The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
system, mainly covering southeastern
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and parts of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
to points such as
Plymouth,
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
,
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
,
Newport,
Providence,
Fitchburg,
Lowell and
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
. For many years the Old Colony Railroad Company also operated steamboat and ferry lines, including those of the
Fall River Line
The Fall River Line was a combination steamboat and railroad connection between New York City and Boston that operated between 1847 and 1937. It consisted of a railroad journey between Boston and Fall River, Massachusetts, where passengers would ...
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
The Union Freight Railroad was a freight-only railroad connecting the railroads coming into the north and south sides of downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Almost its entire length was along Atlantic Avenue and Commercial Street. For most of it ...
in Boston. The OC was named after the "Old Colony", the nickname for the
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...
.
From 1845 to 1893, the OC network grew extensively largely through a series of
mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
with other established railroads, until it was itself acquired by the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
under lease agreement on March 1, 1893, for its entire network. 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
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
.
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
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
and the
MBTA. Since 1997, other former OC lines have been reopened to passenger service, including the MBTA's ''
Old Colony Lines
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 via ...
'' with service from Boston to Plymouth and
Middleborough/Lakeville. In 2007, MBTA passenger service was restored on the
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which serves the South Shore region of Massachusetts. The line runs from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, an ...
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
South Coast Rail is a project to build a new southern line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system along several abandoned and freight-only rail lines. The line has been planned to restore passenger rail service between Boston and the cities of Taunton, ...
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
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is a Class III railroad serving south-eastern Massachusetts. The railroad maintains track from Hyannis to Framingham, with the railroad operating its own trains on the 97 miles of lines between Hyannis and Fa ...
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
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It operates on a rail line known as the Cape Main Line which is owned by Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The line was previously owned and ope ...
tourist train from
Hyannis to
Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since ...
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
The East Bay Bike Path is a paved rail trail in Rhode Island. The path begins in Providence and India Point Park, crosses the Seekonk River via the George Redman Linear Park (opened September 2015) and Washington Bridge and continues southeas ...
in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, as well as others in Lowell,
Mansfield,
Fairhaven, and the
Cape Cod Rail Trail on Cape Cod.
History
Old Colony Railroad (1844–1854)
By the early 1840s, the city of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
had six major rail lines connecting it with other places including
Lowell,
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
,
Fitchburg, and
Salem to the north,
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
to the west and
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
to the southwest. The southeastern part of
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
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
South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformat ...
in June 1844 and the 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
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
and
New Bedford
New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...
, 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
Kingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,708 at the 2020 census.
History
Before European settlers arrived, Kingston was within the tribal homeland of the Wampanoag people. Several year ...
, 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
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
. With the opening of the Old Colony line through
Dorchester in 1845, Carruth became actively involved in the development of the area. 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.
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.
In 1847, the OC completed a short 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
The South Shore Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 to provide rail service between Quincy and Duxbury, Massachusetts through the towns of Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Marshfield.
History
The 11.5 mile l ...
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'', which provided a two-pronged line from Boston to Plymouth and Boston to
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
, 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
The Boston and Providence Railroad was a railroad company in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which connected its namesake cities. It opened in two sections in 1834 and 1835 - one of the first rail lines in the United States - with a ...
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
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...
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
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
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
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, i ...
. 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
The Granite Railway was one of the first railroads in the United States, built to carry granite from Quincy, Massachusetts, to a dock on the Neponset River in Milton. From there boats carried the heavy stone to Charlestown for construction o ...
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
Onslow Stearns (August 30, 1810 – December 29, 1878) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of New Hampshire.
Biography
Stearns was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on August 30, 1810. He attended the local ...
, 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
Middleborough (frequently written as Middleboro) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,245 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was first settled by Europeans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to M ...
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
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
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.
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
Yarmouth Port is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2010 census.
Yarmouth Port was home to the original Christmas Tree Shops until its cl ...
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
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was 781 at ...
was opened.
The
Cape Cod Central Railroad
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It operates on a rail line known as the Cape Main Line which is owned by Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The line was previously owned and ope ...
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
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Province ...
, at the very tip of Cape Cod, opening on July 23, 1873.
In 1874, Old Colony founded the
Martha's Vineyard Railroad, built across on sand of the island of
Martha's Vineyard, running from the
Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States Census. It is one of the island's principal points of arrival for summer tourists ...
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.
The Old Colony Railroad acquired the
Middleborough and Taunton Railroad in 1874 and the
South Shore Railroad
The South Shore Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 to provide rail service between Quincy and Duxbury, Massachusetts through the towns of Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Marshfield.
History
The 11.5 mile l ...
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.
In 1875, the Old Colony Railroad began operating the
Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad
The Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad (also known as the Fall River Branch) was a railroad in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island connecting the city of Fall River, Massachusetts with Warren, Rhode Island. It was incorporated in 1 ...
, 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
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 Ra ...
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
The Boston and Providence Railroad was a railroad company in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which connected its namesake cities. It opened in two sections in 1834 and 1835 - one of the first rail lines in the United States - with a ...
at
Mansfield, the
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pa ...
at
South Framingham and the
Fitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900. The main l ...
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
The South Shore Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 to provide rail service between Quincy and Duxbury, Massachusetts through the towns of Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Marshfield.
History
The 11.5 mile l ...
with service to
Hull.
Several days later, on April 7, 1888 the OCRR signed a 99-year lease on the
Boston and Providence Railroad
The Boston and Providence Railroad was a railroad company in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which connected its namesake cities. It opened in two sections in 1834 and 1835 - one of the first rail lines in the United States - with a ...
, 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
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
(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
The Boston and Providence Railroad was a railroad company in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which connected its namesake cities. It opened in two sections in 1834 and 1835 - one of the first rail lines in the United States - with a ...
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.
On April 6, 1902, a new alignment was opened from Broadway to
Crescent Avenue station, eliminating a grade crossing of Dorchester Avenue. The former right-of-way was later paved as Old Colony Avenue. With the opening of Boston's
South Station
South Station, officially The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station, is the largest railroad station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston and New England's second-largest transportation center after Logan In ...
in 1899, the Kneeland Street Station was taken over by the
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pa ...
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.
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.
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.
Increased passenger and freight traffic during World War II lifted the fortunes of the New Haven.
The reorganization continued; the railroad was ultimately required to continue Old Colony passenger service unless losses exceeded $850,000 in a single calendar year.
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.
''Palmer v. Massachusetts'' had been just one of eight Supreme Court cases generated by the reorganization. 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.
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.
Boston service reached 86 trains in April 1954.
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.
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.
The NYNH&H merged into
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...
in 1969, which in turn merged into
Conrail in 1976.
History since 1969
Since the early 1970s,
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
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
The ''Acela'' ( ; originally the ''Acela Express'' until September 2019) is Amtrak's flagship service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, inclu ...
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.
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
The Bay Colony Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in Massachusetts.
Formerly operating along most of the south coast region (including all lines on Cape Cod), Bay Colony currently operates only along a roughly six-mile stretch of track ...
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
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
has provided freight service over several portions of the former Old Colony Railroad network, including lines in
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
, Fall River, New Bedford and
Leominster
Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster i ...
. Since 2008, the
Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is a Class III railroad serving south-eastern Massachusetts. The railroad maintains track from Hyannis to Framingham, with the railroad operating its own trains on the 97 miles of lines between Hyannis and Fa ...
has taken over operation of the state-owned freight lines on Cape Cod from the Bay Colony Railroad.
The
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...
(MBTA) currently operates passenger service on portions of the network, including the
Red Line rapid transit service to
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
The Providence/Stoughton Line is an MBTA Commuter Rail service in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, primarily serving the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Most service runs entirely on the Northeast Corridor between South Station in Boston and Prov ...
and portions of the
Needham Line. The MBTA also restored service on the
Plymouth/Kingston Line and
Middleborough/Lakeville Line
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 seasona ...
in the 1990s, and the
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which serves the South Shore region of Massachusetts. The line runs from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, an ...
(part of the
South Shore Branch) opened in 2007.
Two portions of the OC network are also currently used for
tourist train
''Tourist Train'' (Italian: ''Treno popolare'') is a 1933 Italian comedy film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starring Marcello Spada, Lina Gennari and Carlo Petrangeli. The film portrays the comic adventures of a group of summertime traveller ...
s during certain parts of the year, including the
Cape Cod Central Railroad
The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railroad located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It operates on a rail line known as the Cape Main Line which is owned by Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The line was previously owned and ope ...
and the
Newport and Narragansett Bay Railroad.
Between 1986 and 2016, the
Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum operated in Fall River.
The museum had four train cars and exhibits.
Presidents of the Old Colony Railroad
*John Sever (June 1844 to December 1845)
*
Nathan Carruth (December 1845 to January 1848)
*Elias Hasket Derby (January 1848 to April 1850)
*Francis B. Crowninshield (April 1850 to June 1854)
*Alexander Holmes (June 1854 to July 1866)
*
Onslow Stearns
Onslow Stearns (August 30, 1810 – December 29, 1878) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of New Hampshire.
Biography
Stearns was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on August 30, 1810. He attended the local ...
(July 1866 to November 1877)
*Charles F. Choate (November 1877 to April 1907)
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
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
, and shortly thereafter.
Station listing
References
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*Edward Appleton, Massachusetts Railway Commissioner
History of the Railways of Massachusetts(1871)
"Railroad Transportation in Dorchester"- History by the Dorchester Atheneum
New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association��non-profit history group focused on the history of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company and its predecessor and subsidiary companies, including the Old Colony Railroad.
*
ttp://railroads.uconn.edu/exhibits/railroadstations/ma/braintree.htm Photo of Braintree Highlands, Mass. railroad station, undatedbr>
New Haven RR Timetable, 1955
Archives and records
Old Colony Railroad Company recordsat Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Colony Railroad
Defunct Massachusetts railroads
Defunct Rhode Island railroads
Predecessors of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad