On January 20, 1984, a predawn fire destroyed the wood pile trestle approaches to the Charles River drawbridge outside Boston's North Station, cutting off access to the station for 15 months while the bridge was rebuilt with concrete. In the morning, MassPort and City of Boston fireboats were hosing down the smoking pilings. During the year-plus that it took to restore service to North Station, shuttle buses took passengers to a temporary station on the far side of the bridge.
The 70's and 80's were a transition period for the MBTA characterized by an eclectic mix of equipment including Budd RDC's, ex-New Haven stainless steel coaches, and a mix of motive power acquired from various railroads.
