Old Colony Railroad

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Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
Woodcutting of Old Colony Railroad terminal, 1875.jpg
The Old Colony Railroad's terminal in Boston
Overview
HeadquartersBoston, Massachusetts
Locale Boston, Massachusetts
Providence, Rhode Island
Dates of operation18451893
Successor New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length617 mi (993 km) (1893) [1]
Map of Old Colony Railroad network, about 1893 OC1893.jpg
Map of Old Colony Railroad network, about 1893
The Governor Bradford, an early OC locomotive built in 1845 by Hinkley & Drury Gov Bradford loco-OCRR.jpg
The Governor Bradford, an early OC locomotive built in 1845 by Hinkley & Drury
Map of Old Colony and Fall River lines, 1846 1846 Map OCRR-FRRR.jpg
Map of Old Colony and Fall River lines, 1846
Old Colony & Fall River Rail Road seal from 1854 stock certificate OCFRR 1854.jpg
Old Colony & Fall River Rail Road seal from 1854 stock certificate
The Pilgrim, of the Fall River Line, operated by the Old Colony Railroad Company Steamer Pilgrim.jpg
The Pilgrim, of the Fall River Line, operated by the Old Colony Railroad Company
1870 Notice for Old Colony & Newport Railway New Railway Office 1870.jpg
1870 Notice for Old Colony & Newport Railway
Martha's Vineyard Railroad Hsl mh1-train active w.jpg
Martha's Vineyard Railroad
Share of the Old Colony Railroad Company, issued April 27, 1883 Old Colony RR 1883.jpg
Share of the Old Colony Railroad Company, issued April 27, 1883

The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod. For many years the Old Colony Railroad Company also operated steamboat and ferry lines, including those of the Fall River Line with express train service from Boston to its wharf in Fall River where passengers boarded luxury liners to New York City. The company also briefly operated a railroad line on Martha's Vineyard, as well as the freight-only Union Freight Railroad in Boston. The OC was named after the "Old Colony", the nickname for the Plymouth Colony.

Contents

From 1845 to 1893, the OC network grew extensively largely through a series of mergers and acquisitions with other established railroads, until it was itself acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad under lease agreement on March 1, 1893, for its entire 617-mile (993 km) network. [2] After this date, all trains, lines, and stations became known as the "Old Colony Division" of the huge "New Haven" system. During this period, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad enjoyed a virtual monopoly on all passenger and freight rail service in southern New England.

Passenger service on the New Haven's Old Colony Division ended in 1959, except for the main line between Boston and Providence, which continues to be used for passenger service by Amtrak and the MBTA. Since 1997, other former OC lines have been reopened to passenger service, including the MBTA's Old Colony Lines with service from Boston to Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville. In 2007, MBTA passenger service was restored on the Greenbush Line between Braintree and Greenbush Station in Scituate. The MBTA currently has plans to also restore passenger service to Fall River and New Bedford as part of the South Coast Rail project.

Other parts of the former OC system continue to be used for freight service by CSX Transportation and other short line railroads, including the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad which operates on Cape Cod and in southeastern Massachusetts. Parts of the former OC on Cape Cod are also still used to operate the Cape Cod Central Railroad tourist train from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay during the summer and fall months. Another tourist railroad, the Old Colony and Newport Scenic Railway operates on part of the former OC from Newport on Aquidneck Island.

Several abandoned portions of the OC have been converted into multi-use rail trails. These include the East Bay Bike Path in Rhode Island, [3] as well as others in Lowell, Mansfield, Fairhaven, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail on Cape Cod. [4]

History

Old Colony Railroad (1844–1854)

By the early 1840s, the city of Boston had six major rail lines connecting it with other places including Lowell, Maine, Fitchburg, and Salem to the north, Worcester to the west and Providence, Rhode Island to the southwest. The southeastern part of Massachusetts had yet to be served by a rail link to Boston.

On March 16, 1844, the Old Colony Railroad Corporation was formed to provide a rail connection between Boston and Plymouth. Construction of the line began in South Boston in June 1844 and the 36.8-mile (59.2 km) line opened to Plymouth on November 10, 1845. The extension from South Boston to the newly completed Kneeland Street Station in Boston opened on June 19, 1847. Kneeland Street also served as the headquarters for the OC until the 1893 consolidation.

There had previously been an Old Colony Railroad formed in 1838 for a line between Taunton and New Bedford, but the name was changed to the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad in 1839 before service began in 1840. This line would later become part of OC in 1879.

John Sever of Kingston, Massachusetts, served as the first president of the Old Colony Railroad Corporation from 1844-1845. Nathan Carruth served as the second president of the corporation from 1845 to 1848. Carruth was a successful businessman and enthusiastic supporter of the expansion of railroads in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England. With the opening of the Old Colony line through Dorchester in 1845, Carruth became actively involved in the development of the area. [5] He built an estate on the east side of Dorchester Avenue called Beechmont/Beaumont which would become one of the first railroad suburbs in America. [6]

All OC locomotives were named until 1884, after which they were simply numbered. Among the early engines were the Mayflower, Governor Carver, Governor Bradford, and Miles Standish. The new railroad company also built the Samoset Hotel near the end of its line in Plymouth. [7] In 1847, the OC completed a short 6.2-mile (10.0 km) connector line from its main line at Whitman to the Fall River Railroad line at Bridgewater Junction. On April 1, 1849, OC signed a lease of the South Shore Railroad for a period of five years. By 1851, traffic on the line had increased enough to warrant the opening of a second track running between Boston and South Braintree.

Old Colony and Fall River Railroad (1854–1863)

The OC and Fall River Railroad merged with a joint stock vote on June 20, 1854, forming the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Company, [8] which provided a two-pronged line from Boston to Plymouth and Boston to Fall River, splitting at South Braintree. Alexander Holmes from Kingston served as company president during this period, from 1854 to 1866.

The Fall River Railroad had been formed on August 8, 1845, with the consolidation of three companies; the Fall River Branch Railroad, the Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad and the Middleborough Railroad. The Fall River Railroad was led by Richard Borden, a prominent Fall River mill owner who wanted a direct route to Boston that did not require the use of the Boston and Providence Railroad lines. The line from South Braintree to Myricks in the town of Berkley opened on December 16, 1846, as an extension of the Fall River Branch Railroad – which had been completed in 1845.

On May 19, 1847, the first "boat train" left the OC's Kneeland Street Station in Boston bound for Fall River, where passengers would board a steamship for New York City. Over the years, the Old Colony Steamboat Express train would become the most famous line of the Old Colony Railroad, with the finest and most up-to-date engines, cars and attention to detail.

In 1863 the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad acquired the Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad Company, which it had been leasing since 1848.

Old Colony and Newport Railway (1863–1872)

The Old Colony and Newport Railway was formed in July 1863 when the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad merged with the Newport and Fall River Railroad, which had been incorporated in 1846 to build a road from Newport, Rhode Island to the Massachusetts state line at Fall River. However, the road from Fall River to the Rhode Island state line was not authorized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1860. The newly formed and renamed Old Colony and Newport Railway Company completed the final section of the line from Fall River to Newport which finally opened for service on February 5, 1864.

In 1865, the Old Colony and Newport Railway Company acquired the Dighton and Somerset Railroad. It completed a new, more direct route between Fall River and Boston via South Braintree on September 24, 1866. Part of the new route was over the Easton Branch Railroad between Stoughton and North Easton. In 1871 the Old Colony purchased the Easton Branch.

A portion of the old Granite Railway line was acquired in 1870 and later extended to form a loop through West Quincy off the original Plymouth line. In 1872, the Old Colony & Newport Railway Corporation built the Shawmut Railroad as a connection between the Dorchester and Milton Branch and the main line to Boston.

Old Colony Railroad (1872–1893)

The Old Colony and Newport Railway merged with the Cape Cod Railroad on May 1, 1872, and the two companies were consolidated on October 1, forming a new Old Colony Railroad Company under the leadership of Onslow Stearns, who served as president of the company from 1866 to 1877.

The 1872 merger formed a system with three main branches; Boston to Plymouth, South Braintree to Fall River and Newport, and a third splitting from the Newport branch at Middleborough to Hyannis. At this point, the newly acquired lines became known as the Cape Cod Division, with a new superintendent's office located at Hyannis.

The Cape Cod Railroad Company had been established in 1846 as the Cape Cod Branch Railroad with a line off the Fall River Railroad from Middleborough to Sandwich opening in 1848. Among the proponents of the Cape Cod Branch Railroad was Richard Borden of Fall River, who saw the new line as an opportunity to bring more traffic and business through his hometown. [9] In 1853, the extension of the line to Hyannis was started, reaching West Barnstable on December 22, 1853. On February 22, 1854, the Cape Cod Branch Railroad was renamed the Cape Cod Railroad Company. In the spring of 1854, construction continued, with the railroad reaching Barnstable village on May 8, Yarmouth Port on May 19, and finally Hyannis on July 8, 1854. Connecting steamboat service to Nantucket commenced from Hyannis in late September and would continue until 1872, when the railroad branch to Woods Hole was opened.

The Cape Cod Central Railroad was incorporated in 1861 as a branch from the Cape Cod Railroad, running from Yarmouth east and northeast to Orleans, and opening in 1865. The Cape Cod Central was purchased by the Cape Cod Railroad April 21, 1868, and the two railroads were consolidated on July 28, 1868.

The newly formed Old Colony Railroad extended the line to Provincetown, at the very tip of Cape Cod, opening on July 23, 1873.

In 1874, Old Colony founded the Martha's Vineyard Railroad, built across nine miles (14.5 km) on sand of the island of Martha's Vineyard, running from the Oak Bluffs steamer wharf to Mattakeeset Lodge in Katama, Edgartown. The locomotive Active (later renamed the South Beach) was the sole operating train. This branch existed until 1896. [10]

The Old Colony Railroad acquired the Middleborough and Taunton Railroad in 1874 and the South Shore Railroad in 1877, which it had once leased until 1854. A year later in 1878 it acquired the Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad which gave the Old Colony a connection with its original 1845 main line at Kingston. Beginning in 1874, the Old Colony operated the "South Shore, Duxbury and Cohasset and Plymouth Express" between Boston and Plymouth on this line. [11]

In 1875, the Old Colony Railroad began operating the Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad, which had been formed in 1863 as a merger between the Warren and Fall River and Fall River and Warren Railroad Companies. The Old Colony would later acquire this line outright in 1892.

In 1879, the Old Colony Railroad greatly expanded its network into Central Massachusetts by leasing the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad for 999 years, then purchasing it outright in 1883. The acquisition of this line provided important connections for the Old Colony, such as with the Boston and Providence Railroad at Mansfield, the Boston and Albany Railroad at South Framingham and the Fitchburg Railroad at Fitchburg, among others. This deal also gave the Old Colony Railroad direct access to the important industrial port of New Bedford. Upon this acquisition, the lines of the former Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad became known as the Old Colony's "Northern Division", with headquarters in Fitchburg, while the older OCRR lines became known as the "Central Division" with headquarters in Boston.

In 1882 the Old Colony Railroad signed a 99-year lease on a line between Fall River and New Bedford through the towns of Dartmouth and Westport owned by the Fall River Railroad (1874) – not to be confused with its 1846 namesake.

In 1886 the Old Colony Railroad acquired the Lowell and Framingham Railroad, which before 1871 had been known as the Framingham and Lowell Railroad.

In 1887 the Old Colony Railroad acquired the Hanover Branch Railroad. On April 1, 1888, the Old Colony Railroad signed a 99-year lease agreement the Nantasket Beach Railroad with service to Hull.

Several days later, on April 7, 1888 the OCRR signed a 99-year lease on the Boston and Providence Railroad, one of New England's earliest railroads, which had been chartered in Massachusetts in 1831 and began service between Providence and Boston in 1835. This major agreement gave the Old Colony Railroad operating rights on the busy double-tracked main line between the two capital cities, along with other branches to Dedham and Stoughton. The deal also included use of the Boston and Providence Railroad's Park Square Station in Boston.

In 1891 the OCRR signed a 99-year lease of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad. In December 1892, the OCRR signed a 99-year lease of the Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad properties.

In 1896 the OCRR acquired the Fall River Railroad (1874), which it had been leasing since 1882.

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad control (1893–1969)

On March 1, 1893, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H) – commonly known as the New Haven Railroad – leased the entire Old Colony system for 99 years, which by then included the leased Boston and Providence Railroad and everything substantially east of it, as well as long branches northwest to Fitchburg and Lowell. Along with the lease of the New England Railroad in 1898, the 1893 lease arrangement gave the NYNH&H a virtual monopoly on rail transport in southern New England. On September 22, 1895, the New Haven converted all former Old Colony lines from left-hand running to right-hand running. [12]

On April 6, 1902, a new alignment was opened from Broadway to Crescent Avenue station, eliminating a grade crossing of Dorchester Avenue. [13] The former right-of-way was later paved as Old Colony Avenue. With the opening of Boston's South Station in 1899, the Kneeland Street Station was taken over by the Boston and Albany Railroad as a local freight office. It was demolished in 1918 after being deemed unsafe.

By the 1930s, the New Haven's largest freight terminal and only steam locomotive shop were both on the ex-Old Colony system; more passengers entered Boston on Old Colony lines than entered New York on the New Haven. [14] :499 However, during its 1935–47 bankruptcy proceedings, the New Haven attempted to rid itself of unprofitable portions of the Old Colony. The New Haven's bankruptcy trustees rejected the Old Colony lease in June 1936, but were forced to continue operating it under court order. In the 88 stations case, the railroad abandoned 88 stations in Massachusetts and five in Rhode Island on a single day in 1938. The Supreme Court ruled in November 1939 (Palmer v. Massachusetts) that the railroad had not been given proper permission, and 32 of the stations were reopened in 1940. [14] :500–502 After several attempts to end Old Colony passenger service - including a 1939–41 plan to outright abandon the Boston-area lines - the New Haven continued to operate the service. Whether to incorporate the Old Colony into the New Haven, and whether the Old Colony should be required to continue passenger service, continued to be argued as part of the reorganization. [15] [16]

Increased passenger and freight traffic during World War II lifted the fortunes of the New Haven. [17] :13 The reorganization continued; the railroad was ultimately required to continue Old Colony passenger service unless losses exceeded $850,000 in a single calendar year. [16] The New Haven emerged from bankruptcy on September 11, 1947, and fully acquired the Old Colony a week later; the B&P was kept as a separate New Haven-owned company. [16] [17] :13Palmer v. Massachusetts had been just one of eight Supreme Court cases generated by the reorganization. [18] :862 Losses on the Old Colony reached the critical value in October 1948; after threatening to discontinue all service, the New Haven cut back to a 26-train peak-only schedule on the Boston Group in March 1949. [16] [17] :13,96

Under the 1951–1954 presidency of Frederic C. Dumaine Jr., the New Haven increased passenger service, using new Budd Rail Diesel Cars to reduce costs. [17] :13 Boston service reached 86 trains in April 1954. [17] :96 As losses mounted, Boston-area railroads made major cuts in the late 1950s. All service to Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford (which used the B&P rather than the Old Colony mainline) ended in 1958. [17] :36 All remaining year-round Old Colony Division service ended on June 30, 1959, after the completion of the Southeast Expressway, though limited seasonal service continued for several more years. [17] :96 [19] The NYNH&H merged into Penn Central in 1969, which in turn merged into Conrail in 1976. [19]

History since 1969

Since the early 1970s, Amtrak has provided passenger service from South Station in Boston over the former Boston and Providence lines of the Old Colony Railroad. Since December 2000, Amtrak has also used this line for the Acela Express high-speed passenger rail service to Washington, D.C. Between 1986 and 1996 Amtrak also operated regular passenger service between New York City and Hyannis on Cape Cod during the summer months. [20]

With the establishment of Conrail, freight service continued over various portions of the former Old Colony network after 1976. Beginning in 1982, the Bay Colony Railroad provided freight service on various lines which the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had purchased from Conrail, including lines on Cape Cod and in Middlesex County. Since 1999, CSX has provided freight service over several portions of the former Old Colony Railroad network, including lines in Taunton, Fall River, New Bedford and Leominster. Since 2008, the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad has taken over operation of the state-owned freight lines on Cape Cod from the Bay Colony Railroad.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) currently operates passenger service on portions of the network, including the Red Line rapid transit service to Dorchester, Quincy and Braintree, and the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line. The MBTA also currently operates commuter rail service over portions of the former Old Colony Railroad network, including its Providence/Stoughton Line and portions of the Needham Line. The MBTA also restored service on the Plymouth/Kingston Line and Middleborough/Lakeville Line in the 1990s, and the Greenbush Line (part of the South Shore Branch) opened in 2007.

Two portions of the OC network are also currently used for tourist trains during certain parts of the year, including the Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Newport and Narragansett Bay Railroad.

Between 1986 and 2016, the Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum operated in Fall River. [21] The museum had four train cars and exhibits. [21]

Presidents of the Old Colony Railroad

Lines and branches

The following is a description of the Old Colony Railroad lines and branches at about the time of the 1893 lease to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and shortly thereafter.

LineSegment / BranchOpenedLength
(miles or km)
Built ByAcquired by
OCRR
Notes
Plymouth Line
(Central Division)
Boston to Plymouth November 10, 184536.8 mi or 59.2 kmOld Colony Railroad Corporation1845Line completed 0.5-mile (0.8 km) from South Boston to Boston on June 19, 1847 with the opening of Kneeland Street Station; line between Boston and South Braintree doubled in 1848; line now part of MBTA Red Line to Braintree, MBTA Plymouth commuter rail Line, ending in North Plymouth
Whitman to Bridegwater JunctionJune 21, 18476.2 mi or 10.0 kmOld Colony Railroad Corporation1847Connection with Fall River Railroad. Much of the line was abandoned in 1937, with the remainder later. [23]
Neponset to MattapanDecember 1, 18473.3 mi or 5.3 km Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad Company 1848leased/operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1848 to 1863; merged in 1863
Granite BranchOctober 7, 18261.8 mi or 2.9 km Granite Railway Company 1871lines extended in 1873 and 1876 by Old Colony Railroad to connect with Plymouth line, forming a loop to West Quincy and East Milton This line has been abandoned
Shawmut BranchDecember 2, 18722.2 mi or 3.5 km Shawmut Branch Railroad 1872The MBTA bought the whole Shawmut Branch and part of the Dorchester and Milton Branch in 1926, using the rights-of-way for their Dorchester Extension and Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line, now two parts of the MBTA Red Line.
Braintree to Cohasset January 1, 184911.5 mi or 18.5 km South Shore Railroad Company 1877leased by Old Colony Railroad from 1849 to 1854; now part of MBTA Greenbush commuter rail line
Westdale to ElmwoodApril 1, 18850.75 mi or 1.21 kmOld Colony Railroad1885short connector between Fall River-Middleborough line and Bridgewater-Whitman line
Hanover BranchJuly 18, 18687.8 mi or 12.6 kmHanover Branch Railroad1887continued to carry freight to a wood box factory in West Hanover into the 1960s this line has been abandoned
Matfield Junction to EastonJanuary 1, 18887.6 mi or 12.2 kmOld Colony Railroad Company1888also known as the West Bridgewater Branch, connected Fall River and D&S mainlines [24]
Nantasket Beach BranchJuly 10, 18807.0 mi or 11.3 km Nantasket Beach Railroad 1888leased to Old Colony Railroad from April 1, 1888; deeded outright to OCRR February 24, 1906; The Nantasket Beach Branch of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railway had the first electric train in the U.S. It had its first run on Sunday, June 30, 1895. This line has been abandoned [25] [ page needed ]
Union Freight Railroad 2.2 mi or 3.5 km
Plymouth to Middleborough November 30, 189215.0 mi or 24.1 km Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad 1892this line has been abandoned
Cohasset to South Duxbury187117.5 mi or 28.2 km Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad 1904line now part of MBTA Greenbush commuter rail line; other parts have been abandoned
South Duxbury to Kingston 18743.2 mi or 5.1 km Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad 1904this line has been abandoned
Fall River &
Newport Lines

(Central Division)
South Braintree to Myricks December 31, 184630.5 mi or 49.1 km Fall River Railroad (1846) 1854consolidation of Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad with Middleborough Railroad and Fall River Branch Railroad; this line now used by MBTA Middleborough/Lakeville commuter rail line; portion between Middleborough and Myricks has been abandoned
Myricks to Fall River June 9, 184510.8 mi or 17.4 km Fall River Branch Railroad 1854still used by Mass Coastal Railroad for freight; sold to Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2010 for planned South Coast Rail project, restoring passenger rail to Fall River for the first time since 1958.
Fall River to Newport February 5, 186419.0 mi or 30.6 km Old Colony and Newport Railway Company1864segment completed after 1863 merger of Newport and Fall River Railroad Company with Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Company this line has been abandoned
Mayflower Park (Braintree Highlands) to Somerset Junction (Fall River)September 24, 186632.8 mi or 52.8 km Dighton and Somerset Railroad 1866utilized part of Easton Branch Railroad between Stoughton and North Easton
Stoughton to North EastonMay 16, 18553.8 mi or 6.1 kmEaston Branch Railroad Company1869operated by Boston and Providence Railroad from 1855 to 1856; operated by Old Colony and Newport Railway from 1866 to 1871
Middleborough to TauntonJuly 4, 18568.0 mi or 12.9 kmMiddleborough and Taunton Railroad Corporation1874originally Taunton and Middleborough Railroad Corporation, name changed in 1853 before line built; still used by CSX for freight; part of the planned South Coast Rail Project Phase 1
Warren to Fall River18758.0 mi or 12.9 km Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad Company 1875completed from Warren to Somerset by April, 1875; extended to Fall River with opening of Slade's Ferry Bridge; operated by Old Colony Railroad from December 1, 1865; deeded to Old Colony Railroad in 1892. This line has been abandoned
Whittenton Branch September 10, 18822.5 mi or 4.0 kmOld Colony and Newport Railroad Company1882first 0.8-mile (1.3 km) segment from Taunton Branch Railroad line to Whittenton Mills opened in 1881; connected to Mayflower Park-Somerset line at Raynham in 1882; allowed Somerset line trains to stop at Taunton Central Station, instead of Dean Street Station, east of downtown Taunton. This branch has been abandoned
Cape Cod DivisionMiddleborough to WarehamJanuary 26, 184814.7 mi or 23.7 km Cape Cod Branch Railroad Company 1872name change to Cape Cod Railroad in 1854
Wareham to SandwichMay 29, 184812.9 mi or 20.8 km Cape Cod Branch Railroad Company 1872name change to Cape Cod Railroad in 1854
Sandwich to HyannisJuly 8, 185416.7 mi or 26.9 km Cape Cod Railroad Company 1872name changed from Cape Cod Branch Railroad on February 22, 1854
Yarmouth to OrleansDecember 1, 186518.7 mi or 30.1 km Cape Cod Central Railroad Company 1872
Buzzards Bay to Woods HoleJuly 20, 187217.5 mi or 28.2 kmOld Colony Railroad1872section from North Falmouth to Woods Hole is now the Shining Sea Bikeway
Orleans to WellfleetDecember 29, 187011.6 mi or 18.7 kmCape Cod Railroad Company1872now part of Cape Cod Rail Trail
Wellfleet to Provincetown July 23, 187314.3 mi or 23.0 kmOld Colony Railroad Company1873this segment of line has been abandoned
Harwich to ChathamNovember 21, 18877.1 mi or 11.4 kmChatham Railroad Company1905Acquired by New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1905
West Wareham to FairhavenOctober 2, 185415.9 mi or 25.6 km Fairhaven Branch Railroad 1879deeded to New Bedford and Taunton Railroad in 1861; leased in 1879 by OCRR and merged in 1883 with the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad; also included ferry from New Bedford to Fairhaven. This branch is part of the Phoenix Bike Trail and Mattapoisett Rail Trail
Martha's Vineyard RailroadAugust 7, 18749.0 mi or 14.5 kmMartha's Vineyard Railroad1892sold to Old Colony Steamboat Company in 1892, closed in 1896
Taunton &
New Bedford Lines
Mansfield to TauntonAugust 183610.9 mi or 17.5 km Taunton Branch Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad; also Weir Branch, opened in 1840 with New Bedford and Taunton Railroad This line has been abandoned
Taunton to New BedfordJuly 2, 184020.0 mi or 32.2 km New Bedford and Taunton Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad; passenger service ended in 1958
Taunton to AttleboroughAugust 1, 18715.6 mi or 9.0 km Taunton Branch Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
New Bedford to Fall RiverDecember 16, 187512.4 mi or 20.0 km Fall River Railroad (1874) 1896leased by Old Colony Railroad from 1882 to 1893
Northern DivisionMansfield to FraminghamMay 1, 187022.1 mi or 35.6 km Mansfield and Framingham Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Framingham to NorthboroughDecember 1, 185513.2 mi or 21.2 km Agricultural Branch Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Northborough to Pratts JunctionJuly 186614.0 mi or 22.5 km Agricultural Branch Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Fitchburg to Sterling JunctionFebruary 11, 185018.7 mi or 30.1 km Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Marlborough BranchJune 18551.5 mi or 2.4 km Agricultural Branch Railroad 1883operated by Old Colony Railroad from 1879 to 1883 by lease from Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Framingham to LowellOctober 1, 187126.1 mi or 42.0 km Framingham and Lowell Railroad 1886later operated by Conrail and Bay Colony Railroad into the 1990s; now being converted into the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
Boston & Providence
Division
Boston to ReadvilleJune 4, 18348.1 mi or 13.0 km1888
Readville to Providence
(India Point)
August 183533.4 mi or 53.8 km
Seekonk Branch18380.25 mi or 0.40 kmSeekonk Branch Railroad Company1888
Readville to Dedham June 18422.1 mi or 3.4 km1888
Stoughton BranchApril 7, 18453.4 mi or 5.5 kmStoughton Branch Railroad Company1888
East Junction to Blackstone RiverOctober 18474.0 mi or 6.4 kmBoston and Providence Railroad1888
Blackstone River to ProvidenceOctober 18475.4 mi or 8.7 kmBoston and Providence Railroad and Transportation Company1888one-half of right of way deeded to Providence and Worcester Railroad in 1853
Forest Hills to Dedham June 18505.3 mi or 8.5 km Boston and Providence Railroad 1888
Bristol, Attleboro
& Wrentham lines
Providence to BristolJuly 12, 185514.1 mi or 22.7 km Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad Company 1891leased to the Old Colony Railroad from July 1, 1891; now used for East Bay Bike Path
Attleborough Branch [26] 18714.6 mi or 7.4 kmAttleborough to North Attleborough; became a streetcar line ("Gee Whiz" line) after 1903 when Adamsdale Branch opened and NY, NH&H ended its lease of this line. This line has been abandoned. [27]
Wrentham Branch (Walpole Junction to North Attleborough)December 1, 189012.8 mi or 20.6 kmOld Colony Railroad1890passenger service ended 1939; occasional freight until 1959. This line has been abandoned.
East Walpole Branch (Walpole Junction to Norwood)February 15, 18925.7 mi or 9.2 km1896also known as East Walpole Branch Railroad; connected with the New York and New England Railroad at Norwood
Adamsdale BranchJune 27, 19039.6 mi or 15.4 km1903extension of Wrentham Branch from North Attleborough to Adamsdale; connected with Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad near state line. This line has been abandoned.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Cod Railroad</span> Railroad in southeastern Massachusetts, US

The Cape Cod Railroad is a railroad in southeastern Massachusetts, running from Pilgrim Junction in Middleborough across the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, where it splits towards Hyannis in one direction and Falmouth in the other. It was incorporated in 1846 as the Cape Cod Branch Railroad to provide a rail link from the Fall River Railroad line in Middleborough to Cape Cod.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Colony Lines</span> Commuter rail lines in Massachusetts, US

The Old Colony Lines are a pair of branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, connecting downtown Boston, Massachusetts with the South Shore and cranberry-farming country to the south and southeast. The two branches operate concurrently for 10 miles (16 km) via the Old Colony Mainline from South Station to Braintree station. The Middleborough/Lakeville Line then winds south through Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater, Middleborough, and Lakeville via the Middleborough Main Line and Cape Main Line. The Kingston Line heads southeast to serve Weymouth, Abington, Whitman, Hanson, Halifax, and Kingston by way of the Plymouth branch. Limited service to Plymouth was provided prior to April 2021 but was cut due to low ridership and budget constraints. The Greenbush Line, which was also part of the Old Colony Division, was reactivated in 2007 as a separate project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleboro Secondary</span> Railway line in Massachusetts

The Middleboro Secondary is a railroad line owned by MassDOT in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Attleboro to Middleborough via Taunton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holbrook/Randolph station</span> MBTA Commuter Rail station in Massachusetts

Holbrook/Randolph station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the border of Holbrook and Randolph, Massachusetts. It is served by the Middleborough/Lakeville Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brockton station (MBTA)</span> Railway station in Brockton, Massachusetts, US

Brockton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Brockton, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Middleborough/Lakeville Line and is a stop on the seasonal CapeFLYER service. The station has a single accessible full-length high-level platform that serves the line's two tracks. It is located adjacent to the BAT Centre, the primary hub for Brockton Area Transit Authority local bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campello station</span>

Campello station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Brockton, Massachusetts, served by the Middleborough/Lakeville Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgewater station (MBTA)</span> Railway station in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, US

Bridgewater station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, served by the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. It is located on the east end of the Bridgewater State University campus along the Middleborough Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleborough/Lakeville station</span> Commuter rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts, US

Middleborough/Lakeville station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts, just south of the Middleborough border. It is the southern terminus of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line; it is also an intermediate stop for seasonal CapeFlyer service to Cape Cod. Middleborough/Lakeville has a single full-length high-level side platform serving the line's single track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taunton Branch Railroad</span> Railway line


The Taunton Branch Railroad was one of the earliest railroads to be established in Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered by the state in 1835 as a branch of the Boston and Providence Railroad running between Mansfield and Taunton, Massachusetts. The railroad provided a rapid overland connection between the seat of Bristol County and Boston and Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad</span> Former railroad in Massachusetts

The Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was formed on June 1, 1876, when the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad merged with the New Bedford Railroad. The Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad connected with the key railroad hubs of Worcester, Framingham, and Ayer, as well as several important industrial towns such as Fitchburg and Lowell, with the latter coming through a lease of the Framingham and Lowell Railroad. The New Bedford Railroad linked Framingham with New Bedford, which was a key deep-water port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Taunton station</span> Future railway station in Taunton, Massachusetts, US

East Taunton station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in East Taunton, Massachusetts adjacent to the interchange between the Route 24 expressway and County Street. It is planned to open in 2025 as part of the first phase of the South Coast Rail project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall River Railroad (1846)</span>

The Fall River Railroad was a railroad that ran between Fall River and Braintree, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in 1845 as a merger between three railroads, which opened in phases in 1845 and 1846. The railroad merged into the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad in 1854.

The Dighton and Somerset Railroad, currently referred to as the Dean Street Industrial Track, is a railroad that ran between Fall River and Braintree, Massachusetts. It opened in 1866; from the 1890s to the 1930s and again in the late 1950s, it was the primary rail route from Boston to the South Coast. Passenger service ended in stages with the final regular service in 1958, though freight service on two short segments continues into the 21st century. MBTA Commuter Rail service is proposed to be extended onto the northern part of the line around 2030 as part of the South Coast Rail project.

<i>CapeFlyer</i> Seasonal rail service in Massachusetts

The CapeFlyer is a passenger rail service in Massachusetts between Boston and Cape Cod that began in 2013. It is operated by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The service runs on the weekends, beginning Friday evenings and including holidays, between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.

The Taunton and Middleborough Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1848 to connect the Taunton Branch Railroad in Weir Village, Taunton with the Fall River Railroad and newly built Cape Cod Branch Railroad in Middleborough through the town of Raynham. In 1853, the railroad changed its name to the Middleborough and Taunton Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleborough station</span> Rail station in Middleborough, Massachusetts, US

Middleborough station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in Middleborough, Massachusetts. It is expected to open in May 2025 as part of the South Coast Rail project, replacing Middleborough/Lakeville station for regular service. The station will have a single side platform located inside the wye between the Middleborough Main Line and the Middleboro Secondary.

The 88 stations case was a 1935–40 controversy and court case involving the Old Colony Division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The New Haven entered bankruptcy in 1935; the next year, it ended the 1893 lease of the unprofitable Old Colony Division, but continued operating those lines by court order. The Old Colony and New Haven closed 88 stations in Massachusetts on July 18, 1938, ending passenger service altogether on some lines. In May 1939, the Old Colony filed to abandon all freight and passenger service on its lines. In November 1939, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Palmer v. Massachusetts that a district court did not have authority to order the discontinuance of intrastate passenger service. Thirty-two of the stations were reopened in 1940, with 40 percent of service cut in lieu of total abandonment.

References

  1. Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners. February 15, 1911. p. 418.
  2. Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners. February 15, 1911. p. 417.
  3. "East Bay Bike Path". R.I. State Parks. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008.
  4. "Cape Cod Rail Trail". Mass.gov Department of Conservation and Recreation. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011.
  5. "Dorchester Gas Light Company (Early Keyspan Company) signed by Nathan Carruth - Boston, Mass. 1871". Scripophily.com.
  6. Walczak, Bill (2001). "Dorchester History". Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012.
  7. Fisher (1919), p. 13.
  8. Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners. February 15, 1911. p. 410.
  9. Fisher (1919), p. 146.
  10. Hough (1936), p. 263.
  11. Fisher (1919), p. 46.
  12. Jacobs, Warren (October 1928). "Dates of Some of the Principal Events in the History of 100 Years of the Railroad in New England. 1826-1926". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin . 17 (17). Railway and Locomotive Historical Society: 15–28. JSTOR   43504499.
  13. "Old Route Abandoned". Boston Globe. April 7, 1902. p. 14 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. 1 2 Rood, Armistead B. (1940). "Protecting the User Interest in Railroad Reorganization". Law and Contemporary Problems. 7 (3). Duke University School of Law: 495–508. doi:10.2307/1189708. JSTOR   1189708.
  15. Special Commission to Investigate Railroad Transportation Facilities within the Commonwealth (December 2, 1942). Report Of The Special Commission To Investigate Railroad Transportation Facilities Within The Commonwealth Under Chapter 43, Resolves Of 1941. Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Commission of Department of Public Utilities of Commonwealth, of Massachusetts v. New York, N.H. & H.R. Co, F.2d opinion=559 (2d Cir.1949).
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. ISBN   9780685412947.
  18. "The New Haven Railroad Reorganization Proceedings, or the Little Railroad That Couldn't". Harvard Law Review. 78 (4): 861–880. February 1965. doi:10.2307/1338796. JSTOR   1338796.
  19. 1 2 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  20. "(home)". Cape Cod Rails.
  21. 1 2 Holtzman, Michael (September 4, 2016). "LAST CALL: Fall River railroad museum closes after 30 years". Wicked Local Fall River. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fisher (1919), p. 152.
  23. "Abandon 23 Miles of Road". Boston Globe. June 11, 1937. p. 33 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  24. Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. pp. 402-405. ISBN 9780942147124.
  25. McGarigle, Bob (January–December 1981). Nantasket Beach Branch: Transportation Bulletin No. 90. Warehouse Pt. CT: Connecticut Valley Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. ISBN   0-910506-21-3.
  26. "Norfolk's Railroads". Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  27. Lanpher, Bob; Donnelly, Dorothea; Cunningham, George (2004) [1988]. North Attleborough. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. p. 38. ISBN   0-7524-0885-2 via Google Books.

Archives and records

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