The Railroad That Came out at Night by Frank Kyper - The story of railroading in and around Boston

Author and photographer Frank Kyper recounts stories of Boston area railroading between 1957 and 1977. This updated second edition provides some updates and additional material bringing us to 1990.

Union Freight leased New Haven 0600, seen here spotting a reefer into a fish packing warehouse along Boston's Atlantic Avenue in November 1967. Photo by Frank Kyper

While "The Railroad That Came Out at Night" refers to the old Union Freight Railroad that performed most of its business during the overnight hours, the book contains a wide sampling of railroading subjects. The third chapter is dedicated to "The Boston & Maine Railroad That Was." reviewing the history of this old New England regional, with an update on the railroad's inclusion into Guilford.

The Boston & Maine had one of the largest fleets of Budd RDC's in the world. Photo courtesy Frank DiFalco Collection

"South Station's Close Brush With the Undertaker" examines the history of Boston's old grand rail terminal and its uncertain future at the time of publication. The 1969 arrival of the British Flying Scotsman for its unprecedented American tour is described in Chapter Five. The author describes his experiences working as a crossing tender for the Boston & Maine in the early 1970s, including the Great Chelsea Fire of 1973.

This rare Whitcomb diesel saw relatively little use on the Fore River Railroad. Photo from FRR Collection

"The Railroad That Carried Battleships," better known as the Fore River Railroad, is described in Chapter Eight. The final chapter describes some of the region's more notable fan trips, including the first ever recorded railfan trip in 1934 sponsored by the Railroad Enthusiasts, right up to the trips with MBTA equipment into the late 1980s. This book is a great time capsule of railroading in and around Boston. Add this great Carstens Classic to your railroading library today!

Second edition, Softcover, 72 pages.