In the Weeds in Palmer
In the Weeds in Palmer
Scarlet
What makes a railroad town? There was a time when seven railroads chugged through Palmer, Massachusetts. Now there are four railroads, and the one passenger number, Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited, doesn’t stop. But, railroading is not dead in Palmer, quite the opposite. Palmer is a town of working railroaders, motivated historians, and rail buffs, with civic aspirations for again becoming a stop on Amtrak’s timetable.
Palmer provided a generational double-whammy. The demographic profile was predictable at my well-attended Amherst Railway Society presentation. Railroad enthusiasts are often male and often of a certain age. I treasure them all. I also met a young woman, a recent Western New England University graduate, who is all about returning rail service to Palmer and is knee-deep in the politics of getting it done. She is a spark in the ether, if you will, or perhaps a glowing ember in the sooty plume of a relic locomotive.
Scarlet Lamothe will tell you that rail transport is the future; it’s efficient, environmentally sound, and a safe way to travel. She’ll contend that better rail service means fewer Massachusetts drivers, and all Americans can get behind that. She’ll tell you that her great commonwealth was a leader in founding this country and it now needs to lead in infrastructure innovation. Yes, Scarlet is irrefutably correct on every point. And lastly, she’ll note Palmer’s ideal location, already primed architecturally accredited station, secure parking, and excellent restaurant, the Steaming Tender. And, again, she’s right on every point. Scarlet is articulate, bright, and engaging. So, who could resist?
Massachusetts State Senators Anne Gobi, Eric Lesser, & State Rep. Todd Smola – Palmer Rail Supporters
Well, you guessed it, the political class and the bureaucratic apparatus it controls but often hides behind. There lies resistance. But, Scarlet’s going to win. And, Palmer’s going to win. Put money on it. It’s a matter of will finding a way.
My guilty pleasure in Palmer was speaking to eighty or more rail enthusiasts on a dreary Wednesday night and not only telling the story of the 721st Railway Operating Battalion but getting into the weedy details of railroading without losing the audience. Most people don’t care about the advantages of a Westinghouse air brake system over a vacuum brake system or the operational hazards of link-and-pin coupling versus the efficient and much less dangerous drawbar-knuckle system. I do, and I like talking about these things. Rambling on about railroad minutiae is typically a selfish pleasure, but not in Palmer. The Palmerians were ready for details.
The well-organized Amherst Railway Society fielded an outstanding audience on a slushy post-Nor’easter weekday evening. Kudos to John Sacerdote, President and Show Director. So, here’s something to put on your calendar. Next January 25-26, 2019, the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show, the largest show of its kind on the East Coast, will kick off in West Springfield, Massachusetts. I’ll be there, and I look forward to riding Amtrak to Palmer, having a drink at the Steaming Tender, then traveling on to Springfield. There, I plan to get into the weeds with anyone looking for scintillating railroading details. All aboard! – SJH
Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show
