Fitchburg Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts
, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel
. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad
in 1900. The main line from Boston to Fitchburg is now operated as the MBTA Fitchburg Line
; Pan Am Railways
runs freight service on some other portions.
to Sweet's Wharf in Charlestown, opening in January 1840. The Fitchburg Railroad was incorporated March 3, 1842 to run from Boston to Fitchburg
, and bought land next to the Charlestown Branch in May 1843. Construction began on May 20, and the first section to Waltham opened on December 20, 1843, operated by the Charlestown Branch until May 1, 1844. Further sections opened to Concord June 17, 1844, Acton October 1, 1844, Shirley December 30, 1844 and Fitchburg March 5, 1845. The new track next to the Charlestown Branch opened in August 1844; the Fitchburg Railroad leased the Charlestown Branch itself on September 1, 1845, and outright bought the branch on January 31, 1846. In 1848 a new bridge opened, carrying the line from Charlestown to downtown Boston.
The original Charlestown terminal was southwest of City Square, west of the Warren Bridge (42.370°N 71.063°W). The downtown Boston terminal was on the north side of Causeway Street between Haverhill Street and Beverly Street until the North Station
union station
opened in 1893.
The Boston and Maine Railroad
leased the Fitchburg for 99 years from July 1, 1900 as its Fitchburg Division. The two companies merged to form a new B&M December 1, 1919. The MBTA bought the line from Boston to Fitchburg, along with many other lines, from the B&M on December 27, 1976. Guilford Transportation took over the former B&M in June 1983.
Passenger service ran only to Fitchburg after 1960. On January 18, 1965, service was cut back to West Concord
, but was restored to Ayer
on June 28, 1965. On March 1, 1975 it was cut back to South Acton, but was restored to Fitchburg and beyond to Gardner on January 13, 1980. Gardner service was ended on January 1, 1987, when Amtrak
took over the MBTA contract, due to a dispute between Amtrak and Guilford; the MBTA only owned the trackage to Fitchburg.
The Fitchburg Line
west of the old Stony Brook Railroad
, which now junctions east of the old Ayer Junction
, now serves as part of Pan Am Railways
' main line between Mattawamkeag, Maine
, and Mechanicville, New York
.
was incorporated and opened in 1849, splitting from the Fitchburg in Somerville
and running to Harvard Square
. It was never leased or owned by the Fitchburg, and was never successful, closing in 1855.
was chartered in 1845 and opened in 1846 as a branch from the Fitchburg near the present-day Alewife Brook Reservation
area (now considered part of North Cambridge
) to Lexington. The Fitchburg operated it from opening, leasing it from 1847 to 1859. In 1868 it was reorganized as the Lexington and Arlington Railroad and bought by the Boston and Lowell Railroad
in 1870. The connection to the Fitchburg was cut (but reopened in 1927). Passenger service ceased in January 1977 due to a blizzard, never to resume. Freight operation ended in 1981, and the line was formally abandoned in 1991 to make way for the Minuteman Commuter Bike Trail.
was incorporated 1847, first as an independent short line RR, but was quickly taken over by the Fitchburg. It ran from the main line in Cambridge
through Watertown
to Waltham
. It opened in 1851 and was soon the main passenger line between Boston and Waltham and one of the few branch lines to be double tracked. Passenger service on the line ended in 1938. The middle section of the line in the Watertown Square area was abandoned in 1960. This split the branch in two. The west side of the branch was mostly abandoned in 2000. The east side of the branch contained only one customer, Newly Weds Foods. The last delivery made was in early 2007, with the last move occurring on the line in early 2008. The entire branch is now either abandoned or out of service.
in 1939, but it was not abandoned until 1980. Passenger service to Maynard via the Fitchburg mainline in South Acton ceased in 1958. The line was formally abandoned in 1979. It is in the process of being converted into the Assabet River Rail Trail
.
in 1849 or 1850. The Fitchburg Railroad leased it in 1847 and bought it in 1860, with an extension to Greenville opening at some point.
. It was merged into the Fitchburg in 1895.
into itself. The first section, from Fitchburg to Baldwinville, opened in 1847 and was operated by the Fitchburg Railroad until 1849. Further extensions opened to Athol and Miller's Falls in 1848, and to Brattleboro, Vermont
in 1850. Later in 1850, a branch from Grout's Corner
west to Greenfield, Massachusetts
opened. A short branch to Turner's Falls opened in 1870 or 1871.
The original main line north from Miller's Falls was leased to the Rutland Railroad
in 1870, which leased itself to the Vermont Central Railroad in 1871, which became the Central Vermont Railroad in 1872. This was a continuation of the New London Northern Railroad
, built south from Miller's Falls in 1867 and also leased to the Vermont Central in 1871.
In 1874 the Fitchburg Railroad leased the rest of the V&M, extending its line west to Greenfield (and beyond via the Troy and Greenfield Railroad
- see below).
Ashburnham
The Ashburnham Railroad was chartered in 1871 and opened in 1874 from the V&M at South Ashburnham to Ashburnham. The Fitchburg bought it in 1885.
Turners Falls
The Turners Falls Branch connecting the main line at Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls. It opened in 1871.
in 1844, consolidating with the Winchendon Railroad of Massachusetts
(chartered 1845) in 1845. The first section opened in 1847, from the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad at South Ashburnham to Winchendon; an extension to Troy, New Hampshire
also opened in 1847. Extensions to Keene and Bellows Falls, Vermont
opened in 1848 and 1849, forming a connection between the Fitchburg Railroad and the Vermont Central Railroad (via trackage rights
over the V&M east of South Ashburnham).
The Cheshire Railroad was merged into the Fitchburg in 1890, becoming the Cheshire Branch. Passenger service ended in 1958, and the line was abandoned in sections, Winchendon north in 1970 (after the bankruptcy of the Rutland RR) and in 1984 for the rest.
Monadnock
The Monadnock Railroad
was incorporated in 1848, but did not open from Winchendon
to Jaffrey, New Hampshire
until December 1870 and to Peterborough
in 1871, from which the Peterborough and Hillsborough Railroad continued the line north after 1878. The Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad, running south from Winchendon, leased the Monadnock in 1874, but transferred the lease to the Cheshire Railroad in 1880 to keep it out of the hands of the Boston and Albany. The Fitchburg took control of the Monadnock in 1890.
Boston, Barre and Gardner
The Barre and Worcester Railroad was chartered in 1847 and reorganized in 1857 as the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad. It opened in 1871 between the Worcester and Nashua Railroad at Barber (from which it ran to Worcester via trackage rights
) and the V&M in Gardner. An extension in 1874 took it to the Cheshire Railroad at Winchendon.
The BB&G leased the Monadnock Railroad
in 1874, but reassigned the lease to the Cheshire in 1880. The BB&G was merged into the Fitchburg in 1885.
was incorporated and chartered in 1848, with a planned line from the Vermont
border in Williamstown east through the Hoosac Tunnel
to Greenfield. The first section opened from the state line to the west end of the tunnel at North Adams in 1859. The tunnel itself opened in 1875, before which the Troy and Boston Railroad
leased the T&G. The T&G was consolidated into the Fitchburg Railroad in 1887.
The Southern Vermont Railroad was chartered in 1848 to connect the T&G across the southwest corner of Vermont to the New York
state line. It opened in 1859 and was leased by the Troy and Boston Railroad
, but in 1860 the T&G bought it. The Fitchburg bought the Southern Vermont directly in 1891.
The Troy and Boston Railroad
was chartered in 1849 to continue the line west to Troy, New York
. It was consolidated into the Fitchburg in 1887. The Troy and Bennington Railroad was organized in 1851 to build a branch from the Troy and Boston at Hoosick Junction to the Vermont state line towards Bennington. It opened in 1852, continuing as the Western Vermont Railroad (leased by the Troy and Boston from 1857 until it was reorganized into the Bennington and Rutland Railway in 1865).
Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington
The Deerfield River Railroad opened in 1885 as a private narrow gauge railroad connecting the V&M at the Hoosac Tunnel
to the Deerfield Company saw mills at Readsboro, Vermont
. It was taken over by the Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad in 1886 and later extended to Wilmington, Vermont
. The line was never owned by the Fitchburg or Boston and Maine Railroad
, and was abandoned from Readsboro to Wilmington in 1937. The remainder of the line from the connection with the Boston & Maine at Hoosac Tunnel to Readsboro was abandoned in 1971.
The Hoosac Tunnel and Saratoga Railway was chartered in 1880, and was leased by the BHT&W in 1882. In 1886 it merged with the Saratoga Lake Railway (also chartered 1880 and leased to the BHT&W in 1882) to form the Troy, Saratoga and Northern Railroad. The combined line was built in 1886 and 1887, with a main line from Mechanicville (never built south to Troy) north and west to Saratoga Springs, and a branch east to Schuylerville. The Fitchburg Railroad leased it in 1887.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
in 1900. The main line from Boston to Fitchburg is now operated as the MBTA Fitchburg Line
Fitchburg Line
The Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
; Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
runs freight service on some other portions.
History
The Charlestown Branch Railroad was incorporated April 4, 1835 as a short branch from the Boston and Lowell RailroadBoston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
to Sweet's Wharf in Charlestown, opening in January 1840. The Fitchburg Railroad was incorporated March 3, 1842 to run from Boston to Fitchburg
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
, and bought land next to the Charlestown Branch in May 1843. Construction began on May 20, and the first section to Waltham opened on December 20, 1843, operated by the Charlestown Branch until May 1, 1844. Further sections opened to Concord June 17, 1844, Acton October 1, 1844, Shirley December 30, 1844 and Fitchburg March 5, 1845. The new track next to the Charlestown Branch opened in August 1844; the Fitchburg Railroad leased the Charlestown Branch itself on September 1, 1845, and outright bought the branch on January 31, 1846. In 1848 a new bridge opened, carrying the line from Charlestown to downtown Boston.
The original Charlestown terminal was southwest of City Square, west of the Warren Bridge (42.370°N 71.063°W). The downtown Boston terminal was on the north side of Causeway Street between Haverhill Street and Beverly Street until the North Station
North Station (Boston)
North Station is a major transportation hub located at Causeway and Nashua Streets in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the city's two terminals for Amtrak and MBTA commuter trains, the other being South Station...
union station
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
opened in 1893.
The Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
leased the Fitchburg for 99 years from July 1, 1900 as its Fitchburg Division. The two companies merged to form a new B&M December 1, 1919. The MBTA bought the line from Boston to Fitchburg, along with many other lines, from the B&M on December 27, 1976. Guilford Transportation took over the former B&M in June 1983.
Passenger service ran only to Fitchburg after 1960. On January 18, 1965, service was cut back to West Concord
West Concord, Massachusetts
West Concord is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Concord in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,632 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Concord is located at ....
, but was restored to Ayer
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
on June 28, 1965. On March 1, 1975 it was cut back to South Acton, but was restored to Fitchburg and beyond to Gardner on January 13, 1980. Gardner service was ended on January 1, 1987, when Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over the MBTA contract, due to a dispute between Amtrak and Guilford; the MBTA only owned the trackage to Fitchburg.
The Fitchburg Line
Fitchburg Line
The Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
west of the old Stony Brook Railroad
Stony Brook Railroad
The Stony Brook Railroad was a short line railroad that ran off the Nashua and Lowell Railroad's main line from the village of North Chelmsford to Ayer where it connected to the Fitchburg Railroad.-History:...
, which now junctions east of the old Ayer Junction
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
, now serves as part of Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
' main line between Mattawamkeag, Maine
Mattawamkeag, Maine
Mattawamkeag is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States located where the Mattawamkeag River joins the Penobscot River. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.-Railroad history:Mattawamkeag's history is inextricably linked to the railroad....
, and Mechanicville, New York
Mechanicville, New York
Mechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population is 5,196 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early residents....
.
Harvard
The Harvard Branch RailroadHarvard Branch Railroad
The Harvard Branch Railroad was a short-lived branch from the Fitchburg Railroad to Harvard Square and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
was incorporated and opened in 1849, splitting from the Fitchburg in Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
and running to Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
. It was never leased or owned by the Fitchburg, and was never successful, closing in 1855.
Lexington
The Lexington and West Cambridge RailroadLexington and West Cambridge Railroad
The Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad was a railroad company chartered in 1845 and opened in 1846, that operated in eastern Massachusetts. It and its successors provided passenger service until 1977 and freight service until 1980 or early 1981....
was chartered in 1845 and opened in 1846 as a branch from the Fitchburg near the present-day Alewife Brook Reservation
Alewife Brook Reservation
Alewife Brook Reservation is a Massachusetts state park located in Cambridge, Arlington, and Somerville. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:...
area (now considered part of North Cambridge
North Cambridge, Massachusetts
North Cambridge, also known as "Area 11", is a neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts bounded by Porter Square and the Fitchburg Line railroad tracks on the south, the city of Somerville on the northeast, Alewife Brook and the town of Arlington on the northwest, and the town of Belmont on the west...
) to Lexington. The Fitchburg operated it from opening, leasing it from 1847 to 1859. In 1868 it was reorganized as the Lexington and Arlington Railroad and bought by the Boston and Lowell Railroad
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
in 1870. The connection to the Fitchburg was cut (but reopened in 1927). Passenger service ceased in January 1977 due to a blizzard, never to resume. Freight operation ended in 1981, and the line was formally abandoned in 1991 to make way for the Minuteman Commuter Bike Trail.
Watertown
The Watertown Branch RailroadWatertown Branch Railroad
The Watertown Branch Railroad was a branch loop of the Fitchburg Railroad that was meant to serve the town of Watertown, and the City of Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts as an independent short line railroad. It also serviced the Watertown Arsenal. The line is no longer in use and portions...
was incorporated 1847, first as an independent short line RR, but was quickly taken over by the Fitchburg. It ran from the main line in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
through Watertown
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
to Waltham
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
. It opened in 1851 and was soon the main passenger line between Boston and Waltham and one of the few branch lines to be double tracked. Passenger service on the line ended in 1938. The middle section of the line in the Watertown Square area was abandoned in 1960. This split the branch in two. The west side of the branch was mostly abandoned in 2000. The east side of the branch contained only one customer, Newly Weds Foods. The last delivery made was in early 2007, with the last move occurring on the line in early 2008. The entire branch is now either abandoned or out of service.
Marlborough
The Lancaster and Sterling Railroad was incorporated in 1846 and immediately merged with the Fitchburg Railroad. It was built from a junction at South Acton roughly southwest to Hudson, opening in 1850. The Marlborough Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1852 and opened in 1855, continuing the line from Hudson south to Marlborough. It was leased by the Fitchburg in 1853 and bought outright in 1863. This branch made South Acton a major junction and service point on the Fitchburg Route. A turntable and engine house existed in South Acton to service trains well into the 20th century. Passenger service from Marlborough ceased in 1932, and the section between Maynard and Hudson was abandoned in 1943. The section between Hudson saw its last passenger traffic via the Central MaCentral Massachusetts Railroad
The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad running west from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a parallel competitor to the Boston and Albany Railroad and Fitchburg Railroad...
in 1939, but it was not abandoned until 1980. Passenger service to Maynard via the Fitchburg mainline in South Acton ceased in 1958. The line was formally abandoned in 1979. It is in the process of being converted into the Assabet River Rail Trail
Assabet River Rail Trail
The Assabet River Rail Trail is a multi-use path under construction in Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard, and Acton in Massachusetts. As a conversion of the abandoned Marlborough Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad, it is a rail trail. The right-of-way largely parallels the Assabet River.-External...
.
Peterborough and Shirley
The Peterborough and Shirley Railroad was incorporated in 1845 and opened as a branch from the Fitchburg in Ayer to West Townsend in 1848, continuing to Mason, New HampshireMason, New Hampshire
Mason is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,382 at the 2010 census. Mason, together with Wilton, is home to Russell-Abbott State Forest.-History:...
in 1849 or 1850. The Fitchburg Railroad leased it in 1847 and bought it in 1860, with an extension to Greenville opening at some point.
Milford
The Brookline and Milford Railroad was incorporated and built in 1892 from the Peterborough and Shirley at Squannacook Junction north to the Wilton Railroad in Milford, New HampshireMilford, New Hampshire
Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 15,115 at the 2010 census. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley....
. It was merged into the Fitchburg in 1895.
Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad
The Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad was chartered in 1844 and immediately merged the Brattleborough and Fitchburg Railroad of VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
into itself. The first section, from Fitchburg to Baldwinville, opened in 1847 and was operated by the Fitchburg Railroad until 1849. Further extensions opened to Athol and Miller's Falls in 1848, and to Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
in 1850. Later in 1850, a branch from Grout's Corner
Millers Falls, Massachusetts
Millers Falls is a census-designated place in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,072 at the 2000 census...
west to Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,456 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair...
opened. A short branch to Turner's Falls opened in 1870 or 1871.
The original main line north from Miller's Falls was leased to the Rutland Railroad
Rutland Railroad
The Rutland Railway was a small railroad in the northeastern United States, primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York. The earliest ancestor of the Rutland, the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, was chartered in 1843 by the state of Vermont to build between Rutland...
in 1870, which leased itself to the Vermont Central Railroad in 1871, which became the Central Vermont Railroad in 1872. This was a continuation of the New London Northern Railroad
New London Northern Railroad
The New London Northern Railroad was a part of the Central Vermont Railway from New London, Connecticut, north to Brattleboro, Vermont. After a long period with the Canadian National Railway, it is now operated by the New England Central Railroad...
, built south from Miller's Falls in 1867 and also leased to the Vermont Central in 1871.
In 1874 the Fitchburg Railroad leased the rest of the V&M, extending its line west to Greenfield (and beyond via the Troy and Greenfield Railroad
Troy and Greenfield Railroad
The Troy and Greenfield Railroad, chartered in 1848, ran from Greenfield, Massachusetts, United States, to the Vermont state line. It was leased to the Troy and Boston Railroad in 1856, then consolidated into Fitchburg Railroad 1887 which in turn was acquired by Boston and Maine Railroad by lease...
- see below).
Ashburnham
The Ashburnham Railroad was chartered in 1871 and opened in 1874 from the V&M at South Ashburnham to Ashburnham. The Fitchburg bought it in 1885.
Turners Falls
The Turners Falls Branch connecting the main line at Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls. It opened in 1871.
Cheshire
The Cheshire Railroad was chartered in New HampshireNew Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in 1844, consolidating with the Winchendon Railroad of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(chartered 1845) in 1845. The first section opened in 1847, from the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad at South Ashburnham to Winchendon; an extension to Troy, New Hampshire
Troy, New Hampshire
Troy is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2010 census. It is situated at the base of Mount Monadnock....
also opened in 1847. Extensions to Keene and Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2000 census...
opened in 1848 and 1849, forming a connection between the Fitchburg Railroad and the Vermont Central Railroad (via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the V&M east of South Ashburnham).
The Cheshire Railroad was merged into the Fitchburg in 1890, becoming the Cheshire Branch. Passenger service ended in 1958, and the line was abandoned in sections, Winchendon north in 1970 (after the bankruptcy of the Rutland RR) and in 1984 for the rest.
Monadnock
The Monadnock Railroad
Monadnock Railroad
The Monadnock Railroad was one of many extension line railroads built to help expand the Fitchburg Railroad/Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad into New Hampshire. This line was to serve the New Hampshire towns on the eastern side of Mount Monadnock, mainly Jaffrey and Peterborough.It took quite a...
was incorporated in 1848, but did not open from Winchendon
Winchendon, Massachusetts
Winchendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 10,300 at the 2010 census. Home to Winchendon State Forest, the town includes the villages of Waterville and Winchendon Springs....
to Jaffrey, New Hampshire
Jaffrey, New Hampshire
Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,457 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 2,757 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Jaffrey census-designated place and is located along the Contoocook River at the...
until December 1870 and to Peterborough
Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census. Home to the MacDowell Art Colony, the town is a popular tourist destination....
in 1871, from which the Peterborough and Hillsborough Railroad continued the line north after 1878. The Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad, running south from Winchendon, leased the Monadnock in 1874, but transferred the lease to the Cheshire Railroad in 1880 to keep it out of the hands of the Boston and Albany. The Fitchburg took control of the Monadnock in 1890.
Boston, Barre and Gardner
The Barre and Worcester Railroad was chartered in 1847 and reorganized in 1857 as the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad. It opened in 1871 between the Worcester and Nashua Railroad at Barber (from which it ran to Worcester via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
) and the V&M in Gardner. An extension in 1874 took it to the Cheshire Railroad at Winchendon.
The BB&G leased the Monadnock Railroad
Monadnock Railroad
The Monadnock Railroad was one of many extension line railroads built to help expand the Fitchburg Railroad/Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad into New Hampshire. This line was to serve the New Hampshire towns on the eastern side of Mount Monadnock, mainly Jaffrey and Peterborough.It took quite a...
in 1874, but reassigned the lease to the Cheshire in 1880. The BB&G was merged into the Fitchburg in 1885.
Troy and Greenfield
The Troy and Greenfield RailroadTroy and Greenfield Railroad
The Troy and Greenfield Railroad, chartered in 1848, ran from Greenfield, Massachusetts, United States, to the Vermont state line. It was leased to the Troy and Boston Railroad in 1856, then consolidated into Fitchburg Railroad 1887 which in turn was acquired by Boston and Maine Railroad by lease...
was incorporated and chartered in 1848, with a planned line from the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border in Williamstown east through the Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
to Greenfield. The first section opened from the state line to the west end of the tunnel at North Adams in 1859. The tunnel itself opened in 1875, before which the Troy and Boston Railroad
Troy and Boston Railroad
The Troy and Boston Railroad was chartered April 4, 1848 and organized November 22, 1849. It completed a railroad from Troy, New York to the Vermont state line in 1852. This was also the main track of the Troy and Rutland Railroad, Rutland and Washington Railroad, and the Rutland Railway...
leased the T&G. The T&G was consolidated into the Fitchburg Railroad in 1887.
The Southern Vermont Railroad was chartered in 1848 to connect the T&G across the southwest corner of Vermont to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line. It opened in 1859 and was leased by the Troy and Boston Railroad
Troy and Boston Railroad
The Troy and Boston Railroad was chartered April 4, 1848 and organized November 22, 1849. It completed a railroad from Troy, New York to the Vermont state line in 1852. This was also the main track of the Troy and Rutland Railroad, Rutland and Washington Railroad, and the Rutland Railway...
, but in 1860 the T&G bought it. The Fitchburg bought the Southern Vermont directly in 1891.
The Troy and Boston Railroad
Troy and Boston Railroad
The Troy and Boston Railroad was chartered April 4, 1848 and organized November 22, 1849. It completed a railroad from Troy, New York to the Vermont state line in 1852. This was also the main track of the Troy and Rutland Railroad, Rutland and Washington Railroad, and the Rutland Railway...
was chartered in 1849 to continue the line west to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. It was consolidated into the Fitchburg in 1887. The Troy and Bennington Railroad was organized in 1851 to build a branch from the Troy and Boston at Hoosick Junction to the Vermont state line towards Bennington. It opened in 1852, continuing as the Western Vermont Railroad (leased by the Troy and Boston from 1857 until it was reorganized into the Bennington and Rutland Railway in 1865).
Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington
The Deerfield River Railroad opened in 1885 as a private narrow gauge railroad connecting the V&M at the Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
to the Deerfield Company saw mills at Readsboro, Vermont
Readsboro, Vermont
Readsboro is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for John Reade, a landholder. The population was 809 at the 2000 census...
. It was taken over by the Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad in 1886 and later extended to Wilmington, Vermont
Wilmington, Vermont
Wilmington is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,225 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was chartered in 1751 by Benning Wentworth, colonial governor of New Hampshire. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington...
. The line was never owned by the Fitchburg or Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
, and was abandoned from Readsboro to Wilmington in 1937. The remainder of the line from the connection with the Boston & Maine at Hoosac Tunnel to Readsboro was abandoned in 1971.
Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western
The Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway was organized in 1877 and opened in 1879 on a line from the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad at Rotterdam Junction, west of Schenectady, east to Mechanicville and beyond, closely paralleling the Troy and Boston into southwestern Vermont. The Fitchburg bought the BHT&W in 1887.The Hoosac Tunnel and Saratoga Railway was chartered in 1880, and was leased by the BHT&W in 1882. In 1886 it merged with the Saratoga Lake Railway (also chartered 1880 and leased to the BHT&W in 1882) to form the Troy, Saratoga and Northern Railroad. The combined line was built in 1886 and 1887, with a main line from Mechanicville (never built south to Troy) north and west to Saratoga Springs, and a branch east to Schuylerville. The Fitchburg Railroad leased it in 1887.
See also
- :File:Middlesex Canal (Massachusetts) map, 1852.jpg, map showing branches in Boston area