Driving Trip -
March 21-23, 2013
Note: click on the thumbnails for a larger image
Hartford, Connecticut is in the middle of an area rich in U.S.
history. Founded in 1637, the state capitol of Connecticut is known for
its many insurance companies who call it their home. Hartford was also
the home of a music educator's conference this year. So while my wife
attended the conference, I did some sight seeing of the area.
We
had driven through Hartford several times while traveling to visit the
in-laws in Maine but never stopped to take a look around. The downtown
is fairly hilly and the road structure probably was originally a bunch
of horse and buggy paths which over time were paved and improved. I
found some of the road layouts puzzling at best, and coupled with
aggressive drivers who seem to do whatever they want regardless of what
the signals indicate, it amazes me that there aren't more head-on
collisions. No wonder why the insurance companies call this
city
"home"! The people I spoke with in Hartford were very friendly.
Thursday March 21, 2013
After dropping off my wife at the conference, I
made the short trip to
the west end of the downtown area to the Austin Organ
Company.
Austin has been in business since 1893 and is one of the oldest
continuously operating pipe organ companies in the United States. Along
with their product's proven longevity, one of Austin's biggest claims
to fame
is their patented Universal
Airchest System. I
had called
ahead and arranged for a tour of the factory. I arrived and
was greeted by
a few members of the staff including the office cat Opie who is shown
in the photo on the right. The large photo above Opie is of John
Turnell Austin who founded the company.
Dave Secour,
the Design Engineer for Austin, was my tour guide for the
day. Dave started by showing how they begin to lay out the
racks
of pipes,
making sure that there is enough spacing between the individual pipes,
and between the ranks (or voices) of pipes. We then headed into the
shop. Just walking
from the
welcome area to the factory floor was like walking through a time warp.
The factory construction of wood floors, lots of windows, etc. all
screamed late 19th/early 20th century.
The first shop area we looked at was for organ consoles. At the time of
my visit
they had four consoles in various states of construction. The organ
console takes a beating over time and often needs a rebuild,
rewiring or gets replaced. Dave points out that their
consoles are built to last and have a steel frame construction,
something that few, if any, other builder does (see photo at left).
We
then moved to Dave's area which is organ design. The advent of AutoCAD
and other computer aided drawing programs have made organ design easier
than by doing it all by hand. But as Dave pointed out, even the best
computer design can't map out every little nuance of space and
surprises with layout still sometimes occur. No two organs are exactly
alike, and part of this is because each building is physically and
acoustically different. Dave showed several drawings including one of a
mostly brand new instrument going in at First Baptist Church in
Washington,
DC.
Next we moved upstairs to where pipes are made and voiced.
The art of voicing a pipe is one of precision and skill. Pipes can be
voiced in many different ways and it is up to the voicer to get it just
right to create a unified sound. Final tonal adjustments are always
made after the instrument is installed in its permanent home. Many of
the pipes shown in these pictures are for the First Baptist Church
instrument. While on
the same floor, Dave pointed out another relic - their ancient
Otis elevator which, despite its age, still functions and is used on a
daily basis to move people and organ parts up and down the building.
Moving
lower into the building we descended upon an area where most of the
organ components other than pipes are built. This includes
magnets,
valves, trackers, etc., most of which are parts only seen by organ
technicians performing service on the instrument (see photo at right).
Most of the
machines are custom built to fabricate specific parts for the organ. A
few of these machines are so old they were originally powered by steam
and still retain their belt driven motors (see photo below). Dave
noted that with the
exception of the organ's computer system, blower and a few
types of
pipes, Austin makes everything else in its shop.
In
the bottom of
the building is where a finished organ is completely erected and
tested. Dave noted that the instrument for First Baptist Church was so
large that they could not put it all together at the same time. The
ground floor is also where metal is melted to create the rolls of metal
for making pipes and where wood is stained or painted. There's also
space to stage organ parts for eventual shipment to
the customer. Parts of the First Baptist instrument were awaiting
transit as were parts for two other organs. Years ago, Austin used to
ship finished instruments to their customer by railcar!
Finally
we returned back to the welcoming area. Nearly overwhelmed by
everything I had seen, I thanked Dave and the
rest of the staff for their hospitality and departed the shop. This is
just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what there is to see, so if
you are interested in seeing more of the factory the Austin web page
has lots of photos and a detailed history of the company. You'll
actually see one of my photos on their web page! Tours are
also available if you call ahead.
Friday 3/22/2013
Today
I would have a good chunk of the day to myself. Eventually I wanted to
visit the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, however it didn't
open until 10 a.m. so I took a leisurely trip north and followed the
Amtrak line starting at Hartford Union Station. The station, built in
1889, has certainly seen better days but obviously is also still a
source of pride for the community. Renovated in 1987, the station hosts
a dozen or so Amtrak trains a day and has a bus terminal on the bottom
level. I had thought about taking the train to Springfield to go to the
Hall of Fame but it would
have been a 40 minute walk from the Springfield station to the Hall of
Fame so I decided to postpone my trip until later.
The south end of the passenger platform
in Hartford, CT is visible in this photo
Panning a little north is more of the
platform as well as a nice restaurant
The Hartford, CT Union Station is a
substantial structure but little of it is used for trains
A close up of the main entrance to the
Hartford, CT train station
The main concourse has been renovated
but sits largely unused.
I then headed
north, again dealing with the convoluted street layout and aggressive
drivers. I was also armed with the Amtrak schedules and made it a point
to see as many of the Amtrak trains as I could while following the
line. I could see freight trains all day long back home, but passenger
trains are absent from the local rail scene. Following the line north I
stopped in Windsor which it proudly proclaims as Connecticut's oldest
city,
founded in 1633. The town's station, originally built in 1870 was
rebuilt in
1988 and is a beautiful structure in a pretty community.
Windsor, CT depot basks in the mid-March
sunlight, awaiting the next train
The view north at the Windsor,
CT depot. Note the wide right-of-way and LED lights in the signal.
The
line then twists north to its next station in Windsor Locks. As can be
assumed by the town's name, yes there are canal locks in Windsor Locks!
A state park devoted to the water method of transportation allows
people to walk along the tow path of a large canal which parallels the
Connecticut River. The canal extends for a couple miles or so and ends
just north of the current location of the Amtrak "station", which is
nothing more than a concrete pad with a bus shelter. Less than a mile
north is the original Windsor Locks train station which locals are
trying to save and reuse as the town's station for Amtrak.
Here's the original Windsor Locks, CT
depot which locals want to renovate and make the stop for Amtrak
A
little north of the old station the line splits. At first I thought the
Amtrak route stayed on the west side of the river, but after crossing
the track and finding myself in an industrial park it was obvious that
this was the Connecticut Southern freight line which splits off for a
few miles. So I rerouted myself to the east side of the river and took
in the large railroad bridge over the river. A spot next to the road on
the east end affords a nice telephoto view of the bridge, but
unfortunately no trains were around. A train station also sits on
private property just east of this location.
An obstructed view of the bridge over
the Connecticut River north of Windsor Locks, CT
The view looking west through the
bridge north of Windsor Locks,
CT.
Continuing north
my timing was such that the Amtrak train #490 was going to be
approaching my area and that I needed to find a spot to stop. For
anyone who remembers their first attempt to photograph an Amtrak train
at top speed (in most cases 79 mph) chances are you were thrown off by
how much faster the train moves as compared to a freight train. Most
intermodal trains top out at 60 mph (70 mph in some
areas), so this train is moving at least 10% faster than the fastest
freight train. Point being that if you are going to take a photo, you
better be prepared well ahead of when you think you need to be in your
spot.
The GPS showed a series of roads in a marshy area which
looked to cross the tracks. So I pulled down and found myself in a
nature preserve which, while it was very quiet, also had me blocked
from driving to the tracks. So I got out and started walking,
frequently looking at my watch to see if I was going to get to the
tracks in time. After a few minutes I passed a woman near the tracks
taking photos of
some birds. I told her I was going to take a picture of the train as it
went by just so she wouldn't think I was up to anything suspicious.
Arriving
at the tracks I looked south and the train was in sight - I had made it
just in time. Another characteristic of an Amtrak train at speed is its
sound, or lack there of. Instead of the normal rumbling, flat spots,
squeaks and locomotive whine, you usually only hear a hissing sound of
the cars breaking through the wind and
the locomotives usually are at a low rumble. In less than 30 seconds,
the train which seemed in the far distance whizzed by me at top speed
with its single locomotive and two coaches, hardly a load to break the
sweat of the locomotive. What a rush!
Amtrak 490 approaches. The large
building in the background is a Bigelow carpet factory which has been
converted to loft apartments
Amtrak 490 rapidly approaches at track
speed. This location is at a nature preserve near the town of Enfield,
CT
A close up of Amtrak 490 just before it
passes at track speed. The two coaches are hardly a load for this unit
I headed back out and
proceeded north through Enfield, CT. I'm mentioning this town for two
reasons. First, the topography is such that you feel like you are on
top of the world here. If you look to the east or to the west, you find
that you are on the highest point in the area for many miles. Second,
Enfield is the home of ham operator NM1K who has sent out thousands of
ham
radio messages for many years and kept those of us on the traffic nets
busy handling his messages.
Finally
I arrive at the James A.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Naismith was
born Canada and invented the game in 1891 while working at the YMCA
Training School in Springfield. He died in Lawrence, KS, home of Kansas
University which has named their basketball court after him. The
entrance to the Hall of Fame is inside a small mall of sorts which is
occupied by a few restaurants and a radio station studio. You get a
flavor for what's inside by the piped in basketball highlights
broadcast over speakers in the main corridor. I guess think of it as a
way to want you to go inside.
The
Hall of Fame is divided into three floors. The top floor is the ring
of honor with a photo and background information of each inductee. A
timeline showing key rule changes is also shown and gives perspective
as to when certain things took place. Videos subdivide the years and
show clips of world events and key events in basketball. I took my time
and spent about 45 minutes browsing the many famous athletes
and
coaches who have been inducted, making sure to take photos of everyone
from Ohio State in the hall. Most people probably could go through it
in about 30 minutes.
Photos of each inductee hang from the
ceiling of the Hall of Fame
Here is the photo of James Naismith who
invented the game of basketball in 1891
The Hall of Fame has a nice display
about Naismith and his game "Basket Ball"
Jerry Lucas was arguably the best
basketball player ever at Ohio State
A bio of every inductee is given,
listing their lifetime accomplishments.
Another Ohio State alum, Bob Knight, is
also in the Hall of Fame but as coach of Indiana
The
middle floor is where all of the exhibits are displayed. The Hall of
Fame spans all levels from high school to professional and
includes both men's and women's basketball teams and coaches. As I
watched the many videos they had available I tried to focus on the
style of play from years ago to see how it has changed. It's obvious
that the biggest change is the physicality of the game. The old games
basically show teams running around in circles with little physical
interaction. Today the players push and shove to establish position and
guards use their forearm to create space between them and the defender.
An exhibit on the early years of the
game. The original 13 rules are in the display in the foreground on the
right
Basketball players were known as
"cagers"
due to the cage around the floor which kept the ball from leaving the
floor area
Examples of early score books. While
technology has advanced the game, score books are still used today
It was nice to see a good balance between college and pro
players and teams. Depending on where you are in the country your focus
may be on one level of ball or another.
Lots of historical memorabilia is on
display at the Hall of Fame
Signatures from Jim Valvano and Michael
Jordan are visible on these items
The women's side of the game
had a smaller presence but was still represented well. I was very happy
to see a Columbus Quest uniform worn by Valerie Still displayed. The
Quest played in the American Basketball League which formed before the
WNBA and only lasted a couple years before being dwarfed by
the
WNBA. Most people felt that the ABL teams had better basketball
players but the league couldn't compete with the marketing of the WNBA.
The Columbus Quest were part of the
American Basketball League which began shortly before the WNBA
Valerie Still was one of the key players
on the Columbus Quest, who won both ABL titles. Ohio State great Katie
Smith was a teammate
The day I was there, Ohio State was
playing Iona in the NCAA tournament. The Hall of Fame had this display
of the Gaels
Also
on the second floor were a few interactive displays. One
allowed
you to measure your vertical leap height and compare it with
what
other basketball stars can do. Another display gave you the opportunity
to be a sports announcer complete with lights, camera and a
teleprompter. Having done some announcing of my own several years ago
(yes I consider the public access fake pro wrestling shows real
announcing!) I can honestly say it isn't as easy as it looks or
sounds. You really have to be quick with your delivery and be
descriptive at the same time.
The Hall of Fame also has a section
devoted to the media
To the dismay of all Kentucky fans, the
call of the Laettner shot is prominently displayed
On the bottom floor was a full
size basketball court where you could shoot hoops as long as you
like. They also had low height hoops set up for those who
wanted
to practice dunking the ball and some backboard/hoop constructions of
years past to show how the equipment has evolved. Exiting the court
takes you to the gift shop which had a plethora of basketball gear
along with videos of basketball greats and books written by people
involved with the game. The bottom floor also has a theater where
documentaries and other films are shown. The day I was there was the
second
day of "March Madness" so they had the NCAA tournament on. I
grabbed
some lunch and watched the games on the big screen for about 30
minutes. Sweet!
Several displays highlighting key
players from each position are shown in this area
The bottom level is a full size
basketball court. All attendees are allowed to shoot hoops
Overall I would give the hall of fame a B+
grade. The information was very interesting but many of the videos were
dated and looked like they needed to be refreshed. It took me about two
hours to go through everything, but I went very slowly so most people
probably could go through everything in about 90 minutes. Considering
the popularity of the game I was expecting maybe a little bit more
content. People may feel that they should have gotten more for the
price of admission.
I then departed the museum and headed over
to the Springfield, MA train station. The station was built in 1926 by
the
Boston and Albany Railroad and has a similar stone facade as the
station in Hartford. However unlike the Hartford station,
this building sits in a fairly run down area of town and is
not in
the best of shape. Apparently the station is about ready to go through
a major renovation and in my opinion it can't occur soon enough. After
departing the station I found the CSX yard on the other side of the
river and took a few photos of some equipment in the yard.
The massive wall of the Springfield, MA
Union Station dwarfs cars in the street.
Here is the entrance to the Springfield,
MA Union Station
An old B30-7 has a second life as part
of a safety train, seen in the Springfield, MA yard
This insulated boxcar has received the
CSX yellow end paint scheme just like the locomotives
Permanently parked in the Springfield,
MA yard is this Erie Lackawanna TOFC trailer
With
a couple hours to kill I basically reversed my route but again kept an
eye on the time and the Amtrak schedule. Train 56, the Vermonter, was
due north so I looked around for a suitable location to observe its
passage. My first stop turned out to not be ideal so I doubled back to
another road crossing. As I parked the car the gates began to activate
so I ran out and was able to see it by at track speed.
The Vermonter, #56, heads north at track
speed a few miles north of Windsor Locks, CT
A close up of train #56 as it blasts by
my location north of Windsor Locks, CT
Moving further south I watched the southbound Vermonter counterpart,
#55, at the Windsor Locks station. This
would conclude my touring of the day.
The Vermonter, #55, makes a station stop
at Windsor Locks, CT
Saturday March 23, 2013
Today
I again had most of the day to myself. My goal was to ride Amtrak from
Hartford to Springfield and back just to say that I rode the train,
something I cannot do back home. I parked at the station (free street
parking on the weekends!) and went to the station agent to purchase my
ticket. The agent said that the 9:20 a.m. train was running a few
minutes late and that I probably could make it. I instead deferred for
the 11:27 a.m. train which the agent responded that it was also running
late. With a 40 minute layover in Springfield I didn't want to be so
late that I miss the southbound train. "You should be OK," reassured
the agent so I booked my reservation ($19 round trip) for the 11:27
a.m.
train.
With an hour or so to kill I left the station and drove
to a very large church I had spotted the day before. The church was the
Cathedral of Saint Joseph which was built in 1962 and stands 281 feet
tall according to the Cathedral's
web page.
I walked in and was amazed at the architecture of the structure. The
large stained glass windows which are 67' tall, are like gigantic
paintings which surround on all sides. In the front is a mural over 80
feet tall, and in the rear is a massive Austin pipe organ with over
8,000 pipes! I sat in a pew for a few minutes just to take in the
beauty of this church. A calendar showed choir
practice was supposed to start at 10 a.m. so I was hoping to hear the
Austin speak but that would have to wait for another day.
View inside the stunning Cathedral of
St. Joseph in Hartford, CT
The stained glass windows look like
giant paintings along the walls
The colors and scenes depicted in each
window are nothing short of amazing
In the back is the large Austin organ
with the window Christ
Seated in Glory behind it
A closer view of the organ shows the
pipes plus the chambers on either side. The largest pipes in the front
are 37' long but are dwarfed by the size of the church
I then
made my way back to the station which turned out to be somewhat of a
problem as almost every street around the station was closed for a special
5K run
for the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. The town
of Newtown is only about an hour away and in several areas of Hartford
you could see remembrances of those affected by the event. Around
15,000 people signed up for the run.
Runners return on the last part of the
5K run supporting the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School
tragedy
Around
11:20 a.m. I went up to the platform to wait for my train (#490). A
sign on the station agent's window boldly states "All Trains on Track
1", and now I know why - there's only one track at the station
platform! It looks like at one time there were at least three tracks
with room for a fourth but I couldn't tell if it was simply a bypass
track or actually used for passenger trains.
View of the Hartford, CT Union Station
from the platform. Track 1 is in the foreground
The other side of the platform reveals
space for two more tracks, though today nothing exists
Amtrak train #450 arrives at the station
in Hartford, CT
My train showed up
around 15 minutes late which, barring any unforeseen delay, would leave
plenty of time to catch my return train. My train was like the other
shuttle trains I had seen - one locomotive and two "Amtube" coaches.
The conductor scanned my ticket with an iPhone type device and I found
a spot on the engineer's side of the rear car. I also came equipped
with the GPS to get an idea of how fast we were going.
For
those of you who have never been on Amtrak, the accommodations of the
coach are similar to an airplane with two seats on either side of the
aisle. That's where the similarities end. The coach has a wider aisle,
more comfortable chairs, larger windows, more space to stow baggage and
AC power outlets in each row. In other words, much better than an
airplane (and this was on an old coach).
We pulled out of the station and maintained a 20 mph speed for a 1/4
mile or so. We then passed an old
block tower
which looked to have been deserted for many years. Once past the tower
we quickly picked up speed and flew through the small yard on the north
side of town at 60 mph. It quickly became apparent that my coach had
some sort of a vibration problem at speeds between 55 and 60 mph which
made for a less than ideal ride, but not too objectionable unless you
were trying to apply lipstick or something like that.
Past
the yard our speed quickly increased to 70, then 75, then 80 and
leveled out at 82 mph. Now I've owned this GPS long enough to know its
nuances around the speed displayed. It occasionally will jump by two
mph if it does not have a clear view of the sky, however the
consistency of the speed seemed to indicate that what it showed was
accurate. At top speed I found the ride fairly smooth with an
occasional rough spot. It compares similarly to the Downeaster rides I
took years ago. The rail along this line is 140 lb. rail from 1973 (or
1979 - can't remember). Another thing about this line is that the right
of way is wide enough for two tracks in all locations with a few areas
wide enough for three tracks. Closer to Springfield it's good for four
or maybe even five tracks.
We made our first stop in Windsor
where about a dozen or so people got off. The shuttle trains pick
up/drop off passengers from other long distance trains which are
accessible at the shuttle train's terminals in Springfield and New
Haven, CT. The conductor announces, "Next stop Windsor Locks five
minutes." We quickly got up to speed, this time briefly hitting 85 mph
(the GPS showed a top speed of 85.5 mph). At Windsor Locks we dropped
off another dozen or so passengers and picked a few up. Continuing
north we approach a large bridge over the Connecticut River at 30 mph
and cross it at 35 mph. Once through the east bridge approach we again
quickly pick up speed and continue our trip bouncing back and forth
between 80-83 mph. The closer we get to Springfield the more our speed
drops with the last 1/4 mile or so at 20 mph then 10 mph into the
station. We arrive at 12:15 p.m. which is 10 minutes late (but
qualifies as "on time") so we did make up some time.
The
Springfield platform is much larger than Hartford's. There are six
tracks in the station area with four tracks used for passenger trains
and two on the west end which are the freight tracks for CSX. I headed
over to the waiting room for my return train which was already
in
the station and waiting. The waiting room was very tired looking and a
bit run down, kind of like the rest of the station. I tried to get a
beverage out of the pop machine but the bill changer would not work.
Maybe fixing this will be in the renovation!
My inbound train sits on the other track
while I await departure south back to Hartford, CT
This structure sits across from the
Springfield, MA station. Definitely looks like an old tower
The station agent
calls for boarding of my train (#463). Again the train is made up of
two coaches and a locomotive, except this time the locomotive is
pushing. All passengers are boarded in the rear coach and I again find
a seat on the engineer's side. We depart on time at 12:40 p.m. We pass
an old
block tower called SPRING
which I missed on the way up. As we rumble through the slower portion
of trackage close to the station, it becomes clear that the walking
path next to the tracks is on part of the old right of way, again
illustrating how wide it used to be. Out of the slow trackage we
quickly pick up speed, but this time we never get above 79 mph and
usually are bouncing around between 76 and 78 mph. We pass over the big
bridge over the Connecticut River at the 35 mph clip and go through the
turnout approaches at 30 mph. By this time I'm fully confident the
speeds of the GPS are accurate.
View of King's Island as seen from the
train while crossing the Connecticut River bridge. This structure sits
across from the
Springfield, MA station. Definitely looks like an old tower
Our first stop is at Windsor
Locks which picks up quite a few people. Passengers heading south are
usually headed to New Haven to connect on to New York City or
Washington. Then we stop in Windsor and pick up another 10-15
passengers. Finally we arrive back in Hartford on time. I was one of
about a half dozen getting off here. I told the conductor that I rode
today because I couldn't ride back home. "You don't have trains in
Ohio?" I tell him that Columbus doesn't have rail service even though
we're the largest city. "Really? Wow." We chat briefly about Ohio State
to which he says, "Ohio State seems to have problems with its rivals.
I'm not a betting man, but they always have trouble." Well, not quite
since in football we've defeated Michigan 10 of the past 11 years.
Judging by his Boston accent, my guess is he's more focused on the New
England Patriots.
Two things I noted while on the train was that
a) there was a large lock near the big bridge worth looking at, and 2)
gas prices were 25-35 cents cheaper in Massachusetts. So I drove up
I-91 and filled up ($3.67/gallon vs. $3.89/gallon), then found the
locks. The path to get on the tow path was closed (open during warmer
months) but I was able to take a few photos of the lock. I noticed in
several spots that the river, though very wide, is also very shallow so
the locks may have also made it possible to navigate the river.
North end of the lock which is fed the
Connecticut River water
One of the locks from the canal is still
in place at this location
Visitors can walk along the canal and
see how things were moved before the railroads
My
timing was such that I could witness one more Amtrak train so I took in
the Vermonter (#57) making a station stop in Windsor Locks. One thing I
noticed is that most people getting on/off the train at all stations I
observed were of a younger demographic (25-49 years). Very few older
people were riding or did I see get on/off the trains.
Amtrak #57, the Vermonter, arrives at
the platform in Windsor Locks, CT
Passengers wait for Amtrak #57, the
Vermonter, to stop at the platform
I continued
south and passed through Windsor's "historic district" which has a
number of homes built in the 17th and 18th century along the road. The
name of the person or family who built the house and the year built are
displayed on the house. Most of the homes look alike - very boxy but it
probably represents as much as anything the best building practices of
the time period.
I arrived back in Hartford to pick up my wife and begin our journey
back home.
Questions,
comments welcome!
Back to Trains
Home index
