Bedford Depot. GX1, Leitz Summicron 50mm DR

I had time today on my way into work to stop by the ex Bedford Depot. The old goods shed now houses a little museum commemorating the terminus of an historic 10 mile commuter railway line that ran out from the city through Cambridge and Lexington to Bedford. The track bed is now a "rail trail", paved, and much used by cyclists and walkers including the two setting off on their stroll. Unfortunately the display - including a little model railway layout!:-) - is only open at the weekend so I concentrated my visit on the Budd Diesel Rail Car #6211 which worked this line until service was discontinued in 1977 after an ice storm stranded a train in Bedford. This railcar, the "Buddliner" is rather a fascinating vehicle, of a type almost unique in the U.S. It was self-powered by two diesel engines with an hydraulic transmission derived from tank technology and was designed for lightly used rural and commuter lines. Between 1949 and 1962, 398 Buddliners were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia. Wiki, BTW, is my source of information. If needed, two or more cars could be coupled together controlled by a single crew. Obviously, without needing a separate locomotive to pull a short train, this was a much more efficient way to convey the relatively few passengers using the route. The operating economy of the Buddliners actually prolonged the life of the Bedford line by several years. There is much more to say about this depot because it was also the terminus of America's first two foot gauge railway line. I shall explore this topic as a separate Blip.