Valley Falls Yard is a railroad classification yard located in Valley Falls, Rhode Island. It was originally built by the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) around 1860. [1] In 1874, the P&W completed the East Providence Branch, which joined the P&W mainline near the yard. Around the same time, the Rhode Island Horse Shoe Works completed a factory in the area of the yard, which became a significant location for freight train traffic on the P&W system. [2] The Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad (the Valley Falls Branch) provided a direct connection to the yard from the Norfolk County Railroad mainline in Franklin, Massachusetts. The Wrentham Branch later connected with the RI&M line, allowing further through services. From 1878 to 1884, a full suite of repair and maintenance facilities were built at Valley Falls Yard. [3] By 1905, Valley Falls Yard included 13 tracks and was 2,000 feet in length; a new interlocking tower was completed to control the switches between the P&W mainline, the East Providence Branch, the Wrentham branch (formerly the New York and New England Railroad), and the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad. [4]
In 1913, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (the New Haven) employed approximately 300 people at Valley Falls. [5]
Improvements and upgrades were made to the yard in 1976 as part of a New England Regional Commission program to create jobs and improve railroads. [6]
The Providence and Worcester Railroad took over its railroad in 1973, and has operated Valley Falls Yard since. It is the base for all local freight trains operated by P&W in Rhode Island. [7] By 1995, the P&W was operating trains PR-2 and PR-3 from the yard five days per week to serve customers along the Northeast Corridor. [8]