Our 'Third Thursday' program meetings feature presentations by speakers knowledgeable about railroad history, operations and rail travel. Meetings are generally held at 8:00 PM on the Third Thursday of the month, live-streamed as a Zoom Webinar. All are welcome to view our programs, Mass Bay RRE membership is appreciated but not necessary. Links to the program meetings are posted here about a week in advance, and are also sent by email to our contact list. Upcoming programs are listed below.
On the first Tuesday of odd-numbered months we hold a more informal on-line gathering: "First Tuesday Members Night." This is a time for members to share their photos or short video program with others in an informal session. Individual presentations are usually 5 - 15 minutes in length and cover a wide variety of topics. Members and non-members alike are welcome. Links to the First Tuesday meetings are posted here about a week in advance, and are also sent by email to our contact list.
For last minute updates or meeting cancellations in bad weather, please call our information line at 978-470-2066.
Meetings will continue to be held monthly and streamed remotely via Zoom video webinar. Video of our Third Thursday programs is available for later viewing on the Mass Bay RRE YouTube channel.
PAST Third Thursday Program Meetings
Past Third Thursday program meetings may be viewed at any time
on the Mass Bay RRE YouTube channel.
For details of previous Third Thursday programs that are available for viewing,
go to the PAST MEETINGS PAGE
Thursday, August 21, 8:00 PM, live-streamed via Zoom Webinar:
'Penn Central's Albatross:
How the New Haven Derailed the Nation's Largest Merger'
Presented by Albert Churella
Many people know that the inclusion of the New Haven in the newly formed Penn Central Transportation Company contributed mightily to the new railroad's horrific financial losses and subsequent bankruptcy. As you might expect, there is a story behind the story, one that includes political intrigue involving two U.S. presidents and an attorney general.
That saga of the New Haven also illustrates the determination of Stuart Saunders, chairman of the board at the Pennsylvania Railroad, to bring the Penn Central merger to fruition – as well as an object lesson in the law of unintended consequences.
Join historian and author Albert Churella as he discusses the final days of a company that was simultaneously a vital transportation artery and an example of everything that was wrong with the postwar railroad industry.
Albert Churella is a professor of history at Kennesaw State University, with a specialization in transportation history and regulatory policy. His first book, From Steam to Diesel, examined the technology and managerial practices associated with a complete displacement of existing firms in the railway locomotive industry. He has recently completed a twenty-year project to write the complete history of the Pennsylvania Railroad, at one time the world's largest business corporation. Volume 1, Building an Empire, 1846-1917, was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2014. Volume 2, The Age of Limits, 1917-1933, was published by Indiana University Press in October 2023. The third and final volume, The Long Decline, 1933-1968, also from Indiana University Press, will be published in the fall of 2024. Professor Churella is the president of the Lexington Group, an educational organization that seeks to promote a dialogue on transportation history and practice. He also holds the distinction of being a National Model Railroad Association Master Model Railroader, with a basement-sized layout depicting the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad in 1919.
To view this program LIVE, click this link
on August 21 at 8:00 PM:
Thursday, September 18, 8:00 PM, live-streamed via Zoom Webinar:
Program to be announced.
Do you have a suggestion for a Third Thursday meeting program?
We are now developing our Third Thursday programs for September 2025 and beyond. To offer or suggest a program, contact us at info@massbayrre.org or call us at 978-470-2066. We expect that most programs will be presented remotely over ZOOM.
First Tuesday 'Members' Night' Meetings
(Held on the first Tuesday of odd-numbered months)
First Tuesday 'Members' Night' meetings are currently being conducted as a Zoom video meeting. The next 'Members' Night' is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM.
If you have photos or video that you'd like to show, please contact us!
To view the First Tuesday program LIVE, click the link below
on September 2 at 7:50 PM or later.
(Zoom meeting will open 10 minutes before start of program)
VIEW IN ZOOM MEETING
Virtual Rail Events Calendar
One of the surprising benefits to come out of the pandemic was the rise of Zoom virtual meetings. Several railfan groups quickly took advantage of this and made their monthly programs available to the world. George Chiasson recognized this development and began emailing a spreadsheet calendar of railfan Zoom programs in 2020. He paused that effort a few months ago due to increasing work obligations.
But railfan Zoom programs continue unabated. Even as some groups have returned to in-person meetings, they have recognized the value of continuing virtual programs on Zoom. John Williams has revived George's calendar of virtual railfan programs in a new format – it's now hosted on Google Calendar. The new format's advantages go far beyond just being easy to maintain. It makes possible a big addition to the entries with minimal effort, including meeting times in all four time zones! Clicking on a meeting entry will reveal more detail, including a link to the group's website.
Meeting Location
In-person Mass Bay RRE Program Meetings are occasionally held at the Union Church at 14 Collins Road (corner of Beacon Street), Waban, MA, (near the Waban MBTA stop on the Green Line):
If you are arriving on the T, exit the station onto Beacon St.; the Church is adjacent to the Waban Station.
If you are driving, take Exit 21 East off Route 128 (I-95) onto Rte. 16 (Washington St.). At the first traffic light east of 128 fork right onto Beacon St. and go 0.9 mile. The Union Church is on the right just before Beacon Street jogs to the left over the Green Line. If the church lot is full you may park on the street or in the Waban Station parking lot. CLICK FOR MAP
Check the Callboy or the website to confirm date, time, and location of meetings.
