MBTA Hospital Train Moves Extremely Rare, Vintage Equipment for the First Time in 20 Years
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
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About this video: On January 6, 2024, MBTA operated a “hospital train” equipment move on the New Hampshire Route Mainline (Lowell Line) between Boston and Billerica, MA. “Hospital train” is a loose term used on the railroad that often refers to an extra train (not scheduled) moving old or damaged equipment to a specific location, often at a restricted speed. This train consisted of MBTA’s C-1 caboose being used as a shoving platform, two MBTA freight cars (MBTX 1411 and 101) being used for extra breaking capabilities, MBTX 6213 (an ex-Boston and Maine RDC “Budd” car), MBTA 1930 (an ex-milk box car), and MBTA F40PH-3C 1062 for power. Extra freight cars were required due to the lack of breaks in the 6213 and 1930, both of which had been sitting in storage for decades prior. The first few clips in this video were filmed in Boston as the train was assembled, then the following ones in Medford, Winchester, Woburn, and Wilmington as we chased the historic move to its final destination of Iron Horse Park in Billerica. The last clip shows the train returning back to Boston through Wilmington after the two historic cars were dropped off, where they will hopefully see a cosmic restoration in the near future.
Background: Anyone who has taken a train into or out of Boston’s North Station on the Newburyport/Rockport, Haverhill, or Lowell lines in the last 20 years most likely has seen two ex-Boston and Maine self-propelled RDC “Budd” cars (numbered 6213 and 6214) rotting away on a siding in Somerville. Formerly an efficient way to travel, they are now a part of railroading past, resulting in the most recent owners of the cars (the MBTA) to leave them sitting with no real plans for their future. On September 10, 2022, trespassers started a fire in car 6214 which resulted in major structural damage to the already dilapidated coach. Although directly connected to other train cars such as the 6213, it was only the 6214 that received most of the fire damage. In December of 2023 after sitting for another year untouched, crews set up equipment around the 6214 (the fire damaged one) and scrapped it on site leaving the 6213 in tact. Not long after, the 6213 (as well as a few old freight cars connected to it) was moved for the first time in over 20 years, although only the short distance into MBTA’s Boston Engine Terminal a few hundred feet away. With word that the remaining Budd car was to be cosmetically restored for display in Billerica, MA, I kept in close contact with a few friends at the railroad as we planned the upcoming historic (and most likely the last ever) move of the last RDC car in Boston.
Loving the real honest to goodness bell on the engine!!!!❤❤❤❤
Neat to see the B&M markings still visible on that RDC!
Absolutely. Not many of those left that can still be seen moving around after all !
Been years since I saw the old commuter car. I was born & raised in Boston!!
Don't ya mean, "It's bean years"....... after all, you're from Boston?😅
all I can say is this was a great day. Nice video nate
Thank you AJ I had to spend a solid 5 minutes editing your voice out of this video
@@rail_spike_productions💀
6:07 the old equipment and a heritage unit makes this a double pull! 🔥
Absolutely !
I love when you see Old Equipment out in the Wild....nice Catch👍🏻 and just Subbed ....
Same here! Thanks very much. I appreciate it
Interesting video, especially the caboose (shoving platform) equipped with a bell & horn. As a retired CP Conductor, I'm fairly sure that the caboose is former CP. When I worked in them, they didn't have horns, bells or pilots. We could have used all of those, especially in snowplow service with long backup moves to double through snowed in cuts.
You’re spot on - it is indeed ex-CP, but I do not know much else of its history. It’s the only caboose that MBTA operates at this time, and it rarely is in the “leading” position anymore due to complications with PTC. Either way, it’s a very interesting piece of equipment for sure.
it’s a modified ex-CP…they have or had an ex-MoPac and ex B&M caboose
@@rail_spike_productionsdoes the caboose have cab controls? I thought it was only a horn and bell.
There are no controls in it - just lights, bell, and horn. For it to lead, the engineer must be operating from a locomotive while communicating with a conductor being the “eyes of the engineer” from the caboose
@@rail_spike_productionsAdd another point,first caboose with a snowplow pilot! Definitely out of the ordinary! Most interesting video,Boston has a tendency to surprise people,with odd equipment! Thank you 😇 😊!
Magníficos vídeos, gracias.
Thank you very much
Not gonna lie that was definitely cool to see!
For sure ! Glad you enjoyed
Great catch and nice pursuit along down the line.
Very glad you enjoyed
Boston By rails also made a video around this a while ago, never thought you went as well! Awesome job!
Yep! We chased this train together. Glad you enjoyed it
@@rail_spike_productions I did! Now two version I can watch!
You came at the right time, you also caught Amtrak's DE series going outbound to Maine
Indeed! Lucky for sure
I love that caboose 😍
Same here. It’s such a unique piece of equipment
What's the purpose of these cabooses?
@@udorechner6846 So they can repoert to the engineer if they have a hotbox or any other issuses .... Some long trips another engineer would have some sleep in the caboose to rest or switch shifts
Wow the old RDC brings back memories.
We still run them in Canada because somehow we are even MORE outdated than the USA when it comes to railways.
Amazing vantage point!
Thank you !
Boston has such a weird vibe
Good catch. Greetings from Port Saint Lucie. Florida.
Thanks very much. I’m glad to hear that there’s an audience coming to this video from all over ! Cheers
Woah they moved them 😮
Yep! Only took 20 years haha
Congrats on 2k subs!
Thank ya very much
Great catch!
Thank you !
Nice catches bro
Thanks very much !
Cool video and that bud passenger car looks like one of the passenger cars that they used in the TV show called the X Files.
Thank you - I will have to check that out
6:32 a new challenger approaches!
Indeed! Quite the combo for sure
Make Cabooses Great Again!
I think that is the motto used by Kim Kardas... oh wait. Never mind. Not that kind of caboose.
6:24 that RDC needs to be restored to operational status
Why the different reporting marks MBTA, MBTX and MBA? Nice video, thanks for posting! I was also curious, does MBTA have electric commuter equipment on the NEC?
Thanks - glad you enjoyed. As for the reporting marks, the caboose’s were done wrong. MBA was supposed to read MBTA. As for the other 2, MBTX is technically the railroad’s official reporting marks for their equipment but it seems to be often interchanged with MBTA. There are no electric commuter trains anywhere on the system yet, but when they do eventually start running them I am sure the NEC will be the first place for them.
@@rail_spike_productions -- Thanks for your reply. Great video.
Mbtx 1411 is a ex amtrak material handling car
Hey, quick question: What kind of camera, audio equipment, and other equipment and add-ons/modifications to the sound equipment and camera did you used to make this video, with?
All I used to film was my iPhone 14 Pro Max with no extra equipment added on
What was the boxcar with a wheel on the door for?
It’s normally used to transport salt during the winter for station platforms. In this case, it was being used for extra breaking
Cool share, Subbed!. Thanks for sharing.
Very glad you enjoyed. Thank you !
Imagine just sitting on the flat car for the ride
Yes haha - perfect view !
Flat wheel? What flat wheel?
That hospital car is sitting next to the keolis sometville fir weeks getting all graffitied up
20 years? Was that the RDC that’s been sitting under I-93 for what seems like 30+ years?
If I recall correctly they brought it down there in 2002
@@rail_spike_productions. Yes, you’re correct. I saw the Boston by Rails post confirm that later. Twenty can feel like 40 at my age. Great views by all.
2:21 - damn, that MHC is rusty!
Didn’t know mbta had any of the ex amtrak material handling cars interesting
Very neat for sure. It will be retired in the coming years I hear
Huge Like & Subscribed 😎👍
Very glad to hear that. Thank you !
So whats the rumor/ reason for the move? Scrap or restraion
Everything that I’ve heard indicates it will be restored in some manner
Three trains at Anderson at the same time, whens the last time THATS happened!?
Great question - I was thinking about posting that as a separate video as well since it’s such an uncommon sight.
In addition to being rare, isn't that first locomotive also facing the wrong way? Also I shoot here sometimes, but almost exclusively at night. Daytime videos look SO much nicer!
Yes, the 1062 was flipped to face towards Boston in order to lead the train back inbound. Daytime videos are cool but there certainly are ways to make night videos epic too
MBTA uses the same back forth system as Amtrack, one loco and one baggage car with controls for single track operations where the train can't be turned around.
A Caboose with Ditch Lights, Cool.
That is a Canadian Pacific Angus Shop Van and I noticed it was cause there was mesh on the side windows which CP did put on to prevent idiots from smashing the windows
Too bad the Billerica and Bedford narrow gauge right of way is non-existent in Billerica, it would be fun to see the restored RDC in Billerica, Bike down to Bedford and see the RDC at the freight depot!
So, the caboose has been retrofitted to act as a cab car or is the locomotive RC’ed and there’s an engineer operating it?
The caboose only has controls for lights, bell, and horn. The engineer was operating this train from the locomotive while the conductor was being his “eyes” in the caboose
@@rail_spike_productions The miracle of a handheld two way radio.
What cars are geting restored or are they all geting it
Only the 2 cars directly behind the locomotive were being moved for restoration. The rest of the cars were there to provide breaks for the train
@@rail_spike_productionsSo that answers the question i was going to ask. Saw the air line routed from the locomotive through/around the boxcar and RDC. Wondered if the former Amtrak car had air or if it had been bypassed as well. 👍
Great except it was annoying you didn't show what T stops they/you were at
Any locations that were not clear in the video I listed in order in the description
What is a hospital train?
The term is most commonly used to describe a train moving old or damaged railroad equipment
Do the brakes really work on that RDC?
No they do not - they had to run an air line through the RDC and the box car so the locomotive’s breaks could connect to the other cars.
A CABOOSE LOCOMOTIVE!?!?!?!?!
The caboose only provides lights, bell, and horn but no actual power. The engineer was operating this train from the locomotive at the other end
@@rail_spike_productions oh. No actual power. Darn. I thought it would be like a locomotive.
Is that an MU plug on the end of the caboose?
It may be - I’m not an expert on that kind of stuff
@@rail_spike_productions I have been looking at this caboose for a while. Not sure if they have controls in it or maybe they are using it for the 72 volts for lights, etc.
I have been in this caboose before and I can confirm that there are no operational controls, just valves for horn and bell as well as headlights
@@rail_spike_productions ok. Maybe it's 72 volts for lights etc.
@rail_spike_productions Do they have a generator and or batteries on it?
Final destination of these cars please does anyone know? A lot of train museums would love to get their hands on these!
The caboose, ex-Amtrak car, and flat car are returning to the MBTA to continue in work train service. The RDC car and box car number 1930 were dropped off in Billerica, MA where they will be displayed after being restored.
@@rail_spike_productionswait- they actually used that lie? it was claimed that the RDC was filled with asbestos and unable to be scrapped or restored, hence why it spent 10-15 years on the siding
Fantastic news! Thanks for the update! Appreciated 👍
@@rail_spike_productionsthe RDC is damaged by fire and filled with asbestos, it’s not getting fixed unless someone with a lot of grant money to waste is funding it
it was supposed to get used in North Station 20 years ago, that never happened because of the asbestos
but given you deleted my comment i doubt you actually care about the truth and only regurgitate what was fed to you
Of course!
forced to remove the abandoned equipment after a nasty fire destroyed one of the abandoned RDCs and embarrassed the two mayors
How did that embarrass the mayors?😊
@@themidlandmaniac9803 easy: big fire with limited access and nobody doing anything about it sitting around for years in full view if everyone riding the trains…it shows that they’re selective in their criticism and don’t care about something until they have to
@@bostonrailfan2427 wow
So, feel free to correct me, but did they just take it out somewhere where it will be even further destroyed as well as be out of sight and out of mind?
I can’t confirm, but the word is that they’ll be cosmetically restoring the RDC car. I have more details in the video description
@@rail_spike_productions Confirmed, but not immediately. They hope to fix it someday.
Poor RDC...
I saw MBTX 6213 carriage when I was taking the OL.Hope it can back to service?
I believe it will only be restored cosmetically to be displayed since a full restoration would be quite costly
6:31 bro didn’t care about 145💀
Yup pretty much. I’ve seen that unit dozens of times so I was more focused on the rarer train in this situation
either 145, I’ve only caught two heritage units.
1: 164.
2: 203.
I’ve still gotta find 203 myself. It doesn’t come to New England very much
brakes
Wait .... So they hid the passenger car in the bushes for another 20 years??? 😳
The car was sitting in the Boston area for just over 20 years before this move. It’s now expected to be cosmetically restored
@@rail_spike_productions I hope you can show it if they do restore it 😍
@@rail_spike_productions I just subscribed!!!!
Much appreciated ! And yes, I will do my best to see it if the plans go through to restore it.
next stop the junkie.
There’s still hope for the Budd car - I heard it will most likely see a cosmetic restoration.
@@rail_spike_productions Some sand paper and a couple cans of Rustoleum and that one will look almost new in an afternoon.
@@rail_spike_productionsif you believe that, i have a bridge to sell you…it was sitting on the siding for 15 or so years because of a lot of issues that prevent scrapping or restoring
it’s filled with asbestos and heavily damaged by water and fire…it’s not getting fixed
The other RDC that it was with in Somerville was scrapped on site a few months back. I imagine the same thing would have happened to this one unless they had plans for its future
A whole lot of scrap metal thats all..!!
Let's see, it switched and left from Boston's north station yard, maybe destination was Newburry Port?
This train ran to Billerica via the Lowell line. I put all of the locations in the description of this video
Whole thing engine and all needs to go to the scrappers.