Canton Center station
Some signs call it "Canton Center", others just say "Canton"; either way, a lot of people question whether it should even exist at all.
Canton Center station
Another odd one-off mini-high, this one appears to be cast-in-place concrete.
Canton Center station
A short shelter over the low-level platform
Canton Center station
Platform edge treatment is not in great condition.
Canton Center station
You can tell there's no freight service on this branch line because the platform edge on the mini-highs is fixed.
Canton Center station
No point in signing the outbound diection here, nobody is going to take the train from Canton to Stoughton except as a joke.
Canton Center station
Looking north past the end of the platform. It's obvious that this line used to be double-tracked; I sometimes suspect the railroad of having lifted the second track to reduce the amount of platform they have to maintain. (Especially in an ADA era where they'd have to provide mini-highs on both tracks.)
Canton Center station
See that white sign next to the switch? It's the engineer's stopping mark for an eight-coach consist. And in the distance, that's Canton Junction station. I see no switch heater here. Do they even use the right-hand track?
Stoughton station
This station has something like five separate parking lots, if you count the private one in addition to the four MBTA lots. This one is south of Wyman St. and on the opposite side of the tracks from the mini-high platform, but it extends quite a way south.
Stoughton station
The strip mall out-of-frame to the left has a large private commuter-parking lot. The historic station building is obviously the main attraction.
Stoughton station
Looking back down towards the mini-high again. I don't know why the line splits just north of the mini-high; it doesn't seem to make any operational sense, even for storing trains.
Stoughton station
This concrete mini-high is not in the greatest condition.
Stoughton station
There's also parking on the east side of the tracks next to the accessible platform. Most proposals for reopening the line south of here require relocating the platforms to this area, down to the next grade crossing, to allow for double-tracking and to keep trains from fouling the grade crossing.
Stoughton station
The parking, and the double-track, continue for quite a way south.
Stoughton station
And yes, when trains stop here, if they're longer than two coaches, they block the grade crossing.
Stoughton station
It's a nice old station building, on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stoughton station
Looks like it's seen better days, though.
Stoughton station
That clock definitely is not in working order.
Stoughton station
Some old details that have definitely seen better days
Stoughton station
By modern MBTA standards, that's quite a long canopy.
Stoughton station
This building has definitely seen better days. (Getting the theme here?)
Stoughton station
Another parking lot next to the old station
Stoughton station
Stoughton station
Yep, that's more parking north of the station, on the other side of Route 27 (Canton St.).
Stoughton station
In fact, if a nine-coach consist ever serves this station, it will foul not one but two grade crossings, because there's the stop marker on the north side of the Route 27 grade crossing.
Stoughton station
The interior of the station looks to be in a bit of a state as well, looking through one of the rear windows that isn't boarded up.