This will mark the end of an era of the Edaville Railroad since the rails will be removed from this area to make room for a housing development. When Edaville reopens for the next season trains will run below what used to be Mt. Urann and much closer to the edge of the reservoir.
I spent the day photographing the "Anne Elizabeth" as part of the photo special chartered by the Massachusetts Bay R.R.E., Inc. It was a very well attended event and people were actually waiting on "standby" for last minute cancellations to get a ticket! Here is a part of the group watching the train rounding the curve near Double Crossing. The trip around the loop took about three hours and included three photo runbys at Mt. Urann. The plume of steam was beautiful in the crisp winter air; the only thing missing was some more snow on the ground. Mother nature just didn't cooperate this year and the 14" that fell a week earlier had all but disappeared. There were just a few patches left as you can see in this cab view, taken from the first regular train at 3:00. This was the last opportunity for a shot from the cab of an engine climbing Mt. Urann and it makes up for me not staying to ride the last train tonight. As you can see, there is not much left of "the mountain" considering that the track was originally located in a cut.
This was my first experience with an official photo special at Edaville. In the past I had attended the railfan weekends or had taken photos on my own; this was a chance to get some nice photos at choice locations. Thank you Vic and Savery and everybody else who helped organize this event and special thanks to management and the crew at Edaville for making this possible. Will we see a railroad fleamarket next???
Keep your eyes on the Edaville forum and my website and I will try to keep you updated with the changes of the track relocation. Enjoy your winter and I hope to see you all again next season at Edaville USA.

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12/04/2004
Steam is alive and well!

Just as promised the first steam-powered trains ran today and it was great to hear and smell the "Anne Elizabeth" back in operation. I arrived at about 2:30 to beat the crowds and it worked: I was about the 5th car to be parked. No. 21 was already under steam waiting with her train in the siding. As soon as the 3 o'clock train with diesel #2 left the "Anne Elizabeth" backed her train into the station. There was still plenty of sunlight and I caught her when she came out of Cranberry Valley with her train. Then I watched the plume of steam making its way around the reservoir and over Mt. Urann while the sweet sounds of the whistle occasionally rolled across the water. I took a few more photos near the crossings after 14 Acre Bog and headed back to the station. By now it was 4:30 and the light was perfect for the ride: dark enough to appreciate the lights but still enough light to make out the scenery. And now I can understand why Mr. Atwood used to sit at Sunset Vista. While our train made its way along the Straightaway we were treated to a gorgeous colored sky on the other side of the reservoir where the sun had just set.
Back at the station it was like the Edaville of old again: the smell of peanuts, sausages and steam wafted over the crowds patiently waiting while listening to Christmas music. By 5:30 even the overflow parking area was filled; they were parking people in the Pine Grove and there was a 2 hour wait to get on the train! Don't be afraid to visit, but either go early or take the family on a weekday night.
The only thing I missed was a group of railfans crowded around the "Anne Elizabeth". With the steam schedule posted in the forum I had expected to see at least a few familiar faces along the fence.

11/12/2004
As pretty a sight as ever

I went yesterday for opening day of the Christmas season and the decorations at Edaville are as pretty as ever. The old familiar SEASON'S GREETINGS has been replaced by HAPPY HOLIDAYS, but the reflection in Swan Pond makes it look just as nice. Thanks to the mild evening (and free admission for Carver residents) the first three trains were packed, after that it started to thin out. There were a few bugs again on startup of the season similar to last year, but they will have been corrected by the time you read this. It seems like the rented generators sit around all year and when Edaville tries to run them the fuel filters are plugged. They start but starve for fuel and stall again. That's why the first trains were running without lights on the cars. But overall it promises to be another delightful Christmas season for the guests and the children on the train already enjoyed every illuminated display along the tracks.
One special display that is still "in the works" is the old favorite: Santa in the bath tub! Rob was looking for an old tub and has found one that he will pick up. The replacement head has been brought in by Eddie Gilbert from his collection and next week the bathroom to keep Santa warm while he scrubs down will be constructed.
So far no schedule has been set for steam operations. I was told that Chuck is still getting the Anne Elizabeth ready and there are currently some issues with the firebox. Believe me, we steam lovers have not been forgotten.

10/09/2004
WOW!!!

Yes, this is the overflow parking area filled just about to capacity and cars were backed up trying to get into the parking lot! The weather was unusually mild for this time of the year and the place was busy. It was great to see such a good turnout for the Cranberry Harvest event and see even God blessing it with good weather. I remember years when I was there in a cold drizzle and everybody was miserable and vendors even packed up early. But this year everybody was all smiles and enjoyed themselves.
Right from the beginning of the day the crowds were big enough that the second train was used all day. And it looked like every train was full. I rode in the cab of No.5 and coming out of Cranberry Valley our wheels were slipping with the loaded train; Don had to do some creative throttle maneuvers to get the wheels back to gripping the rails without stalling the train.
Knowing that this would be my last chance I took a few shots of the train at Mt. Urann. The next time I visit it will be at night for the Festival of Lights and next year the train will bypass the area. Don't miss the special events that are planned for the last train over the mountain; date and schedule will be announced as soon as plans are firmed up.

10/03/2004
A nice surprise

Many friends of Edaville are not only railfans but also model railroaders. Even if we don't have a layout at home, we all appreciate looking at a nice model. Well, if you are one of them don't miss the modular layout of the NMRA's HUB Division in the old museum building, now CRANCENTRAL! The group is here for both weekends of the Cranberry Harvest Festival. I was especially happy to see the building used for something more railroad related and hope other groups will follow this lead. Rob and Brenda are always looking for ways to make Edaville more appealing to attract a larger variety of guests. In my opinion another good step in the right direction .
Thanks to the nice weather and the extra attractions of the cranberry harvest business was brisk enough today to warrant to run 2 trains. I rode behind diesel #5, mainly because that allowed me to ride in style in car #21 again. You just can't beat the comfortable seating. I noticed Mark, another Edaville regular, felt the same about it. And with the front door of the car closed #5 didn't sound that noisy, although a couple of guests in the cab were wearing ear muffs.
Besides the vendors some long time friends of Edaville had set up a display as a gesture of support for Edaville and also to invite visitors to come and view some of the old Edaville equipment. Eddie and Beth Guilbert from Beaver Brook Transportation Museum were passing out brochures with information about their museum and also discount coupons for Edaville's Holiday Festival of Lights. Inside their tent were many photos showing their museum and it sure transported me back a few years: the Henschel #6, the Peerless steam tractor from the museum, the "toast rack" cars. They are all there. And rumor has it that with Eddie's help this year Santa will be back taking a bath at Edaville. I know both of my children have been missing that display. For more information about what Eddie and Beth are doing visit their website.

09/28/2004
Cranberries are ready to enjoy

Despite doing this for more than 20 years at Edaville I still enjoy watching the cranberry harvest. Although the harvest festival was not scheduled for another week I took a quick trip on Sunday afternoon and was not disappointed.
The parking lot was more than half full, a good sign for a plain Sunday afternoon. The open car was packed, but there was plenty of room in the other cars. Most guests enjoyed the other rides with their children. Unfortunately car #21 with the soft seats was part of the unused backup train waiting in the siding, but I still enjoyed the trip. After crossing the remains of Mt. Urann we saw a crew busy harvesting the bog on the left. Farther down the line, after Double Crossing, the bog on the right had turned into a sea of berries ready to be pumped. What a sight: the red berries, green trees and the yellow train. I probably couldn't repeat this lucky shot again, although I was hoping to get the signal into the picture while we were rolling along. Rounding 14 Acre Bog we could already see the motorized beaters sitting next to a flatbed trailer at the far edge and the bog was being flooded. It looked like harvesting would begin on Monday (yesterday).
If you want to watch the harvest and are not just interested in the extra entertainment I recommend you ride the train as soon as you can, don't wait until Columbus Day! You can always come a second time. I know I will.

09/06/2004
Open for business!

The weather for opening day of this year's season couldn't have been better and many smiling faces showed up at the park. As usual, diesel #2 was the locomotive for the day and had no trouble hauling a full train of visitors every hour. Diesel #5 was on standby with a second train, but the crowds were never large enough to warrant using it. So the second crew was released early.
In case you haven't heard yet: the big change this year is the removal of Mt. Urann. As the train climbs the hill you can already see a string of new houses on the other side of Meadow Street. Next year the rest of the area around the hill will be developed and the track will be relocated. Most of the hill has already been removed and turned into a sand pit, although the track is untouched. The signal halfway up the grade has been removed, only the footing is left.
Just like Mr. Atwood used to race the train with his new Olds along the Racetrack in the early years of the railroad our train had a race with a tractor. How embarrasing; the tractor was holding back at first and then beat us!
To me it was a perfect day, although Edaville could have entertained many more visitors. There was still plenty of parking and the lines at the larger rides were short. So come and bring some friends, there is room to have fun for many more!

08/29/2004
Open for business!

The long wait is over: Edaville trains are running again! Yesterday was a special preview day for the residents of Carver and Friends of Edaville pass holders. Invitations had also gone out to ex-employees of the railroad and vendors connected with Edaville USA. For me it was like the celebration of Old Home Day in other New England towns: no matter where I turned there was always a familiar face to see and the hand of an old friend to shake. It took me back 20 years when Geno (Higinio Zaragoza) would sit on a bench in the shade with a cold drink between trips to get a break from the heat of the cab of No. 8 and had time to chat. He was there and still had time to chat. Retired general manager Jack Bryden and his wife were there; I have many permission slips for cab rides in my collection signed by Jack and was happy to see him again. And I finally met some longtime supporters of Edaville: Eddie Gilbert and his wife Beth from Beaver Brook Transportation Museum. Eddie always lifted my spirit during the time of doom and gloom postings in the forum earlier this year and it was a pleasure and honor to be invited to visit their museum. If that wasn’t enough for one day I also was introduced to Fred Richardson after all these years. I obviously had seen his pictures and read about him but had never met him during any of my visits to the railroad. The train crew also consisted of all familiar faces from last year, another sign that people believe in Edaville and management must be doing something right.
The first train for the season was quite full and I decided to walk out past Eastman’s Flume and take a few pictures as it was coming in. The heat was a little much for me, but seeing the full train was a sign to me that many Carver residents still take a train ride over a visit to the beach. My hope is that the whole town will finally stand behind the new management and support Edaville as “their” railroad.
The second train had me as a passenger in car #21 right behind diesel #2. Ah, the soft seats and being able to look out the window! I sure hope that this last car with the original seating will never be converted to the cattle car benches along the windows. I was actually able to see the turtles sunning themselves on the logs rather than staring into other people’s faces. Well, being a railfan I did look at the engine too. It just so happened that Jon Delli Priscoli and his little boy rode on the engine on this trip; another good sign that he is interested in the survival of the railroad.
Later in the afternoon Rob Julian took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me and all I can think of is, “How often does the high level brass of a park like Six Flags sit down with one of their visitors just to chat?” Again, it was like Old Home Day and reminded me of the friendly stories I read and heard about the way Ellis Atwood treated his guests. It was a great day and I can only encourage all of you to come and visit. You will see me again on opening day next Saturday.

07/24/2004
Railfans are welcome to lend a hand

If you ever wanted to work on the railroad, here is your chance: A volunteer workday has been scheduled for Saturday, July 24, from 8:00 - 3:00. This day will be used to cut brush along the right-of-way; something that needs to be done before the opening day but the small full time crew does not have the time to do.
As a long time friend of the Edaville Railroad I am happy to see that Edaville USA is beginning to include the railfan community again in their efforts to draw people in. Although the events for this season are mostly planned, the possibility to include a railfan event for next season was mentioned during my meeting with Brenda and Rob today. This might include a flea market and other railfan treats.
Serious consideration is currently given to begin an "Engineer for the Day" program during the next season. I would love to try my hand at the throttle, but Portland was always a little far away. This will be my (and your) big chance.
The "Anne Elizabeth" is scheduled for another hydro test this summer and if no unexpected problems arise she should be running for the Cranberry Harvest.

06/17/2004
A refreshing wind of good changes is blowing at Edaville

It has been a long time since the last update of the "Right Track", but here it is.
I had the good fortune to meet with Rob and Brenda, the new management team of the park, today to get some information about their future plans for Edaville. It was an enjoyable meeting and after all the doom and gloom postings in the forum lately I came away with the feeling that management will try very hard to keep the railroad running. For both Rob and Brenda Edaville is more than just another business venture, their heart is in their effort to see the railroad survive into the future. They appreciate the good feedback they have received and also the support from many local vendors.
The main reason for my meeting was the newsletter. THE WHISTLE had been handled for a while just by the Friends of Edaville and will again become more of a mouthpiece of Edaville USA. In order to keep the past alive we would like to include some personal fond memories of visitors and ask you to participate by e-mailing your stories to whistle@edaville.com. We may not be able to include everybody’s story in the first issue, but I have room on my hard disk to store them for future use. So just send them in, please.
Another item of interest that was suggested by participants of the forum is the introduction of volunteers to work at Edaville. Management has decided to take you up on the offer to help and more information will be available when THE WHISTLE comes out in August. They are still working on the details for the program. If you feel you want to get involved send them an e-mail or call them; the contact information is on the website (edaville.com).
Right now the park was very quiet and is slowly getting prepared for the opening in September. There is only a bare-bones crew left, but already the rolling stock has been checked out and every piece looked nice and clean. Now the rides are being serviced and painted and some of them will be relocated before opening day.
For us railfans: a "new" piece of MoW equipment has been added to the fleet. Once again it shows true Yankee ingenuity and also is another compliment to the abilities of the shop crew. The dump body of a truck has been married to a two axle railroad truck to form a useful gravel hopper, complete with hydraulic lift mechanism.
Enjoy the summer and don’t miss opening weekend in September. Let’s all pitch in to help Edaville survive many more years.

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