Patten Travel Agency does ... Boston

[James Patten]

Here's an opportunity for anyone in the vicinity of Boston to take some train rides.

On Thursday July 12 Patten Travel Agency (aka me) is sponsoring a T ride on the "newly opened" Greenbush line.  Rough schedule is as follows:

10:30 AM train 075 leaves South Station for Greenbush.  It returns at 12:48.  I'd recommend you pack a lunch, or eat before the train leaves or after it arrives as SS, since there doesn't appear to be any eateries near the Greenbush station.
After lunch, take the Red Line to the Orange, then ride the Orange to Forest Hills, back to Oak Grove, then returning to North Station.
3 PM train 223 departs North Station for Haverhill via Reading.  It arrives Haverhill at 4:08
At this point you can either return via this train, or join me for supper in Haverhill.  Google maps shows a couple of good places nearby.
I'll depart Haverhill on Downeaster 685 for Portland at 5:47 PM

All tickets, fees, meals, subway rides, etc are on you, not to be paid by PTA.

Please contact me back channel if interested.

[Wayne Laepple]

Will you be wearing WW&F garb?

I'll be wearing one of my WW&F T-shirts on that day, as I celebrate my 65th birthday, but not with a train ride or two or three. I envy you and your entourage.

[James Patten]

I plan to wear at least my black WW&F hat.  And other clothing of course.

[James Patten]

PTA's travel plan for Thursday (the 12th) has changed:

We still will be departing South Station on the Greenbush Train at 10:30, and returning at 12:48.  However after that we'll take the bus to South Boston and go to Fort Independence.  Once we're done with that, we'll return to South Station.  Time permitting, we'll still do the Orange Line.

[James Patten]

I forgot to provide a PTA trip report.

I met John M at South Station at 10 AM.  We did the Greenbush trip, returning at 12:45.  One thing we noticed once we got to Greenbush while the train was waiting to return was an info board with history of the Greenbush line, from when it was built in the 1800s to when it was largely abandoned in 1960s.  There was also Greenbush related info on this board.  I noticed each stop had these info boards, but of course we didn't jump off the read each board.

When we returned, we did a South Station tour.  There was a sign that I noticed while waiting for John that indicated a tour, so we signed up.  We were hoping for a behind-the-scenes tour, what it ended up being was something a historical lecture.  Which was fine.  Interesting fact: there's over 30,000 pilings under the structure holding it up.

After the tour, we did the Orange line from Forest Hills to Oak Grove, returning to North Station.  There was still plenty of time, so we took the Green Line to Lechmere, via the tunnel under Boston Garden which I hadn't done yet.

John and I caught different trains home.  On my way home we passed the SB Downeaster in Lawrence, more than an hour late.