Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway
Encyclopedia
The Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway was a rural trolley
line that operated in the western Massachusetts
towns of Buckland
, Shelburne
and Colrain
from late 1896 to late 1927. Interchange was with the Boston and Maine Railroad
and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
at the south end of the line at the Buckland station, which is on the opposite side of the Deerfield River
from the village of Shelburne Falls
.
In 1927, faced with mounting debt, the SF&C ceased operation and was sold at foreclosure. The line was scrapped in 1928. The only surviving equipment of the SF&C is the 32'9" eight-wheel Combination Baggage-Passenger car #10, manufactured by the Wason company of Springfield, MA in 1896. The car has been fully restored to operating condition and today resides at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
at the site of the old Buckland depot. Brass models of this specific car were made by Fomras of Japan and imported to the US.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line that operated in the western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
towns of Buckland
Buckland, Massachusetts
Buckland is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,991 at the 2000 census. The town shares the village of Shelburne Falls with neighboring Shelburne...
, Shelburne
Shelburne, Massachusetts
Shelburne is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.The village of Shelburne Falls is located in the town.- History :...
and Colrain
Colrain, Massachusetts
Colrain is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :Colrain was first settled in 1735 as "Boston Township No...
from late 1896 to late 1927. Interchange was with 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...
and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
at the south end of the line at the Buckland station, which is on the opposite side of the Deerfield River
Deerfield River
Deerfield River is a river that runs for from southern Vermont through northwestern Massachusetts to the Connecticut River. The Deerfield was historically influential in the settlement of western Franklin County, Massachusetts, and its namesake town...
from the village of Shelburne Falls
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
Shelburne Falls is a census-designated place in the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
In 1927, faced with mounting debt, the SF&C ceased operation and was sold at foreclosure. The line was scrapped in 1928. The only surviving equipment of the SF&C is the 32'9" eight-wheel Combination Baggage-Passenger car #10, manufactured by the Wason company of Springfield, MA in 1896. The car has been fully restored to operating condition and today resides at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
The Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum is a small railroad museum in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, United States.The museum is dedicated to preserving and operating car number 10 of the former Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway...
at the site of the old Buckland depot. Brass models of this specific car were made by Fomras of Japan and imported to the US.