West Barnstable station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Barnstable, MA
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West Barnstable station in 2012
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| Location | 2469 Meetinghouse Way (Route 149) West Barnstable, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 41°42′25″N 70°22′27″W / 41.70694°N 70.37417°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Cape Main Line | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Parking | Small lot | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1911, 1980s | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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The West Barnstable station is a railway station located in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. Today, it is a weekend stop for special train rides. These rides are run by the Cape Cod Central Railroad.
The station building belongs to the Town of Barnstable. It is also the main office for the Cape Cod Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS). This group works to preserve railway history.
Contents
History of the Station
Early Days and New Construction
The first train station in West Barnstable opened in 1854. It was built by the Cape Cod Railroad. This original station was later taken down.
A new station was built in 1911 by the New Haven Railroad. It cost about $18,000 to build. This new station looked just like other stations built around the same time in Buzzards Bay and Sagamore.
Train Services Over the Years
The station served trains going to Boston and seasonal trains to New York City. It stayed open until 1964. That year, the New Haven Railroad stopped running passenger trains to Cape Cod. This included a famous train called the Day Cape Codder.
Later, between 1986 and 1996, Amtrak's Cape Codder train used the station. It was a stop where passengers could get on or off, but no staff worked there. The station is no longer a stop for the seasonal Cape Flyer train. This train travels between Boston and Hyannis.
Trains served the area from the 1800s until 1964. These trains were run by the Old Colony Railroad and later the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Some trains from the 1940s to 1960s were the Day Cape Codder and the Neptune.
Station Building Today
The property once had a separate building for freight, which is goods carried by train. However, this freight house was torn down many years ago.
The West Barnstable station building has even been used in movies! It was a filming location for The Golden Boys (2008) and The Lightkeepers (2009).
The Cape Cod Chapter of the NRHS signed a 20-year agreement in 2012 to use the building. They have been working to restore it since 2001. They want to make it a historical railway station and museum. The station building is open to the public on Saturdays from May to October. It also hosts many special events. These include National Train Day in May, the West Barnstable village festival in August, and the Cranberry Express in October.
Current Train Rides
During the summer, West Barnstable is a stop for certain special train rides. These trains go from Hyannis to the Cape Cod Canal. Sometimes, they also stop at the historic Pairpoint Glass factory in Sagamore.
Even though trains leave Hyannis every day in the summer, the West Barnstable station is only used on Saturdays for these special trips.
