Kingston/Plymouth Line
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South Weymouth station
Well, the station sign is certainly warning us about what we'll find here.
South Weymouth station
Looking across the Trotter Road grade crossing towards a new apartment complex, at right, and the US Coast Guard buoy depot — one of the few tenants of South Weymouth Naval Air Station to remain after the base closed.
South Weymouth station
The double-track runs south for 2¼ miles, past Abington Depot (now a restaurant) and then ends a mile north of the current Abington station.
South Weymouth station
Looking north from the grade crossing toward the tation platform.
South Weymouth station
More new housing on the other side of the tracks from the station platform
South Weymouth station
And more new housing north of the big parking lot
South Weymouth station
Station canopy with a pick-up/drop-off area (lined with bollards)
South Weymouth station
All thoughout this trip, the scrolling LED signs were claiming that a train was approaching, which of course was a lie, since this line is currently suspended on weekends. Apparently the way these signs are programmed, they claim that the last train is "approaching" until the next train shows up, even if it's not for 36 hours.
South Weymouth station
The people responsible for railway loading gauge standards and the people responsible for accessibility standards didn't talk to each other, and so as a result we are stuck with these "bridge places" that are required for some wheelchair users to board and alight safely.
South Weymouth station
Could use a bit of maintenance here!
South Weymouth station
The Route 18 overpass is being reconstructed; I'm not sure if the new structure is being designed to allow for restoration of the second track.
South Weymouth station
Looking south along the platform at the canopy and signals in the distance
Abington station
Station canopy next to a huge parking lot
Abington station
Planter with nothing in it (or at least not yet emerged; I don't know what the landscaping plan for these stations actually looks like.
Abington station
Walkway north of the station to Centre Ave. (Route 123)
Abington station
Looks like there's already been at least one attempt at crack repair on this staircase.
Abington station
Platform, canopy, lots of room where the second track used to be ... the usual.
Abington station
Looking north from the end of the platform toward the Route 123 grade crossing
Abington station
Maintenance, anyone? This is what you have "on-call" contracts for.
Abington station
A secondary exit from the platform leads down to the far end of the parking lot, although the platform itself continues a bit farther.
Abington station
So they do know how to do platform maintenance, or did at one point, anyway.
Abington station
For some reason, nearly all of of the Old Colony platforms have these weird gated-off ramps down onto the trackbed at one end.
Abington station
Looking south toward the Summer St. grade crossing
Whitman station
Looking south toward the station platform from South Ave. (Route 27)
Whitman station
Two, um, seas of parking, one on each side of the tracks
Whitman station
South Ave. grade crossing; the town center is about ¾ mile away, behind me.
Whitman station
While there is parking on both sides of the track, there's only one platform (plenty of room for a second track and a second platform when schedules warrant it, though).
Whitman station
Grade crossing from the other parking lot; unlike the older lines, where Old Colony stations have pedestrian grade crossings, they tend to have active warning signals as well, although not protective gates.
Whitman station
From the pedestrian grade crossing, looking south along the platform
Whitman station
During construction of the station, the remains of the old turntable which served an engine terminal here were excavated by project archaeologists. A sign on the platform interprets the site for passengers, sicne it is fenced off for safety.
Whitman station
This track, according to the station signage, shows where the ash pit for the engines was: engines would pull out onto the track and dump their coal ash safely outside of the roundhouse.
Whitman station
Still more platform to go! Still more tactile edge treatment requiring maintenance!
Whitman station
Not really much to see south of the station, but it's the first segment where the right-of-way looks clearly not wide enough to support a second track. (There's anoher passing siding, about a mile long, between here and Hanson.)
Whitman station
I liked this view of th delaminating tactile edge treatment because you can clearly see how it was attached to the underlying concrete structure.
Hanson station
Standard steel canopy over the south end of the platform
Hanson station
Surprise! The original depot is still standing!
Hanson station
Looking north up the platform; a Dunkin' Donuts (of course) is out-of-frame to the left, behond the old depot.
Hanson station
Definitely some spalling here; hard to tell which came first, the failure of the tactile edge treatment or the concrete delaminating.
Hanson station
A small brook runs through a culvert under the station towards the north end of the platform.
Hanson station
In the vey far distance, signals (but the passing siding is still some distance beyond)
Hanson station
Looking towards the station from the Main St. (Route 27) grade crossing