Cape Cod Central Railroad facts for kids
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A CCCR Train in Sandwich, Massachusetts
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Hyannis, Massachusetts |
| Locale | Cape Cod |
| Dates of operation | 1999–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Cape Cod Central Railroad |
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The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a fun heritage railroad located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It runs on a train track called the Cape Main Line. This track is owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Long ago, other train companies like the Cape Cod Railroad and the New Haven Railroad used these same tracks. They carried passengers from 1854 to 1959. Even though this railroad has a similar name to an older company, the Cape Cod Central Railroad (1861–68), they are not connected.
Train Rides and Fun Trips
The Cape Cod Central Railroad started in 1999. It offers many different train rides from downtown Hyannis to the Cape Cod Canal. These trips happen in the spring, summer, and fall. Sometimes, they even offer rides that go the other way! You can also take special trains to Wareham.
Many trips happen during the Scallop Festival or in the summer. During these times, the Family Supper Train and Scenic Train often leave together. The railroad has daily sightseeing trips called the Shoreline Excursion. They also have special trains for meals, like the Family Supper train, Brunch and Lunch trains, and an Elegant Dinner train. The Food Network even said their Elegant Dinner train was one of the top three in the country! In the past, they have also had special trains for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The Trains and Cars
The Cape Cod Central Railroad has several locomotives, which are the engines that pull the train. They usually use two engines on each train. This helps them pull the train easily, especially since there aren't many places to turn the engines around.
One of their engines is an EMD GP7 #1501. It was built in 1952 for another railroad. The #1501 recently got a new paint job. It now looks just like the trains of its sister railroad, the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad. This engine is now used on Cape Cod Central trains.
The railroad also has 8 passenger cars. These are the cars where people ride. They also have a special Budd RDC that is owned by a private person.
- The Barnstable (#101), Sandwich (#102), and Bourne (#103) cars are used for sightseeing tours. These cars used to be commuter cars for the Long Island Rail Road.
- The kitchen/generator car (#250) is used on dining trains. All the meals you eat on board are cooked right there on the train!
- The Cape Codder (#200) lounge car is a very old and special car. It originally came from the Illinois Central Railroad. Much of its inside, like some of the glass, is still original.
- The Sandy Neck (#201), Great Island (#202), and Race Point (#203) dining cars were built in the early 1940s. They have all been completely fixed up and look brand new.
This railroad is connected to, but not the same as, the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad. The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is a freight train company that carries trash off of Cape Cod. Since 2006, the Cape Cod Central Railroad has been part of a company called Cape Rail Inc.. This company also owns the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad. In 2012, another company called Iowa Pacific Holdings took control of Cape Rail Inc. and its train companies.
Train Stations
The Cape Cod Central Railroad uses a few different stations. Here are the main ones:
| Image | Location | Station Name | What You Can Do There | Other Connections |
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| Buzzard's Bay | Buzzards Bay station | Take fun trips, special dinner trains, and holiday trains like the Polar Express. |  CapeFLYER train GATRA bus CCRTA bus |
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| Sandwich | Sandwich station | Sometimes trains stop here quickly (a "whistle stop") for some trips. It's also where some trains turn around. | ||
| West Barnstable | West Barnstable station | Some fun trips stop here, usually on Saturdays. | ||
| Hyannis | Hyannis Transportation Center | Start your fun trips and many dining train experiences here. | CapeFLYER train CCRTA bus Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway bus Peter Pan Bus Lines bus |
Even though there are four stations, most trains don't visit all of them. Trains usually start from Buzzards Bay and turn around near Sandwich or Barnstable. Or, they start from Hyannis, stop at West Barnstable (on Saturdays), and turn around near Sagamore. Some special trains from Hyannis go all the way to Buzzards Bay or even Rochester, but they usually don't stop at other stations along the way.
Sometimes, trains also stop at the Pairpoint Glass factory in Sagamore, even though it's not a formal station. Also, some dinner trains leave from Falmouth.
