Cape Cod Central Railroad
| Cape Cod Central Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A CCCR Train in Sandwich, Massachusetts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Tourist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Cape Cod | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
Buzzards Bay Hyannis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opening | 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Cape Rail Inc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | 8 cars in service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It operates on a rail line known as the Cape Main Line which is owned by Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The line was previously owned and operated by the Cape Cod Railroad, the Old Colony Railroad, and later the New Haven Railroad, each of which operated passenger trains on the line from 1854 to 1959. Although it is the namesake of the Cape Cod Central Railroad (1861–1868), the two companies are unrelated. This company, however, is the first of this brand name to not be a railroad company just on paper.
Services
Originally founded in 1999, it operates a variety of excursion trains from downtown Hyannis to the Cape Cod Canal during spring, summer, and fall. Recently, it has expanded service in a limited capacity to offer rides that travel the reverse of the normal route. It also offers special trains that travel to Wareham. Most of their trips are made during the Scallop Festival or during the summer when the Family Supper Train and Scenic Train depart together from Buzzards Bay. It offers daily sightseeing trains, a Family Supper train, Brunch and Lunch trains, and an Elegant Dinner train that was rated one of the top three in the nation by the Food Network. Past offerings have also included special Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas trains.
On November 21, 2009, the railroad ran dinner service on the Falmouth Line via North Falmouth.[1]
Rolling stock
The Cape Cod Central Railroad has three locomotives, and generally uses two on each train in a pull-pull configuration due to a lack of convenient switching locations. ALCo RS-3M #1201, nicknamed "Lulubell," was originally built in May 1951 for the New York Central Railroad as locomotive #8246. It has also served Penn Central, Amtrak, Connecticut Central, and Providence & Worcester railroads. #1201 did not run during the 2011 season; since it was at the end of its useful life, it was scrapped on 9/17/2011.[2] EMD GP-7 #1501, along with its sister engine #1502, was originally built in 1952 for the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay railroad. The 1501 recently emerged in a new paint scheme identical to sister railroad Massachusetts Coastal's paint scheme. The engine is now in service on Cape Cod Central trains. Sister 1502 has not run in several years and a return to service is not likely in the foreseeable future.
The railroad has 8 cars in service, as well as a Budd RDC which is currently being restored. The Barnstable (#101), Sandwich (#102), and Bourne (#103) cars are used for sightseeing tours, and are all former Long Island Railroad 2700 series commuter cars. The kitchen/generator car (#250) is used on dining trains, as all meals served are prepared on board the train. The Cape Codder (#200) lounge car is a vintage piece of equipment originally from the Illinois Central Railroad. Much of the interior is original, including a number of pieces of plate glass. The Sandy Neck (#201), Great Island (#202), and Race Point (#203) dining cars were all built in the early 1940s and have since been completely restored.
This Railroad should not be confused with, although is affiliated with, the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad - the freight railroad that transports trash off of the Cape. Since 2006, the Cape Cod Central Railroad has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Cape Rail Inc., which also owns and operates the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad.[3]
In October 2012, Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC acquired control of Cape Rail Inc., and its subsidiaries, Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, LLC and Cape Cod Central Railroad.
See also
- Cape Cod Railroad
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of train stations on Cape Cod
- Cape Codder (train)
- CapeFLYER
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cape Cod Central Railroad. |
- ↑ Aaron Gouveia (2009-11-22). "Dining train rolls into Falmouth". Retrieved 2013-07-10.
- ↑ Picture of #1201 scrapped for parts
- ↑ Cape Rail Inc. official web site
