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834 | dbpedia | 3 | 90 | http://www.northsouthraillink.org/two-terminals | en | Two Terminals — North South Rail Link | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/561e6ed5e4b039248a6a94aa/1448310735364-GIK2AMEKF0X1E614US4U/favicon.ico | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/561e6ed5e4b039248a6a94aa/1448310735364-GIK2AMEKF0X1E614US4U/favicon.ico | [
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] | null | [] | null | Our current regional rail systems are largely the product of bold but uncoordinated expansion followed by incomplete integration. Each line was built by private companies serving particular destinations, and fostering development all along the routes. | en | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/561e6ed5e4b039248a6a94aa/1448310735364-GIK2AMEKF0X1E614US4U/favicon.ico | North South Rail Link | http://www.northsouthraillink.org/two-terminals | Boston's Two Terminals and Early Efforts to Link Them
Our current regional rail systems are largely the product of bold but uncoordinated expansion followed by incomplete integration.
Each line was built by private companies serving particular destinations, and fostering development all along the routes. In the late 19th century, as traffic grew and the rail yards became ever more unwieldy, the many small terminals that served the lines extending north and south of the city were consolidated into two great terminals, at North and South Stations. North Station was completed in 1893. South Station followed in 1900.
North Station, built in 1893, was once the busiest rail station in the nation and a stunning gateway to (and from) points north. Architecture was deployed not just as a noble civic device, but for savvy commercial purposes, helping to make the railroads attractive and seductive, for all social classes. | ||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 1 | http://wikimapia.org/9983317/Boston-and-Maine-Railroad-Station | en | Boston and Maine Railroad Station | http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/01/22/58/56_big.jpg | http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/01/22/58/56_big.jpg | [
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] | null | [] | null | Boston and Maine Railroad Station This station is the out of use rail station of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads... | en | http://wikimapia.org/9983317/Boston-and-Maine-Railroad-Station | Boston and Maine Railroad Station (Lowell, Massachusetts)
USA / Massachusetts / Lowell / Lowell, Massachusetts
World / USA / Massachusetts / Lowell World / United States / Massachusetts
cinema, interesting place, train station
This station is the out of use rail station of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, 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. The line later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division. This station became a cinema during the mid 20th century, but was out of use and run down by the end of the century. However, Lowell National Historical Park has recently renovated the station.
Middlesex Community College has now acquired the building from the National Park Service and plans to use it as an arts center and theater for the college.
Nearby cities: | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 92 | https://cs.trains.com/ctr/f/3/t/35270.aspx%3Fsort%3DASC%26pi386%3D273%26page%3D291 | en | Error | [] | [] | [] | [
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] | null | [] | null | null | Sorry, there was a problem with your last request!
Either the site is offline or an unhandled error occurred. We apologize and have logged the error. Please try your request again or if you know who your site administrator is let them know too. | ||||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 64 | https://whdh.com/ | en | Home - Boston News, Weather, Sports | [
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] | null | [] | 2018-04-10T12:15:26+00:00 | en | Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News | https://whdh.com/ | |||||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 31 | https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Lowell-Railroad-Nashua-Salem/dp/1020169370 | en | The Boston And Lowell Railroad: The Nashua And Lowell Railroad, And The Salem And Lowell Railroad: Francis Boardman Crowninshield Bradlee: 9781020169373: Amazon.com: Books | [
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] | null | [] | null | The Boston And Lowell Railroad: The Nashua And Lowell Railroad, And The Salem And Lowell Railroad [Francis Boardman Crowninshield Bradlee] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Boston And Lowell Railroad: The Nashua And Lowell Railroad, And The Salem And Lowell Railroad | en | https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Lowell-Railroad-Nashua-Salem/dp/1020169370 | This book is a history of three major railroads in New England: the Boston and Lowell Railroad, the Nashua and Lowell Railroad, and the Salem and Lowell Railroad. The book details the origins and development of each railroad, including their construction, growth, and eventual consolidation. The authors also explore the social and economic impact of the railroads on the communities they served.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 28 | https://www.britannica.com/technology/railroad/Early-American-railroads | en | Railroad - Early American, Steam Engines, Expansion | [
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] | 1999-07-26T00:00:00+00:00 | Railroad - Early American, Steam Engines, Expansion: As in England, the adoption of a railed pavement in North America was originally tied to gravity operation but later was adapted for the locomotive. In the United States the earliest railed pavements were in or adjacent to Boston, where in 1807 (when it was decided to flatten the top of Beacon Hill in order to enlarge the Massachusetts statehouse) a tramway was constructed to carry gravel to the base of the hill to begin filling the Back Bay. The first railway in Canada was constructed by British military engineers in the 1820s at the Citadel at Québec city; it | en | /favicon.png | Encyclopedia Britannica | https://www.britannica.com/technology/railroad/Early-American-railroads | As in England, the adoption of a railed pavement in North America was originally tied to gravity operation but later was adapted for the locomotive. In the United States the earliest railed pavements were in or adjacent to Boston, where in 1807 (when it was decided to flatten the top of Beacon Hill in order to enlarge the Massachusetts statehouse) a tramway was constructed to carry gravel to the base of the hill to begin filling the Back Bay. The first railway in Canada was constructed by British military engineers in the 1820s at the Citadel at Québec city; it used a similar cable-operated tramway to ascend the heights of Cape Diamond. But it was in 1825 on the Granite Railroad just south of Boston on the side of Great Blue Hill that several of the characteristic features of American railroading, such as the swiveling truck and the four-wheel truck, were first put into use.
The earliest locomotives used in North America were of British design. In 1829 the Stourbridge Lion was the first to run on a North American railroad. But on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, where the Stourbridge Lion ran, as on the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad, the first in Canada, Stephenson locomotives proved unsuited to the crude track and quickly derailed. The British locomotive had virtually no constructive impact on North American locomotives. The only residual characteristic was the 4-foot 8.5-inch gauge, which was often thought to be a misfortune in being too narrow.
It was the brute strength of American locomotives, their great tolerance of cheap and crude track, their durability, their economy of operation, and their simplicity of maintenance that determined almost from the first years of operation that there would be a distinctively American railroad sharing little with British practice. It seems reasonable to argue that once the British had shown that railroads could be made to work the Americans reinvented them for a very different terrain, economic climate, and demographic level. The creation of the American railroad was a contemporaneous but not a derivative development.
The American railroad came into existence because incomplete geographic knowledge caused the first British colonists to plant early entrepôts in what were later understood to be unfavourable locations. The uplands in central Massachusetts were already being abandoned for agricultural use when the railroad arrived in that region in the mid-1830s. Only when in the 1840s a railroad reached into the agricultural belt in the American Midwest could the port of Boston find a truly great hinterland. And by 1825 the Erie Canal had created a water connection between the Midwest and the port of New York.
Two other colonial ports mirrored the conditions in Boston. In Maryland, the rivers did not serve the colonial port at Baltimore. The Susquehanna just to the north and the Potomac just to the south had falls near their mouths. A port had grown up at Alexandria on the Virginia side of the Potomac; and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania built a canal and later a railroad to keep inland trade from passing southward to Baltimore. In South Carolina the main port, Charleston, was, like Boston, on a short stream offering little access to the interior.
These “mislocated” colonial ports were among the largest American cities, but they were denied the easy access to the interior that seemed essential for growth as the country spread inward. The creation of the railroad offered a solution to the access problem. Competition among the Atlantic ports meant that those with the poorest river connections to the West—Baltimore, Boston, and Charleston—became the earliest and strongest proponents of railroad promotion.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The first to take an active role was Baltimore, which in the 1820s had become the second largest American city. On July 4, 1828, Baltimore merchants began the construction of a railroad from the harbour to some point, then undetermined, on the Ohio River. The results of adopting British practice were generally bad, forcing the engineers to design a railroad from scratch. Locomotives designed and built in Baltimore were stronger than those of Robert Stephenson. Leveling rods kept those locomotives on the relatively poor track, and a swiveling leading truck guided them into tight curves. On the Camden and Amboy Railroad, another pioneering line, the engineer John Jervis invented the T- cross-section rail that greatly cheapened and simplified the laying of track when combined with the wooden crosstie also first introduced in the United States. Simplicity and strength became the basic test for railroad components in North America. On cars the individual trucks were given four wheels to allow heavier loads to be carried, and the outside dimensions of cars were enlarged.
In western Maryland the engineers were faced with their steepest grades. These came to be known as the “ruling grade”—that is, the amount of locomotive power required for the transit of a line was determined by its steepest grade. Robert Stephenson had thought 1 percent was the steepest grade a locomotive could surmount. At the top of the climb over the Allegheny Front the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) engineers had to accept a 17-mile grade of about 2.2 percent, which they managed to achieve with the stronger American engines. Adopted later as the ruling grade for the Canadian Pacific and a number of other North American lines, the 2.2 percent figure has become so fixed that it now ranks second only to standard gauge as a characteristic of the North American railroad.
The B&O was finally completed in December 1852 to Wheeling, Virginia (now in West Virginia). But by that time it was only the first of what turned out to be six trans-Appalachian railroads completed in 1851–52. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 8 | https://millmuseum.org/railroads-and-mills/ | en | Railroads and Mills | [
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] | null | [] | 2019-03-14T17:43:12+00:00 | Railroads and the MillsJamie H. EvesThe Industrial Revolution relied on cheap transportation of goods in bulk. The textile factories that dominated eastern Connecticut during its Industrial Age (c. 1800-1985) needed to haul in the raw cotton, wool, and silk from which they made their products, and carry away the finished thread and cloth, and after… | en | Windham Textile and History Museum - The Mill Museum | https://millmuseum.org/railroads-and-mills/ | One important artifact of the Age of Rail in Connecticut is a large-scale, cloth-backed, elegantly engraved 1902 wall map titled “The National Publishing Company’s Railroad, Post Office, Township and County Map of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with Distances in Figures Compiled from the Latest Government Surveys and Original Sources.” It provides a snapshot of rail transportation at the turn of the century, when the railroads were at their height.
According to the map, a century ago a dense web of rail lines crisscrossed Connecticut. The “trunk line” (“main line”) was owned by the busy, prosperous New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company (N. Y. N. H. & H.), which snaked eastward along Long Island Sound from New York City to New Haven in a series of lazy, undulating loops. In New Haven, it split into two smaller trunks, one continuing east along the Sound to Providence, Rhode Island, the other heading north, first to Hartford and then across the state line to Springfield, Massachusetts. Numerous “branch lines” (“short lines”) – some owned by the N. Y. N. H. & H. and others by smaller companies – split off from the two trunks, linking all eight of Connecticut’s counties into one efficient, integrated system. All told, only 27 of the state’s 168 towns (16%) were without rail service – and every one of these was a small, rural, hill community like Goshen, Bethlehem, Voluntown, or Union. Well over 95% of the state’s residents lived within ten miles of a train station. Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Willimantic were the state’s rail “hubs,” with eight, six, six and six “spokes,” respectively. Hartford was the state capital, an important river port, and a center for the manufacture of precision machines. New Haven was a seaport. Waterbury was a center for metal manufacturing. And Willimantic produced cloth and thread. Bridgeport (machines and textiles), Manchester (textiles), and Norwich (textiles) also had important rail connections.
For about a century, from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, railroads and trolleys functioned as the chief means of moving large quantities of people and freight in Connecticut and the rest of the United States. The earliest American railroads were horse-drawn short lines, such as John Montressor’s “gravity road” around Niagara Falls and John Thompson’s “tramroad” in Pennsylvania. But the invention of the coal-powered steam engine by the Scottish engineer James Watt in the 1760s, together with its successful application to riverboats by the New York inventor Robert Fulton in 1807, launched an eventual switch from horses to steam and made railroads practical. The first steam railroad in North America was the Baltimore and Ohio (B. & O.); construction on the B. & O. had begun in 1828, but the company switched from horses to steam in 1831. Other railroads quickly followed: the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad in 1832, the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company in 1833, the Columbia Railroad of Pennsylvania in 1834, and the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1835.
In Connecticut, the Age of Rail commenced in the 1840s with the construction of the New York and New Haven Railroad (N. Y. & N. H.), the forerunner of the N. Y. N. H. & H. The company received its state charter in 1844, was organized in 1846, and opened in 1849. Like most American railroads, the N. Y. & N. H. was a privately owned business – a corporation – but it nevertheless relied on government subsidies for survival. Indeed, without government support, long-distance railroads rarely made a profit. The N. Y. & N. H.’s 450-mile looping route along Long Island Sound from New Haven to New York – with stops in West Haven, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Southport, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich – can be viewed on an elegant, detailed 1845 “Map Exhibiting the Experimental and Located Lines for the New-York and New-Haven Rail-Road,” at the Library of Congress’s superb “American Memory” website at http://memory.loc.gov. In 1872 the New York and New Haven merged with the New Haven and Hartford Railroad to form the giant N. Y. N. H. & H. It continued to grow, and by the early 1900s had absorbed more than twenty-five other railroad companies, owned 2,047 miles of track in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and was an important cog in the corporate empire of the Connecticut-born tycoon J. P. Morgan. A good map of the mature, turn-of-the-century Connecticut railroad network – “Map of the Railroads of Connecticut to Accompany the Report of the Railroad Commissioners, 1893” – can be viewed at the “American Memory” website.
To find out more about trains and Willimantic, I visited the Thomas R. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut, where I looked through old train schedules of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (N.Y.N.H.&H.) that are preserved as part of the Dodd Center’s Connecticut Electric Railway Association Collection. Although these schedules applied only to passenger trains and not to freight trains, they nevertheless provided insight into the history of railroads in Willimantic.
According to the schedules, in the 1920s and 1930s, as many as twelve N.Y.N.H.&H. passenger trains left Willimantic each day. One route – which in January, 1927, departed twice a day, at 6:45 and 11:00 AM – was a local, heading southwest to Middletown, with stops along the way at Chestnut Hill, Leonard’s Bridge, Amston, Westchester, Lyman Viaduct, East Hampton, Cobalt-Middle Haddam, and Portland.
A second route in 1927, departing Willimantic only once a day, at 9:25 AM, traveled east to Pomfret and Putnam before crossing the state line into Rhode Island. It arrived at Providence at 11:47 and Boston at 12:09, covering 140 miles in about two hours and forty-five minutes, an average speed of about 50 miles an hour.
A third route in 1927, to Hartford, was the busiest, with seven trains departing daily, at 7:10, 10:08, and 11:29 AM, and at 2:23, 3:45, 6:11, and 8:09 PM. The morning trains were locals, with regular stops at Andover, Bolton, and Manchester, and whistle stops (the train stopped only if someone requested it) at Hop River, Rockville Junction, Talcottville, Buckland, and Burnside. The afternoon trains had fewer stops. After a brief layover in Hartford (between 20 and 30 minutes), the train continued on to Meriden, New Haven, and New York. The trip from Willimantic to Hartford took about an hour; the journey to New York lasted about four hours and 30 minutes. Unlike the other two routes, this one also operated on Sundays, although with fewer runs.
The passenger trains that stopped in Willimantic featured a combination of parlor cars and coaches, but no sleepers. Sleepers did run on the other Boston-to-Hartford-to-New York route – the one that went through Springfield, Massachusetts, instead of Willimantic – but passengers were told that their berths would not be available until 9:00 at night, and that they had to be out of them by 6:40 in the morning.
Nevertheless, railroad’s relicts remain on the land, inviting historical inspection. Several passenger and freight lines still run, including the Amtrack commuter line along Long Island Sound, which uses the old N. Y. N. H. & H. tracks. Most of the bed of the old branch line from Hartford to Providence still exists, too, converted by the state into a horse, bicycle, and walking trail. It is a venerable route. According to Hans DePold, the town historian of Bolton, one of the towns along the trail, a group of Connecticut businessmen first drew up plans for a Hartford-to-Providence railroad in 1833, at the very dawn of the Age of Rail. Fifteen years later in 1847, they chartered the Hartford & Providence Railroad, renamed the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill when they decided to extend the line west to Fishkill, New York, on the Hudson River. Construction began almost immediately, and by 1849 – the same year that the New York and New Haven opened for business – the railroad connected Hartford to Willimantic. However, like most of the early railroads, it struggled financially. Eventually, the larger, wealthier New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company absorbed it. Now part of a larger system, the line remained in operation until 1956.
Today, hikers routinely walk along portions of the old H. P. & F. bed between Bolton and Willimantic, a distance of about 14 miles. Relict evidence shows that, like other railroads, the H. P. & F. significantly altered the environment through which it passed. Although all of the steel rails and most of the heavy wooden ties have been removed, the bed and other artifacts remain, providing ample evidence of the railroad’s impact. The top of the bed was approximately ten feet wide, and amazingly level. To save fuel, the steep, craggy Connecticut hills were graded into gentle slopes, and the route was laid out with straight lines and wide, easy turns. Rather than detour around the hills, the construction crews dynamited deep “cuts” through hilltops and rocky outcrops, creating artificial gorges that remain cool, moist, and shady even on hot summer days. To cross the “lows,” the crews built high, sloping, raised beds, often several hundred feet wide at the base, which tower above the land. Even when the terrain was relatively level, beds were still elevated several feet above the surface, to make sure the tracks remained dry. In the cuts, deep ditches running along each side of the track drained excess water. Elsewhere, the beds sloped slightly to one side, where a single ditch disposed of the runoff. Mosses grow on the craggy, gray shale walls of the cuts. In the spring rivulets of cold, clear meltwater trickle noisily over the exposed rocks.
Immense amounts of fill were needed to construct these beds – far more than would have been supplied from the limited amounts of rock and gravel the crews removed from the cuts. Where had it all come from? Hikers see little evidence of trackside borrow pits. Indeed, numerous stone fences indicate that farmers’ fields and pastures occupied most of the land beyond the railroad’s right-of-way, and these seem unlikely sources of fill. Scooping out parts of the bed with your hands, a hiker can unearth numerous gravel-sized particles of red sandstone, common enough in the Connecticut Valley around Hartford, but rare in the eastern hills around Bolton and Willimantic. Perhaps the company had commenced constructing the railroad at Hartford and, inching eastward, used their trains and newly laid tracks to haul the fill from the Valley. If so, they had reversed the pattern of nature, moving earth from lower to higher elevations.
Other relicts are also visible. Chunks of coal lay in the ditches. A few gaunt, silver-gray telegraph poles pitch at eccentric angles, most with five crosstrees, indicating that, in addition to the telegraph wires, they possibly carried telephone and even electric wires as well. Although the surrounding countryside is thickly wooded, ample evidence exists that such was not the case a hundred years ago. The stone fences that snake through the woods indicate that the entire area was once open farmland. This means that the railroad would have had to make accommodations for those farmers whose fields lay on both sides of the tracks. Indeed, at several locations old farm roads, now abandoned, cross the railroad, their locations marked by rusty steel gates.
The historian Leo Marx characterizes railroads, trains, and other nineteenth-century technologies as “machines in the garden.” Hikers walking along the old railroad bed, climbing into the high, flinty hills surrounding Bolton Notch, may reflect that he is right. One imagines the countryside as it must have looked a century ago – an open, undulating land of farms and fields, with only a few trees, and the great sweeping vistas of the Hop River Valley below. The green, pastoral landscape would have offered a compelling contrast to the sooty black trains, the billowing clouds of coal smoke, the piercing whistle of the steam engines, the loud chuffing of gears, and the rhythmic clacking of the steel wheels on the rails. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 12 | https://thewestendmuseum.org/history/era/west-boston/the-many-faces-of-north-station/ | en | The Many Faces of North Station – The West End Museum | [
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] | 2022-11-25T15:11:45-05:00 | For tens of thousands of daily commuters, North Station is a final destination to work and a starting point for home. For many others, it is a stop along the way to somewhere else. But few of today’s commuters know that over the past two centuries, there have actually been several train stations in the West End– built in grand style – that predated the North Station we know today. | en | The West End Museum – Boston's Neighborhood Museum | https://thewestendmuseum.org/history/era/west-boston/the-many-faces-of-north-station/ | For tens of thousands of daily commuters, North Station is a final destination to work and a starting point for home. For many others, it is a stop along the way to somewhere else. But few of today’s commuters know that over the past two centuries, there have actually been several train stations in the West End– built in grand style – that predated the North Station we know today.
Boston was one of young America’s principal cities and ports, yet its physical growth had always been constrained by its location on the Shawmut peninsula. In the early 19th century, architect Charles Bulfinch proposed addressing the problem by filling in the marshes around Boston to accommodate new urban development. His first such project, what would later become known as the Bulfinch triangle, was a grid of new streets arranged on the former Mill Pond in today’s West End neighborhood. By the second half of the 19th century, all railroads connecting Boston to points north and west of the city crossed the Charles River, and four of these eight railroads erected depots in the Bulfinch Triangle
In 1835 the Boston and Lowell (B&L) Railroad chose Lowell Street as the location for its depot. It was later joined on the same street by stations of the Eastern and Fitchburg Railroads which built their stations on Causeway. To stand out from the others, each chose a unique architectural style―French Second Empire, Italianate, and Gothic Revival, for its depot. Unlike its competitors, the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) constructed its depot a few blocks south on Haymarket Square. Despite enjoying some distance from its competitors, the owners of the B&M were still interested in style, choosing a Greek Revival design for its structure. The B&M depot displayed two-story pilasters with elaborate capitals supporting a large pediment in whose center was a clock—an all-important element for travelers trying to make a scheduled departure.
Over the next forty years, the B&M became the predominant railway company in the Northeast. Through a calculated campaign of acquisition and consolidation starting in 1842, it the gained charters in New Hampshire and Maine, and later purchased 47 competing regional short lines. By 1887 the B&M had sole control of the Boston-Portland route and access into Vermont and Quebec through lease agreements with the Eastern and the B&L railroads. Seeing a need to unite its services under one roof, the B&M began construction of a new North Union Station in 1893, just south of the current North Station structure. Replacing the former depots on Causeway Street, the North Union Station’s façade would feature an 80-foot-high granite triumphal arch flanked by four massive columns, and its eastern side was formed by a five-story baggage and express building. North Union Station was opened in stages from 1893 to 1894, and by the time it was fully completed, the station had become popularly known as “North Station.”
The first North Station stood for only three decades before it was torn down in 1927 in favor of a larger depot that included a new arena―Boston Garden―above the ground-floor waiting room and concourse. This innovative plan was based on New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and in keeping with the trends of the time was designed in the popular Art Deco style. The new station would have an imposing neoclassical design whose façade was dominated by a large triumphal arch that represented the railroad’s power. It also featured a round arch with a coffered ceiling roughly two stories high, flanked on each side by two columns with Ionic capitals that sat upon bases of rusticated stone. Arcaded wings six-bays across spread out from the central arch and their centers supported large clock faces. Beyond the arcades were the waiting rooms that received ample light from bands of clerestory windows. The concourse was similarly brightened by large skylights to dispel the notion that train sheds of the era had to be dark and smoky. The new North Station and Boston Garden opened in 1928.
For the next fifty years, the second North Station would go through many alterations. In 1985 it received replacement trestles, new tracks, and platforms after a fire in 1984. In 1989, the MBTA paid $13.7 to raise the five commuter rail platforms for accessibility, and in 1990 an underground garage and platform were added. Finally, in 1993, the state reached a deal to replace the aging Boston Garden. In exchange for the land and easements to construct the new Fleet Center, the developer constructed a train shed and waiting area on the ground floor and a subway tunnel under the arena to replace the subway lines above Causeway Street. The result was a combined underground “superstation,” allowing for pedestrian access to North Station. The third North Station and the new Fleet Center opened in 1995.
Two new expansions took place in 2006; the station’s waiting area was enlarged and the number of tracks expanded to 12. This $5 million project, completed in 2007, added 20,000 square feet of waiting and retail space. Along the way, the name of the arena above the station changed several times, ultimately becoming TD Garden. In 2019, North Station got a new entrance and a tunnel connecting Amtrak–commuter rail services. This ended the disjointed journey of commuters who had to go outside when transferring between the subway and the commuter rail or Amtrak. That same year, thanks to Amtrak’s service to Maine, North Station became the 24th busiest Amtrak station in the country, and the sixth busiest in New England.
Over the years, North Station – and the West End – has been the focal point of rail travel between Boston and points west and north. The station’s continued importance can be seen in the most recent development projects surrounding it that have added more modern living and office spaces, entertainment venues, and dining and drinking establishments to an increasingly vibrant neighborhood. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 10 | https://railrelicstoday.com/B.html | en | Railroad Switch Keys and Locks | [
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Item: 3-B Victorian style Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and copper patina.
"B" series + "C" series key below = nice set!
125 year + centenarian!
History
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, based in Baltimore, Maryland, was one of the two or three oldest, largest, most important railroads in the history of the mid-Atlantic region. Its great rival was the Pennsylvania Railroad. The B&O was the first Class I railroad in the U.S. as well as one of the first in the nation. During its peak years, the railroad carried coal, steel, and other freight, as well as passengers, as far North as New York City, and as far west as Chicago. Most surviving trackage is operated by CSX Transportation. The B&O provided critical logistic support to the Union during the Civil War, when it was the target of repeated Confederate raids.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 4-B Victorian style Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
"C" series + "B" series key above = nice set!
125 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The B&O was not the first railroad in the U.S., but it was the first common carrier railroad and the first to offer scheduled freight and passenger service to the public. It was the first intercity railroad in the United States. The most important American East Coast seaports in the early 1800s were Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston, South Carolina. Baltimore had an advantage in being farther inland than the others (and therefore closer to many markets), being located almost at the head of navigation on Chesapeake Bay, the estuary of the Susquehanna River. New York gained an advantage in 1825 with the opening of the Erie Canal, permitting navigation as far as Lake Erie, and in 1826 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered a system of canals to link Philadelphia with the Ohio River at Pittsburgh.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
Item: 5-B Victorian style Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The B&O was the target of repeated Confederate attacks during the American Civil War. Union forces often failed to properly secure the region, despite the vital importance of the railroad in providing supplies and troops to the battlefronts. Confederate general "Stonewall" Jackson made the Railroad his favorite target. Nevertheless, under the leadership of president John W. Garrett the B&O increased its operations, and increased its profits during the war.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
Item: 6-B Victorian style Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and dark chocolate patina.
Given the moniker,"Best and Only"
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
In 1960 the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) began to acquire B&O stock. NYC made a bid, but B&O's stockholders approved C&O control, and on May 1, 1962, so did the ICC. By early 1964 C&O owned 90% of B&O's stock. In 1967 the ICC authorized C&O and B&O to control WM; B&O's WM stock had long been held in a nonvoting trust. On June 15, 1973, B&O, C&O, and WM were made subsidiaries of the newly created Chessie System, although they continued to operate as separate railroads. There was no great surge of track abandonment, because in most areas B&O and C&O were complementary rather than competitive. In 1981 B&O leased the former Rock Island trackage from Blue Island to Henry, Illinois. B&O continued to exist with the Chessie System. On May 1, 1983, B&O assumed operations of the WM. Four years later, on April 30, 1987, C&O merged B&O, and four months after that, CSX Transportation merged the C&O.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
Item: 7-B Price: $75.00 $65.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
Another moniker, "Backward and Obsolete."
100 year + centenarian!
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 8-B Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid 1900s
Nice cursive lettering and gold patina.
Different but nice!
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 9-B Price: $40.00
Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Attractive serif stamp marks and gold patina.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 10-B Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Nice serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.
Item: 11-B Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Nice stamp marks and copper patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 12-B Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Very nice stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 12-B Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Very nice stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 13-B Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb stamp marks and copper patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 14-B Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. post 1930
Forged by the Fraim Co.
Nice stamp marks and patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 16-B Chicago Terminal Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
In 1910 the B&O purchased the Chicago Terminal Transfer Co., a belt line and renamed this section of it's line the Baltimore & Ohio - Chicago Terminal. In 1910, the B&O absorbed this line and continued to use the Chicago Terminal Transfer key style.
100 year + centenarian!
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 17-B Chicago Terminal Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Excellent stamp marks and gold patina.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 20-B local station key Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and dark patina.
125 year + centenarian!
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 21-B local station key Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. 1921-30
Fraim/Slaymaker forged.
Superb large serif stamp marks and patina.
100 year + centenarian!
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Item: 22-B local station key Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. 1879-1917
Forged by the E.T. Fraim Co.
Nice stamp marks and dark patina.
125 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railway
Item: 25-B post merger key Price: $175.00 $155.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
A rare one!
History
Originally the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, the railroad was renamed Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad in 1889. Merged into the Baltimore & Ohio in 1900.
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Bangor & Aroostook Railroad
Item: 27-B Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the M.M. Buck Co.
Superb stamp marks and patina.
Different style cut than BAR keys below.
13th street = Bangor Union Station now Amtrak.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad was a United States railroad company that brought rail service to Arostook County in northern Maine. Brightly painted BAR box cars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives operated on BAR until they were museum pieces. The economic downturn of the 1980s coupled with the departure of heavy industry from northern Maine forced the railroad to seek a buyer and end operations in 2003.
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Bangor & Aroostook Railroad
SOLD Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Nice serif stamp marks and gold patina.
History - continued from above
The company was incorporated in 1891 to combine the lines of the former Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad and the Bangor & Katahdin Iron Works Railway. It was based in Bangor & lines extended from there to Oakfield and Houlton in 1894.
In 1995, the BAR was acquired by Iron Road Railways. In 2002, the company was declared bankrupt, and in 2003 its lines were sold to Rail World, which initially incorporated them into its newly formed Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway subsidiary.
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Barre & Chelsea Railroad
Item: 30-B Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Onced owned by the B&M.
Superb serif stamp marks and two-tone patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Barre Railroad Company was incorporated April 9, 1888, under general laws of Vermont to construct, maintain, and operate a railroad from the village of Barre to the granite quarries in said town of Barre and Williamstown, Vt. The date of organization was April 10, 1888.
The East Barre & Chelsea Railroad Company, the only predecessor, was incorporated July 20, 1892, under general laws of Vermont to construct and maintain a railroad from a point of connection with tracks of The Barre Railroad Company in the town of Barre, to East Barre, Vt. The date of organization was September 11, 1892.
The owned mileage was acquired partly by construction and partly by merger. The records reviewed indicate that 13.819 miles of road was constructed by The Barre Railroad Company during 1888-89, and 1.673 miles was acquired by merger from the East Barre & Chelsea Railroad Company, constructed by or for that company during 1891-92, or a total of 15.492 miles.
The majority of the Granite District was part of the Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M) system until 1926, when the Barre & Chelsea Railroad (Barre to Graniteville) and Montpelier & Wells River Railroad (Barre and Montpelier to Wells River) were sold to local interests. The latter was consolidated into the former in January 1945, but in 1957 the entire Barre & Chelsea Railroad was abandoned.
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Belt Railway of Chicago
Item: 34-B Price: $25.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
History
Chartered in 1882, the Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC), headquartered in Bedford Park, IL, is the largest switching terminal railroad in the United States. It is co-owned by six Class I railroads; BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad, each of which uses the switching and interchange facilities of the BRC. Owner lines and other railroads bring their trains to the Belt Railway to be separated, classified, and re-blocked into new trains for departure. The BRC also provides rail terminal services to approximately 100 local manufacturing industries.
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Belt Railway of Chicago
Item: 35-B Price: $40.00
Remarks: ca. mid-late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
History - continued from above
The Clearing Yard, located on the boundary between Chicago and Bedford Park, Illinois, just south of Chicago Midway International Airport, is one of the largest hump classification facilities in the United States. Some 5.5 miles in length and covering 786 acres the yard supports more than 250 miles (400 km) of track. It has six main subdivisions; one arrival, classification, and departure yard in the eastbound and westbound directions.
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Belt Railway of Chicago
Item: 36-B Price: $30.00
Remarks: ca. mid-late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
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Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad
Item: 39-B Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad (BLE) is a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.The railroad's main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, a distance of 139 miles. The original rail ancestor of the B&LE, the Shenango & Allegheny Railroad, began operation in October 1869.
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Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad
Item: 40-B Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Superb serif stamp marksand gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
In 1988 the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad became part of Transtar, Inc., a privately held transportation holding company with principal operations in railroad freight transportation, dock operations, Great Lakes shipping, and inland river barging that were formerly subsidiaries of USX, the holding company that owns U.S. Steel. In 2001 the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad became part of Great Lakes Transportation, LLC. On May 10, 2004 Canadian National Railway acquired the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad. Iron ore and coal are still the route's major freight commodities.
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Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad
Item: 41-B Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Superb serif stamp marks and gold patina.
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Beaver & Ellwood Railroad Company
Item: 43-B Price: $145.00 $125.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Fine pocket wear and nice gold patina.
History
The Beaver & Ellwood Railroad Company was organized May 20, 1890. Known as the Beaver & Ellwood Railroad, the line provided passenger service to the Park Gate station, as well as freight service to Ellwood City industries. In April of 1892 The Ellwood Connecting Railroad was incorporated by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie to make the connection to the Beaver & Ellwood Railroad but did not open until June of 1893. In May of 1899, the Beaver & Ellwood Railroad was leased to the P&LE for twenty years. On a side note, July of the same year, the Beaver & Ellwood Railroad acquired the Ellwood Southern Railroad Company.
Finally June 6, 1910 the P&LE purchased the entire issue of stock of the Beaver & Ellwood Railroad Company and merged it with the Ellwood Connecting Railroad Company in January 1911.
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Boston & Albany Railroad
Item: 45-B Price: $100.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Nice pocket worn lettering and silver patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History
The Boston and Albany Railroad (reporting mark B&A) 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. Passenger service is still provided on the line by Amtrak, as part of their Lake Shore Limited service, and by the MBTA Commuter Rail system, which owns the section east of Worcester and operates it as its Framingham/Worcester Line.
The connection from Boston to Albany formed the longest and most expensive point-to-point railroad yet constructed in the United States. Two mergers, on September 4, 1867 and December 28, 1870 brought the three companies, along with the Hudson and Boston Railroad, together into one company, known as the Boston and Albany Railroad. The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad leased the B&A for 99 years from July 1, 1900. This lease passed to the New York Central Railroad in 1914; throughout this, the B&A kept its own branding in the public eye. The NYC merged into Penn Central on February 1, 1968.
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Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad
Item: 46-B New Listing Price: $175.00
Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Rare narrow-gauge key.
Nice pocket worn lettering and patina.
My guess is - T. Slaight forged.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge passenger-carrying shortline railroad between East Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts, from 1875 to 1940. Part of the railroad's right of way now forms the outer section of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Blue Line rapid transit service.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 47-B Eastern Division Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Very nice stamp marks and patina.
Given the moniker, "Bashed and Maimed"
100 year + centenarian!
History
Chartered in 1836, the Boston & Maine Corporation, known as the Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M), was a former U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It became part of what is now the Pan Am Railways network in 1983.
B&M's earliest corporate predecessor was the Andover & Wilmington Railroad, opened in August 1836 from Andover, Massachusetts, south to a junction with the B&L at Wilmington, approximately 7 miles. The B&M grew for the most part by acquisition, not by construction. The oldest component of the B&M was the 25-mile route between Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, opened by the Boston & Lowell Railroad (B&L) on June 24, 1835, but not acquired until much later. The B&M's 19th century history consists of four distinct routes.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 48-B Eastern Division Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and dark patina.
One of the few eastern lines that
wasn't consolidated into Conrail.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
B&M dieselized quickly, except for suburban passenger trains, and it was an early user of Centralized Traffic Control. In 1950 it was a well-run, progressive railroad, in a region that was losing its heavy industry and beginning to build interstate superhighways. In 1956, Patrick B. McGinnis became president of the B&M, bringing in a new image, not just blue replacing maroon on the locomotives and cars but a new way of doing things: deficits, deferred maintenance, and kickbacks on the sale of B&M's streamlined passenger cars, which ultimately culminated in a prison sentence that ended his career in railroading.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 49-B Eastern Division Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. 1904-21
Forged by the S.R. Slaymaker Co.
Superb serif stamp marks and patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
Rather than split B&M among its connections or ask for inclusion in Conrail, B&M's trustees decided to reorganize independently. Under the leadership of Alan Dustin, the B&M bought new locomotives, rebuilt its track, and changed its attitude. The revived B&M went after new business and expanded its operations. It sold the tracks and rolling stock to MBTA in 1975, but retained freight rights on those lines and continued to operate the trains for MBTA. In 1977 it assumed operation of commuter trains on the former NH and B&A lines out of Boston's South Station. In 1982 it bought several Conrail lines in Massachusetts and Connecticut and began operating coal trains and piggyback service.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 50-B Price: $65.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
This key will work with the older Corbin locks
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 51-B New Listing Price: $20.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 52-B Price: $20.00
Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s. Padlock key.
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Boston & Maine Railroad
Item: 53-B Price: $75.00 $60.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
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Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad
Item: 54-B Price: $75.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Nice stamp marks and two-tone patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad (reporting mark BML) was a standard-gauge shortline railroad that operated from 1871 to 2007 over a single-track grade from Belfast to Burnham Junction in Maine.
Chartered in 1867, the line was built between August 1868 and December 1870 by the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Company (B&MLRR), which was majority-owned by the city of Belfast until 1991. For its first 55 years, the road was operated under lease by the Maine Central as its Belfast Branch, which provided daily passenger and freight service to eight stations over the length of Waldo County, Maine. After the MEC cancelled its lease in 1925, the B&MLRR began running trains under its own name. Passenger operations ceased in March 1960, although in 1988, the railroad began operating summer tourist trains to offset a decline in freight traffic. In 1991, the city sold its interest in the money-losing railroad to private owners. In 2007, the railroad ended operations as the B&MLRR.
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Beaver Dam Railroad
Item: 56-B Price: $95.00 $75.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
80 year + octogenarian!
History
The Beaver Dam Railroad was a short-line railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Virginia and Tennessee in the early 20th century between the towns of Damascus, Virginia and Crandull, Tennessee. The line was abandoned in sections beginning in 1918 with portions still remaining in operation into the 1920s. Today, much of the old route is followed by Tennessee State Route 133.
The Backbone Rock tunnel was a short tunnel on the Beaver Dam Railroad's Tennessee section, blasted through in 1901 from a rock cliff that stood in the way of the railroad's progression. At only twenty-two feet in length, the tunnel was known locally as the "shortest tunnel in the world."
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Belvidere Delaware Railroad
Item: 64-B Price: $225.00
Remarks: ca. 1863-1904
Forged by Romer & Co.
Great stamp marks and carmel patina.
150 year + centenarian!
History
The Belvidere-Delaware Railroad was chartered on March 2, 1836 and was constructed from Trenton along the Delaware River north to Belvidere, New Jersey. Beyond Belvidere, the line would connect to a proposed line that headed west to the Susquehanna River through Pennsylvania. The Trenton-Lambertville section opened on February 6, 1851, eventually reaching Belvidere on November 5, 1855.
The Belvidere Delaware Railroad and the Flemington Railroad & Transportation Company merged on February 16, 1885 to form the Belvidere Delaware Railroad.
In 1908 the PRR acquired trackage rights on the nearby Lehigh & Hudson River Railway (L&HR) and DL&W. The following year, the PRR shifted its railyard from Lambertville to Trenton. By the 1950s steam locomotives had been replaced with diesel operated self-propelled Doodlebugs as a cost-saving measure resulting from dwindling patronage, In August 1955, flood waters from the Delaware River caused by Hurricane Diane washed out portions of the line north of Belvidere near where the right-of-way crosses modern-day US Route 46, although the line still remains active south of this point to serve a chemical manufacturing plant. North of where the plant is now to the junction at Manunka Chunk was subsequently removed. On December 31, 1957, the Bel Del was merged into the United New Jersey Railroad & Canal Company, with passenger services ending by October 25, 1960.
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British Columbia Railway
Item: 66-B New Listing Price: $175.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
Pacific Great Eastern key style.
History
The Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad (BC&G) was a railroad chartered on April 1, 1904 and ran along Buffalo Creek in Clay County, West Virginia. The original Buffalo Creek & Gauley ended service in 1965.
The BC&G was one of the last all-steam railroads, never operating a diesel locomotive to the day it shut down in 1965. Its primary purpose was to bring coal out of the mountains above Widen to an interchange with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Dundon.
After the BC&G ended operations in 1965 it was reactivated in 1971 by the Majestic Mining Company to serve a mine at Widen.The company used an Alco S-2 for power and the operation concluded in 1985. The line was then again reactivated in the mid-1990s when the Elk River Railroad, Inc. (TERRI) reopened the route to Avoca to serve a mine there. The operation lasted only a few years until 1999 when American Electric Power (AEP) determined the coal to be too poor in quality.
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Buffalo & Lockport Railroad
Item: 68-B Price: $200.00
Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Great stamp marks and gold patina.
Key listed in the
"American Railway's Switch Key Directory."
Early NYC aquisition.
125 year + centenarian!
History
The Buffalo & Lockport Railroad was chartered April 27, 1852, to build a branch of the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls from Lockport towards Buffalo. It opened in 1854, running from Lockport to Tonawanda, where it joined the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad, opened 1837, for the rest of the way to Buffalo. One of nine other railroads that formed the New York Central.
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Burlington & Lamoille Valley Railroad
Item: 72-B car key Price: $125.00
Remarks: Chartered 1889-1899
St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County predecessor.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
Gobbled up by the Central Vermont 10 years later.
History
The Burlington & Lamoille Railroad was a contemporary project with the Portland & Ogdensburg railroad, an ambitious project to build a railroad corridor from Portland Maine to the great lakes. The B&L was intended to give access to this line at Cambridge Junction to Burlington VT (and the railroads that ran there). The line was completed in 1877 and almost immediately became a leased subsidiary of the Central Vermont Railroad.
The line never saw the anticipated bridge traffic, and the sparsely populated region it traversed didn't provide much traffic either. The line ended up being another victim of the Great Depression, although holding out longer then most and lasting until 1938. The last mile of trackage, from Cambridge Junction into Jeffersonville was transferred to the St.J&LC railroad at this time, who operated it as a spur.
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Buffalo Creek Railroad
SOLD New Listing Price: $120.00
Remarks: mid 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice deep stamp marks and gold patina.
Given the moniker, "the Crik"
History
The Buffalo Creek Railroad was a terminal and switching railroad that operated on the waterfront area of Buffalo, New York. The company was in existence from 1869 to 1976, operating on 5.66 miles with a total trackage of 34.22 miles. It was formed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad and New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad Company (Erie Lackawanna Railway) which each owned 50% of the company
The railroad primarily served the grain elevators in present-day 'Silo City' and adjacent area of Buffalo, including that of General Mills. The site was advantageous due to its location on the Buffalo River and the eastern coast of Lake Erie. The railroad connected with seven major railroads. In addition, the railroad owned a fleet of over 1,700 40-foot boxcars for transporting flour.
The railroad was taken over by Conrail in 1976
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Burlington Northern Railway
Item: 76-B Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Keline forged.
Very nice serif stamp marks.
History
The Burlington Northern Railroad was the product of a March 2, 1970, merger of four major railroads, the Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific Railway, Spokane-Portland & Seattle Railway and the Chicago-Burlington & Quincy Railroad, as well as a few small jointly owned subsidiaries owned by the four. The merged railroad was initially going to be called Great Northern Pacific & Burlington Lines.
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Burlington Northern Railroad
Item: 77-B Price: $25.00
Remarks: ca. mid-late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Attractive stamp marks and patina.
History - continued from above
Although the four railroads shared common ownership (including the headquarters building in Saint Paul, Minnesota) from the days of the James J. Hill era, the four railroads previously had unsuccessfully attempted four mergers to unify the Hill Lines: 1896, 1901, 1927 and 1955. Surprisingly the merger was finally approved in 1970 even though a challenge occurred in the Supreme Court, which reversed the result of the 1904 Northern Securities ruling.
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Burlington Northern Railroad
Item: 78-B M = post merger key Price: $55.00
Remarks: ca. mid-late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Attractive stamp marks and patina.
History - continued from above
To further expand the Burlington Northern railroad, a single track was constructed in 1972 into the Powder River Basin to serve various coal mines. On November 21, 1980, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was acquired, giving the railroad trackage as far south into Florida. By 1981, however, the holding company of the railroad, Burlington Northern, Inc. relocated headquarters from Saint Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington and spun off all non-rail operations to Burlington Resources in 1988.
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Burlington Northern Railroad
Item: 79-B Price: $35.00
Remarks: ca. mid-late 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Attractive stamp marks and patina.
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Burlington Northern Railroad
Item: 80-B Price: $55.00 $45.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Keyline forged. Attractive gold patina.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Northern Railroad
Item: 81-B Price: $35.00 $25.00
Remarks: BN high security steel key.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Item: 82-B Santa Fe cut Price: $55.00 $45.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Keline forged.
Attractive stamp marks and gold patina.
Current BNSF keys hard to find.
History
The creation of BNSF started with the formation of a holding company on September 22, 1995. This new holding company purchased the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (often called the "Santa Fe") and Burlington Northern Railroad, and formally merged the railways into the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway on December 31, 1996. On January 24, 2005, the railroad's name was officially changed to BNSF Railway Company using the initials of its original name.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Item: 83-B Santa Fe cut Price: $55.00 $45.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Keline forged.
Attractive stamp marks and patina.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Item: 84-B Burlington cut Price: $45.00
Remarks: ca. late 1900s
Keline forged.
Attractive stamp marks and patina.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 86-B Price: $145.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and silver patina.
Same style cut as key below.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (reporting mark CBQ) was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and also in New Mexico and Texas through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway, Fort Worth and Denver Railway, and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 87-B Price: $145.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and silver patina.
Same style cut as key above.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The earliest predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Aurora Branch Railroad, was chartered by act of the Illinois General Assembly on October 2, 1848. The charter was obtained by citizens of Aurora and Batavia, Illinois, who were concerned that the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad would bypass their towns in favor of West Chicago on its route; at the time, that was the only line running west from Chicago.
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Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 88-B Price: $125.00
Remarks: ca. late 1800s
Nice tapered barrel.
Attractive stamp marks and gold patina.
Same style cut as BR keys above.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The company was renamed Chicago and Aurora Railroad on June 22, 1852, and given expanded powers to extend from Aurora to a point north of LaSalle; this extension, to Mendota, was completed on October 20, 1853. Another amendment, passed February 28, 1854, authorized the company to build east from Aurora to Chicago via Naperville, and changed its name to Chicago and Southwestern Railroad. The latter provision was never acted upon, and was repealed by an act of February 14, 1855, which instead reorganized the line as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
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Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 89-B Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and silver patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
Following the purchase of the Burlington by GN and NP, expansion continued. In 1908, the CB&Q purchased both the Colorado & Southern and Fort Worth & Denver Railways, giving it access south to Dallas and the Gulf of Mexico ports in Houston and Galveston. It also extended its reach south in the Mississippi Valley region by opening up a new line from Concord, Illinois south to Paducah, Kentucky. It was during this period that the Burlington was at its largest, exceeding just over 12,000 route miles in 14 states by the 1920s.
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Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 90-B Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History - continued from above
After the Second World War, the CB&Q had overworked steam locomotives in a fleet which it was beginning to convert to diesel engines. The company rapidly expanded its diesel program and slowly took steam locomotives out of service. On September 28, 1959, the last steam-powered commuter train from Chicago rolled to a stop in Downers Grove, marking the end of steam passenger operations on the railroad.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 91-B Price: $50.00
Remarks: ca. early-mid 1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
80 year + octogenarian!
History - continued from above
As the financial situation of American railroading continued to decline through the 1960s, forcing restructuring across the country, the Burlington Railroad merged with the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway railroads on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern (26 years later, the BN and Santa Fe Railroads merged to become BNSF). Passenger service was markedly reduced, as people had shifted to using private automobiles for many trips. Most passenger operations would be assumed in 1971 by Amtrak.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington Route Railroad
Item: 92-B Price: $145.00
Remarks: ca. 1800s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Early A&W hex stamp = 1st series.
Nice stamp marks and two-tone patina.
125 year + centenarian!
History - continued from above
The railroad operated a number of streamlined passenger trains known as the Zephyrs which were one of the most famous and largest fleets of streamliners in the United States. The Burlington Zephyr, the first American diesel-electric powered streamlined passenger train, made its noted "dawn-to-dusk" run from Denver, Colorado, to Chicago, Illinois, on May 26, 1934. On November 11, 1934, the train was put into regularly scheduled service between Lincoln, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri. Although the distinctive, articulated stainless steel trains were well known, and the railroad adopted the "Way of the Zephyrs" advertising slogan, they did not attract passengers back to the rails en masse, and the last one was retired from revenue service with the advent of Amtrak.
Click on image to view larger picture
Burlington & Missouri River Railroad
Item: 96-B Price: $145.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and silver patina.
100 year + centenarian!
History
The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad (B&MR) was an American railroad company incorporated in Iowa in 1852, with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. It was developed to build a railroad across the state of Iowa and began operations in 1856. It was acquired by the Chicago-Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1872, and kept serving as its subsidiary.
The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was incorporated in Burlington, Iowa in 1852. It commenced operations on January 1, 1856 with only a few miles of track. In 1857 it connected to Ottumwa, followed by Murray in 1858. It finally reached the Missouri River in November 1859. It used wood-burning locomotives and wooden passenger cars.
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Burlington & Missouri River Railroad
Item: 97-B Price: $175.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and silver patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad
Item: 99-B Price: $85.00
Remarks: ca. early 1900s
Forged by the Adams & Westlake Co.
Superb stamp marks and carmel patina.
Given the moniker,
"Bums, Robbers and Pickpockets"
100 year + centenarian!
History
Chartered in 1869, the BR&P, a former class 1 railroad, aquired a reputation as a coal hauler line. In 1932 the Baltimore & Ohio purchased the BR&P. Fast forward to 1973, the C&O created the Chessie System who then sold the Rochester branch to the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad in 1986. Thus creating the Rochester & Southern Railroad. In April 1988 the remainder of the BR&P became the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, also a G&W subsidiary. Except for several branches, the lines of the BR&P of 1930 remain intact.
Click on image to view larger picture
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad
Item: 100-B Price: $95.00
Remarks: ca. pre-1927
Forged by the Wilson Bohannan Co.
Nice serif stamp marks and gold patina.
100 year + centenarian!
Click on image to view larger picture
Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway
Item: 102-B Price: $115.00
Remarks: ca. mid-1900s
Forged by the Adlake Co.
Nice stamp marks and gold patina.
History
The Butte-Anaconda & Pacific Railway short-line railroad was founded in 1892. It was used primarily to take copper ore from the mines to the smelter in Anaconda, though it did also carry passengers and freight. The railroad converted to electric in 1913, the first primarily freight line in the nation to do so. Electrification was abandoned in 1967 when it became cheaper to use diesel-electric locomotives.
During the past decade, a portion of the line has been converted to the BA&P Copperway Trail, and is part of an ever-growing network of walking trails in Butte. Though BA&P is still in operation, the railroad's parent company, Patriot Rail Corp., closed the railroad's office in Anaconda earlier this year.
Click on image to view larger picture
Switch Key Directory
American Railway's Switch Key Directory
Price: HC-$25.00 | CD-$35
Whether your just starting out collecting switch key's or you have been a collector for many years, this 44 page switch key directory is a useful tool. Although, it does not list every railroad key there is, the directory has a 3-D diagram for the most common railroad keys in the collectors circle. With a CD, you can copy the directory to your hard drive and view and enlarge the pages on your computer screen. Price does not include shipping fees.
Upon request, I will "three ring" the pages for a book binder.
Click on image to view larger picture
Don Stewart's Railroad Switch Keys and Padlocks
Switch Keys and Locks Directory
Price: HC-$65.00 | CD-$55
One of the lesser known railroad directories is Don Stewart's Railroad Switch Keys and Padlocks Directory. The book includes 56 pages of switch key pictures, 12 pages of switch lock pictures, 12 supplemental pages including, 2 Canadian key picture pages and 32 pages of railroad names. It's another handy tool for beginners and even veteran collectors. The book contains 117 pages in all and is a ink jet printed copy of the original book. As noted, the CD copy is less expensive than a hard copy. The reason; printer ink and paper prices. With a CD, you can copy the directory to your hard drive and view and enlarge the pages on your computer screen. Price does not include shipping fees.
Upon request, I will "three ring" the pages for a book binder.
Click on image to view larger picture
Dates quoted for keys are approximate dates. Railroad switch keys initials (reporting mark) are assumed to be correct and accurate.
Comments on any railroad initials origin, including (typos), are welcome. Last update 08/01/2024
Top | |||||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 44 | https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/lowell-mill-girls-and-factory-system-1840 | en | Lowell Mill Girls and the factory system, 1840 | [
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"Lowell Mill Girls and the factory system",
"1840 | Lowell",
"Massachusetts",
"named in honor of Francis Cabot Lowell",
"was founded in the early 1820s as a planned town for the manufacture of textiles. It introduced a new system of integrated manufacturing to the United States and established new patterns ... | null | [
"Orestes Brownson",
"\"A Factory Girl\""
] | null | Lowell Mill Girls and the factory system, 1840 | Lowell, Massachusetts, named in honor of Francis Cabot Lowell, was founded in the early 1820s as a planned town for the manufacture of textiles. It introduced a new system of integrated manufacturing to the United States and established new patterns of employment and urban development that were soon replicated around New England and elsewhere. | Lowell, Massachusetts, named in honor of Francis Cabot Lowell, was founded in the early 1820s as a planned town for the manufacture of textiles. It introduced a new system of integrated manufacturing to the United States and established new patterns of employment and urban development that were soon replicated around New England and elsewhere. By 1840, the factories in Lowell employed at some estimates more than 8,000 textile workers, commonly known as mill girls or factory girls. These "operatives"—so-called because they operated the looms and other machinery—were primarily women and children from farming backgrounds. The Lowell mills were the first hint of the industrial revolution to come in the United States, and with their success came two different views of the factories. For many of the mill girls, employment brought a sense of freedom. Unlike most young women of that era, they were free from parental authority, were able to earn their own money, and had broader educational opportunities. Many observers saw this challenge to the traditional roles of women as a threat to the American way of life. Others criticized the entire wage-labor factory system as a form of slavery and actively condemned and campaigned against the harsh working conditions and long hours and the increasing divisions between workers and factory owners. The Transcendentalist reformer Orestes Brownson first published "The Laboring Classes" in his journal, the Boston Quarterly Review, in July 1840. It is an attack on the entire wage system but particularly focuses on how factory jobs affect the mill girls: "‘She has worked in a Factory,’" Brownson argues, "is almost enough to damn to infamy the most worthy and virtuous girl." In response, "A Factory Girl" published a defense of the mill girls in the December 1840 issue of the Lowell Offering, a journal of articles, fiction, and poetry written by and for the Lowell factory operatives. The author was probably Harriet Jane Farley, a mill girl who eventually became editor of the Lowell Offering. [1] [1] "The Lowell Offering Index," by Judith Ranta, Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries, http://library.uml.edu/clh/index.Html. Excerpts Orestes Brownson, The Laboring Classes: An Article from the Boston Quarterly Review, Boston: Benjamin H. Greene, 1840. The operatives are well dressed, and we are told, well paid. They are said to be healthy, contented, and happy. This is the fair side of the picture . . . There is a dark side, moral as well as physical. Of the common operatives, few, if any, by their wages, acquire a competence . . . the great mass wear out their health, spirits, and morals, without becoming one whit better off than when they commenced labor. The bills of mortality in these factory villages are not striking, we admit, for the poor girls when they can toil no longer go home to die. The average life, working life we mean, of the girls that come to Lowell, for instance, from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, we have been assured, is only about three years. What becomes of them then? Few of them ever marry; fewer still ever return to their native places with reputations unimpaired. "She has worked in a Factory," is almost enough to damn to infamy the most worthy and virtuous girl. A Factory Girl, "Factory Girls," Lowell Offering, December 1840 Whom has Mr. Brownson slandered? . . . girls who generally come from quiet country homes, where their minds and manners have been formed under the eyes of the worthy sons of the Pilgrims, and their virtuous partners, and who return again to become the wives of the free intelligent yeomanry of New England and the mothers of quite a proportion of our future republicans. Think, for a moment, how many of the next generation are to spring from mothers doomed to infamy! . . . It has been asserted that to put ourselves under the influence and restraints of corporate bodies, is contrary to the spirit of our institutions, and to that love of independence which we ought to cherish. . . . We are under restraints, but they are voluntarily assumed; and we are at liberty to withdraw from them, whenever they become galling or irksome. Neither have I ever discovered that any restraints were imposed upon us but those which were necessary for the peace and comfort of the whole, and for the promotion of the design for which we are collected, namely, to get money, as much of it and as fast as we can; and it is because our toil is so unremitting, that the wages of factory girls are higher than those of females engaged in most other occupations. It is these wages which, in spite of toil, restraint, discomfort, and prejudice, have drawn so many worthy, virtuous, intelligent, and well-educated girls to Lowell, and other factories; and it is the wages which are in great degree to decide the characters of the factory girls as a class. . . . Mr. Brownson may rail as much as he pleases against the real injustice of capitalists against operatives, and we will bid him God speed, if he will but keep truth and common sense upon his side. Still, the avails of factory labor are now greater than those of many domestics, seamstresses, and school-teachers; and strange would it be, if in money-loving New England, one of the most lucrative female employments should be rejected because it is toilsome, or because some people are prejudiced against it. Yankee girls have too much independence for that. . . . And now, if Mr. Brownson is a man, he will endeavor to retrieve the injury he has done; . . . though he will find error, ignorance, and folly among us, (and where would he find them not?) yet he would not see worthy and virtuous girls consigned to infamy, because they work in a factory. | en | /themes/custom/gilderlehrman_theme/images/gli-favicon.png | https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/lowell-mill-girls-and-factory-system-1840 | Lowell, Massachusetts, named in honor of Francis Cabot Lowell, was founded in the early 1820s as a planned town for the manufacture of textiles. It introduced a new system of integrated manufacturing to the United States and established new patterns of employment and urban development that were soon replicated around New England and elsewhere.
By 1840, the factories in Lowell employed at some estimates more than 8,000 textile workers, commonly known as mill girls or factory girls. These "operatives"—so-called because they operated the looms and other machinery—were primarily women and children from farming backgrounds.
The Lowell mills were the first hint of the industrial revolution to come in the United States, and with their success came two different views of the factories. For many of the mill girls, employment brought a sense of freedom. Unlike most young women of that era, they were free from parental authority, were able to earn their own money, and had broader educational opportunities. Many observers saw this challenge to the traditional roles of women as a threat to the American way of life. Others criticized the entire wage-labor factory system as a form of slavery and actively condemned and campaigned against the harsh working conditions and long hours and the increasing divisions between workers and factory owners.
The Transcendentalist reformer Orestes Brownson first published "The Laboring Classes" in his journal, the Boston Quarterly Review, in July 1840. It is an attack on the entire wage system but particularly focuses on how factory jobs affect the mill girls: "‘She has worked in a Factory,’" Brownson argues, "is almost enough to damn to infamy the most worthy and virtuous girl." In response, "A Factory Girl" published a defense of the mill girls in the December 1840 issue of the Lowell Offering, a journal of articles, fiction, and poetry written by and for the Lowell factory operatives. The author was probably Harriet Jane Farley, a mill girl who eventually became editor of the Lowell Offering. [1]
[1] "The Lowell Offering Index," by Judith Ranta, Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries, http://library.uml.edu/clh/index.Html.
Excerpts
Orestes Brownson, The Laboring Classes: An Article from the Boston Quarterly Review, Boston: Benjamin H. Greene, 1840.
The operatives are well dressed, and we are told, well paid. They are said to be healthy, contented, and happy. This is the fair side of the picture . . . There is a dark side, moral as well as physical. Of the common operatives, few, if any, by their wages, acquire a competence . . . the great mass wear out their health, spirits, and morals, without becoming one whit better off than when they commenced labor. The bills of mortality in these factory villages are not striking, we admit, for the poor girls when they can toil no longer go home to die. The average life, working life we mean, of the girls that come to Lowell, for instance, from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, we have been assured, is only about three years. What becomes of them then? Few of them ever marry; fewer still ever return to their native places with reputations unimpaired. "She has worked in a Factory," is almost enough to damn to infamy the most worthy and virtuous girl.
A Factory Girl, "Factory Girls," Lowell Offering, December 1840
Whom has Mr. Brownson slandered? . . . girls who generally come from quiet country homes, where their minds and manners have been formed under the eyes of the worthy sons of the Pilgrims, and their virtuous partners, and who return again to become the wives of the free intelligent yeomanry of New England and the mothers of quite a proportion of our future republicans. Think, for a moment, how many of the next generation are to spring from mothers doomed to infamy! . . . It has been asserted that to put ourselves under the influence and restraints of corporate bodies, is contrary to the spirit of our institutions, and to that love of independence which we ought to cherish. . . . We are under restraints, but they are voluntarily assumed; and we are at liberty to withdraw from them, whenever they become galling or irksome. Neither have I ever discovered that any restraints were imposed upon us but those which were necessary for the peace and comfort of the whole, and for the promotion of the design for which we are collected, namely, to get money, as much of it and as fast as we can; and it is because our toil is so unremitting, that the wages of factory girls are higher than those of females engaged in most other occupations. It is these wages which, in spite of toil, restraint, discomfort, and prejudice, have drawn so many worthy, virtuous, intelligent, and well-educated girls to Lowell, and other factories; and it is the wages which are in great degree to decide the characters of the factory girls as a class. . . . Mr. Brownson may rail as much as he pleases against the real injustice of capitalists against operatives, and we will bid him God speed, if he will but keep truth and common sense upon his side. Still, the avails of factory labor are now greater than those of many domestics, seamstresses, and school-teachers; and strange would it be, if in money-loving New England, one of the most lucrative female employments should be rejected because it is toilsome, or because some people are prejudiced against it. Yankee girls have too much independence for that. . . . And now, if Mr. Brownson is a man, he will endeavor to retrieve the injury he has done; . . . though he will find error, ignorance, and folly among us, (and where would he find them not?) yet he would not see worthy and virtuous girls consigned to infamy, because they work in a factory. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Massachusetts_railroads | en | List of Massachusetts railroads | [
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"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"
] | 2005-04-11T11:18:54+00:00 | en | /static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Massachusetts_railroads | Name Mark System[nb 1] From To Successor Notes Agricultural Branch Railroad NH 1847 1867 Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad Albany Street Freight Railway 1868 N/A Amherst and Belchertown Railroad CN 1851 1858 Amherst, Belchertown and Palmer Railroad Amherst, Belchertown and Palmer Railroad CN 1858 1861 New London Northern Railroad Andover and Haverhill Railroad B&M 1837 1839 Boston and Portland Railroad Andover and Wilmington Railroad B&M 1833 1837 Andover and Haverhill Railroad Asbury Grove Railroad B&M 1870 1870 Eastern Railroad Ashburnham Railroad B&M 1871 1885 Fitchburg Railroad Athol and Enfield Railroad NYC 1869 1873 Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad Barre and Worcester Railroad B&M 1847 1849 Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad Bellingham Branch Railroad NH 1852 1853 New York and Boston Railroad Berkshire Railroad NH 1837 1910 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Billerica and Bedford Railroad B&M 1876 1878 Boston and Lowell Railroad Boston and Albany Railroad B&A NYC 1867 1961 New York Central Railroad Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad B&M 1849 1885 Fitchburg Railroad Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad NH 1867 1876 Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad NH 1873 1883 Old Colony Railroad Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad NH 1863 1874 New York and New England Railroad Boston, Hingham and Hull Railroad NH 1880 1881 Nantasket Beach Railroad Boston and Lowell Railroad B&M 1830 1919 Boston and Maine Railroad Boston and Maine Corporation BM B&M 1963 Still exists as a lessor of Pan Am Railways operating subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway Boston and Maine Railroad B&M, BM B&M 1841 1964 Boston and Maine Corporation Boston and Maine Railroad Extension Company B&M 1844 1845 Boston and Maine Railroad Boston and New York Central Railroad NH 1853 1858 Midland Railroad Boston and Portland Railroad B&M 1839 1841 Boston and Maine Railroad Boston and Providence Railroad NH 1831 1972 Penn Central Transportation Company Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad 1874 1940 N/A Boston Terminal Company BTCO NH 1896 1965 N/A Boston and Winthrop Railroad 1881 1883 Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad Boston, Winthrop and Point Shirley Railroad 1876 1883 Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad 1883 1891 Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad Boston and Worcester Railroad NYC 1831 1867 Boston and Albany Railroad Brookline and Pepperell Railroad B&M 1891 1895 Fitchburg Railroad Cape Ann Granite Railroad 1894 Cape Cod Railroad NH 1854 1872 Old Colony Railroad Cape Cod Branch Railroad NH 1846 1854 Cape Cod Railroad Cape Cod Central Railroad NH 1861 1868 Cape Cod Railroad Central Massachusetts Railroad B&M 1883 1901 Boston and Maine Railroad Central New England Railway CNE NH 1899 1938 N/A Central Vermont Railroad CN 1873 1899 Central Vermont Railway Central Vermont Railway CV CN 1899 1995 New England Central Railroad Charles River Railroad NH 1851 1855 New York and Boston Railroad Charles River Branch Railroad NH 1849 1853 Charles River Railroad Charlestown Branch Railroad B&M 1836 1846 Fitchburg Railroad Chatham Railroad NH 1887 1937 N/A Chelsea Beach Railroad B&M 1881 1892 Boston and Maine Railroad Chelsea Branch Railroad NYC 1846 1847 Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company Cheshire Railroad B&M 1846 1890 Fitchburg Railroad Chester and Becket Railroad NYC 1896 1931 N/A Commercial Freight Railway NH 1866 1867 Marginal Freight Railway Concord Railroad B&M 1856 1890 Concord and Montreal Railroad Concord and Montreal Railroad B&M 1890 1895 Boston and Maine Corporation Connecticut Central Railroad NH 1876 1887 New York and New England Railroad Connecticut River Railroad B&M 1845 1919 Boston and Maine Railroad Connecticut Valley Railroad NH 1876 1876 Connecticut Central Railroad Consolidated Rail Corporation CR 1976 1999 CSX Transportation Danvers Railroad B&M 1852 1906 Boston and Maine Railroad Danvers and Georgetown Railroad B&M 1851 1855 Newburyport Railroad Deerfield River Company 1883 1888 Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad Dighton and Somerset Railroad NH 1863 1865 Old Colony and Newport Railway Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad NH 1846 1885 Old Colony Railroad Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad NH 1867 1878 Old Colony Railroad East Boston Freight Railroad NYC 1862 1869 Boston and Albany Railroad Eastern Railroad B&M 1836 1890 Boston and Maine Railroad Eastern Junction, Broad Sound Pier and Point Shirley Railroad 1880 1883 Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad Easton Branch Railroad NH 1854 1871 Old Colony and Newport Railway Essex Railroad B&M 1846 1864 Eastern Railroad Essex Branch Railroad B&M 1869 1872 Eastern Railroad Fairhaven Branch Railroad NH 1849 1861 New Bedford and Taunton Railroad Fall River Railroad (1846) NH 1846 1854 Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Fall River Railroad (1874) NH 1874 1896 Old Colony Railroad Fall River Branch Railroad NH 1844 1845 Fall River Railroad (1846) Fall River and Warren Railroad NH 1857 1862 Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad NH 1862 1892 Old Colony Railroad Fitchburg Railroad B&M 1842 1919 Boston and Maine Railroad Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad NH 1846 1869 Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad Fore River Railroad FOR 1919 Still exists as a lessor of the Fore River Transportation Corporation Fore River Railway FRY 1986 1992 Quincy Bay Terminal Company Foxborough Branch Railroad NH 1862 1867 Mansfield and Framingham Railroad Framingham and Lowell Railroad NH 1870 1881 Lowell and Framingham Railroad Georgetown Branch Railroad B&M 1844 1846 Newburyport Railroad Grafton Centre Railroad 1873 1888 Grafton and Upton Railroad Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company NYC 1847 1862 East Boston Freight Railroad Granite Railway NH 1826 1870 Old Colony and Newport Railway Greenfield and Fitchburg Railroad B&M 1848 1848 Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad Greenfield and Northampton Railroad B&M 1845 1845 Connecticut River Railroad Hampden Railroad NH 1852 1853 Hampshire and Hampden Railroad Hampshire and Hampden Railroad NH 1853 1862 New Haven and Northampton Company Hanover Branch Railroad NH 1846 1887 Old Colony Railroad Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad NH 1889 1938 N/A Hartford and New Haven Railroad NH 1847 1872 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Hartford and Springfield Railroad NH 1839 1847 Hartford and New Haven Railroad Harvard Branch Railroad 1848 1855 N/A Holyoke and Westfield Railroad NH 1869 1976 Consolidated Rail Corporation Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad HTW 1886 1971 N/A Hopkinton Railroad NH 1870 1884 Milford and Woonsocket Railroad Hopkinton Branch Railroad NH 1869 1870 Hopkinton Railroad Hopkinton and Milford Railroad NH 1867 1870 Hopkinton Railroad Horn Pond Branch Railroad B&M 1852 1929 Housatonic Railroad 1842 1892 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Hull and Nantasket Beach Railroad NH 1880 1881 Nantasket Beach Railroad Lancaster and Sterling Branch Railroad B&M 1846 1846 Fitchburg Railroad Lexington and Arlington Railroad B&M 1867 1870 Boston and Lowell Railroad Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad B&M 1845 1867 Lexington and Arlington Railroad Lowell and Andover Railroad B&M 1873 1919 Boston and Maine Railroad Lowell and Andover Railroad B&M 1846 1848 Lowell and Lawrence Railroad Lowell and Framingham Railroad NH 1881 1886 Old Colony Railroad Lowell and Lawrence Railroad B&M 1848 1879 Boston and Lowell Railroad Manchester and Lawrence Railroad B&M 1846 1856 Concord Railroad Mansfield and Framingham Railroad NH 1867 1875 Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad Marblehead and Lynn Railroad B&M 1865 1872 Eastern Railroad Marginal Freight Railway NH 1867 1872 Union Freight Railroad Marlborough Branch Railroad B&M 1852 1860 Marlborough and Feltonville Branch Railroad Marlborough and Feltonville Branch Railroad B&M 1858 1862 Fitchburg Railroad Martha's Vineyard Railroad 1874 1892 N/A Massachusetts Central Railroad B&M 1869 1883 Central Massachusetts Railroad Medford Branch Railroad B&M 1845 1845 Boston and Maine Railroad Extension Company Medway Branch Railroad NH 1849 1864 Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Middleborough Railroad NH 1845 1845 Fall River Railroad (1846) Middleborough and Taunton Railroad NH 1853 1874 Old Colony Railroad Middlesex Central Railroad B&M 1871 1883 Boston and Lowell Railroad Midland Railroad NH 1858 1862 Midland Land Damage Company Midland Railroad NH 1850 1853 Boston and New York Central Railroad Midland Land Damage Company NH 1861 1863 Southern Midland Railroad Milford, Franklin and Providence Railroad NH 1882 1910 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Milford and Woonsocket Railroad NH 1855 1910 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Monadnock Railroad B&M 1869 1892 Fitchburg Railroad Mount Tom and Easthampton Railroad B&M 1871 1872 Connecticut River Railroad Mystic River Railroad B&M 1853 1871 Boston and Lowell Railroad Nantasket Beach Railroad NH 1880 1906 Old Colony Railroad Nantucket Railroad 1910 1917 N/A Nantucket Railroad 1880 1894 Nantucket Central Railroad Nantucket Central Railroad 1895 1910 Nantucket Railroad Nashua and Acton Railroad B&M 1907 1925 N/A Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad B&M 1871 1906 Nashua and Acton Railroad Nashua and Lowell Railroad B&M 1836 1944 Boston and Maine Railroad New Bedford Railroad NH 1873 1876 Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad New Bedford and Taunton Railroad NH 1839 1873 New Bedford Railroad New England Railroad NH 1895 1908 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad New Haven and Northampton Company NH 1862 1910 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad New London Northern Railroad CN 1860 1951 Central Vermont Railway New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad CN 1848 1861 New London Northern Railroad New York and Boston Railroad NH 1853 1865 Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad New York Central Railroad NYC NYC 1914 1968 Penn Central Transportation Company New York Central and Hudson River Railroad NYC 1900 1914 New York Central Railroad New York and Harlem Railroad NYC 1831 1976 N/A Was located in present-day New York; the boundary was moved in 1855 New York and New England Railroad NH 1873 1895 New England Railroad New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad NH NH 1872 1969 Penn Central Transportation Company Newburyport Railroad B&M 1846 1906 Boston and Maine Railroad Newburyport City Railroad B&M 1869 1893 Boston and Maine Railroad Newport and Fall River Railroad NH 1846 1863 Old Colony and Newport Railway Norfolk County Railroad NH 1847 1853 Boston and New York Central Railroad North Brookfield Railroad NYC 1875 1976 Consolidated Rail Corporation Plans to rebuild and reopen 2012[1] Northampton and Springfield Railroad B&M 1842 1845 Connecticut River Railroad Northampton and Westfield Railroad NH 1852 1853 Hampshire and Hampden Railroad Norwich and Worcester Railroad NH 1836 1976 Consolidated Rail Corporation Ocean Terminal Railroad B&M 1879 1887 Boston and Lowell Railroad Old Colony Railroad NH 1872 1947 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Old Colony Railroad NH 1844 1854 Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Old Colony Railroad NH 1838 1839 New Bedford and Taunton Railroad Old Colony and Fall River Railroad NH 1854 1863 Old Colony and Newport Railway Old Colony and Newport Railway NH 1863 1872 Old Colony Railroad Penn Central Transportation Company PC 1968 1976 Consolidated Rail Corporation Peterborough and Shirley Railroad B&M 1845 1860 Fitchburg Railroad Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad NYC 1842 1961 New York Central Railroad Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad NH 1890 1911 Old Colony Railroad Plymouth and Vineyard Sound Railroad NH 1868 1871 Cape Cod Railroad Providence and Bristol Railroad NH 1851 1853 Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad NH 1853 1862 N/A Was located in present-day Rhode Island; the boundary was moved in 1862 Providence, Webster and Springfield Railroad NYC 1882 1958 N/A Quincy Bay Terminal Company QBT 1992 2001 Fore River Transportation Corporation Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad NH 1845 1845 Fall River Railroad (1846) Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad NH 1876 1910 New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Rockport Railroad B&M 1860 1868 Eastern Railroad Salem and Lowell Railroad B&M 1848 1879 Boston and Lowell Railroad Salisbury Branch Railroad B&M 1844 1846 Eastern Railroad Saugus Branch Railroad B&M 1848 1853 Eastern Railroad Seekonk Branch Railroad NH 1836 1839 Boston and Providence Railroad Was located in present-day Rhode Island; the boundary was moved in 1862 Shawmut Railroad NH 1870 1871 Old Colony and Newport Railway South Reading Branch Railroad B&M 1848 1892 Boston and Maine Railroad South Shore Railroad NH 1846 1877 Old Colony Railroad Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad NH 1849 1853 Boston and New York Central Railroad Southern Midland Railroad NH 1863 1863 Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Spencer Railroad NYC 1878 1889 Boston and Albany Railroad Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad NYC 1873 1879 Springfield and North-eastern Railroad Springfield and New London Railroad NH 1875 1887 New York and New England Railroad Springfield and North-eastern Railroad NYC 1878 1880 Boston and Albany Railroad Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad NH 1847 1905 Berkshire Railroad Stoneham Branch Railroad B&M 1859 1870 Boston and Lowell Railroad Stony Brook Railroad B&M 1845 Stoughton Branch Railroad NH 1844 1873 Boston and Providence Railroad Taunton Branch Railroad NH 1835 1874 New Bedford Railroad Taunton and Middleborough Railroad NH 1848 1853 Middleborough and Taunton Railroad Troy and Boston Railroad B&M 1856 1887 Fitchburg Railroad Troy and Greenfield Railroad B&M 1848 1862 Fitchburg Railroad Turner's Falls Branch Railroad B&M 1866 1869 Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad Union Railroad NYC 1848 1854 Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company Union Freight Railroad NH 1872 1969 N/A Fall River Railroad (1846) NH 1845 1846 Fall River Railroad Vermont Central Railroad CN 1871 1873 Central Vermont Railroad Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad B&M 1844 Vineyard Sound Railroad NH 1861 1868 Plymouth and Vineyard Sound Railroad Walpole Railroad NH 1846 1847 Norfolk County Railroad Waltham and Watertown Branch Railroad B&M 1849 1851 Fitchburg Railroad Ware River Railroad NYC 1867 1961 New York Central Railroad Watertown Branch Railroad B&M 1846 1846 Fitchburg Railroad Wayland and Sudbury Branch Railroad B&M 1868 1869 Massachusetts Central Railroad Weir Branch Railroad NH 1847 1848 New Bedford and Taunton Railroad West Amesbury Branch Railroad B&M 1868 1893 Boston and Maine Railroad West Stockbridge Railroad NH 1836 1905 Berkshire Railroad Western Railroad NYC 1833 1867 Boston and Albany Railroad Winchendon Railroad B&M 1845 1846 Cheshire Railroad Woburn Branch Railroad B&M 1844 1844 Boston and Lowell Railroad Woburn Branch Extension Railroad B&M 1847 1848 Boston and Lowell Railroad Worcester Branch Railroad B&M 1841 1847 Worcester and Nashua Railroad Worcester and Nashua Railroad B&M 1845 1883 Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad B&M 1883 1911 Boston and Maine Railroad Worcester and Norwich Railroad NH 1833 1836 Norwich and Worcester Railroad | ||||||
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] | null | [] | null | History of the Railways of Massachusetts | null | History of the Railways of Massachusetts By Hon. Edward Appleton, Railway Commissioner1871 Bulletin No. 1--The Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. F O R E W O R D
The following history was written by the grandfather of NEDiv member E. A. Brown. Mr. Appleton was a member of the Massachusetts Railway Commission during the pioneer years of railroading and this account was written by him for publication in Walling's Atlas of Massachusetts for 1871.
The maps as shown in this booklet were added by the editor and are not true to scale, but were drawn only to show where the various roads mentioned can be located on a true map.
Your editor hopes the information contained in this booklet will be of interest and value to you, as a railfan. There are many books on railroad history available to you, but none can give firsthand information such as will be found in Mr. Appleton's account,
Comments on this booklet are solicited, and if enough favorable comment is received, the Director's plans are to bring you another along similar lines, Your comments may be directed to any of the officers or directors of The Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc., or to the officers of your division.
Lewis Walter,
Editor,
January 1952
The first railway charter granted in Massachusetts, was that of the Granite Railway Company, March 4th, 1826. This company was chartered for the purposes of transporting granite from the quarries in Quincy to tidewater in Neponset River. The road was built and put in operation the next year, and its first business was transporting the stone for Bunker Hill Monument. This company has combined the ownership and management of the quarries with that of the railroad, and has been in successful operation since its establishment.
In 1827 and 1828, sundry surveys for canals and railroads were authorized by the Legislature, and reports concerning them were made in 1828 and 1829. The Commissioners having charge of these surveys proposed to have the tracks supported by stone walls, capped with granite stringers, with iron bars belted to them, and to have the roads operated by horse power. On the road to Providence they estimated that a single horse could draw a load of eight tons, including weight of carriage, at the rate of three miles per hour, working seven hours per day, or working three hours per day, could draw a carriage with twenty-five passengers nine miles per hour. They estimated the cost of this road at $8,000 per mile, besides the land, and that the freight would be about 27,000 tons per years and the passengers about 24,000, and the net income $60,000. For the road between Boston and Albany, they reported a grade of eighty feet per mile each way for four or five miles over the Washington summit, and that on this grade it would require two horses to draw a load of eight tons, while a single horse could draw the same load over any other part of the road. They estimated the freight at 38,500 tons through; 95,000 tons way; and passengers equal to 47,000 through. Passenger fare from Boston to Albany they estimated at $3.05. Other reports were of similar tenor, but the experiments in England in 1829 and 1830 effectually did away with the idea of operating railroads by horse power in this country. These Commissioners also advised the construction of the railroads by the States but this idea was not received with favor by the Legislature or the people. Subsequently, however, the State liberally assisted several of the corporations chartered to build the roads, by loans of credits, and in the case of the Western road, by a subscription to stock also. So far as the roads thus aided have been completed, the State has suffered no loss, while the completion of the enterprises and the consequent generally benefit to the public was materially hastened by the aid so generously afforded.
Several railroad charters were granted in 1829 and 1830, but the only one of these under which an organization was formed was that of the Boston and Lowell, passed June 5th, 1830. The charter of the Boston and Providence was granted June 22nd, 1831, and that of the Boston and Worcester, June 23rd, 1831, with several others about the same time, which were never used. These three, the Lowell, the Providence, and the Worcester, were the pioneer railroads of the State. The construction of all of them was commenced about the same time in 1832, and they were all completed in 1835. The Worcester road was opened to Newton, April 18th, 1834, starting from a temporary station at Washington Streets in Boston, and was opened to Worcester in July, 1835. The Lowell road was opened to Lowell, June 25th, 1835. The Providence road was opened to Readville, June 4th, 1834, and to Providence in August, 1835, the stone viaduct in Canton being the last piece of work to be finished. The Andover & Wilmington, (then a branch of the Lowell, afterwards a part of the Boston & Maine,) was chartered in 1833, and opened to Andover, August 8th, 1836, to Bradford in 1837, and to Exeter, N. H., in 1840. The Taunton Branch was chartered in 1835, and opened in August 1836; the extension of this line to New Bedford was chartered in 1838, and opened to New Bedford, July 2nd, 1840. The Norwich and Worcester was chartered in 1833, and opened April 1st, 1840. The Nashua & Lowell was chartered in 1836, and opened to Nashua, October 8th, 1838. The Western Railroad was chartered March 15th, 1833, not organized until June 4th, 1836; it was opened to Springfield, October 1st, 1839, and to Albany, December 21st, 1841, The Eastern was chartered in 1836; opened to Salem, August 28th, 1838; to Ipswich in 1839 and to Portsmouth, N. H., November 9th, 1840. At the end of 1840, there were two hundred and eighty-five miles of railroad built and in operation in the State of Massachusetts and the same corporations owned and operated eighty miles mores being extensions of their lines into New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The early charters for railroads were framed on the supposition that they would be used like turnpikes; and provided that any one might enter upon them with his own engines and cars, by paying tolls. Availing themselves of this provision, certain parties, in 1837, organized themselves under a charter for the Seekonk branch proposing to build about a quarter of a mile of road at the Providence end, and a separate station in Boston., and to use the whole intermediate part of the Boston & Providence road with their own engines and cars. For about three years, the operations of these parties were a serious annoyance to The Boston and Providence Railroad Company; but the matter was then settled by the purchase of the property of the intruding corporation, and the passage of a law by the Legislature forbidding one railroad corporation to enter with its engines upon the road of another company, unless by their consent.
Of course, at this early date, both the construction and management of railroads were experiments, and everything was to be learned from actual practice. The first locomotives weighed only eight or ten tons each, and the earliest cars resembled two or three stagebodies set together on a platform. At the present day, such engines and cars would not be supposed to be intended for use on a railroad. It was also supposed that nothing would answer for fuel but pitch and pine, and some of our railroad companies purchased extensive tracts of woodland in Virginia and other Southern States, to keep themselves supplied with fuel. It did not take many years, however, to explode this idea, and to show that the wood along our own railroads would make steam just as well as that brought from a distance. Some of the early reports, in the light of later days, afford amusing reading. Thus, the directors of the Worcester road, in their report for 1838, state very complacently that their trains have run regularly during the whole year, and only eight trips have occupied more than four hours. On many of the roads the rails first laid were too light, and heavier ones were soon substituted. Still, the business as it was developed upon the roads considerably exceeded the original estimates, and though the expenses of doing the business overran the original estimates in still greater ratio, yet the net result of the first few years was so encouraging that the construction of railroads was rapidly extended.
During the next ten years, from 1840 to 1850, the Boston & Maine Railroad was extended from Exeter, N. H., to a connection with the Portsmouth, Saco & Portland Railroad in Maine, in 1842; and was also at the other end diverted from its parent stem, the Lowell Railroad, and extended into Boston by a line of its own, opened July 1st, 1845. The Hartford & Springfield Railroad, chartered in 1839, was organized in 1841, and united with the Hartford & New Haven Railroad, of Connecticut, then in operation, and the road was opened through to Springfield in December, 1844. The Fitchburg Railroad, chartered in 1843, was opened to Fitchburg, March 5th, 1845, taking the Charlestown branch as its Boston terminus. The Old Colony, chartered in 1844, was opened to Plymouth, November 10th, 1845. The Vermont and Massachusetts, chartered in 1844, was opened to Athol, January lst, 1848; to Brattleboro, February 20th, 1849, and to Greenfield in 1850. The Connecticut River Railroad, formed by the union of the Northampton & Springfield, and the Greenfield & Northampton Railroad companies, in 1845, was opened December 13th, 1845; to Northampton, November 22nd, 1846 to Greenfield; and in 1849, to a connection with the Vermont & Massachusetts Railroads at the State line. The Fall River, chartered first as a branch to the New Bedford and Taunton, in 1844, was opened to that connection in 1845; extended to Bridgewater, and then to Braintree, in 1847, to a connection with the Old Colony Railroad. The Providence & Worcester, organized November 25th, 1845, was opened October 20th, 1847, The Worcester & Nashua, organized June 25th, 1845, was opened December 18th, 1848. The Cheshire, chartered in 1845, was opened to Bellows Falls in 1849. The Cape Cod, chartered in 1846 was opened to Sandwich, May 29th, 1848. The Norfolk County, chartered in 1847, was opened from Dedham to Blackstone in May, 1849.
Besides the above, which were the most important lines built during this period, several branch roads were constructed, viz., the Dorchester & Milton, and South Shore, branches to the Old Colony; the Stoughton, branch to the Providence; the Harvard, Lexington & West Cambridge, and Peterboro & Shirley, branches to the Fitchburg; the Essex, branch to the Eastern; the South Reading, branch to the Maine Railroad; the Fitchburg and Worcester, branch to the Worcester & Nashua; The Stony Brook, branch to the Lowell & Nashua; the Pittsfield & North Adams, branch to the Western; each built by separate corporations, while some other branches were built and owned by the main lines. The Lowell & Lawrence, and Salem & Lowell Railroads were also built during this period. The New London, Willimantic & Palmer Railroads, lying mostly in Connecticut, was completed to Palmer in September 1850. The Berkshire and the Stockbridge & Pittsfield Railroads were also built as extensions of the Housatonic Railroad of Connecticut. The Providence road also built a new line at its southern terminus, to a union station for all railroads coming to Providence, in the central part of the city. At the close of the year 1850, the total length of all railroads in operation in Massachusetts was 1,037 miles; and 421 miles more in adjoining States were owned and operated by the same corporations.
During this decade, the railway interest was subject to great vicissitudes. At the beginning of it, the railroads were regarded as public benefits, but quite uncertain as paying investments. However, the Lowell road soon reached 8 per cent, and continued steadily at that rate, while the Nashua & Lowell went still higher. The Providence road rose from 6 to 8 per cent; the Worcester reached 10 per cent in 1847; while the Western, which had been looked upon as the most doubtful in regard to returns, began to pay 6 per cent in 1845, and increased to 8 per cent; while the Old Colony and Fitchburg began to pay well, very soon after their completion. At this time, also, it was supposed that the rails, if of good pattern and sufficient weight originally, would last for an indefinite period. In their report of February, 1845, the Directors of the Providence Railroad say: "The renewal of rails will never be a serious item of expense, only 2¼ per cent of the whole number having been renewed in ten years." It was no wonder, then, that men of sanguine temperament rushed to the construction of railroads everywhere, and that some went so far as to say it was no matter how much the road cost, it would be sure to pay. At one time, nothing so readily commanded money as railroad obligations; and in some cases more stock was subscribed for new enterprises than was asked for. Before 1850 had expired, however, this condition of things had entirely changed. The accumulated capital of the community could not supply the frequent calls for payment on railroad shares, and railroad obligations were sold at continually increasing rates of discount. In May, 1849, the Norfolk County road, the day after it was opened, made an assignment of all of its property for the benefit of its creditors; the first instance in New England of the failure of a railroad.
During this period, also, the railroads terminating in Boston learned the value of short travel, and began to provide specially for its accomodation. The Eastern Railroad, from its commencement, ran more trains to Salem than for any further distance. The Worcester road, in 1843, began to run special trains to Newton. The Providence road ran extra trains to Dedham, and the Fitchburg and Old Colony had their short trains as soon as they were opened. The Maine road commenced its special trains as soon as its extension into the city was completed; and at last the Lowell road, which at first had avoided intentionally all intermediate villages upon its line, found it expedient to build a branch to Woburn, and operate it with frequent trains. When the first railroads were built, however, it was not unusual for the inhabitants of the intermediate country to object to the roads passing through the villages; a safe and respectful distance was deemed preferable. A few years experience, however, sufficed to change this feeling entirely, and the villagers then became more anxious to have the railroads come to them than they formerly had been to keep them away.
During the next decade, from 1850 to 1860, the additional length of railroads constructed in Massachusetts was not one quarter of the amount built in the previous ten years. Indeed, it was no easy matter to procure the means for building a new railroad, especially as the legislature had jealously provided that no stock should be sold for less than par. During this period an important change was made in the Eastern Railroad. When that road was first located, in 1836, its Boston terminus was fixed at East Boston, connecting with the ferry; a selection judicious at that time, as it gave the least length of road to build, and no one considered a ferry particularly objectionable. But after the Maine Railroad had opened for public use its much more convenient station in Haymarket Square, the People on the line of the Eastern Railroad became dissatisfied with its terminus, and the result was that, after serious and repeated contests, one charter was obtained from Salem, and another from Lynn, to the Maine Railroad. The first, the South Reading Branch, was built by an independent corporations and opened September 1st, 1850. It was soon found to be a serious competitor for the business with the Eastern Railroad, and after it had been running about a year, the majority of the stock was bought by that company. The other stockholders and people on the line of the road were much excited, and, on complaint to the Legislature, the Eastern Railroad Company, having made the purchase without previous authority, were required to buy the rest of the stock and to run a certain number of trains daily, which they have since continued to do, at a loss. The purchase of this branch from Lynn also carried with it the other branch from Lynn, called the Saugus Branch, with an obligation to build it also, which was honorably fulfilled by the Eastern Railroad. To put a stop to the complaints of the people about the ferry at their Boston terminus, the Eastern Railroad also obtained leave to build a new line from North Chelsea into Boston, which was completed (by making use of part of the Grand Junction Road) in 1854, and in 1855 the Saugus Branch western end was changed from the Maine to the Eastern, near the Mystic River, making it a loop line of the Eastern Road.
In 1851, a road was opened for use from Newburyport through Georgetown to Bradford. Soon after, a charter was obtained from Georgetown to Danvers, and another from Danvers to South Reading, connecting with the Maine Railroad. It was thus in the power of the projectors of these lines to draw business from Newburyport on the Eastern Road, and from Haverhill on the Maine Railroad, and deliver it either to the Eastern, at Danvers, or to the Maine, at South Reading. After a good deal of strategy on the part of the projectors of these lines, the Maine Railroad was finally induced to aid in the construction of the Danvers road, and to take a lease of it. This, and the road to Georgetown were opened in 1854; in 1855, the Danvers and Georgetown was united with the Newburyport, and after struggling along with insufficient business for several years, this whole line was leased to the Maine Railroad for 100 years.
In the years 1846 and 1847 there were active contests before the Legislature for a charter from Boston to the Blackstone Valley. These contests resulted in the charter of the Norfolk County road in 1847, which, as has already been mentioned, was opened in 1849, and failed immediately afterwards. In 1852, this road was taken by new parties, and extended in 1853, under the Southbridge and Blackstone charter, to a connection with the Norwich and Worcester Railroad at Mechanicsville, and in 1854, under the Midland Charter, to Boston, at the foot of Summer Street. The three roads were united, under the name of the Boston and New York Central, and the road was opened through from Boston to Mechanicsville, 59 miles, (notwithstanding many severe trials,) June 1st, 1855. After running a few months, part of it was stopped by injunction; the rest was run a few years longer, but at last only the original Norfolk County, from Dedham to Blackstone, was kept in operation by the trustees of the bond holders. The parties in interest were trying various plans to resuscitate the enterprise, but up to 1860 has not acted with sufficient unanimity to be successful. It remained at that date a broken, disjointed enterprise, with the discredit of two failures hanging about it.
In the meantime, the parties opposed to this line obtained charters, by degrees, from the Brookline branch of the Worcester road, to Woonsocket, in Rhode Island, under the name of Charles River Railroad, and in 1855 united with corporations in Rhode Island and Connecticut, under the general name of New York and Boston Railroads to build one line of road from Boston to New Haven. This company, however, appeared to be weaker than its antagonist, and, up to 1860, had built only 8½ miles beyond Brookline.
In 1854, the Old Colony and Fall River Railroads were united, as one corporation. The same year the Cape Cod road was extended to Hyannis, connecting with steamboat to Nantucket, and the Fairhaven Branch was built, connecting New Bedford with the Cape. In 1855 the Providence, Warren & Bristol, branch of the Providence, was opened; also the Canton branch of the same road was extended to Easton. The same year the Agricultural branch of the Worcester, was opened to Marlboro and Northboro, and a branch also extended from the Fitchburg road to Marlboro. In 1856, the Middleboro & Taunton was opened, also the Hampshire and Hampden, an extension of the Canal road, in Connecticut, to Northampton in this state.
In 1857, the Boston & Lowell and the Nashua & Lowell roads made a contract for the joint operation of the two roads, the latter having already leases of the Stony Brook road in Massachusetts, and the Wilton road in New Hampshire, and the next year the united companies took leases of the Lowell & Lawrence and Salem & Lowell roads for twenty years. Under this consolidation, the roads have been operated since with greater convenience to the public, and much more profit to the Stockholders. But had the original projector of the Lowell & Lawrence, and the Salem & Lowell roads been alive, it is not probable that these roads could have been leased by the Lowell road. They were commenced by Mr. Livingston under a feeling of opposition to the Lowell road, and he intended, by using them in connection with the Maine railroad, to make another line from Boston to Lowell. They were actually operated in this way for a time, but this was stopped by the Supreme Court, according to the provision in the Lowell charter, that no competing route should be built between Boston and Lowell for thirty years. Mr. Livingston died before the thirty years were out, and his associates, somewhat disheartened by the small amount of business on their lines as they were then operated, were glad to make a lease to the Lowell road.
It has already been mentioned that the New London, Willimantic & Palmer road was opened in 1850, and in 1853, an extension of it, under the name of Amherst & Belchertown, was opened. This did not prove profitable, and was reorganized by its bondholders, in 1860. The main line from New London was also not very successful, and was reorganized by its bondholders, under the name of New London Northern, in 1860. Sundry other branch roads succumbed to want of sufficient business. The Harvard branch was discontinued and taken up, its place being suppled by a horse railroad. The Peterborough & Shirley was sold at a discount to the Fitchburg, in 1860, and the Marlboro branch reorganized. The Grand Junction road, intended to connect all the northern roads with deep water in East Boston, was built in 1850, and extended to a connection with the Worcester road in 1855. This project was got up a generation in advance of the time it was needed; of itself it could command no business, and passed into the hands of its bondholders in 1859, doing scarce any business except on that part occupied by the Eastern Railroad.
During this decade, also, the Hoosac Tunnel was commenced. The Troy & Greenfield charter was granted in 1848, and the company organized in 1849. In 1851, the western and of the road from the Tunnel to the State line, was put under contract, and an application made for State aid in excavating the Tunnel, but this was not successful. In 1853, the application for State aid was renewed, but was again unsuccessful; the following year, however, a loan of two millions of dollars was promised to this company by the State on certain conditions. The company found it difficult to meet these conditions, and the loan act was modified in 1859 and again in 1860. Still some progress had been made in the meantime, and the part of the road from North Adams to the State Line, about six miles in length, was opened in 1859, making, with the Southern Vermont and Troy & Boston road in New York, a connection with the railroads of New York, and the west.
At the close of the year 1860, the miles of road in operation in Massachusetts amounted to 1,221; and the extensions into adjoining States, with their branches, operated by the same companies, were 527 miles in addition. In only two instances were the companies operating without charters from Massachusetts.
RAILROADS BUILT 1850 - 1860
Also showing roads built prior to 1850 in Western and Central Massachusetts, not shown on previous maps.
KEY --
W Norwich and Worcester
A Western
B Boston and Maine, (in New Hampshire)
H Hartford and New Haven (Conn)
V Vermont and Massachusetts
C Connecticut River
K Cheshire
P Peterboro and Shirley
D Pittsfield and North Adams
N New London, Willimantic and Palmer (Conn)
N Amherst and Belchertown
H Housatonic (Conn) Berkshire (Mass)
P Pittsfield and Stockbridge
S Saugus Branch
G Newburyport, Georgetown and Bradford
R Gergetown, Danvers and So. Reading
M Midland
B Southbridge and Blackstone
CR Charles River
F Fall River
L Providence, Warren and Bristol (Rhode Island)
T Taunton to Middleboro
D Agricultural Branch
Y Troy and Greenfield
Since 1860, a greater length of additional railroad has been built in this State than in the previous ten years, the total length of railroads in operation In this State on the 1st of August, 18709 being 1,439 miles, and the extensions into adjoining States with their branches operated by the same companies, being 688 miles. The changes and additions during this period may be noted as follows:
The old Norfolk County Line was revived in 1862, under the name of Midland Land Damage Company. In 1863, this name was changed to Southern Midland, and in September of the same year the road was transferred to the Boston, Hartford & Erie Railroad Company, a corporation chartered by the State of Connecticut, for the purpose of making a consolidated line from Boston and Providence to Fishkill, in New York, there to connect with the Erie Railroad branch to Newburgh. In 1865, the Hartford & Erie contested the application of the opposition line, the New York & Boston, in Connecticut for a renewal of their charter. The latter company were successful in their applications but soon afterwards the two corporations were united in one, The Hartford & Erie completed their branch to Southbridge early in 1867, and opened their main line again to a connection with the Norwich & Worcester, the same year. They also obtained a loan from the State in that year of $3,000,000, which was increased in 1869 to $5,000,000. Further aid was asked the present year, but refused on account of improvidence and wastefulness on the part of the managers, and at present the enterprise appears to be passing through another period of bankruptcy. It is a line of too much value to be left long lying dormant, and when completed will unquestionably be of great value to the people of this and adjoining States.
The Old Colony has absorbed its Dorchester and Milton and South Shore branches. In 1864 its main line extended from Fall River to Newport, and in 1865 and 1866, it built a new line from Randolph through Taunton to Fall River, absorbing on the way, the Easton branch, formerly running in connection with the Providence Railroad. The Old Colony now holds charters from Taunton to Providence, from Middleborough to New Bedford, and from the end of the South Shore to Duxbury, all of which, it is understood, are to be built. A branch to Hanover has also been built by an independent company. The Cape Cod road was extended to Orleans in 1865, and is now making progress further down the Cape, with the prospect of reaching Provincetown before many years. The Fairhaven branch of the Cape Cod was sold to the New Bedford road in 1861, but still runs in its old connection. The Eastern road absorbed the Essex branch in 1865, (now called its Lawrence branch,) and the Rockport extension of the Gloucester branch in 1868; it is also operating the Great Falls & Conway road, in New Hampshire, while its rival, the Maine, is operating the Dover & Winnipiseogee branch, in the same state. The interest of the stockholders would be much advanced, and the public quite as well served, by a consolidation of these two lines, with the right of regulation reserved to the State. The Agricultural branch of the Worcester was extended to a connection with the Fitchburg & Worcester, in 1866; changed its name to Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg, in 1867, and absorbed the Fitchburg & Worcester in 1869. The same parties in interest also built the Mansfield & Framingham, in 1869, and have formed a connected line, under an able management, from Fitchburg to New Bedford and Providence, The same parties obtained a charter and propose at once to build a road from Framingham to Lowell.
The Arlington branch of the Fitchburg road has been bought by the Lowell road, and is to be connected therewith. The Taunton road is building a branch to Attleboro, to connect with the Providence, and the Providence road is building one to North Attleboro. A branch has also been built from Milford, connecting, over a part of the Hartford & Erie, with the Providence & Worcester, at Woonsocket. By a change in the State boundaries, the Providence, Warren & Bristol road, lying partly in this State, became entirely a Rhode Island road; a branch to this road, extending to Fall River, was built in 1864. The New London Northern bought the Amherst & Palmer road in 1864, and extended its line to a connection with the Vermont & Massachusetts, at Grout's corner in 1866. The Hampshire & Hampden was united with the New Haven & Northampton in 1862, and the line extended to Williamsburg in 1868.
In 1861, Governor Andrew became dissatisfied (whether with good reason or not it is not now necessary to discuss,) with the management of the Troy & Greenfield road, and in accordance with his wishes, the corporation surrendered the road in 1862 to the State, which then undertook to complete it. The work was carried on under State Commissioners until the last of 1868, when a contract was made for the completion of the tunnel. The contractors are making good progress with their works and in all probability will have it completed within the time specified. The road from Greenfield to the tunnel was opened on the 17th of August, 1868. The extraordinary freshet of October, 1869, injured the road very materially, so as to stop its running, which was not resumed until the 4th of July of the present year. The Vermont & Massachusetts road built a branch to Turner's Falls the past year, and roads are now under construction from Worcester to Gardner, from Palmer to Winchendon, and from Palmer to Athol. Last but not least worthy of mention among the occurrences of the past decade, is the union of the Worcester, and Western Railroads, which took effect December 1st, 1867, the name of the consolidated company being the Boston & Albany Railroad. Ever since the completion of the Western roads there had been a continual jarring between the two companies as to the division of income from the joint business, temporarily settled by arbitration at various times. As early as 1845, the Western road proposed to consolidate, but the Worcester refused. Meantime the complaints of the community in regard to the unsatisfactory transaction of their business by the disagreeing corporations increased, and public opinion insisted upon the unions which was at last consented to by the Worcester, when they found they must do that or fare worse. The consolidation has certainly been an advantage to the community. The new company has repaired and put in operation the Grand Junction; has built wharves and an elevator at East Boston, to satisfy the calls of the merchants; is improving its stations all along the line; is diminishing rates of freight; removing causes of delay whenever discovered; and evidently appears desirous of doing all it can to accomodate the community. Consolidation has worked so well in this instance, that it would seem best to try it in other cases.
Massachusetts is certainly well supplied with railroads, having one mile of railroad to every five and a half square miles of territory, and to every 954 inhabitants. But railroads have now become necessities to an active and industrious population. There are still many villages in the State, at an inconvenient distance from any railroad, and, for many years to come, branches will be called for and built probably in great measure by town subscriptions. At the last session of the Legislature, about 100 miles of new roads were chartered, and many old charters which have been lying dormant for years, will probably soon be brought into use.
Street railroads were introduced in this State in 1855, the Cambridge road being the one first built, followed in the next year by the Metropolitan, and Middlesex. As with the steam railroads, they were regarded at first with doubt and distrust, but they soon proved to be profitable investments, and then there was a general rush for them, with exorbitant nominal capitals, followed of course by revulsion and failure, and then by a more prudent extension of the system. At present, there are street railroads in Salem, Lawrence, Worcester, Springfield and Northampton, as well as in Boston; and several other places are preparing to avail themselves of the same convenience. On several of these roads, what are called dummy engines (small steam engines in the car as means of motion,) have been tried, but none thus far have given satisfactory results. A wide field for the inventive genius of the country still remains open, in the supply of some motor better than horse power for street cars, and, what is still more desirable and necessary, the improvement of combustion in the locomotives on the steam roads, so that they shall not annoy the passengers in the cars and the neighborhoods they pass through with clouds of stifling smoke and storms of cinders, as at present.
New England RR | Antebellum RR | Contents Page | |||||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 9 | https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/americas-first-trains.html | en | Railway Wonders of the World | https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/favicon.ico | https://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/favicon.ico | [
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RAILWAYS OF AMERICA - 4
THE âATLANTICâ locomotive, which was built at York, Pennsylvania, in 1832, by Phineas Davis. Ox teams were used to convey the engine to Baltimore. It made a successful first trip between Baltimore and Ellicottâs Mills (Maryland), a distance of thirteen miles. The âAtlanticâ was in service for sixty years, and is still capable of running under its own steam.
TO understand the early trend of railway development in America we must first glance at the origins of American transport in general. The pioneers who built the first railways in the States were confronted by difficulties - political, social, and topographical - bearing little relation to those which their contemporaries in Britain were called upon to face. Viewed in its true perspective, the story of what these pioneers achieved is one of the most inspiring chapters in the history of America.
At the dawn of the nineteenth century the population of what then constituted the United States was still largely concentrated in territory lying along the Atlantic seaboard. To the west rose the Allegheny Mountains, forming the frontier; while farther west again was a vast region stretching far away to the Pacific - to the majority of Americans as remote as though forming part of another planet. The Alleghenies had indeed long been crossed, but only by a relatively small band of hardy pioneers, many of whom had perished through hardship, disease, or massacre. But new settlers were now following the pioneers westward over the mountain tops down into the great river valleys beyond.
The new territory was dominated by the Ohio, the Missouri, and the Mississippi rivers, with their tributaries. Farther north, men were spreading along the chain of great lakes. Naturally the early settlers in the west utilized these great inland waterways so bountifully provided by nature.
Danger of Indians
There was evolved by the pioneers a peculiar type of vessel suited to river requirements; a vessel of light draught known as a âflat-boatâ, liberally equipped with loopholes against possible attack by Indians. The first boat of this type had sailed for New Orleans in 1782, travelling at three miles an hour and completing the journey from New York in three months. Forty-six years later Abraham Lincoln, then a youth of nineteen, piloted a cargo to New Orleans on a flat-boat, Lincoln being one among the many who by that time were participating in the traffic on western waters. There were, however, many serious drawbacks to river transport. The general trend of the western rivers was from north to south, whereas from the first a need was felt for ready means of communication between east and west.
Roads in the west there were none, until about 1796 Ebenezer Zane hacked his way through the forests of south-eastern Ohio, blazing a trail with almost incredible energy and endurance, and by his labours exerting an incalculable influence upon the development of the future State. A few years later the building of turnpike roads was begun, including a section of the famous Cumberland or National Road, more familiarly known in those days as the âPikeâ. But as one region after another was opened up it became manifest that neither river nor road transport, as then understood, could meet the urgent demands of a people scattered over so vast an area.
American ingenuity and skill came to the rescue with a partial solution. In 1783 an inventor, John Fitch, succeeded in moving a boat on the Delaware River by paddles operated by a steam engine. Further developments were carried out by Robert Fulton, who built his first steam-boat in 1807. In 1811, just as work on the Cumberland Road was beginning, a steam-boat made its appearance on the Ohio river. This vessel, the New Orleans, was built at Pittsburgh by Nicholas Roosevelt of New York, an ancestor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Before many years had passed, numbers of similar craft were plying on western waters. According to one estimate over two hundred had been built and taken into service by 1826. The early history of this new form of transport is an astonishing record of reckless speeding, accidents, and river banditry. Competition between skippers of rival steam-boats led to almost unbelievable risks being taken in the attempt to establish records. Accidents occurred with great frequency, not only in the early days, but also for long afterwards. Charles Dickens recorded that, when in America in 1842, and about to make a journey by river, he was urged to reserve berths aft, âbecause steam-boats generally blew up forwardâ.
Despite dangers and difficulties, these steam-boats brought about the first revolution in American transport, helping still further to increase the population of the Mississippi basin. Traffic could now proceed upstream as well as down. Speeding might cause accidents, but it also brought about improvements in the design of boats, engines, and boilers; and distances were in effect greatly curtailed. The new roads, on the other hand, though better than no roads at all, afforded no comparable facilities. Surfaces were so bad, and the vehicles of the day so heavy, that taverns along the roads were able to thrive at distances of only one mile. Little wonder, then, that transport was still thought of primarily in terms of rivers; or that, where rivers were not available, men sought to amplify the possibilities of water-borne traffic by constructing canals.
Combined Railway and Canal
In those days canals were, of course, constructed without the mechanical aids that are available now. The network of artificial waterways that presently came into being was the product of human muscle applied to pick and spade. By 1832 there were eight hundred miles of canal in Ohio, and for thirty years the industrial development of that State continued to be largely determined by canal transport. Ultimately, several thousand miles of canal were constructed in the United States, many being carried over wide rivers on timber aqueducts and dug for long distances through dense forests. Rivers were so interlinked in this way that it became possible to travel by inland waterways from New York to New Orleans - a distance of over two thousand seven hundred miles.
One hundred years ago few Americans could have realized that canals were destined to be superseded by railways. Yet even as early as 1812 there was one American, John Stevens, who realized that the future development of his country depended not upon water transport, but upon steam railways.
CROSSING THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS in 1835 on the journey between Philadelphia and Pittsburg. The illustration shows a sectional canal boat being hauled over one of the inclined planes of the Portage Railroad. Traction was by means of a stationary engine and endless cable. The Portage Railroad was 36½ miles long, with a total rise and fall of 2,670 ft. The inclination of the planes varied from 7¼ ft to 10¼ ft in 100 ft.
Stevens had already carried out unsuccessful experiments with steamboats at New York; but failure in this regard, together with the loss of some 20,000 dollars, did not damp his enthusiasm for railways. In 1812 an act to authorize the construction of a canal from the Hudson to Lake Erie was pending; a canal, that is, which would form an effective link between eastern cities and the north-west. Stevens promptly laid before the New York legislature a statement to the effect that he could build a steam-power railway which would cost less and be far more effective than the proposed canal. His scheme was considered wild and impracticable. The Erie Canal was put in hand and completed in 1825.
But long before the completion of this canal the views held by Stevens had gained influential adherents. When another canal, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, was projected, the opposition of these men was so far effective that a combination of railway and canal - probably unique in the history of transport - was substituted for the original proposal. According to the revised scheme the whole journey from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, which involved crossing the Allegheny Mountains, was to be made in canal boats; but the boats were to travel part of the way on wheels and part on water. This system was completed about the year 1832. Ten years later Charles Dickens travelled over part of it when crossing the Alleghenies on his way to the west.
THIS HORSE CAR, built in 1829 and drawn by the fastest trotters available, made numerous runs on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad before steam power was introduced. It was found that one horse could haul on rails a load of freight equal to the effort of twelve horses on a turnpike. Passengers were carried at a speed of twelve to fifteen miles an hour.
The system began with a single line laid between Philadelphia and Columbia. This portion is one of the oldest railways on the American continent. From Columbia a canal followed the Susquehanna River to the mouth of the Juniata River, and thence along the valley of the Juniata to the foot of the Allegheny Mountains. Here began what was known as the Portage Railroad, built across the mountains and consisting of lines laid on inclined planes with level stretches in between. Traffic on the planes was operated by means of stationary engines and cables, and on the level stretches with locomotives or horses. The canal boats were hauled over the mountain tops on this railway after being transferred from the canal to wheeled trucks designed for the purpose. Beyond this remarkable railway another canal linked the system up with Pittsburgh, and so with the head of the Ohio navigation.
The boats were built in sections for convenience in handling and to make their movement overland practicable. Passengers and goods were picked up in Philadelphia, on half a canal boat mounted on wheeled trolleys. The other half of the boat followed behind. Motive power through the streets was supplied by horses or mules. Arriving at the railway terminus the boat sections were transferred to special trucks drawn over the rails at first by horses, and later by locomotives. At Johnstown, which lies on the other side of the mountains, the boats were once more assembled and returned to their proper element, completing the journey on a canal linking Johnstown to Pittsburgh. The whole journey from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, a distance of about four hundred miles, was covered in from four days to a week.
At either end of the line from Philadelphia to Columbia, which was known from the first as the Pennsylvania Railroad, there were an inclined plane and a stationary engine of 60 hp for haulage purposes. The rolling-stock was hauled with the aid of an endless rope passing round grooved wheels fixed at the top and bottom of the planes. The Portage Railroad was thirty-six and a half miles long, with a total rise and fall of 2,570 ft. The inclination of the planes varied from 7¼ ft to 10¼ ft per hundred foot length. All the embankments were 25 ft wide. There were four viaducts of considerable length; that over Connemaugh comprising a single arch of 80 ft span, the top of the stonework being 70 ft above the surface of the water. There was also a tunnel 900 ft long. The permanent way consisted of edge rails of rolled iron, supported by cast iron chairs to which the rail was secured by iron wedges. The track was laid over stone blocks, many of which may still be seen along the course of the old railway. At the head of each plane there were two stationary engines of 35 hp each for hauling up the trucks carrying the canal boat sections. A safety car was kept in attendance to deal with accidents on the system.
âTOM THUMBâ - 1829-30. When the horse and other means of traction failed to meet the needs of freight and passenger service on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Peter Cooper, a New York inventor, built this locomotive, âTom Thumbâ, in 1829. The engine made its first successful trip from Baltimore to Ellicottâs Mills and back again, in August, 1830. It pushed a small open car with eighteen passengers and covered the thirteen mites in one hour and a quarter non-stop, returning in fifty-seven minutes.
In his American Notes Charles Dickens gives an amusing account of his journey from Harrisburg to Pittsburg by this system. The canal boat he describes as being âa barge with a little house in it, viewed from the outside; and a caravan at a fair, viewed from withinâ. Being in some doubt about sleeping arrangements, he went below, where he âfound suspended on either side of the cabin three long tiers of hanging book-shelves, designed apparently for volumes of the small octavo size. Looking with greater attention at these contrivances (wondering to find such literary preparations in such a place), I descried on each shelf a sort of microscopic sheet and blanket; then I began dimly to comprehend that the passengers were the library, and that they were to be arranged, edge-wise, on these shelves, till morning.â
While in America Charles Dickens travelled also by two other early railways, the Boston and Lowell Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Boston and Lowell line was about twenty-six and a half miles long. It had eighteen viaducts, one being 1,600 ft in length, also fifty-one bridges.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered in 1827, four years after the first charter of the Philadelphia and Columbia line, but it was not until about 1830 that the first twelve miles were completed. In August of that year the âTom Thumbâ locomotive, designed by Peter Cooper, a New York inventor, made a successful trip of thirteen miles from Baltimore to Ellicottâs Mills, Maryland. Subsequently an attempt was made to propel the cars by sails. Then in the summer of 1832 the road received its second locomotive, built by Phineas Davis, of York, Pa., in 1829. This crude engine, drawing two small cars. was unsuited to the work for which it was intended. In September, 1832, a third locomotive was tried, without success. It was not until July, 1834, that there was found an engine capable of hauling the cars, so making it possible to dispense with the horses. It was during the year 1835 that the line reached Washington, and by 1842 it was extended to Cumberland, a few months after Dickens sailed for England. There were four inclined planes on this railway. The first, about forty miles from Baltimore, was 2,150 ft long, rising 80 ft; the next was 3,000 ft long, with 100 ft rise. The line then descended by an incline 3,200 ft long, with a fall of 160 ft; the fourth incline was 1,900 ft long, with a fall of 81 ft. For the most part the rails were laid on granite sills, though some timber sleepers were used.
A considerable number of other railways was chartered, and many constructed, between 1820 and 1840. The Delaware and Hudson Canal and Railroad Company has a charter dated April 3, 1823, but no railway except gravity tracks from a coal mine was contemplated or built in the early years. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad has a section, the Ithaca and Owego, which was chartered on January 28, 1828; but this was not opened until April 1, 1834. The Paterson and Hudson line was completed in 1834, and the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1835. With these and other developments came a demand for suitable locomotives. Already in 1825 John Stevens, then seventy-five years old, had constructed a locomotive with a multi-tubular boiler, which he operated over a circular track on his estate at Hoboken. This was the first locomotive in America driven by steam upon a track, but it was unsuitable for commercial use. A locomotive, the âStourbridge Lionâ, was imported from England and used on the Delaware and Hudson Companyâs coal road in 1829, but it was found to be too heavy for the track and was discarded. The first locomotive to run on any railway which is now part of the Pennsylvania Railroad was the âJohn Bullâ, also imported from England, and first run in America in 1831.
ALL THAT REMAINS TO-DAY of the famous Portage Railroad, a part of Americaâs pioneer line. The original permanent way consisted of edge rails of cast iron chairs to which the rail was secured by iron wedges. The track ran over stone blocks, many of which can still be seen along the course of this old railway.
Meanwhile the construction of locomotives was begun in the United States. Apart from the experimental work of John Stevens, the first locomotive built in America was the âBest Friend of Charlestonâ, constructed for the South Carolina Railway and put into use on that road in 1830. A second engine was made by the same builder shortly afterwards, but these early locomotives were found to be too hard on the light tracks over which they were run, and for a time opinion veered in favour of stationary engines to pull trains through short zones with ropes. Even as late as 1829 a commission of engineers decided that stationary engines were better than locomotives, and they devised a system of stationary engines at points within three miles of one another, the trains to be drawn by an endless rope or chain. But improvements in locomotive design soon put such proposals out of court.
Railway development increased by leaps and bounds, so that by 1850 the United States led the world, with a greater mileage than England and France put together. At the present time the rolling-stock of the Pennsylvania Railroad alone would be sufficient to make up a train of approximately 2,500 miles in length.
In 1933 the US railway mileage was about 258,000, over twelve times that of Great Britain. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 52 | https://historicboston.org/reuse-at-mattapan-square/ | en | Rediscovery and Continuity at Mattapan Square | [
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] | 2023-08-18T17:52:21+00:00 | HBI staff visited the Mattapan Square station area last month. While there have been several recent developments in Mattapan Square, some markers offer a glimpse into this station’s 19th and 20th c. history. The WWII-era yellow trolleys remain in routine rotation around the track loop,... | en | Historic Boston Inc (HBI) | https://historicboston.org/reuse-at-mattapan-square/ | HBI staff visited the Mattapan Square station area last month. While there have been several recent developments in Mattapan Square, some markers offer a glimpse into this station’s 19th and 20th c. history. The WWII-era yellow trolleys remain in routine rotation around the track loop, and a Haitian restaurant across the street, housed in an 1895 train station lobby, speaks to the station’s past as an integral point of transportation when Mattapan was a “streetcar suburb” while also setting an excellent example for adaptive reuse of this historic space.
The area that Mattapan station sits upon, like many industrial sites that came to shape the Neponset River Corridor, was once the site of a mill. In 1728, the Massachusetts Provincial Government issued Thomas Hancock, John Hancock’s uncle, an exclusive charter to manufacture paper in a new mill along the Neponset at Milton Lower Falls. That mill would become the Tileston and Hollingsworth Co. paper mill in the 1800s.
By 1843, the Tileston & Hollingsworth Co. had monopolized the paper mill industry along the Neponset. The Mattapan station site sat sandwiched between the Tileston & Hollingworth Paper Stock and Storehouse and their Eagle Mill Site, with an “unidentified mill” circled on the station site in a sketch map below from a 1997 MA Historical Commission survey. It’s not inconceivable that the “unidentified mill” on the Mattapan station site could have been yet another site of the Tileston & Hollingsworth paper mills.
The site later became a station stop on the Old Colony Railroad (OCR) in the 1850s. The OCR line was chartered in 1844 and authorized to build from South Boston to Plymouth. Under the OCR, the Milton Branch Railroad’s final stop was at Mattapan Station, which opened in 1856 (see 1882 map below).
1882 Boston Area Ward Map Sampson– Illustrates Mattapan Station as the last stop of the Milton Branch Railroad, displaying its non-traditional route through the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
By the 1890s, the Old Colony Rail reached the tip of Cape Cod and connected with the northern New England trunk lines, the Boston and Lowell, the Fitchburg, and the Boston and Albany lines.
In 1893, the Consolidated Railroad leased the Old Colony lines, incorporating them into a larger rail system under the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Until the late 1920s, passengers for Dorchester and Mattapan would have gotten off at the last stop in Andrew, relying on streetcars to bridge the remaining distance to their south Boston neighborhoods.
The Mattapan Square station that you see today was originally the terminus of a freight railroad line that was redeveloped by Boston Elevated Railway in 1929 as a high-speed trolley terminal from Ashmont.
This terminal included three buildings: the passenger shelter (1929), the operator’s lobby (1939), and the yard building (mid-20th c.). The original operator’s lobby at 1672 Blue Hill Ave. was one of the oldest structures, built in 1895 and in use until a new lobby was built closer to the track in 1939. That 1895 building was sold in the 1950s and briefly became a Papa Gino’s in the 1980s. Today that building is a Haitian restaurant, Kuizinn Lakay Plus.
HBI was on-site to assess the state of what we had initially thought was the yard building (mid-20th c.) for any potential new use. Though we are having trouble locating their source materials, one article suggested that the building in question was a 1913 comfort station. This suggestion holds weight as the architecture of this building by the Neponset aligns with the style of other comfort stations built throughout Boston in that era.
The station’s history as a mill is thanks to its location on the Neponset River. The Neponset provided the means for the first paper and chocolate mills in the US, though little to nothing remains of those historic mill buildings. The Walter Baker Chocolate Mills once operated a few miles upstream of the station, and thankfully, one of those mill buildings was preserved and adapted into apartments.
At Mattapan station, a new housing development just wrapped; The Loop at Mattapan station redeveloped 2.57 acres of MBTA parking lot into 135 units of affordable, mixed-use housing and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. With the non-profit grocery chain Daily Table as the first commercial tenant, new occupants will have access to healthy and affordable food, free use of the 2.4 mi. long Neponset River Greenway, and of course, will be in proximity to vital transportation services at Mattapan station. These developments are long over-due as Mattapan residents have been under-serviced for decades. It was only in 2019 that the MBTA finally built two stops along the Commuter Rail’s Fairmont line in Mattapan: one at Blue Hill Ave and one at Morton Street.
The Neponset itself is in flux as the Neponset River Watershed Association begins its River Restore Project. This project aims to restore the free-flowing water of our riverways by removing man-made dams to get the Neponset and others back to the ecological balance exhibited when the native Pokanoket Wampanoag were the stewards of this river.
After we got a look at this unique space, full of preservation possibility and reuse potential, HBI is wondering what else might the folks of Mattapan Square like to see in their neighborhood.
Photos courtesy of Digital Commonwealth
Maps courtesy of MACRIS | |||||
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The items linked on this page are representative of the types of materials that can be found at our physical archive at Lowell
PART 1. REFERENCE MATERIALS
Updated February 22, 2023
Abandonments — See ABANDONMENT NOTICES page
Accidents and Weather Events, Notable, compiled by Rick Nowell
Amesbury Branch History by Richard Nichols. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Andover and Wilmington Railroad Map, drawn by Franklin K. Haggerty
Authority For Expenditure Records. Selected, compiled and annotated by Robert P. Fuller. Transcribed by Mark Fecteau
First Series. AFE No. 1 (1910) through 6128 (1923)
Introduction to Second Series
Second Series. AFE No. 2 (1920) through AFE No. 39,765 (1970)
Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Bill Gove New England Logging Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Mal Sockol and Eric DiVirgilio
B&M Bulletin Index through Vol. XXXIII, No. 4 (2023), compiled by Jack Dziadul
B&M Bulletin Index compiled by Dick Lynch. (Through Vol. XXVI, No. 1)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Brad Blodget
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (A - Kl)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (Kn - Z)
B-15 (2-6-0) Mogul large format drawing list
Boston and Lowell Railroad. A Pioneer Railroad and How It Was Built
Boston and Lowell Railroad (compiled by Brad MacGowan, courtesy of UMass Lowell Library)
Lowell Before the Civil War
Plan of Lowell Village, Boyden, 1835
Boston and Lowell Railroad (Narrative, from Summer Saunterings by the B & L (1885))
Locomotive Race of 1851
Along the Route of the Boston and Lowell
Early Days of Railroading in Lowell
Boston and Maine Industries, Inc. Exchange Offer to Shareholders of Boston and Maine Corporation (11 Feb 1969)
Boston Terminal Photo File Organization, prepared by Dan O’Brien
C Class (4-6-0) Ten-Wheeler large format drawing list
Car Disposition Records, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of individual car dispositions (Sold, scrapped, transferred to work service, etc.)
Currently only freight (not passenger) cars.
Excel Transcription
Scans of original pages available and derived data here (done!)
Car Record Books, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of freight, passenger, and, sometimes, “Rail Motor Cars” (i.e. EMC and Budd RDC)
Proof-reading has been done on all index files. Errata from the first versions has been highlighted in yellow.
ALSO NOTE: PDFs are mostly about 18-19 MB!
Car Acquisition Books (1899-1917)
Purchases only
PDF index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Excel Index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Car Books (1923 - 1960)
Include purchases, re-numberings, disposals
Car Books index (Excel) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Car Books Index (PDF) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Centralized Traffic Control on the Boston & Maine. Clipping from Railway Age, Dec. 5, 1931. Gift of Carl Byron
Chaffin Negative Collection Catalogue, prepared by Brad Kippen
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with Conrail, 1980
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with MassCentral Railroad, 1980
Contoocook (N.H.) Railroad Bridge. History and Design. Report by National Park Service, 2003
Conway Daily Sun, February 22, 2020 - “Return of the Snow Train: All Aboooard to Attitash!” (Articles on Snow Train history and Conway Scenic’s 2020 Snow Train revival)
A Descriptive Guidebook to the Railway Route Between Boston and Burlington, via Lowell and Concord, 1850
Contains information about Boston and Lowell, Nashua & Lowell, Northern, Boston, Concord & Montreal, and Connecticut & Passumpssic Rivers Railroads. Also contains summer travel information.
Corporate History. “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” compiled by David D. Ashenden. See also David’s Introduction/Instructions. See Corporate History in the EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT section below for the original document.
Customers on the Portsmouth and Fremont Branches, 1971 - 1982 compiled by Rick Kfoury
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP38-2. Gift of Preston Cook
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP40-2. Gift of Prestion Cook
Drawing Numbers, Assignment of, Mechanical Department, c1928, transcribed from original in Harry Frye Collection
Brandeis and the NH-B&M Merger Battle Revisited by Abrams-1962
Engine House and Turntable Notes
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 1
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 2
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 3
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Freight Car Roster, 1915-1955, by Tim Gilbert
Freight Car Summary, by Ken Akerboom
Freight Car Classification book information
NOTE: Actual freight car pages are included in the appropriate series page(s) in the Freight Car Summary, the links here are for index pages and for buggies [AKA “cabooses”] that don’t have an individual car series page.
“1942” book (might be 1943…)
Scans of original pages available here
1955 book
Note the “index” pages are a bit muddled, they may be out of order?
Scans of original pages available here
Frye Collection -- Photo Credit Codes
G-11 (0-6-0) switcher large format drawing list
The Glory of White River Junction, by Edgar T. Mead and transcribed by Rick Kfoury from the Connecticut Valley Reporter (June 23, 1971).
Goodwin, Dana D. and Charles H. Nash Negative Catalog prepared by R. Richard Conard
Group Index Numbers (to locate mechanical drawings) compiled by Mark Fecteau
Hill-MacMillan-Hutchinson Negative Collection Index. 1944, 1945, 1946 Part 1, 1946 Part 2, 1947 Part 1, 1947 Part 2, 1948 Part 1, 1948 Part 2, 1949 Part 1, 1949 Part 2, 1950, 1951 Part 1, 1951 Part 2, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 - 1963
Historic Railroad Stations of New Hampshire pamphlet
Hoosac Tunnel Accidents, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims by Date, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hutchinson (Leroy C.) Collection--File Box Contents
Map Folder Index
Station Folder Index
Loco Classification By Types
Miscellaneous
Motive Power--Diesels
Railroad Poems
Summary
Industries, 1955, compiler unknown
ICC Freight Statistics (1917-1963) compiled by Ken Akerboom
Notes on the ICC Freight Commodity Statistics by Ken Akerboom
K Class (2-8-0) Consolidation large format drawing list
Large format scans, Catalog of
Lettering
K10 Font, drawn by Ken Akerboom
K10 Font, Notes by Ken Akerboom
Locomotive Assignments (Notes)
Locomotive Supervision, 1904. Courtesy Google Books
The Locomotives of the Boston & Maine Railroad by Charles E. Fisher, includes predecessor roads (Provided by F. Bradford Kippen III, scanned as a searchable PDF by Rick Kfoury) - Uploaded 1/2020. See also Steam Locomotives below.
Manchester Tower - A brief history of the CTC “MA Tower” in Manchester, NH by Rick Kfoury
Minuteman Steam Addenda
Map: B&MRR at Its Greatest Extent, 1915
Map: Boston & Maine Railroad Central Massachusetts Branch, 1975
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Deed of Property and Operating Rights to, by B&M Corp., 1976
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 1 of 2
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 2 of 2
Mass Bay RRE Fantrips. Seventy-Five Years of Rare Mileage, by Rick Conard and John Reading, posted with permission
Mechanical Department Drawings List. This list is very incomplete. See also Large format scans, Catalog of.
Metal File Box Collection Indexes
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Cheshire, Fitchburg and Other Roads, Cat. No. 2004.36.15, compiled by Rick Hurst
Boston and Lowell, Fitchburg and Other Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.21, compiled by Steve Butterworth
Boston and Lowell Railroad Documents, Cat. 2004.36.24, compiled by UMass Lowell intern Matthew Donovan PARTIALLY COMPLETED
Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western, Concord, Concord & Montreal, Fitchburg, Pemigewasset Branch, Whitefield & Jefferson RRs, Cat. No. 2004.36.258, compiled by Leo Sullivan
Various Railroads, Cat. No. 2004.36.265, compiled by Rick Hurst
Milk. Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Milk Supply of Boston, 1898
Modelers Notes Index compiled by Jack Dziadul
Mount Washington Railway. MS list of drawings in tube file, North Chelmsford
Negatives data base, compiled by Rick Conard and Rick Nowell
New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources Survey of the Northern Railroad, 2013
Officers and Divisions, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Official Guide, April 1913, B&MRR Section, submitted by David Ashenden
Paint and Color Guide, compiled by Rick Nowell. See also, in Mechanical Department below:
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9 dated 8-19-1948
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Passenger Car Roster, c1965, compiled by Laurence I. Beake
Passenger Car Roster, pub. B&M Bull., 1980-94, compiled by Hutchinson & Smith, prepared for web by R.K. Hurst
Passenger Department Chronology, compiled and edited by Richard K. "Rick" Hurst
Periodicals Held in B&MRRHS Archives
Photo Identification. Notes from Harry Frye Collection
Postcards—How ro Date. From John A. Goodwin Collection, created by Lowell Historical Society
Preston S. Johnson Collection, catalog of photographic slides, compiled by Rick Nowell
Railroad Enthusiast March - August 1966 (“Slow Train to Keene”), Dana D. Goodwin Collection, scanned by Rick Kfoury
Railroad Periodicals, 1920
Railway Mail Service RPO Routes in New England, by James B. VanBokkelen
Reorganization. ICC FD26115 (1973), scanned by David Ashenden
Restoration of Mileposts on the Northern Main Line, Edwin R. Hiller, Andover Historical Society
Right of Way and Track Maps - Index
Rochester, N.H., Railroading at,1934 by R.E. Fisher, includes map
Salisbury Branch History. See Amesbury Branch History.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps with B&M Trackage
Shelf List — ICC Survey Volumes Held
Shops, Notes About
Signal Chronology [1947-1990], by Daniel E. Horgan (1990), scanned and submitted by Carl R. Byron
Standard Plan Books Edited By Alan LePain, Index
Station Data Base, compiled by Rick Nowell
Station Drawings in B&MRRHS Archives, compiled by David Ashenden
Steam Locomotive Photos, A Guide to Identifying, by Harry A. Frye
Steam Locomotives 1836-1865, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Summer Saunterings by the Boston and Lowell. Issued by Passenger Dept., Boston and Lowell Railroad, First Edition, 1885. Internet Archive
Track Car 215570 “Birth Papers” - Provided by Jesse Mazzie, who owns and operates this motorcar for the CVRTC
Trains Between Boston and Montreal and Between Boston and Quebec City, 1927, compiled by Rick Nowell
Tube File/Round File/Roll Files at Lowell. Inventory compiled by Rick Conard
Turntable Notes
Valuation Plans. See Right of Way and Track Maps
Vincent H. Bernard Signal Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Steve Butterworth, Eric DiVirgilio, and Mal Sockol
Wheelwright Branch Map, 1953, by Alan E. MacMillan
The White-Mountain Village of Bethlehem [N.H.] as a Resort for Health and Pleasure, 1880 Internet Archive
Wooden Bridge Construction, B&M, 1895 by J. Parker Snow
Wooden Dining Car Roster, compiled by Leroy C. Hutchinson and Clyde R. Smith
PART 2. RAILROAD DOCUMENTS ON-LINE
Boston & Maine Railroad
Accounting Department
Contract Bureau
Updated January 2020
Contract Memo 9251-C - Manchester, NH - Repairs to Huse Road bridge over M&L Branch, April 4, 1979.
Contract Memo 10596-A - Manchester, NH - Repairs to I-293 bridges over M&L Branch, Feb. 13, 1979.
Contract Memo 11015-A - Manchester, NH - Widening I-93 bridges over Portsmouth Branch, Jan. 19, 1977.
Contract Memo 12389-A - Manchester, NH - Land tracts near Granite State Packing, Feb. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 12483 - Manchester, NH - Crossings near Foster Grant, Jan. 15, 1976.
Contract Memo 12570 - Manchester, NH - Petition for private crossing at Foster Grant, Aug. 18, 1978.
Contract Memo 44951-B - Manchester, NH - Concerning use of land at Massabesic Street, Dec. 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 54742-C - Manchester, NH - Genest Bros. Bakery, John Danais Co. Inc. sidings, July 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 56332-A - Manchester, NH - Electric service for switch heaters, June 11, 1975.
Contract Memo 58349 - Manchester, NH - Union Leader utilizing old Central Paper siding, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59352-A - Manchester, NH - Work on crossings through the millyard, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59574 - Manchester, NH - Maintenance at Grenier Industrial Park, Sept. 15, 1975.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics sidetrack, Jan. 23, 1976.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - South End Grain at West Manchester, Jan. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735 - Manchester, NH - Lease of railroad land near Beech Street, June 30, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Aug. 3, 1977.
Contract Memo 59746 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Gulf Oil siding at Byron Street, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59756 - Manchester, NH - Use of railroad land at Candia Road, Aug. 2, 1976.
Contract Memo 59831 - Manchester, NH - Waumbek Mills sewer line installation, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59851 - Manchester, NH - City drainage near South Beech Street, Jan. 25, 1977.
Contract Memo 59947 - Manchester, NH - Regarding Gulf Oil, May 11, 1977.
Contract Memo 59992-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Dec. 13, 1977.
Contract Memo 60169 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Hussey Molding Co. sidetrack, March 7, 1978.
Contract Memo 60178 - Manchester, NH - Land usage petition for Granite State Packing, March 22, 1978.
Contract Memo 60209 - Manchester, NH - Concerning American Hoechst Co. sidetrack, May 4, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263 - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, Aug. 28, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263-A - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, May 24, 1979.
Contract Memo 60268 - Manchester, NH - City sewer line through Manchester Yard, Aug. 30, 1978.
Contract Memo 60288 - Manchester, NH - State rehab of Mammoth Road crossing, Oct. 11, 1978.
Contract Memo 60328 - Manchester, NH - Federal funds for Portsmouth Branch crossings, Jan. 8, 1979.
Contract Memo 60370-A - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics track at Manchester Airport, Oct. 12, 1979.
Contract Memo 60439 - Manchester, NH - Use of Ledges Yard tracks 5-7 by Sweetheart Plastics, Aug. 6, 1979.
Employee Magazines and Magazine Articles
Dinosaur Fossils at Holyoke, 1936, 1937
New Icer Speeds Perishables, Jul-Aug 1950
Our Service, April 1917
Post Office on Wheels
Railroad Man Started the Harvard-Yale Regatta
Engineering Department
Updated July 2021
Bridge List, Fitchburg RR, c1890
Characteristic Charts, 1955
Construction of Private Crossing at Sewage Plant, Manchester, NH, Feb. 25, 1974.
Expenses Needed for Northern Mainline Relocation, Manchester, NH, April 29, 1974.
Expenses Related to Bouchard Street Extension, Manchester, NH, Sept. 23, 1974.
Expenses Related to Reconstruction of Queen City Bridge, Manchester, NH, July 24, 1974.
Expenses Related to Widening I-93 Overpasses on Portsmouth Branch, Manchester, NH, Jan. 14, 1977.
Interior and Exterior Work on Manchester and Nashua Yard Offices, June 11, 1979.
Key to Track Map, Chart, and Profile Symbols
Paints for structures, 1921, rev. to 1926
Rejection of Private Grade Crossing at 200 Elm Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1977.
Removal of bridge 35.61 on the Marlborough Branch, July 30, 1975
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 11, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 18, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, December 30, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 14, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 22, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 23, 1975.
Track Changes. “Up and Down Reports, 1897-1961 with some later entries, for use with the valuation plans, February 23, 2011,” compiled by Robert P. Fuller
Valuation Sections 1 - 7.8
Valuation Sections 7.8 - 17
Valuation Sections 17 - 32.1
Valuation Sections 32.1 - 38.2
Valuation Sections 38.2 - 59
Turntables, All Divisions, Dec. 1925
Digital restoration, by Scott J. Whitney (December 2019)
Executive Department
Updated July 20, 2023
Annual Reports. See Annual Reports page
By-Laws. Boston and Maine Railroad, August 1, 1949
Canterbury, NH Industrial Development Proposition, October 20, 1972
Correspondence Regarding American Freedom Train in Manchester, November 1, 1974
Correspondence Regarding Proposed Disaster Drill at Manchester, NH, September 25, 1979
Correspondence Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Note Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Road Operated June 30, 1915
Organization Chart c1925-1927
Corporate History
Contents - Page 33
Page 34 - Page 63
Page 64 - Page 89
Page 90 - Page 123
Page 124 - Page 157
Page 158 - Page 176
Addendum
See also Ashenden’s “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” in REFERENCE MATERIALS above. This is a sortable listing by railroad, date, event, etc.
Federal Railroad Administration
Updated January 2020
Accident Report No. 4189 - October 2, 1972 Head-On Collision at Belchertown, MA between B&M Work Extra 1125 and CV Extra 4929 South (Provided by Tom Murray, 11/3/2021)
Finance Department
Interstate Commerce Commission
Investigation No. 2378 - September 10, 1939 Collapse of Portsmouth Bridge and Loss of B&M P-2 #3666
Legal Department
Updated January 2020
Bill for Derailment at Associated Grocers, Manchester, NH, Sept. 11, 1974
Claim for Incorrect Flagging Procedure at Manchester, NH, October 20, 1975
Claim of John R. Bangs, Clerk, Manchester Freight Office - January 7, 1974
Misuse of Car PLE 006579 at Manchester, NH, Aug. 27, 1974.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1978.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, August 28, 1978.
Unpaid Bill to Manchester Water Works, October 5, 1979.
Marketing and Sales
Updated December 2020
Intermodal Services Routing Announcement, late 1970s
Office of Marketing & Sales Notice - Moving from Elm Street, Manchester, NH to Billerica, MA, 1979. -
Mechanical Department
Barre & Chelsea RR and Montpelier & Wells River RR Equipment Roster, March 1925
Budd Car Diagrams
Diesel Classification
Diesel Out of Service and Mileage Record, 1943-55 courtesy of Carl R. Byron
Engine Houses and Turntables, Dec. 29, 1899
Engine Houses, Fitchburg Division, 1928
Freight Car Classification 1907
How the B&M Uses Budd Rail Diesel Cars, 1958
Locomotive Performance. BC&MRR. 1880s
Mechanical Engineering Department. A Talk by Donald A. McKeown, Dec. 1953.
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9
Painting and Lettering Combines, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-10
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 4 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-11
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 6 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-12
Rail Motor Cars, Sept. 1935
Repairs to Locomotive Cranes at Concord, NH Shop, 1947
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 1
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 2
Summary of Equipment, November 1, 1959
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1962
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1982
Turntables. All Divisions. Dec. 1925
Work Equipment Roster, partial, 1947
Operating Department
Updated February 22, 2023
Public Relations Department
Updated February 18, 2020
“700 New Freight Cars for B&M” - Lowell Sun, Nov. 27, 1973
“Are the Railroads Returning"?” - New Hampshire Times, Nov. 28, 1973
“Award Winner” - Lowell Sun, May 31, 1977
“B&M Group Fails Bid to Liquidate” - Boston Evening Globe, Aug. 28, 1973
“B&M Makes a Comeback” - Lowell Sun, October 13, 1974
“B&M Passenger Train Makes Last Run in NH” - Manchester Union Leader, July 1, 1967
Related photos
“B&M Plows Ahead Under Dustin” - New Englander, 1977
“B&M President to Speak Before Amherst RR Society”- Springfield Daily News, May 14, 1977
“B&M Railroad Cited by CTI for Hiring of Disadvantaged” - Lowell Sun, 1970s
“B&M Railroad President Claims Trucking Troubles” - NH Sunday News, Jan. 30, 1977
“B&M Railroad Enters New Era” - Eagle-Tribune, November 12, 1977
“B&M Seeks $26-Million Loan” - Greenfield Recorder, August 9, 1977
“B&M Trustees Hedge Rejection of Proposed Railroad Plan” - Concord Monitor, Jan. 17, 1974.
“B&M Trustees Submit Plan, Say Will Revive Road’s Health by ‘75” - Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 1971
“B&M Would Buy 600 Employees Out of Jobs” - Boston Herald, July 25, 1973
“Battling Woods Fire” - Lowell Sun, May 28, 1974
“Boston & Maine’s Cherington Eyes Elimination 600 Jobs to Save Road” - Boston Globe, 1972
“Boston & Maine Files Amended Plea to Buy Some Bonds in Default” - Wall Street Journal, Aug. 19, 1977
“Bow Plant has 50-Day Supply” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“Bow: Less Than 50 Days Coal Supply Explained” - Concord Monitor, December 6, 1977
“Caboose Fire” - Eagle-Tribune, December 6, 1978
Circus Train Photo, Greenfield Recorder, 1977
“Dustin ‘Had and Retains’ Complete Confidence of B&M Trustees” - Boston Sunday Globe, July 24, 1977
“Experts’ Solution for Rail Service: Throw B&M Out of County” - Keene Sentinel, May 10, 1973
Part 2
Fairlee, VT derailment and explosion - Various news sources, November 1975
“Fewer Trains Keep Drivers Off Guard” - Nashua Telegraph, May 24, 1979
Flying Yankee photo, Concord Monitor, July 18, 1979
“Freight Car Fire Ignites East Woburn Warehouse” - Woburn Daily News, November 28, 1977
“‘Ghost Train’ Tour Satisfies Riders, Surprises Other Officials” - Daily Sentinel, March 20, 1974
“The Goodwin Line - A Decent Little Railroad in New Hampshire” - Lowell Sun, Dec. 20, 1979
“Harvard Professor May Run Bankrupt B&M Railroad” - Eagle-Tribune, 1972
“Hoboes and Boxcars Leave Concord Behind” - Concord Monitor, 1970s
“Hoosac Tunnel Getting Steel Liner” - Berkshire Eagle, July 21, 1979
“Husband, Wife Die in Railbus-Car Crash” - Manchester Union Leader, Dec. 16, 1980.
“Lincoln Mill to Open” - Manchester Union Leader, November 3, 1978
“Littleton Board Backs B&M Loan Application” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Lunch Break” - Eagle-Tribune, August 10, 1977
“Man Hit by Train, Loses His Left Arm” - Lynn Item, June 15, 1978
“New Chief for a Yankee Railroad” - New York Times, February 29, 1977
“New England Commission Funds Rail Improvements” - Boston Herald, Sept. 28, 1977
“Piggyback Trucks’ Deal Paying Off for NH Firms” - Manchester Union Leader, 1970s
“Problems at the End of the Line” - Concord Monitor, February 19, 1974
“Purchase of B&M Railroad Suggested” - Rutland Daily Herald, Sept. 28, 1972
“Rail Takeover Eyed in New Hampshire” - Boston Sunday Globe, January 20, 1974
“Railroad’s Future in NH May be Decided in Sept.” - Concord Monitor, July 19, 1973
“Railroad Seeks to Close Line” - Concord Monitor, July 20, 1973
“Railroads Chug Out of Woods After 20 Years of Ills for Industry” - Eagle-Tribune, Sept. 9, 1979
“Railroads Wary of 4-Line Merger” - Times-Union, November 26, 1977
“Rail Freight Traffic Increase” - Manchester Union Leader, 1985 (New England Southern)
“Rail Line’s Potential Enthuses Dearness” - Lakes Region Trader, Sept. 22, 1982 (New England Southern)
“Rail Yard to Receive Facelift” - Greenfield Recorder, November 27, 1978
“Raymond's Depot Finally Placed On the Good Ol’ Historical Map” - NH Sunday News, July 29, 1979
“Rhythm of the Rails” - NH Sunday News, April 14, 1985
“Riding the Rails to Acton” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Rolling Stock Moves On” - Greenfield Recorder, March 28, 1978
“Santa Takes to the Rails in Berlin” - unknown publication, December 27, 1977
“Shippers Fear Railcar Crunch” - Boston Sunday Globe, October 22, 1978
“Sometimes It Goes Against the Grain To See Corn Wasted...” - Portsmouth Herald, October 3, 1977
“Stopped to Refuel the Animals” - Lowell Sun, May 24, 1977
“Symbol of Railroading May Fade Into History” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“These ‘Doctors’ Work at Helping Sick Trains” - Advertiser, April 11, 1979 (Billerica Shops)
“They’ve Been Fighting for a Railroad” - New York Times, October 9, 1977
“This Railroad Means Business” - NH Sunday News, October 23, 1977 (Goodwin Railroad)
“Those B&M Cutbacks” - Boston Globe, 1979
“Tie Job Nears End” - Nashua Telegraph, June 30, 1977
“Train-Truck Crash in Merrimack” - Village Crier, December 27, 1978
“Train-Truck Crash Kills 5 in Family” - Manchester Union Leader, May 2, 1979
“Trustee Sees B&M Success” - Boston Herald, January 12, 1974
“Tunnel Work Hits $1M Tag” - Greenfield Recorder, 1979
“Two Receive Safety Awards”, Greenfield Recorder, July 2, 1979
“What Does B&M Have in Mind?” - New Hampshire Sunday News, January 20, 1974
“Whitefield Man Seeks NH Passenger Train Service” - Manchester Union Leader, January 11, 1979
“White River Junction Back on Tracks” - Valley News, October 12, 1981
Standard Plans
Updated July 2021
Semaphore Blades
Wood Signal Blades
Enameled Steel Signal Blades
Traffic Department
Customers (Largest) 1951
Coal Rates to B&M Points. D&H Co. map, 20 Oct 1923. File too large to upload here. See new On-Line Archives page
Freight Traffic Density (Chart), 1956
Handbook to Suburban Homes, Sea-Shore, Lakes, and Mountains 1874
Local Carload Commodity Tariff and Freight Rates, June 15, 1969
Pan Am Railways Map, 2013
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 1
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 2
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 A- pp 1-32
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 B- pp 33-60
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 C- pp 61-80
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 D- pp 81-96
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 A- pp 3-17
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 B- pp 18-33
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 C- pp 34-50
Railroading on the Boston and Maine (2016 Reprint of 1952 brochure)
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1938-9
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1940-41
Snow train menu, 1939
System Map, 1930
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad has had a close relationship with the Boston and Maine Railroad throughout its history. The Eastern Railroad gained control of Maine Central in 1871. B&M leased ERR in 1884 and thereby controlled MEC. When, in 1907, New Haven gained control of the B&M, MEC also came into the New Haven sphere. In 1914 a group of investors purchased a controlling interest in MEC from B&M and independence was re-established. This notwithstanding, from 1933 to 1955 the two railroads entered into an agreement to be operated as separate railroads under a common management and shared many general officers. In the Guilford/PanAm era the two roads have been operated as a single system.
Most of the MEC materials that we present in our On-Line Archives were submitted and scanned by Archives Committee member David Ashenden.
Maine Central Abandonments
Accounting Equipment, 1924 (MECRR Magazine)
Chronology, 1976 (MEC Messenger)
Frankenstein Trestle, Notes on the Name of
Rules Review Book, March 1943, pp 1-17, pp 18-33
Maine Central Railroad. Schedule of Valuation Sections (TIFF Image), June 30, 1916
Parlor, Sleeping, and Dining Car Service, 26 June 1916
Passenger Equipment, Postwar Roster, by Peter Espy. Submitted by Rick Hurst
Pine Tree Flyer. A magazine about the history of railroads in Maine. Six issues were published between 1981 and 1983. Publication was suspended and never resumed.
Vol. 1 No. 1 (1981)
Vol. 1 No. 2 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 3 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 4 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 1 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 2 (1983)
Stations. Handbook of Officers, Agents, Stations and Sidings, 1917. (Digital Commons)
Maine Central Employees Magazine
We are grateful to Dick Glueck of the New England Steam Corporation for providing many issues of the MEC Employee Magazine for scanning and for giving us permission to make scans available on our website. Additional issues came from Rick Conard in 2022. Many hours of scanning time were contributed by Archives Committee member David Ashenden. His project of scanning and indexing the magazine is ongoing.
Employee Magazine Index
Employee Magazine Catalog
1924
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, February 1924
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, April 1924
MAY WANTED
Employee Magazine, June 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, July 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 1 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, November 1924
Employee Magazine, December 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
1925
Employee Magazine, January 1925
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 2
MARCH WANTED
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 2
Employee Magazine, May 1925
Employee Magazine, June 1925
JULY WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1925
Employee Magazine, September 1925
Employee Magazine, October 1925
Employee Magazine, November 1925
Employee Magazine, December 1925
1926 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May NEED COMPLETE ISSUE, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1927 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September Part 1, September Part 2, October, November, December Part 1, December Part 2
1928 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, March, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, June, July, August, September, November, OCTOBER WANTED, December Part 1, December Part 2, December Part 3
1929 — January, COMPLETE JANUARY WANTED, February, March, COMPLETE MARCH WANTED, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, COMPLETE MAY WANTED, JUNE WANTED, July, August Part 1, August Part 2, August Part 3, SEPTEMBER WANTED, October, November, December
1930 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November DECEMBER WANTED
1944 — November, December ALL OTHER 1944 ISSUES WANTED
1945 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, Undated ALL OTHER 1945 ISSUES WANTED
1946 — April, September ALL OTHER 1946 ISSUES WANTED
1947 — Undated. ALL 1947 ISSUES WANTED
1948 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1949 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1950 — January, FEBRUARY WANTED, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, November, December
1951 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, COMPLETE JULY WANTED, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, COMPLETE OCTOBER WANTED, November, December
1952 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1953 — January, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1954 — JANUARY WANTED, February, March, APRIL WANTED, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED (NOT SURE IF ISSUED), December
1955 — January, February, March, April, COMPLETE APRIL WANTED, May, June, COMPLETE JUNE WANTED, July, August, September, October, November, December
1956 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1957 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November-December
1958 — JANUARY-FEBRUARY WANTED, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1959 — January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1960 — November
1961 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1962 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1963 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1964 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1965 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1966 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August (missing pp 3-6), September, October, November, December
1967 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October (Complete Issue Needed), November, December
1968 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1969 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1970 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1971 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1972 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘72-January ‘73
1973 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘73-January ‘74
1974 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘74-January ‘75
1975 — February-March
1976 — January, Summer, Fall (With Historical Section)
1977 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1978 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1979 — Winter, Spring-Summer, Fall
1980 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1981 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1982 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall ‘82-Winter’83
Maine Central Railroad Time Tables
Arrival and Departure of Boston and Maine and Maine Central Trains at Portland Union Station, 20 January 1918. (Portland Terminal Company)
Employee Time Table No. 34, Maine Central, Sept. 24, 1922, Eastern Div.
Employee Time Table No. 1, Maine Central, Apr. 30, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 2, Maine Central, Jun. 26, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 4, Maine Central, Apr. 29, 2934, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Sept. 29, 1935, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Supplement No. 2, March 1936
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Schedules,
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 1
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 2
Employee Time Table No. 22, Portland Terminal Company, Apr. 27, 1930
Official Guide, April 1913, MECRR section
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, April 28, 1946. Maine Central,
Passenger Time Table, October 30, 1955. Maine Central
Executive Department
Annual Reports FYE 1896 through 1893 with leases, mortgages. Google Books
Predecessor Railroads
Northern Railroad
Annual Report, 1848. Submitted and transcribed by Ed Hiller
On-Line Photo Archive | ||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 29 | http://www.holdenhistory.org/holden_railroads.htm | en | Holden Historical Society : Holden History : A Brief on Railroads in Holden | [
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A Brief on Railroads in Holden
In 1869, the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad (BB&G) commenced construction of a railroad from Worcester (at Barber), through Holden, to Gardner. This 26-mile line, which cost 1.2 million dollars to build, opened in 1871. It was extended 10 miles to Winchendon in January, 1874 and later that same year the company leased the Monadnock Railroad north another 16 miles to Peterborough, New Hampshire. The BB&G thus attained a total length of 52 miles.
Beset by financial reversals, the Monadnock lease was surrendered to the Cheshire Railroad in 1880. The BB&G was leased itself to the Fitchburg Railroad in 1884. The following year it was merged into the Fitchburg and became that road's Worcester Division. In 1900 the Fitchburg was leased and soon thereafter merged into the Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M), becoming the B&M's Fitchburg Division. As a part of the B&M system's Fitchburg Division the line through Holden was referred to at different times by various names including the Worcester & Contoocook (N.H.) Branch, the Worcester & Hillsboro (N.H.) Branch, the Peterboro (N.H.) Branch, and finally after the line was severed north o f Gardner, as the Worcester Branch of the Fitchburg Division. At Worcester, the line joined the B&M Portland Division's "Worcester Main Line" at Barber.
The original 52-mile BB&G line through Holden remained under B&M control for 73 years. In 1974, the line was bought by the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W). The last B&M freight left Holden for Worcester in January 1974 and the P&W operated its first train over the line on February 2, 1974.
At various times, passenger stops existed at Chaffins, Dawson, Holden, Jefferson, and at North Woods. Holden and Jefferson were small country depots, while the others were flag stops with small shelters. Only two station structures remain: the Holden depot in its original location and the Jefferson depot which was moved in 1975 to a site next to the Wong Dynasty Chinese Restaurant on Reservoir Street.
In 1878 there were four round trip passenger trains between Worcester and Winchendon. This increased to six round trips at the turn of the century. Under B&M ownership, the old BB&G line became part of a rather unlikely through passenger route from Worcester to Concord, NH. This service ended after the floods of 1936 severed the line north of Peterboro. However, a round trip passenger local from Worcester to Peterboro would survive another 17 years, handling passengers and mail. In its last years, it acquired a certain degree of fame and became known as the "Peterboro Local" or the "Blueberry Special." By the early 1950s the B&M was hemorrhaging financially from passenger train losses and was given permission to discontinue this train. It made its last run, with extra coaches and much fanfare, on March 7, 1953. It had remained a steam train with an ancient wooden combine and one coach almost to the very end, at which time steam power had been taken off and a diesel locomotive substituted.
In the late 19th century, traffic was mostly milk and ice. Ice originated at many ice-houses on the ponds along the route. In winter, the first passenger train north would stop at each of these ice-houses to let off the ice harvesting crews. In summer, long strings of box cars would be lined up on the ice-house sidings. They were loaded with ice and dispatched daily to Worcester, Boston, Providence and other cities for next day delivery by horse-drawn wagon. This business declined rapidly with the advent of modern refrigeration.
B&M operated through symbol freights Worcester to Mechanicville, NY (WM-1), and Mechanicville, NY, to Worcester (WM-2), as well as a local freight that switched customers between Worcester and Gardner. The through freights between Worcester and Mechanicville, NY, operated until about 1968. WM-1 would arrive punctually in Holden at 7:30 every evening, switch the small yard, and then depart for Gardner and points west. The eastbound WM-2 passed through in the small hours of the night. The local switcher out of Worcester worked during the day. By the end of B&M control, through service on the line had been discontinued and the Worcester switcher ventured out the line only to service customers as needed.
The line underwent a dramatic renaissance when the P&W commenced operations in 1974. The P&W rehabilitated the line and operates through freights from Providence, RI, and other southern New England points to Gardner, where traffic is interchanged with the B&M. Currently (2005), P&W runs about six trains each way through Holden weekly, hauling coal, lumber, scrap iron, paper goods, plastic resins and other commodities. Currently there are no customers receiving or shipping by rail in Holden.
Twelve years after the BB&G was built, a second railroad line, the Massachusetts Central Railroad, was built into Holden, running roughly east-west across the northern part of town. This railroad, which was chartered to build a line from Stony Brook on the Fitchburg Railroad west to Northampton (distance of 98 miles) opened as far as Jefferson in 1882. The company then encountered financial problems and promptly shut down in May 1883. In November of that year the company reorganized as the Central Massachusetts Railroad.
The directors contracted with the Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) to operate the line until final lease arrangements were consummated and operations restarted on September 28, 1885. The line was formally leased to the B&L on December 7, 1886 and construction of the line westward from Jefferson into Rutland and beyond resumed. The line was completed and opened to Northampton in December 1887. Meanwhile, the B&L had been leased for 99 years to the B&M on April 1, 1887, and was later purchased outright by the B&M on February 20, 1902. Thus the Central Massachusetts came to be the B&M Southern Division's Central Massachusetts Branch.
Passenger service began as soon as the line opened. There were four station stops in Holden: Springdale, Canada Mills, Quinapoxet, and Jefferson. Thus, the BB&G and the Central Massachusetts each had their own separate Jefferson Stations. The two lines intersected at a point known as Holden Junction on the Central Massachusetts and Carr Junction on the BB&G. One can still view the old abutments that once carried the Central Massachusetts over the BB&G. Although the two lines were connected at this point, little traffic was ever interchanged here.
The Massachusetts Central/Central Massachusetts Railroad is often cited as a railroad that should never have been built. It was largely a redundant road from the start, located as it was between two dominant east-west roads: the Boston & Albany to the south and Boston & Maine's Fitchburg Division across the northern part of the state. Although there were times when freight and passenger traffic were strong, the road served a very sparsely populated area and it ultimately failed to meet expectations. All service from Oakdale through Holden to Rutland was discontinued June 1, 1938. This turned out to be a prescient decision as the line was seriously compromised later that year by the Hurricane of 1938. On November 7, 1939, track was formally abandoned between Oakdale and Barre Junction, thus breaking the Central Massachusetts into western and eastern parts.
Listen carefully and you will sometimes hear especially in the night train whistles (2 long, 1 short, and a long) at Industrial Drive, Bailey Road, Pleasant Street, Sunnyside Avenue, Quinapoxet Street and Princeton Street. On still nights, one can sometimes hear the whistles for crossings further out the line into Princeton for Brooks Station Road, Ball Hill Road, and Hubbardston Road. Today, while the remaining railroad line through Holden is part of a viable, modern railroad, the locomotive whistles offer an unmistakable sense of historical continuity. | ||||||||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 0 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_and_Lowell_Railroad | en | Boston and Lowell Railroad | [
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Boston and Lowell RailroadOverviewLocaleBoston to Lowell, Massachusetts and beyond into New Hampshire and VermontDates of operation1835–1887SuccessorBoston and Maine RailroadTechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
The Boston and Lowell Railroad was a railroad that operated in Massachusetts in the United States. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state. The line later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division.
The Boston and Lowell Railroad was preceded by the Middlesex Canal. Converting the canal to a railroad would eliminate the issue of transportation being unavailable during the winter, when the canal froze. Patrick Tracy Jackson led the task of convincing the state legislature to fund the project. This proved difficult, as the investors of the Middlesex Canal were against building a new form of transportation designed to replace their canal.[1]
Because, prior to 1872, there was no provision in Massachusetts state law for chartering railroads, all had to be chartered by special acts of legislature. This made it slow and inefficient to charter a railroad because the politicians had to agree; the issue would become partisan. This also meant that the legislature would not let the investors build the line unless they could show it was completely necessary.
The investors were successful because they convinced the legislature that the canal was inherently incapable of providing what they needed: reliable, year-round freight transport. Investors in the Boston and Lowell Railroad received a charter on June 5, 1830, with no provision for reparations to the Middlesex Canal's investors. It was a favorable charter because in addition to the right to build and operate a railroad between Lowell and Boston, it gave a thirty-year monopoly on the right to have a railroad there. The people along the road and in terminal-end cities bought large amounts of stock, financing half the company.
The Board of Directors of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, armed with a charter, now had the task of surveying and building the line. They brought in James Fowle Baldwin, son of Col. Loammi Baldwin, who had engineered the Middlesex Canal, to do the surveying, and charged him with finding a gently sloped path from Lowell to Boston, with few grade crossings and well away from town centers. This latter point ended up being quite inconvenient later on. No one had any idea of the future possibility of railroads acting as public transportation, or if they did they were not paid any attention by the builders or financiers of the road.
The right-of-way that Baldwin surveyed did well in each of these characteristics. The path sloped up at a gentle ten feet per mile at the maximum, and there were only three grade crossings over the entire 26-mile (42 km) distance. The path was close to the older Middlesex Canal path, but was straighter - as boats can turn more sharply than trains. To achieve this superior linearity, it needed small amounts of grade elevation in places. The route ignored Medford center entirely, going through West Medford instead, and totally bypassed Woburn and Billerica. This would have to be corrected later with various spurs (the one to Medford being built off the Boston and Maine Railroad), but were always sources of annoyance to both riders and operators.
The proposed route was accepted by the Board of Directors of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and work began on the building phase. The road was begun from both ends at once, and some sources say that they both started on the right hand side of the right-of-way, missing in the middle and having to put in an embarrassing reverse curve to tide them over until they built the other side. Yankee and Irish laborers were hired to construct the railroad, which was made especially difficult and because the Directors wanted to make the road using the best techniques then known. This, for them, meant laying imported British iron rails with a 4-foot-deep (1.2 m) wall of granite under each rail. They did this because it was commonly believed that the train would sink into the ground if the rails did not have strong support.[citation needed]
The first track was completed in 1835, and freight service began immediately. On May 27, 1835, it made its maiden trip to Boston, with Patrick Tracy Jackson, George Washington Whistler, and James Baldwin aboard.[2] The solid granite roadbed proved to be much too rigid, jolting the engine and cars nearly to pieces. Repairs on the locomotives (there were two at the time) would sometimes take most of the night, trying to get them ready for the next day's service. The much poorer Boston and Worcester Railroad could not afford a granite bed and so was built with modern wooden ties. This turned out to be far superior, so the owners of the Boston and Lowell decided they would upgrade their entire roadbed to wood when they added a second track.
The original Boston terminal was at the north corner of Causeway Street and Andover Street (halfway between Portland and Friend streets), at the westernmost edge of the current North Station. The bridge over the Charles River to access it was the first movable railroad bridge in the United States. [1] The original Lowell terminal was at the south corner of Merrimack Street and Dutton Street.
The quantity of freight traffic on the Boston and Lowell Railroad was large from the start (as was expected) with Lowell's textile companies bringing in raw materials and sending out finished goods. The high level of passenger traffic, however, was not anticipated.[3]: 92 Trains traveled on unwelded rails which were laid on a granite roadbed, which made for an extremely bumpy ride. The railroad switched to wooden ties.[3]: 84
The Boston and Lowell was faced with a new problem; it had a reputation for speed which made it very popular and highly competitive with stagecoaches. Many people wanted to go not only from Lowell to Boston but to places in between. The Boston and Lowell ordered another locomotive and cars for local passenger rail in 1842, and had them make six stops along the route. Passenger rail proved to be almost as profitable as freight.[4]
The first locomotives on the B&L were copies of the successful Planet class 2-2-0 built locally in Lowell.[5]
Another railroad was chartered in the early 1840s whose fortunes would be closely tied to those of the Boston and Lowell. This was the Boston and Maine Railroad. This railroad ran down from Portland, Maine, through a bit of southern New Hampshire, to Haverhill in northeastern Massachusetts, connected to the Boston and Lowell in Wilmington, and then used Boston and Lowell track to Boston. This route was conceptualized in 1834, but took a long time to be built, mostly because, unlike the Boston and Lowell, it did not have a secure base of funding like the Lowell textile companies. It took two years to get to Andover, another year to get to Haverhill, three more to get to Exeter, New Hampshire, and did not get to Portland until 1852.
This extra traffic on the Boston and Lowell Railroad, especially with the line still over granite, provided the extra impetus to double track and upgrade. In 1838, the B&L began two years of extensive track improvements, first laying a second track on wood, and with that one built, going back and re-laying the old track on the more forgiving wood as well. Boston and Lowell traffic continued to increase, and even with double tracks the schedule became tight enough that the Boston and Maine trains, as renters, began to be pushed around to annoying hours, often having to wait over an hour in Wilmington before being allowed to proceed on to Boston.
The B&M soon tired of what they perceived as selfishness and decided to build its own track to Boston from Haverhill so that it would not have to rely on the B&L. The B&L tried to fight the B&M in court but failed because the monopoly granted in its charter was only good for traffic between Boston and Lowell. The shortcut, part of today's Haverhill/Reading Line, was started in 1844 and was in use by 1848. While the B&M was building it, they were still running their trains to Boston on the B&L. This made for a lot of conflict, with the B&L trying to squeeze every last penny out of the B&M before it lost the opportunity. The B&M tried to deal with this in court, and got the judge to forbid the B&L from raising rates until the case was done, but by the time they were close to an agreement, the bypass was complete.
With B&M business gone, the B&L realized how much they had been relying upon their renters. Additionally, the Lowell mills began to decline somewhat and there was less freight traffic for the line to move. Over the next four decades, the B&L declined until the more successful B&M leased it on April 1, 1887.
The B&L built or leased many branches to serve areas not on its original line. Immediately before its lease by the B&M in 1887, it had five divisions—the Southern Division (including the original line), the Northern Division, the White Mountains Division, the Vermont Division, and the Passumpsic Division. Additionally, it leased the Central Massachusetts Railroad in 1886.
The main part of the Southern Division was the mainline between Boston and Lowell.
Charlestown
The Charlestown Branch Railroad was not itself taken over by the B&L, but as originally built in 1840 it was a short spur from the B&L to wharves in Charlestown. In 1845 the Fitchburg Railroad leased it and incorporated it into their main line.
Mystic River
The Mystic River Branch served the Mystic River waterfront on the north side of Charlestown.
Woburn Loop
The Woburn Branch Railroad (aka the Woburn Loop) opened in 1844, connecting Woburn to the main line towards Boston. The Horn Pond Branch Railroad was a short freight-only branch off the Woburn Branch to ice houses on Horn Pond. The northern loop, built in 1885, continued the line back north to the main line at North Woburn Jct. in South Wilmington. The Horn Pond branch line was abandoned in 1911, the northern loop in 1961, and the original line in 1982.
Stoneham
The Stoneham Branch Railroad was built in 1862 to connect to Stoneham.
Lowell and Lawrence
The Lowell and Lawrence Railroad was chartered in 1846 to build a line between Lowell and Lawrence, which opened in 1848. In 1858 the B&L leased the line.
Salem and Lowell
The Salem and Lowell Railroad was chartered in 1848 as a branch from the Lowell and Lawrence at Tewksbury Junction to the Essex Railroad at Peabody, along which it used trackage rights to Salem. The line was opened in 1850 and operated by the Lowell and Lawrence until 1858, when the B&L leased it along with the Lowell and Lawrence.
Wilmington (Wildcat) Branch
The Wilmington Branch, now known as the Wildcat Branch, was built just west of the original Boston and Maine Railroad alignment to connect the main line at Wilmington to the Salem and Lowell at Wilmington Junction, providing a shorter route between Boston and Lawrence.
Lexington and Arlington (Middlesex Central Railroad)
The Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad was chartered in 1845 and opened in 1846, connecting the Fitchburg Railroad at West Cambridge to Lexington, although the "West Cambridge" in the name referred to what is now the town of Arlington. It was operated by the Fitchburg from opening, and leased to the Fitchburg from 1847 to 1859. The line was reorganized as the Lexington and Arlington Railroad in 1868, following the renaming of Arlington. The B&L bought the line in 1870 and built a new connection to their main line at Somerville Junction.
The Middlesex Central Railroad was chartered in 1872 and opened in 1873, extending the line from Lexington to Concord. It was leased from completion to the B&L. An extension west to the Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad at Middlesex Junction was built in 1879.[6]
Billerica and Bedford
The Billerica and Bedford Railroad was built in 1877 as a narrow gauge line between the Middlesex Central at Bedford and the B&L at North Billerica. It was sold and abandoned in 1878, and the rails were taken to Maine for the Sandy River Railroad. A new standard gauge branch was built by the B&L in 1885, mostly on the same right-of-way.[6]
Lowell and Nashua
The Lowell and Nashua Railroad was chartered in 1836 as an extension of the B&L from Lowell north to the New Hampshire state line. The Nashua and Lowell Railroad, chartered in 1835, would continue the line in New Hampshire to Nashua. The two companies merged in 1838 to form a new Nashua and Lowell Railroad, and the road opened later that year. In 1857 the B&L and N&L agreed to operate as one company from 1860, and in 1880 the B&L leased the N&L.
Stony Brook
The Stony Brook Railroad was chartered in 1845 and opened in 1848, connecting the Nashua and Lowell at North Chelmsford with Ayer. The N&L leased the Stony Brook in 1848.
Nashua to Keene
The Wilton Railroad was chartered in 1844. It opened a line from Nashua west to Danforth's Corner in 1848, to Milford in 1850 and to East Wilton in 1851. Since completion it was operated by the N&L.
The Peterborough Railroad was chartered in 1866 to continue the Wilton Railroad northwest to Greenfield, New Hampshire. In 1873 the N&L leased it; the road opened in 1874.
The Manchester and Keene Railroad was chartered in 1864 and opened in 1878, continuing the Peterborough Railroad west from Greenfield to the Connecticut River Railroad in Keene. In 1880 the company went bankrupt, and it was operated by the Connecticut River Railroad until 1882, when it was bought half-and-half by the B&L and the Concord Railroad.
Central Massachusetts Railroad
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was chartered in 1869 to build a line east–west across the middle of the state, between the Boston and Albany Railroad and the Fitchburg Railroad. The first section opened in 1881, splitting from the B&L's Lexington and Arlington Branch at North Cambridge Junction, and the company was reorganized as the Central Massachusetts Railroad in 1883. The B&L leased the line in 1886, a year before the B&M leased the B&L.
Northern Division
The Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad was chartered in 1844, and opened in stages from 1848 to 1853, eventually running from Concord to Woodsville, New Hampshire. That railroad, along with its branches, became part of the B&L Northern Division in 1884, when the B&L leased the BC&M.
The Northern Railroad was also chartered in 1844, opening in 1847 from Concord to Lebanon, New Hampshire, and later extending to White River Junction, Vermont. The B&L leased it in 1884 as another part of its Northern Division.
The only connection between the Southern and Northern divisions was at Hancock Junction, where the Manchester and Keene Railroad (Southern) and Peterborough and Hillsborough Railroad (Northern) met.
In 1889 the BC&M merged with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad, taking it out of B&M control until 1895, when the B&M leased the C&M.
White Mountains Division
The White Mountains Railroad was chartered in 1848 and opened a line from Woodsville to Littleton, New Hampshire, in 1853. Along with extensions and branches, it was leased to the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1859 and consolidated into it in 1872, becoming its White Mountains Division. In 1884 the B&L leased the BC&M and the old White Mountains Railroad became the B&L's White Mountains Division.
The Northern and White Mountains Divisions were connected at Woodsville.
Vermont Division
The Essex County Railroad (chartered 1864), Montpelier and St. Johnsbury Railroad (chartered 1866) and Lamoille Valley Railroad (chartered 1867) were consolidated into the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad in 1875 as their Vermont Division. The line was finished in 1877, and in 1880 it was reorganized as the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad, which was taken over by the B&L as their Vermont Division. The line did not stay in the B&M system, and the easternmost part was leased to the Maine Central Railroad in 1912.
The White Mountains and Vermont Divisions were connected at Scott's Mills, New Hampshire.
Passumpsic Division
The Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad was organized in 1846 and opened a line from White River Junction on the Northern Railroad to the border with Quebec, Canada, in 1867, junctioning the Northern and White Mountains Divisions at Wells River and the Vermont Division at St. Johnsbury. The Massawippi Valley Railway, leased in 1870, continued to Sherbrooke, Quebec, where it junctioned the Grand Trunk Railway among others. The B&L leased the line on January 1, 1887, three months before the B&M acquired the B&L.
Over the next 70 years or so, things were reasonably stable and constant for the Lowell Line as a part of the B&M's Southern Division. Passenger train round trips per day hovered in the low 20s, and while freight from Lowell itself did not last too long, the Lowell line got some traffic from railroads that connected from the west.
In the early 20th century, the economics of railroading began to change. With the advent of the internal combustion engine, trains slowly began to lose their advantage as a transportation option. Automobiles and trucks began to increase in popularity as highways improved, siphoning ridership and freight traffic off railroads. The advent of the Interstate Highway System tipped the economic balance by increasing mobility as factories and offices were now able to be located further away from the fixed routes of the railroads. The decline in both passenger and freight traffic occurred at a point when the B&M, like most other railroads, had just switched over to diesel locomotives, meaning that they had large debts. The pressure from the debts and the large infrastructure costs associated with operating a disparate passenger and freight network amongst declining traffic forced the B&M to cut costs. The most noticeable effect to the general public was the reductions in passenger operation. In the late 1950s, the B&M began to eliminate routes and substituted Multi-Unit diesel-powered passenger cars on many of its routes. The effort did not succeed, as the B&M was bankrupt by 1976.
As its fortunes declined, the B&M shed its passenger operation in 1973 by selling the assets to the MBTA. The new state agency bought the Lowell line, along with the Haverhill and all other commuter operations in the Greater Boston area. Along with the sale, the B&M contracted to run the passenger service on the Lowell line for the MBTA. After bankruptcy, the B&M continued to run and fulfill its commuter rail contract under the protection of the Federal Bankruptcy Court, in the hopes that a reorganization could make it profitable again. It emerged from the court's protection when newly formed Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI) bought it in 1983.
When GTI bought the B&M, commuter rail service was in jeopardy. The MBTA had owned the trains and the tracks since 1973, but it had outsourced the operation to the B&M. When GTI bought the B&M in 1983, it had to honor the B&M contract, but GTI management was very much against passenger rail, and, in 1986, as soon as the contract expired, they let the job go to Amtrak.
From 1986 until 2003, Amtrak managed the entirety of Boston's commuter rail. It did decently, though at times had strained relations with the MBTA. Quibbles centered on equipment failures, numbers of conductors per train, and who took responsibility when trains are late. Because of these bad relations and Amtrak's repeated announcements that the contract was unreasonable, few people were surprised at Amtrak's decision not to bid again for the commuter rail contract when it came up for renewal in 2003.
When the MBTA asked for new bids on the commuter rail operation contract, Amtrak did not bid, but Guilford and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company did. The MBCR ended up getting the contract and began operating the commuter rail in July 2004.
Guilford's main line between Mattawamkeag, Maine, and Mechanicville, New York, now uses the Stony Brook Branch and the old main line north of Lowell. At Lowell, it shifts to the B&M's original Lowell Branch to get to the B&M main line towards Maine.
During the years since B&M's bankruptcy, highway congestion has increased significantly, resulting in growing demand for passenger and freight options. During this time frame, the MBTA has been slowly investing in some infrastructure changes in its rail operations. In 1995, a new North Station was opened. In 2001, it opened the Anderson Regional Transportation Center on the Boston & Lowell to centralize ridership and provide a superstation with convenient access to Interstates 93 and 95 (Route 128). In southern Maine, frustration with bus service drove the state to explore restarting passenger service, resulting in contracting with Amtrak to operate the Downeaster, which runs from North Station to Haverhill and up to Portland. Due to scheduling conflicts with the MBTA, the Downeaster runs up the Lowell Line to Wilmington and then out the old B&M Wildcat Branch to the Haverhill/Reading Line. This route allows the Downeaster to pass a commuter train on the Haverhill/Reading Line without schedule conflicts. The route is also historically significant because it is the same route that the original B&M used to Portland.
Milepost City Station Opened Closed Notes 0.0 Boston North Station 1893 Replaced original terminal on Nashua Street. 0.8 Boston Engine Terminal A flag stop for railroad employees only 0.5 Cambridge East Cambridge By 1846[7] By 1865 Original location at Prison Point Bridge 0.9 By 1865 1927 Closed when North Station approaches were realigned 1.8 Somerville Prospect Hill 1840s 1927 Originally Milk Row; closed when North Station approaches were realigned 2.4 Winter Hill January 1, 1863[8] February 19, 1937[9] 2.8 Somerville Junction By 1850 c. 1946 Formerly Somerville and Taylor's Ledge.[10] Junction with Lexington Branch and Central Massachusetts Branch. 3.6 North Somerville By 1850 May 18, 1958 Formerly Willows Bridge 4.0 Medford Tufts University By 1850
September 15, 1977
May 18, 1958
October 1979
Formerly Stearns Steps, College Hill, and Tufts College 4.6 Medford Hillside By 1850 May 18, 1958 Formerly Medford Steps 5.5 West Medford By 1838 Originally Medford Gates 5.9 Gorham Brooks' By 1846 Early flag stop for Woburn Branch trains[7] 7.3 Winchester Wedgemere By 1850 Previously called Mystic, Bacons Bridge, and Symmes Bridge 7.8 Winchester Center Junction with Woburn Branch. Originally South Woburn. 9.0 Winchester Highlands 1877 June 1978 Originally Winchester Heights 9.8 Woburn Montvale January 1, 1942 Junction with Stoneham Branch; originally East Woburn. 10.5 Walnut Hill January 17, 1965 Originally Woburn and Water Place 10.9 Lechmere Warehouse 1979 1996 11.6 Mishawum September 24, 1984 Originally North Woburn 12.7 Anderson/Woburn April 28, 2001 Former station was South Wilmington 13.9 Wilmington North Woburn Junction Junction with Woburn Loop (never a station) 15.2 Wilmington c. 1836 Junction with Wildcat Branch 17.0 Silver Lake June 27, 1965 19.2 Billerica East Billerica June 27, 1965 Originally Billerica & Tewksbury 21.8 North Billerica Junction with Billerica and Bedford Branch. Originally Billerica Mills. 23.3 Lowell South Lowell 1932[11][12] 24.6 Bleachery June 14, 1959[13] Junction with Lowell and Lawrence Railroad, Lowell Branch (B&M), and Framingham and Lowell Railroad (NYNH&H) 25.3 Lowell Junction with Nashua and Lowell Railroad; formerly called Middlesex Street 26.0 Merrimack Street 1905
Wall & Gray. 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. Map of Massachusetts. USA. New England. Counties - Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex and Norfolk, Boston - Suffolk,Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable and Dukes (Cape Cod). Cities - Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, Salem, Lynn, Taunton, Fall River. New Bedford. These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the extent and names of the rail lines.
Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County Map of Massachusetts Plate 5. Click on the map for a very large image. This map and the 1871 map of Middlesex County shows the original Boston and Lowell Railroad route through Billerica, Wilmington, Woburn, Winchester, and Medford. It also show the slightly later competing track of the Boston and Maine Railroad through Andover, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, and Malden. The Wildcat Branch connector in Wilmington is shown in the 1872 maps but not the 1871 map. Also see detailed map of 1872 Essex County Plate 7.
Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district (PDF)
Railroad History Database
1886 Boston and Lowell Railroad Map
Railways portal
MBTA - The Lowell Line | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 65 | http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/238/238mass328.html | en | Lowell Mayor And Aldermen vs. Boston and Maine Railroad, 238 Mass. 328 | http://masscases.com/favicon.ico | http://masscases.com/favicon.ico | [
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] | null | [] | null | null | Jenney, J. The mayor and aldermen of the city of Lowell present appeals from decrees entered in the Superior Court relating to the decisions of commissioners appointed in that court to decide whether the security and convenience of the public require the abolition of certain crossings at grade in that city, and further, if it is decided that such abolitions ought to be made, to prescribe the manner and limits thereof, to apportion the work and the payment of the actual cost of the alterations.
The petitions were filed on January 26, 1910, under St. 1906, c. 463, Part I, §§ 29 et seq. Commissioners, three in number, were appointed on December 29, 1913, and their reports were ' filed on August 19, 1915. Motions for recommittal were filed on September 14, 1915, in behalf of the petitioners. On September 23, 1920, the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Nashua and Lowell Railroad Corporation, parties respondent to the petitions, moved that the decision of the commissioners be confirmed, their compensation fixed and the petitions dismissed as to all other matters. After hearing, decrees were entered on October 7, 1920, denying the motions for recommittal, confirming the decisions
Page 330
fixing the compensation of the commissioners, and otherwise dismissing the petitions.
One of these petitions relates to the abolition of the crossing at grade of Middlesex Street over the tracks of the Nashua and Lowell Railroad Corporation, the railroad of thdt corporation being operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad as lessee. From the commissioners' report the following facts appear: Middlesex Street is one of the main thoroughfares of Lowell, and the travelling public suffer much inconvenience in the use of the street owing to the obstructions caused by the passage of trains and by the close proximity of the crossing to the Lowell station of the railroad. The crossing is well guarded by gates and brakemen, and so far as appears no accident has occurred at it. Two of the commissioners also reported:
"The respondents offered evidence to show the financial condition of the Boston and Maine Railroad, but the petitioners objected to the admission of the evidence, on the ground that it was collateral and immaterial to the question presented; that the commissioners had not the right to consider the financial condition of the railroad in determining whether or not the security and convenience of the public required the crossing to be abolished. The commissioners, however, ruled otherwise, and admitted the evidence subject to the petitioners' objections, and on the evidence find:
"That the Boston and Maine Railroad has not earned its fixed charges for more than two years; that it has paid no dividends on its common stock since April, 1913; that it has a large floating indebtedness which it is unable at present to pay or provide for; that its credit is seriously impaired and that it has no available funds to provide for the cost of the abolition of the crossing in question."
"The commissioners are of the opinion that upon the facts and under all the circumstances it is not necessary for the security and convenience of the public that said crossing be abolished at the present time, and so find and report to the court. The commissioners were largely influenced in the conclusion to which they have come by the financial condition of the Boston and Maine Railroad."
The third commissioner reported that he could not "concur with the majority of the commission in the admission of evidence
Page 331
as to the financial condition of the respondent Boston and Maine Railroad. If, however, it shall be determined by the court that this evidence was properly admitted, I concur with my associates in the conclusion reached by them. With this exception, I concur with the report."
The other petition is for the abolition of crossings at grade of said railroad corporation at Fletcher Street and Western Avenue in Lowell. As to these, two of the commissioners reported: Western Avenue is largely used for the handling of freight. "It is forty-five feet wide and is crossed at grade by two main tracks and two or more switch or side tracks on which cars are switched to the freight yard or down across Fletcher Street. . . . Fletcher Street into which Western Avenue runs is about forty-two feet wide, has two tracks across it at grade near its over junction with Dutton Street and one electric car on the surface over which many electric cars pass.
"The Fletcher Street crossing is used for freight purposes only, and there is much shifting and passing of cars over it, although so far as practical, most of the shifting is done at night so as not to interfere with travel. There is, however, a good deal of congestion of travel at these crossings, particularly at the Fletcher Street crossing, and much delay and inconvenience to travellers by closing the gates for passing cars, but the crossings are both well protected by gates and flagmen and so far as appeared no accident has ever occurred at either one of them.
"This case was tried with the petition for the abolition of the Middlesex crossing and the evidence admitted of the financial condition of the Boston and Maine Railroad which was admitted against the petitioners' objections and subject to its exception, was considered in reaching the conclusion to which the commissioners have come.
"The commissioners are of the opinion that upon the facts and under all the circumstances, it is not necessary for the security and convenience of the public that either of said crossings be abolished at the present time, and so find and report to the court."
The minority member did not concur in the admission of evidence as to the financial condition of the Boston and Maine Railroad, but reports that, if the evidence was properly admitted, he concurs in the conclusion reached by his associates.
Page 332
While the terms of the lease from the Nashua and Lowell Railroad Corporation to the Boston and Maine Railroad are not before us, the case has been argued and is decided on the basis that under its terms the latter is substantially interested in a financial way in the abolition of these crossings.
The petitioners contend that the commissioners exceeded their authority in considering the financial condition of the Boston and Maine Railroad in determining whether the crossings should be abolished, contending that the test is the necessity of the alterations "for the security and convenience of the public," and that that must be determined wholly apart from the question of the financial condition of the parties who may be required to contribute or their ability to bear the resultant burdens. If this contention is correct, except as provided by St. 1914, c. 722, it applies equally to municipalities where the directors of railroads apply for abolition of grade crossings and the municipalities oppose such action.
All concerned represent public interests, and for that reason are largely subject to public control. The placing of a large expense upon a municipality must ordinarily result in increased taxation, debt or restriction of other municipal activities. In the case of railroad corporations, if the corporation is financially weak it must borrow money  assuming it can do so, issue additional stock  if there is a market therefor, increase its charges for transportation  if it can get the necessary authority, or cut down its expenses or decrease its facilities for serving the public, either or both  if it can do so. If a burden is imposed on a municipality, it must be borne by the part of the public directly or indirectly affected thereby. If the railroad has to pay a large amount, it ultimately falls on a considerable portion of the public, and affects private property which is impressed in a large measure with public control. There may be a practical limit to the fulfilment of the demands of security and convenience of the public. See Commonwealth v. Boston & Northern Street Railway, 212 Mass. 82; Southern Railway v. State, 95 Miss. 657; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway v. Nebraska State Railway Commission, 85 Neb. 818. Ability to respond to financial requirements made necessary by the abolition of a crossing is a proper subject for consideration when the public security and convenience are at issue.
Page 333
Such considerations must be applied in the determination of many problems, home and business; they may be considered in the decision of questions affecting public convenience.
This conclusion is not forbidden by St. 1914, c. 722, § 1, which came into existence during the pendency of the petitions. Assuming that this statute affected the pending proceedings, it provided that after the commissioners had determined that the security and convenience of the public required alterations to be made in a crossing, the benefits to the municipality and its financial ability should be taken into account in fixing the percentage of the cost to be paid. Indeed, this statute recognizes the relevancy of such considerations by directing specific attention to them, and is not inconsistent with the existence of the power before its passage to weigh them whenever they properly affect the ability to perform a duty of a public character.
While the question involved has never been decided by this court, it has been said that evidence of the character considered by the commissioners is relevant in the decision of a somewhat analogous question. In Commonwealth v. Cambridge, 7 Mass. 158, 167, Parsons, C. J., speaking of the laying out of a new way, said: "The way prayed for ought to be of common convenience and necessity. By necessity is not to be understood absolute physical necessity; but so great a public benefit, that the want of the way is a great public inconvenience. Now the town, who have to pay the damages, form a part of the public; and it is but reasonable for the court to compare the extent of the damages to be incurred with the advantage to be received. And certainly although there may be a public advantage, yet it may be very small, and no equivalent for the damages, with which it is purchased." See also Selectmen of Westwood v. Dedham & Franklin Street Railway, 209 Mass. 213, 216; Oregon Railroad & Navigation Co. v. Fairchild, 224 U. S. 510, 528; Seaboard Air Line Railway v. Georgia Railroad Commission, 240 U. S. 324; Erie Railroad v. Public Utility Commissioners, 254 U. S. 394; Woodruff v. New York & New England Railroad, 59 Conn. 63, 93.
The denial of the motions to recommit to the commissioners was within the discretion of the judge. The reports and decisions of the commissioners were filed August 19, 1915, and although the motions for recommittal were filed seasonably, on
Page 334
September 14, 1915, they were not heard until late in 1920. In the meantime one of the commissioners had died and another had become one of the judges of the Superior Court. Under these circumstances it is clear that discretion was wisely exercised in the denial of the motions.
Decrees affirmed. | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 88 | https://www.railroad.net/lexington-ma-t9606.html | en | Lexington, MA | [
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Moderators: MEC407, NHN503 | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 26 | http://wikimapia.org/9983317/Boston-and-Maine-Railroad-Station | en | Boston and Maine Railroad Station | http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/01/22/58/56_big.jpg | http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/01/22/58/56_big.jpg | [
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] | null | [] | null | Boston and Maine Railroad Station This station is the out of use rail station of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads... | en | http://wikimapia.org/9983317/Boston-and-Maine-Railroad-Station | Boston and Maine Railroad Station (Lowell, Massachusetts)
USA / Massachusetts / Lowell / Lowell, Massachusetts
World / USA / Massachusetts / Lowell World / United States / Massachusetts
cinema, interesting place, train station
This station is the out of use rail station of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, 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. The line later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division. This station became a cinema during the mid 20th century, but was out of use and run down by the end of the century. However, Lowell National Historical Park has recently renovated the station.
Middlesex Community College has now acquired the building from the National Park Service and plans to use it as an arts center and theater for the college.
Nearby cities: | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 48 | https://peabodyhistorical.org/2021/08/ticket-to-ride/ | en | Ticket to Ride | [
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"Nora Bigelow"
] | 2021-08-10T16:39:39+00:00 | Peabody’s first train line was built in 1846 by the Essex Railroad, ultimately connecting Salem, Peabody, Danvers and Lawrence. On July 4, 1848, 3,000 people traveled the Peabody to Danvers section of the journey and marveled at the innovation. In 1850, the South Reading Railroad was built and connected Peabody to Boston via South Reading […] | en | Peabody Historical Society | https://peabodyhistorical.org/2021/08/ticket-to-ride/ | Peabody’s first train line was built in 1846 by the Essex Railroad, ultimately connecting Salem, Peabody, Danvers and Lawrence. On July 4, 1848, 3,000 people traveled the Peabody to Danvers section of the journey and marveled at the innovation.
In 1850, the South Reading Railroad was built and connected Peabody to Boston via South Reading (now Wakefield). The Georgetown Railroad was built in 1854, with stops in Newburyport, Georgetown, Topsfield, Danvers and West Peabody, continuing onto Boston via South Reading. West Peabody was also included in the Salem & Lowell Railroad, which traveled west to Tewksbury Junction.
By 1859, the Boston & Maine Railroad, the Boston & Lowell Railroad Corporation and the Eastern Railroad Company all operated lines passing through Peabody.
As you can imagine, with all these different railroad companies vying for business, each company worked to undercut the other and gain the monopoly of their areas.
In the end, all train lines through Peabody would be owned and operated by the Boston & Maine Railroad. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 53 | https://railvermont.org/railroad-operating-companies-in-vermont/ | en | Railroad Operating Companies in Vermont – Vermont Rail Action Network | https://railvermont.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/vran_favicon.ico | https://railvermont.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/vran_favicon.ico | [
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] | null | [] | null | en | https://railvermont.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/vran_favicon.ico | https://railvermont.org/railroad-operating-companies-in-vermont/ | Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M;) / a unit of Pan-Am Railways
Official Pan-Am Web Page: http://www.panamrailways.com/
Pan-Am wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Railways
The B&M; Vermont operation consists of 6.28 miles of track slicing off the corner of Vermont through Pownal on a line that runs between Mechanicville, N.Y., Lowell, Mass., and Maine. In addition, occasional service is still run over the New England Central Railroad as far as White River Junction (this traffic will soon be taken over by the New England Central under a haulage contract). B&M; is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pan Am Railways (PAR), formerly know as Guilford Rail System (GRS), now a part of Pan Am Systems. Actual train operations are by Springfield Terminal, another Pan Am subsidiary.
Canadian National (CN)
CN, Vermont’s only Class I railroad, owns three miles of track in Alburg connecting New England Central Railroad to its through line to Montreal and thereafter Canadian destinations. CN operates a daily train from Montreal as far as St. Albans, VT including trackage rights over the New England Central .
Canadian Pacific (CP)
The Canadian Pacific Railway has operates from the Newport rail yard (connecting with Vermont Rai System’s WACR) through Troy, Vermont into Quebec and re-enters Vermont to serve Richford, the line continuing back into Quebec and points north. CP also connects with Vermont Rail System in Whitehall NY, just west of Rutland.
Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad (CLP)
Part of the Vermont Rail System family, the CLP is a privately-owned and operated railroad with 18 miles of track, seven of which are in New York State. The CLP operates between Rutland and Whitehall, New York, acting as a “bridge line” carrier for commodities from Canadian Pacific Railway moving to and from Vermont Railway and Green Mountain Railroad. GMRC’s “Green Mountain Gateway” to Bellows Falls handles rail freight to and from the New England Central Railroad, Providence and Worcester Railroad Company (www.pwrr.com) and the Mass Central Railroad (www.masscentralrr.com). CLP also hosts Amtrak passenger service between Whitehall, New York and Rutland, and it directly serves Vermont’s largest rail shipper, OMYA, Inc., at Florence by a branch line.
Connecticut River Subdivision of the Washington County Railroad (WACR/CRS)
This railroad operates on a state-owned rail line with a short term lease for local and through service from White River Jct., to the southern limit of the Newport rail yard where it connects with the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic and in White River were it connects with the NECR, the Concord Claremont Railroad, and the Springfield Terminal Railroad.
Green Mountain Railroad (GMRC)
Part of the Vermont Rail System family, this privately-owned railroad operates on a state-owned rail line in a long term lease partnership since 1964 with the State of Vermont. It provides freight services between Rutland and Bellows Falls over 50 miles of track. (Formerly the east-west portion of Rutland Railroad.)
Most traffic is overhead between customers along the Vermont Railway or interchange with the Canadian Pacific Railroad in Whitehall, NY and with the New England Central Railroad in Bellows Falls, VT, which provides haulage services for traffic interchanged with CSX and with their own customers in Massachusetts. Principal commodities are lumber and building products, steel, petroleum products, highway de-icing salt, talc products, calcium carbonate (limestone) products, cement, feed grain, and plastics. GMRC directly serves the Luzenac America, Inc. plant in Ludlow, which ships talc products throughout the United States and Canada.
GMRC started operations in 1965 and pays a percentage of its gross revenues to the state as do other railroad operating companies leasing state-owned rail lines. It provides excursion passenger services between Bellows Falls, Chester and Rutland.
Lamoille Valley
The LVRR historically operated between Swanton and St. Johnsbury. The rail infrastructure has been removed and the right of way has become a multi-use trail with the property railbanked pursuant to federal and Vermont law, similar to the Mississquoi and Beebe Spur Rail Trails.
New England Central Railroad (NECR)
Map and Contact Info
NECR is a wholly owned subsidiary of multi-national railroad holding compay, Genesee & Wyoming.
NECR operates 325 miles from the Canadian border at East Alburg, Vermont to New London, Connecticut on Long Island Sound. Annual carloads handled by the NECR are in excess of 40,000, with a wide variety of products being handled. Much traffic moves through Vermont from the Canadian National to customers in Southern New England. In addition NECR brings Canadian petroleum and gas to Vermont, wood chips to Burlington Electric, grain to a number of Vermont feed distributors and interchange traffic to the Vermont Rail System and Claremont & Concord Railroads. Principal commodities hauled are forest products, paper, primary metal products, agricultural feed and feed ingredients, road salt, chemicals, and petroleum products. It employs approximately 104 people.
The NECR was preceeded by the Central Vermont Railway, which was owned by Canadian National. New England Central took over in 1995.
NECR has nine interchange locations with both Class I and regional connecting carriers as follows: Canadian National at St. Albans, CSX Transportation at Palmer, Massachusetts, Green Mountain Railroad at Bellows Falls, Guilford Rail System and the Washington County Railroad Connecticut River Subdivision at White River Junction, Massachusetts Central Railroad at Palmer, Massachusetts, Providence and Worcester Railroad at New London and Willimantic, Conn. (early 2007), Vermont Railway at Burlington, Washington County Railroad at Montpelier Jct., and Claremont & Concord RR at Claremont Jct., New Hampshire and White River Jct.
Additionally the Bellows Falls interchange with the Green Mountain Railroad serves as a connection to the Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific railroads via a haulage agreement with the Green Mountain Railroad.
In addition to regular line haul moves to direct receivers, and bridge shipments between their connections, NECR also has several distribution and warehouse centers located on the line. These centers, located in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, handle lumber and other forest products, paper and paper products, plastic, steel, and steel products.
NECR has cleared their main line to handle double stack and trilevel automobile rack carriers to intermodal and automobile distribution facilities via its interchange connection with Providence and Worcester Railroad.
The NECR hosts a daily Amtrak service, The Vermonter, which provides passenger service paralleling I-91 and I-89 between St. Albans and New York City.
Pan-Am Railway
(formerly Guilford Transportation; Boston & Maine Railroad)
Official Pan-Am Web Page: http://www.panamrailways.com/
Pan-Am wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Railways
Pan-Am’s Vermont operation consists of 6.28 miles of track slicing off the corner of Vermont through Pownal on a line that runs between Mechanicville, N.Y., Lowell, Mass., and Maine. In addition, occasional service is still run over the New England Central Railroad as far as White River Junction (this traffic will soon be taken over by the New England Central under a haulage contract). Pan Am Railways (PAR), was formerly know as Guilford Rail System and is the succesor to the Boson & Maine Railroad. Actual train operations are by Springfield Terminal, another Pan Am subsidiary.
St. Lawrence & Atlantic (SL&A;)
The St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SL&A;) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., a publicly-traded short line railroad holding company, headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. SL&A; consists of 165 miles of main line track in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Its affiliate, the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (Quebec) Inc., (SLQ), consists of 94 miles of track in Quebec, which connects with SL&A; at Norton, Vermont. SL&A; operates 32 miles from Norton, Vermont, to North Stratford, New Hampshire. It has a freight yard and office in Island Pond, Vermont. It is the only rail line in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine capable of moving hi-cube, double-stacked containers on freight cars the entire length of the railroad. SL&A;’s corporate office is located in Auburn, Maine.
SL&A; interchanges in Norton, Vermont, with SLQ, which interchanges traffic with Canadian National Railway at Richmond, Quebec; in North Stratford, New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Central Railroad; in Groveton, New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Vermont Railroad; and in Danville Junction, Maine, with Pan Am Railway (formerly Guilford Rail System’s Springfield Terminal). Approximately @26,000 annual carloads of SL&A; traffic travel through Vermont, of which approximately @2,060 carloads of traffic originate or terminate in Vermont. Freight handled consists of carload and mixed intermodal shipments of paper, forest products, chemicals, grain, salt and various consumer goods.
SL&A; employs 75; twelve of which are based in Vermont, many of whom live near Island Pond. Presently, there are no passenger operations on the line; however, the potential of passenger service exists between Montreal, Vermont, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine. Part of SL&A;’s rail line between Portland and Auburn, Maine, has been designated as a high-speed corridor for passenger rail, and there is an initiative to extend that to Vermont and on to Montreal.
Springfield Terminal, a unit of Pan-Am Railway
(formerly Guilford Transportation)
Official Pan-Am Web Page: http://www.panamrailways.com/
Pan-Am wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Railways
Springfield Terminal began life as a short electrified branch to Springfield, VT that also operated trolleys. Owned by the Boston & Maine Railroad, it’s role changed after Boston & Maine was purchased by Guilford Transportation who transferred opeating authority for it’s network to Springfield Terminal in order to take advantage of a better labor contract. Guilford Transportation is now known as Pan-Am Railways after the company purchased naming rights from the remains of the airline. Pan-Am’s Vermont operation consists of 6.28 miles of track slicing off the corner of Vermont through Pownal on a line that runs between Mechanicville, N.Y., Lowell, Mass., and Maine. In addition, occasional service is still run over the New England Central Railroad as far as White River Junction (this traffic will soon be taken over by the New England Central under a haulage contract).
Vermont Railway (VTR)
This privately-owned railroad has operated a state-owned rail line in a long term lease partnership with the State of Vermont since 1964. (No. Bennington-Burlington portion of the former Rutland Railroad.) It provides both freight and passenger services along its system route. VTR currently has freight interchanges with Canadian Pacific Railway (via CLP) at Whitehall, New York, offering service to New England Central Railroad at Burlington and Green Mountain Railroad at Rutland.
Commodities handled include calcium carbonate (limestone), petroleum products, feed grains, food products, plastics, lumber and building products, highway de-icing salt, cement, aggregates, talc products, LP gas and fertilizers. The two largest customers are Omya in Florence and Global, the oil terminal in Burlington which supplies the bulk of Northern Vermont’s gasoline and heating oil.
VTR currently operates 127 miles of track within Vermont. It hosts Amtrak passenger service at Rutland and specialty excursion trains throughout the year.
The entire VTR has become known as the “Western Corridor,” also known as ABRBE (for Albany-Bennington-Rutland-Burlington-Essex Jc). The State of Vermont is involved in a process of rebuilding the line to 59mph to allow Amtrak to run to Burlington.
Washington County Railroad (WACR)
Part of the Vermont Rail System, this privately-owned railroad operates a state-owned rail line with a short term lease partnership with the State of Vermont in the Montpelier/Barre area. It currently has freight connections with NECR at Montpelier Junction. Its primary commodity in Barre is granite.. It also operates the Connecticut River Subdivision from White River Jct., to the southern limit of the Newport yard where it connects with the Canadian Pacific and in White River with the NECR, the Concord Claremont Railroad and Springfield Terminal Railroad. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 5 | https://www.britannica.com/technology/railroad/Boston-railroads | en | Railroad - Boston, Expansion, Industry | [
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The first phase of American railroad development, from 1828 until about 1850, most commonly involved connecting two relatively large cities that were fairly close neighbours. New York City and New Haven, Connecticut, Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., or Syracuse, New York, and Rochester, New York, were examples of this phase of eastern railroad development. By 1852 this first phase was followed by six crossings of the Appalachian mountain chain, which were essentially incremental alignments of railroads first proposed to tie neighbouring cities together, and there was a need for a new strategy of routing. What followed was an extension of railroads into the interior of the continent and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 10 | https://www.census.gov/history/www/homepage_archive/2022/september_2022.html | en | U.S. Census Bureau | [
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Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page!
U.S. Census Bureau History: America's First Subway
On September 1, 1897, the first underground subway in the United States opened in Boston, MA. Known as the "Tremont Street Line," the half-mile long route initially connected three underground stations to the city's existing above-ground street railway system. On opening day, more than 100,000 people paid 5 cents to take the 3- to 4-minute journey underneath Boston's streets. Today, subways in the United States and Puerto Rico carry an estimated 2.8 million workers aged 16 and over to work every day.
Rail transit to commute to and from Boston began as early as 1830 when the Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered to provide steam rail service between Lowell and Boston, MA. Dozens of railways were soon establishing routes into Boston from outlying cities and towns. In March 1856, the Cambridge Horse Railroad started horse-drawn streetcar service between Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA—adjacent to Harvard University—and Boston's West End neighborhood. Like the steam railways, the number of streetcar companies plying the streets of Boston and its suburbs multiplied quickly. Horse-drawn trolleys, wagons, and the smelly manure they left behind soon jammed Boston's streets. In response, electric streetcars began replacing horse-drawn trolleys in 1889 and rail companies and the state legislature began planning commuter routes above and below the city's streets.
On March 28, 1895, dignitaries including Massachusetts Governor Frederick T. Greenhalge, broke ground for the nation's first underground subway during a ceremony at the Boston Public Garden. Workers utilized two construction techniques learned from building the subways in London, England, and Paris, France. The first method involved boring a "tube-like" tunnel—the origin of the London subway's "Tube" nickname—through the earth without disturbing traffic or buildings on the surface. A second "cut and cover" technique involved digging trenches, constructing steel beam and concrete tunnel walls with arched brick ceilings, and then filling in the excavation to bury the tunnel underground.
As construction progressed on the Tremont Street Subway, workers discovered they were digging through a forgotten part of Boston's Central Burying Ground. During the subway tunnel's excavation, they unearthed more than 900 graves dating back to the 1750s. Progress slowed again when a broken utility pipe filled the excavated "cut and cover" cavity beneath Boylston and Tremont Streets with gas. On March 4, 1897, a spark from a streetcar passing over the construction site ignited a tremendous explosion. The blast destroyed nearby streetcars, shattered windows for blocks around, injured dozens of pedestrians, and killed eight to ten people [depending on accounts] including: Reverend W.A. Start, who was standing on a nearby sidewalk; streetcar conductors Gilford D. Bigelow and Benjamin R. Sargent; public carriage driver Benjamin Downing and his passenger William L. Vinal; private carriage passenger A. M. Bates; William Mayvour, who was a waiter at the nearby Hotel Thorndike; and cab driver Delano Sibley.
Despite these setbacks, workers completed construction of the Tremont Street Subway early and under budget. In the next decade, New York City, NY (1904), and Philadelphia, PA (1907), , followed Boston's example by moving their rapid transit rail systems underground.
Today, the original 1897 Tremont Street Line remains a vital component of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's subway system. The rapid transit system's "Green Line" carries more than 100,000 commuters through the historic tunnel every day between the Boylston and Government Center stations.
You can learn more about the history of our nation's railroads, rapid transit systems, and commuting patterns using census data and records. For example:
The U.S. Census Bureau first collected detailed statistics on transportation—including steam railroads, steamboat companies, and incorporated express companies—in 1880. With a particular emphasis on railroads, the census incorporated specially-designed questionnaires that asked hundreds of questions to collect data on the railroads' financial and physical characteristics. Data published in the 1883 Report on the Agencies of Transportation in the United States, showed that total railroad track mileage built and completed grew from 39.8 miles in 1830 to 20,198.99 miles in 1855 and reached 87,801.42 miles at the time of the 1880 Census. Total permanent investment for track, equipment, building, land, etc., by railroad companies in the United States was nearly $5.2 billion at the time of the census. Asset and debt data were available for railroads large and small. For example, the giant New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Co., had assets of more than $121.6 million from construction; $19.5 million in equipment; nearly $1.2 million in land; more than $1.7 million in cash; and total liabilities (including stock, loans, dividends, etc.) of $149.4 million. Meanwhile, the tiny North Brookfield Railroad Co., in North Brookfield, MA, had assets of $105,456.79 from constructing its 4.16 mile branch line in 1876, $0 in equipment, $83.38 in cash, and liabilities of $105,615.17.
The 1890 Census expanded coverage of rail transportation by collecting data from cities' rapid-transit facilities, including railways powered by animals, cable, and electricity. The August 23, 1890, Census Bulletin: Transportation—Rapid Transit in Cities reported that the 286 street railroads responding to the census had a total length of 3,150.93 miles. Animals (usually horses) powered more than 74 percent of these railways. In 1890, animal power was used on 2,351.10 miles; electricity on 260.36 miles; cable on 255.87 miles; and steam on 61.79 miles of elevated and 221.81 miles of surface roads. Philadelphia, PA, led the nation for total rail line length with 283.47 miles, followed by Boston, MA, with 200.86 miles, and Chicago, IL, with 181.78 miles.
The Census Bureau conducted its first census of street and electric railways in 1902. Data showed that between 1890 and 1902, the number of street and electric railways grew from 789 to 987. The number of fare passengers grew from 2,023,010,202 in 1890 to 4,774,211,904 in 1902. One of the greatest changes in the 12 years between the 1890 and 1902 railway censuses was the way systems powered their railways. In 1890, animals (usually horses) powered railcars on 4,061.94 line miles while electricity powered 914.25 line miles. By 1902, electricity powered 16,230.62 line miles compared to just 195.21 line miles using animals; 113.93 line miles using cable; and 111.82 line miles using steam. Additional data and historical information about the construction and growth of the nation's street and electric railways are available in the Census Bureau's Street and Electric Railways Part 1 and Part 2.
One drawback of the rapid growth of street and electric railways between 1890 and 1902 was the dangers this traffic posed to pedestrians who were not accustomed to dodging rapidly moving and difficult to stop railcars. In 1902, 1,217 people were killed and 47,429 people were injured in street railway accidents. By comparison, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 239 fatalities in 2021.
Forty years after Boston's Tremont Street subway opened, the Census Bureau conducted the 1937 Census of Street Railways, Trolley-bus, and Motorbus Operations. As automobiles like the Ford Model T became increasingly affordable and the nation's roads improved, the need for street railways declined. In 1917, there were 1,200 in 1922, 706 in 1932. By 1937, the number of railway companies had fallen to 478. Passenger traffic fell from 14.1 billion in 1927 to 9.4 billion, 10 years later. As the number of street railways and passenger traffic decreased, so too did the number of street railway employees. The number of salaried and wage-earning employees decreased by 35.1 percent, from 27,845 in 1927 to 18,068 in 1937.
The 1960 Census was the first to ask respondents about their place of work and how they commuted to their place of employment. These data helped governments better understand commuting patterns to determine road, highway, and transit spending; locate future transit station locations; and target areas for housing or business development, etc. The Census Bureau published its supplementary report Place of Work and Means of Transportation to Work in January 1963. The report showed that about 83 percent of the workers living in the central cities of standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA) of 100,000 or more at the time of the 1960 Census also worked in these central cities; about 9 percent commuted to the outlying suburban ring, while and 2 percent worked outside the area. Transportation to work data showed that New York City, NY, was the only SMSA where more than half of workers (54.8 percent) used public transportation to go to work. Other SMSAs with large percentages of people using public transportation to travel from home to work included Boston, MA (25.1 percent); Jersey City, NJ (39.6 percent); New Orleans, LA (32 percent); Philadelphia, PA (27.5 percent); and Washington, DC (23.7 percent).
Although data about the number of people using carpools to commute to work had been asked in previous censuses, the 1980 Census collected more detailed data about carpools. That year, more than 19 million people carpooled, including 13.3 million in a 2-person carpool; more than 3.3 million in 3-person carpools; 1.4 million in 4-person carpools; and 1 million commuted in 5-or-more-person carpools.
The 1990 Census was first to inquire about workers' usual time leaving their home to go to work. In 1990, 54.8 percent of all workers 16 years and over (61,194,181) left home for work between 6:30 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. In 2020, American Community Survey estimates reported that 24.1 percent of the nation's 142,512,559 workers 16 years and over who did not work from home departed for work sometime after the "traditional" morning rush between 9:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. During the morning hours in 2020, the largest cohort of commuters—14.6 percent—left between 7:00 a.m. and 7:29 a.m.
The 1990 Census was the first to ask about workers' usual time spent traveling to work. Of the 111,664,249 workers 16 years and over who did not work at home in 1990, the majority (19,026,053) had travel times between 15 and 19 minutes to work. Long commutes of 90 minutes or more were usual for 1,763,991 people, while the average travel time for all workers not working at home was 22.4 minutes. Ten years later, the majority of workers not working at home still had commutes of 15 to 19 minutes (19,634,328), but the number of people reporting commutes of more than 90 minutes rose to 3,435,843 and average time to work increased to 25.5 minutes.
In 2000, 75.7 percent of workers 16 years and over drove to work alone; 12.2 percent carpooled; 4.7 percent used public transportation; 2.9 percent walked; and 1.2 percent rode a motorcycle, bicycle, or had another means of transportation to work. More recently, 2020 American Community Survey estimates revealed that nearly 75.4 percent of the nation's 152,193,868 workers 16 year and over drove to work alone; more than 8.8 percent carpooled; about 4.6 percent used public transportation; 2.2 percent walked; and 1.8 percent usually took a taxi, motorcycle, bicycle, or other mode of transportation to work. As the technology has made working from home easier, the number of people 16 years and over reporting they worked from home rose from 3,406,025 in 1990 to 10,940,462 in 2020.
Many villages, towns, and cities in the United States are named for the train stations they grew up around. Along with towns like Railroad, PA, and Railroad, IN, rail-related places include: Lake Station, IN, which was the western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad; Fairfax Station, VA, so named because it was a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad; Johnson Siding, SD, named for the rail siding that ran through the area along the Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad; Cook Station in Crawford County, MO, named after becoming a stop on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway; Laury's Station, PA, named for the town's first station agent and postmaster when the Lehigh Valley Railroad opened a train station in the town previously named "Slate Dam"; Yeehaw Junction, FL, named for the Florida East Coast Railway's Yeehaw Station; and Huntington Station, NY, named for the Long Island Railroad station that opened in the community in 1868.
The Census Bureau's report Commuting by Public Transportation in the United States: 2019 featured data collected from the American Community Survey. Data from the survey's question, "How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK?" showed that 5 percent of workers 16 years and over (7,778,444) used public transportation, including: 3,601,403 taking the bus; 2,935,633 riding the subway or elevated rail; 921,391 boarding long-distance train or commuter rail; and 242,776 commuting by light rail, streetcar, or trolley.
Data from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns series showed that in 2020 there were 674 urban transit systems (NAICS 4851) in the United States. Urban transit systems include establishments primarily engaged in operating local and suburban passenger transit systems such as light rail, subways, streetcars, and buses. These establishments employed 53,911 employees during the pay period that included March 12, 2020.
This Month in Census History
In a report by Census Bureau director James C. Capt on September 12, 1942, the 1940 Census of Housing found that 15 million American homes had a refrigerator; 9.2 million used ice boxes; and more than 9.3 million homes had no type of refrigerating equipment.
By 1950, more than 33.7 million homes had electric- or gas-powered mechanical refrigerators.
In 2011, the Survey of Income and Program Participation showed that 99.2 percent of American households had mechanical refrigeration.
Subway Systems
Boston, MA, opened the first subway in the United States in September 1897, but within a decade, it was surpassed in length and ridership by the New York City Subway—the largest subway system in the United States.
New York City's first subway—the "Manhattan Main Line"—opened on October 27, 1904, and transported riders between city hall and Harlem's 145th Street. After more than a century of growth, New York's 248-mile-long subway system carries 1.7 billion passengers annually.
Subways in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, are the nation's second and third largest systems. In 2019, Washington's 117-mile Metro carried nearly 238 million passengers, while Chicago's 102.8-mile "L" carried more than 218 million.
In Boston, MA, the Tremont Street Tunnel that opened on September 1, 1897, is still used by the region's subway system. In 2019, the 38-mile-long "T" carried more than 152 million passengers.
The newest—and shortest—subway line in the United States can be found in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 10.7-mile Tren Urbano system opened in 2004 and carried more than 5.2 million passengers in 2019.
Worldwide, Shanghai, China, had the longest and busiest subway system in 2019. More than 10.6 million people ride the 499-mile-long Shanghai Metro every weekday!
Did you know?
Alfred Ely Beach designed his "Beach Pneumatic Transit" in the 1860s and secretly constructed it beneath New York City's congested Broadway Avenue in 1869 using a tunneling device of his own invention. On February 26, 1870, Beach began offering rides along the 300 foot long test track.
Despite positive reviews, city politicians were reluctant to approve an expansion of the subway. Financier John Jacob Astor III argued construction would damage buildings and worsen surface traffic. When New York governor John Adams Dix finally signed a bill chartering Beach's pneumatic railway in 1873, the Panic of 1873 and advances in electric motors ended Beach's air-driven railway dreams.
More than 2 decades later, a growing population and gridlocked streets convinced New Yorkers to invest in underground transit. Approved in 1894, the New York City Subway opened its first underground segment on October 27, 1904. On its first day, it carried more than 150,000 people along its 9.1 mile route.
Today, New York's subway is the largest and busiest subway system in the United States.
Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page! | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 12 | https://www.nashuacitystation.org/history/boston-and-maine-corporation/ | en | Boston and Maine Corporation | [
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Main Line - Lowell to Nashville
Wilton Railroad - Nashville to Danforth's Corner
Concord, Manchester and Lawrence Railroad
Concord and Nashua, Manchester and Lawrence - Concord to Nashua, Manchester to Lawrence
Concord Railroad Corporation
Concord and Nashua - Concord to Nashua
Manchester and Lawrence Railroad - Manchester to Lawrence
Manchester and North Weare Railroad - North Weare to Manchester
Portsmouth Railroad - Manchester to Portsmouth
Suncook Valley Railroad - Pittsfield to Hooksett
Fitchburg Railroad Company
Marlboro' Branch Railroad - Marlboro' to South Acton
Peterboro' and Shirley Railroad - Greenville to Ayer Junction
Trunk Road - Boston to Fitchburg
Watertown Branch Railroad - Watertown Junction to Waltham
Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad
Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad - Concord to Wells River
Mount Washington Branch Railroad - Base Mt. Washington to Wing Road
White Mountains N. H. Railroad - Wells River to Groveton Junction
Fitchburg Railroad Company
Boston and North Adams - Boston to North Adams
Marlboro' and Hudson Branch - South Acton to Marlboro'
Peterboro' and Shirley Branch - Ayer Junction to Greenville
Turner's Falls Branch - Greenfield to Turner's Falls
Watertown Branch - Brick Yards to Waltham
Concord Railroad Corporation
Concord and Nashua - Concord to Nashua
Concord and Portsmouth Railroad - Manchester to Portsmouth
Manchester and Lawrence Railroad - Manchester to Lawrence
Manchester and North Weare Railroad - North Weare to Manchester
Suncook Valley Railroad - Pittsfield to Hooksett
Concord Railroad Corporation
Concord and Portsmouth Railroad - Manchester to Portsmouth
Concord Railroad - Concord to Nashua
Manchester and North Weare Railroad - North Weare to Manchester
Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad - Nashua to Concord Junction
Suncook Valley Railroad - Pittsfield to Hooksett
The Concord & Montreal Railroad
Acton Branch - Nashua Junction to Concord Junction
Franklin and Tilton Railroad - Tilton to Franklin Falls
Lake Shore Railroad - Lakeport to Alton Bay
Main Line - Nashua Junction to Wells River, Groveton Junction, and Mt. Washington
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Henniker Junction, Parker to New Boston
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
Portsmouth Branch - Manchester to Portsmouth
Suncook Valley Branch - Suncook to Centre Barnstead
Tilton and Belmont Railroad - Tilton to Belmont
Whitefield and Jefferson Branch - Whitefield Junction to Berlin
Boston and Maine Railroad
Lake Winnipesaukee, Steamer "Mount Washington" - Lake Winnipesaukee
York Harbor and Beach Railroad - Kittery Junction to York Beach
Concord Division
Bristol Branch - Franklin to Bristol
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Franklin and Tilton Branch - Franklin Junction to Tilton
Hillsboro Branch - Contoocook to Peterboro
Main Line - Concord to White River Junction
Connecticut and Passumpsic Division
Ashuelot Branch - South Vernon to Keene
Chicopee Falls Branch - Chicopee Junction to Chicopee Falls
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom Junction to Easthampton
Lake Memphremagog - Lake Memphremagog
Main Line - Springfield to South Vernon, Brattleboro to Windsor, White River Junction to Sherbrooke
Stanstead Branch - Stanstead Junction to Stanstead
Eastern Division
Dover Branch - Portsmouth to Dover
Essex Branch - Hamilton and Wenham to Conomo
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Lawrence Branch - Salem to North Andover
Main Line - Boston to Portland, Conway Junction to Intervale
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Salisbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Saugus Branch - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
Fitchburg Division
Ashburnham Branch - South Ashburnham to Ashburnham
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to White Creek
Cheshire Branch - South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Greenville and Milford Branches - Ayer to Milford, Ayer to Greenville
Main Line - Boston to Troy
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Saratoga and Schuylerville Branches - Mechanicsville to Stillwater, Mechanicsville to Saratoga, Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
Turners Falls Branch - East Deerfield to Turners Falls
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Waltham
Worcester and Peterboro Branches - Worcester to Peterboro
Southern Division
Lawrence Branch - Lowell to Lawrence
Lexington Branch - Somerville Junction to Reformatory
Main Line - Boston to Concord, North Cambridge Junction to Northampton
Manchester and Milford Branch - Grasmere Junction to East Milford
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Henniker Junction, Parker to New Boston
Portsmouth Branch - Manchester to Portsmouth
Salem Branch - Salem Junction to Salem
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Stony Brook Branch - North Chelmsford to Ayer
Suncook Valley Branch - Hooksett to Centre Barnstead
Terminal Division
- Boston area
Western Division
Dover and Lakeport Branch - Dover to Lakeport
Georgetown Branch - Georgetown to Bradford
Kennebunkport Branch - Kennebunk to Kennebunkport
Lowell Branch - Lowell Junction to Lowell
Main Line - Boston to Portland
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - Lawrence to Manchester
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Medford
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Orchard Beach Branch - Old Orchard to Camp Ellis
South Reading Branch - Wakefield Junction to Peabody
West Amesbury Branch - Newton Junction to Merrimac
White Mountains Division
Bethlehem Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Bethlehem
Main Line - Concord to Woodsville and Groveton, Wing Road to Mt. Washington
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
Profile Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Profile House
Tilton and Belmont Branch - Tilton to Belmont
Waumbek Branch - Cherry Mountain to Jefferson
Whitefield and Jefferson Branch - Whitefield Junction to Berlin
Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division
Acton Branch - Concord Junction to Nashua Junction
Keene Branch - Nashua Junction to Keene
Main Line - Worcester to Portland
Boston and Maine Railroad
Connecticut and Passumpsic Division
Ashuelot Branch - Dole Junction to Keene
Chicopee Falls Branch - Chicopee Junction to Chicopee Falls
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Lake Memphremagog, Steamer "Lady of the Lake" - Lake Memphremagog
Main Line - Springfield to Windsor, White River Junction to Sherbrooke
Stanstead Branch - Beebe Junction to Stanstead
Fitchburg Division
Ashburnham Branch - South Ashburnham to Ashburnham
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to White Creek
Greenville and Milford Branches - Ayer to Milford, Ayer to Greenville
Main Line - Boston to Rotterdam Junction, Johnsonville to Troy, South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Saratoga and Schuylerville Branches - Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs, Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
Turners Falls Branch - Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Waltham
Portland Division
Dover and Lakeport Branch - Dover to Lakeport
Dover Branch - Portsmouth to Dover
Essex Branch - Hamilton and Wenham to Conomo
Georgetown Branch - Bradford to Georgetown
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Kennebunkport Branch - Kennebunk to Kennebunkport
Lake Winnipesaukee, Steamer "Mount Washington" - Lake Winnipesaukee
Lawrence Branch - Salem to North Andover
Lowell Branch - Lowell Junction to Wigginville
Main Line via Dover - Boston to Portland
Main Line via Portsmouth - Boston to Portland, Jewett to Intervale
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - Lawrence to Manchester
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Medford
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Orchard Beach Branch - Old Orchard to Camp Ellis
Salisbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Saugus Branch - Everett Junction to West Lynn
South Reading Branch - Wakefield Junction to Peabody
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
West Amesbury Branch - Newton Junction to Merrimac
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
York Harbor and Beach Railroad Company - Kittery Junction to York Beach
Southern Division
Bristol Branch - Franklin to Bristol
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Franklin and Tilton Branch - Franklin Junction to Tilton
Lawrence Branch - Lowell to South Lawrence
Lexington Branch - Somerville Junction to Reformatory
Main Line - Boston to White River Junction, Northampton
Portsmouth Branch - Manchester to Portsmouth
Salem Branch - Tewksbury Junction to Peabody
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Stony Brook Branch - North Chelmsford to Ayer
Suncook Valley Branch - Suncook to Centre Barnstead
Terminal Division
- Boston area
White Mountains Division
Bethlehem Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Bethlehem
Main Line - Concord to Woodsville and Groveton, Wing Road to Mt. Washington
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
Profile Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Profile House
Tilton and Belmont Branch - Tilton to Belmont
Waumbek Branch - Cherry Mountain to Jefferson
Whitefield and Jefferson Branch - Whitefield Junction to Berlin
Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division
Acton Branch - Nashua to Concord Junction
Keene Branch - Nashua to Keene
Main Line - Worcester to Portland
Manchester and Milford Branch - Grasmere Junction to East Milford
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Henniker Junction, Parker to New Boston
Worcester and Hillsboro Branches - Worcester to Contoocook
Boston and Maine Railroad
First Operating District, Berkshire Division
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to White Creek
Main Line - Greenfield to Troy, Johnsonville to Rotterdam Junction
Saratoga and Schuylerville Branches - Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs, Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
Turners Falls Branch - Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls
First Operating District, Fitchburg Division
Ashburnham Branch - South Ashburnham to Ashburnham
Greenville and Milford Branches - Ayer to Milford, Ayer to Greenville
Main Line - Boston to Greenfield, South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Waltham
First Operating District, Portland Division
Amesbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Dover Branch - Portsmouth to Dover
Essex Branch - Hamilton and Wenham to Conomo
Georgetown Branch - Bradford to Georgetown
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Kennebunkport Branch - Kennebunk to Kennebunkport
Lake Winnipesaukee, Steamer "Mount Washington" - Lake Winnipesaukee
Lakeport Branch - Dover to Lakeport
Lawrence Branch - Salem to North Andover
Lowell Branch - Lowell Junction to Wigginville
Main Line via Dover - Boston to Portland
Main Line via Portsmouth - Boston to Portland, Jewett to Intervale
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - Lawrence to Manchester
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Medford
Merrimac Branch - Newton Junction to Merrimac
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Orchard Beach Branch - Old Orchard to Camp Ellis
Saugus Branch - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Somersworth Branch - Rollinsford to Somersworth
South Reading Branch - Wakefield Junction to Peabody
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
York Harbor and Beach Railroad Company - Kittery Junction to York Beach
First Operating District, Southern Division
Bristol Branch - Franklin to Bristol
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Franklin and Tilton Branch - Franklin Junction to Tilton
Lawrence Branch - Lowell to South Lawrence
Lexington Branch - Somerville Junction to Reformatory
Main Line - Boston to White River Junction, Northampton
Portsmouth Branch - Manchester to Portsmouth
Salem Branch - Tewksbury Junction to Peabody
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Stony Brook Branch - North Chelmsford to Ayer
Suncook Valley Branch - Suncook to Centre Barnstead
First Operating District, Terminal Division
- Boston area
First Operating District, Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division
Acton Branch - Nashua to Concord Junction
Keene Branch - Nashua to Keene
Main Line - Worcester to Portland
Manchester and Milford Branch - Grasmere Junction to East Milford
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Henniker Junction, Parker to New Boston
Worcester and Hillsboro Branch - Worcester to Contoocook
Second Operating District, Connecticut and Passumpsic Division
Ashuelot Branch - Dole Junction to Keene
Chicopee Falls Branch - Chicopee Junction to Chicopee Falls
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Main Line (Springfield and Windsor) - Springfield to Windsor
Main Line (White River Junction and Sherbrooke) - White River Junction to Sherbrooke
Stanstead Branch - Beebe Junction to Stanstead
Second Operating District, White Mountains Division
Bethlehem Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Bethlehem
Main Line - Concord to Woodsville and Groveton, Wing Road to Mt. Washington
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
Profile Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Profile House
Tilton and Belmont Branch - Tilton to Belmont
Waumbek Branch - Cherry Mountain to Jefferson
Whitefield and Jefferson Branch - Whitefield Junction to Berlin
Boston and Maine Railroad
First Operating District, Berkshire Division
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to White Creek
Main Line - Greenfield to Troy, Johnsonville to Rotterdam Junction
Saratoga and Schuylerville Branches - Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs, Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
First Operating District, Fitchburg Division
Ashburnham Branch - South Ashburnham to Ashburnham
Greenville and Milford Branches - Ayer to Milford, Ayer to Greenville
Main Line - Boston to Greenfield, South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Turners Falls Branch - Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Waltham
First Operating District, Portland Division
Amesbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Dover Branch - Portsmouth to Dover
Essex Branch - Hamilton and Wenham to Conomo
Georgetown Branch - Bradford to Georgetown
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Kennebunkport Branch - Kennebunk to Kennebunkport
Lakeport Branch - Dover to Lakeport
Lawrence Branch - Salem to North Andover
Lowell Branch - Lowell Junction to Wigginville
Main Line via Dover - Boston to Portland
Main Line via Portsmouth - Boston to Portland, Jewett to Intervale
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - Lawrence to Manchester
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Medford
Merrimac Branch - Newton Junction to Merrimac
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Orchard Beach Branch - Old Orchard to Camp Ellis
Saugus Branch - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Somersworth Branch - Rollinsford to Somersworth
South Reading Branch - Wakefield Junction to Peabody
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
York Harbor and Beach Railroad Company - Kittery Junction to York Beach
First Operating District, Southern Division
Bristol Branch - Franklin to Bristol
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Franklin and Tilton Branch - Franklin Junction to Tilton
Lawrence Branch - Lowell to South Lawrence
Lexington Branch - Somerville Junction to Reformatory
Main Line - Boston to White River Junction, Northampton
Portsmouth Branch - Manchester to Portsmouth
Salem Branch - Tewksbury Junction to Peabody
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Stony Brook Branch - North Chelmsford to Ayer
Suncook Valley Branch - Suncook to Centre Barnstead
First Operating District, Terminal Division
- Boston area
First Operating District, Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division
Acton Branch - Nashua to Concord Junction
Keene Branch - Nashua to Keene
Main Line - Worcester to Portland
Manchester and Milford Branch - Grasmere Junction to East Milford
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Henniker Junction, Parker to New Boston
Worcester and Hillsboro Branch - Worcester to Contoocook
Second Operating District, Connecticut River Division
Ashuelot Branch - Dole Junction to Keene
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Main Line - Springfield to Windsor
Second Operating District, Passumpsic Division
Main Line - White River Junction to Sherbrooke
Stanstead Branch - Beebe Junction to Stanstead
Second Operating District, White Mountains Division
Bethlehem Branch - Bethlehem Junction to Bethlehem
Main Line - Concord to Woodsville and Groveton, Wing Road to Mt. Washington
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
Tilton and Belmont Branch - Tilton to Belmont
Whitefield and Jefferson Branch - Whitefield Junction to Berlin
Boston and Maine Railroad
Fitchburg and Southern Divisions
Worcester and Contoocook Branch - Worcester to Contoocook
Fitchburg Division
Ashuelot Branch - Dole Junction to Keene
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to North Bennington
Cheshire Branch - South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Greenville Branch - Greenville to Ayer
Johnsonville and Rotterdam Junction - Johnsonville to Rotterdam Junction
Milford Branch - Milford to Squannacook Junction
Saratoga Branch - Mechanicville to Saratoga Springs
Schuylerville Branch - Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
Springfield and Windsor - Springfield to Windsor
Portland Division
Amesbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Conway Branch - Jewett to Intervale
Dover Branch - Portsmouth to Dover
Essex Branch - Hamilton & Wenham to Essex
Georgetown Branch - Haverhill to Georgetown
Lakeport Branch - Dover to Lakeport
Machine Shop Branch - North Andover to Machine Shop
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - South Lawrence to Manchester
Merrimac Branch - Newton Junction to Merrimac
Nashua and Portland Terminal Limit - Nashua Union Station to Portland Terminal Limit
Navy Yard Branch - Portsmouth to Kittery Navy Yard
Portsmouth Branch - Portsmouth to Manchester
Somersworth Branch - Rollinsford to Somersworth
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
Worcester-Ayer-Nashua-Lowell and Lowell Junction - Worcester to Nashua, Ayer to Lowell Junction
Southern Division
Bristol Branch - Franklin to Bristol
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Concord and Wells River - Concord to Wells River
Concord and White River Junction - Concord to White River Junction
Franklin and Tilton Branch - Franklin Junction to Tilton
Groveton Branch - Whitefield Junction to Groveton
Keene Branch - Nashua to Keene
Mount Washington Branch - Wing Road to Base
North Weare Branch - Henniker Junction to Manchester
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
White River Junction and Berlin - White River Junction to Berlin
Terminal and Fitchburg Divisions
Boston and Troy - Boston to Troy
Central Massachusetts Branch - Boston to Northampton
Terminal and Portland Divisions
Boston and Portland (Eastern Route) - Boston to Portland
Boston and Portland (Western Route) - Boston to Portland
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Terminal and Southern Divisions
Boston and Concord - Boston to Concord
Terminal Division
Danvers Branch - Salem to Danvers
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Lexington Branch - West Cambridge to Reformatory Station
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Medford
Salem Branch - Salem to Wilmington Junction
Saugus Branch - East Somerville to Lynn
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
Watertown Branch - Boston to Waltham
Wilmington Junction Branch - Wilmington Junction to Wilmington
Boston and Maine Railroad
Concord Electric Railways
Concord and Manchester - Concord to Manchester
Concord and Penacook - Hospital South End to Contoocook Park
Boston and Maine Railroad
Fitchburg and New Hampshire Divisions
Worcester and Contoocook Branch - Worcester to Contoocook
Fitchburg Division
Ashuelot Branch - Dole Junction to Keene
Bennington Branch - Hoosick Junction to North Bennington
Cheshire Branch - South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Easthampton Branch - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Greenville Branch - Greenville to Ayer
Johnsonville and Rotterdam Junction - Johnsonville to Rotterdam Junction
Milford Branch - Pepperell to Squannacook Junction
Saratoga Branch - East Saratoga Junction to Saratoga Springs
Schuylerville Branch - Schuyler Junction to Schuylerville
Springfield and White River Junction - Springfield to White River Junction
New Hampshire Division
Claremont Branch - Concord to Claremont Junction
Concord and Wells River - Concord to Wells River
Concord and White River Junction - Concord to White River Junction
Groveton Branch - Hazen to Groveton
Keene Branch - Nashua to Elmwood
North Weare Branch - Manchester to Goffstown
Pemigewasset Valley Branch - Plymouth to Lincoln
White River Junction and Berlin - White River Junction to Berlin
Portland Division
Amesbury Branch - Salisbury to Amesbury
Conway Branch - Jewett to Intervale
Essex Branch - Hamilton & Wenham to Essex
Georgetown Branch - Haverhill to Georgetown
Lakeport Branch - Dover to Alton
Manchester and Lawrence Branch - Lawrence to Manchester
Nashua and Portland Terminal Limit - Nashua to Portland Terminal Limit
Portsmouth Branch - Portsmouth to Manchester
Somersworth Branch - Rollinsford to Somersworth
Wolfeboro Branch - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
Worcester-Ayer-Nashua-Lowell and Lowell Junction - Worcester to Nashua, Ayer to Lowell Junction
Terminal and Fitchburg Divisions
Boston and Troy - Boston to Troy
Central Massachusetts Branch - West Cambridge to Northampton
Terminal and New Hampshire Divisions
Boston and Concord - Boston to Concord
Terminal and Portland Divisions
Boston and Portland (Eastern Route) - Boston to Portland
Boston and Portland (Western Route) - Boston to Portland
Terminal Division
Danvers Branch - Salem to Danvers
Gloucester Branch - Beverly to Rockport
Lexington Branch - Fens to Concord
Marblehead Branch - Salem to Marblehead
Marlboro Branch - South Acton to Marlboro
Medford Branch - Medford Junction to Park Street
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Newburyport
Salem Branch - Salem to South Middleton
Saugus Branch - East Somerville to Lynn
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Swampscott Branch - Swampscott to Marblehead
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Waltham
Wilmington Junction Branch - Wilmington Junction to Wilmington
Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Fitchburg Divisions
Boston and Fitchburg - Boston to Fitchburg
Boston Division
Beverly Junction and Rockport - Beverly Junction to Rockport
Bemis and Waltham - Bemis to Waltham
Boston and Haverhill - Boston to Haverhill
Boston and Portsmouth - Boston to Portsmouth
Boston and Reading - Boston to Reading
Castle Hill and Forest River - Castle Hill to Forest River
Clematis Brook and Marlboro - Clematis Brook to Marlboro
Concord and Meredith - Concord to Meredith
Emery and Manchester - Emery to Manchester
Everett Junction and West Lynn - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Gleason Junction and Berlin - Gleason Junction to Berlin
Gonic and Farmington - Gonic to Farmington
Haverhill and Portland Terminal Tower One - Haverhill to Portland
Lawrence and Manchester - Lawrence to Manchester
Lowell and White River Junction - Lowell to White River Junction
Manchester and Goffstown - Manchester to Goffstown
Medford Junction and Park Square - Medford Junction to Park Street
Meredith and Lincoln - Meredith to Lincoln
Montvale and Stoneham - Montvale to Stoneham
Nashua and Hillsboro - Nashua to Hillsboro
North Billerica and Billerica - North Billerica to Billerica
Reading and Wilmington Junction - Reading to Wilmington Junction
Rollinsford and Intervale - Rollinsford to Intervale
Salem-Danvers, Peabody and South Middleton - Salem to South Middleton and Danvers
Salisbury and Amesbury - Salisbury to Amesbury
Sanbornville and Wolfeboro - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
South Acton and Maynard - South Acton to Maynard
Wakefield Junction and Topsfield - Wakefield Junction to Topsfield
West Cambridge and Bedford - West Cambridge to Bedford
West Cambridge and West Watertown - West Cambridge to West Watertown
Wilmington and Lowell - Wilmington to Lowell
Winchester and Woburn - Winchester to Woburn
Worcester and Lowell Junction - South Worcester to Lowell Junction
Fitchburg Division
Ayer and Greenville - Ayer to Greenville
Ayer and Hollis - Ayer to Hollis
Barber and Heywood - Barber to Heywood
Dole Junction-Keene - Dole Junction to Keene
Fitchburg and Rotterdam Junction - Fitchburg to Rotterdam Junction
Hoosick Junction and White Creek - Hoosick Junction to White Creek
Johnsonville and Troy - Johnsonville to Troy
Mount Tom and Easthampton - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Northampton and Wheelwright - Northampton to Wheelwright
South Ashburnham and Bellows Falls - South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Springfield and White River Junction - Springfield to White River Junction
Waumbek Junction-Groveton - Waumbek Junction to Groveton
Wells River and Berlin - Wells River to Berlin
White River Junction and Wells River - White River Junction to Wells River
Winchendon and Peterboro - Winchendon to Peterboro
Woodsville and Blackmount - Woodsville to Blackmount
Boston and Maine Corporation
Boston Division
Bemis and Waltham - Bemis to Waltham
Beverly Junction and Rockport - Beverly Junction to Rockport
Boston and Ayer - Boston to Ayer
Boston and Ipswich - Boston to Ipswich
Boston and Lowell - Boston to Lowell
Boston and Reading - Boston to Reading
Castle Hill and Forest River - Castle Hill to Forest River
Clematis Brook and Marlboro - Clematis Brook to Marlboro
Concord and Lincoln - Concord to Lincoln
Concord and White River Junction - Concord to White River Junction
Emery and Manchester - Emery to Manchester
Epping and Fremont - Epping to Fremont
Everett Junction and West Lynn - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Gleason Junction-Berlin - Gleason Junction to Berlin
Gonic and Farmington - Gonic to Farmington
Ipswich and Portsmouth - Ipswich to Portsmouth
Lawrence and Manchester - Lawrence to Manchester
Lowell and Concord - Lowell to Concord
Manchester and Goffstown - Manchester to Goffstown
Medford Junction and Park Street - Medford Junction to Park Street
Montvale and Stoneham - Montvale to Stoneham
Nashua and Hillsboro - Nashua to Hillsboro
Newton Junction and Merrimac - Newton Junction to Merrimac
North Billerica and Billerica - North Billerica to Billerica
Peabody and South Peabody - Peabody to South Peabody
Reading and Wilmington Junction - Reading to Wilmington Junction
Rollinsford and Intervale - Rollinsford to Intervale
Salem-Danvers, Peabody and South Middleton - Salem to South Middleton and Danvers
Salisbury and Amesbury - Salisbury to Amesbury
Sanbornville and Wolfeboro - Sanbornville to Wolfeboro
Somerville Junction and Hill Crossing - Somerville Junction to Hill Crossing
South Acton and Maynard - South Acton to Maynard
Tilton and Franklin Falls - Tilton to Franklin Falls
Wakefield Junction and Topsfield - Wakefield Junction to Topsfield
West Cambridge and Bedford - West Cambridge to Bedford
West Cambridge and West Watertown - West Cambridge to West Watertown
Wilmington and Portland Terminal Tower One - Wilmington to Portland Terminal Tower One
Winchester and Woburn - Winchester to Woburn
Worcester and Lowell Junction - South Worcester to Lowell Junction
Fitchburg Division
Ayer and Greenville - Ayer to Greenville
Ayer and Hollis - Ayer to Hollis
Ayer and Mechanicville - Ayer to Mechanicville
Barber and Gardner - Barber to Gardner
Dole Junction-Keene - Dole Junction to Keene
East Deerfield and Turners Falls - East Deerfield to Turners Falls
Hoosick Junction and North Bennington - Hoosick Junction to North Bennington
Johnsonville and Troy - Johnsonville to Troy
Mount Tom and Easthampton - Mount Tom to Easthampton
Northampton and Wheelwright - Northampton to Wheelwright
South Ashburnham and Bellows Falls - South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls
Springfield and White River Junction - Springfield to White River Junction
Waumbeck Junction-Groveton - Waumbeck Junction to Groveton
Wells River and Berlin - Wells River to Berlin
White River Junction and Wells River - White River Junction to Wells River
Winchendon and Peterboro - Winchendon to Peterboro
Woodsville and Blackmount - Woodsville to Blackmount
Boston and Maine Corporation
Adams Branch - North Adams to Pittsfield
Avon Branch - Ville to Avon
Bemis Branch - Waltham to Bemis
Billerica Branch - North Billerica to Billerica
Canaan Branch - Pittsfield to Canaan
Canal Branch - Canal to Webster Street
Central Mass Branch - Clematis Brook to Waltham North
Chicopee Falls Branch - Chicopee to Chicopee Falls
Conn River Main Line - Springfield to Berlin
Conway Branch - Rollinsford to Mount Whittier
Danvers Branch - Salem to Danvers
East Deerfield Loop - Deerfield Junction to East Deerfield West
East Manchester Branch - Manchester to East Manchester
Eastern Route Main Line - Boston to Newburyport
Fitchburg Route Main Line - Boston to CPF-WL
Freight Main Line - CP1 to Rotterdam Junction
Gloucester Branch - Beverly Junction to Rockport
Greenville Branch - Ayer to Townsend
Groveton Branch - Waumbek Junction to Groveton
Hampton Branch - Emery to Salisbury
Hazardville Branch - Springfield to Hazardville
Hillsboro Branch - Nashua to Bennington
Lexington Branch - West Cambridge to Bedford
M and L Branch - Andover Street to Manchester
Medford Branch - Wellington to Park Street
Monadnock Branch - South Ashburnham to Jaffrey
New Hampshire Main Line - Boston to Lowell
Newburyport Branch - Wakefield Junction to Topsfield
Newington Branch - Portsmouth to Newington
Northern Main Line - North Chelmsford to White River Junction
Portsmouth Branch - Rockingham Junction to Emery
Saugus Branch - Everett Junction to West Lynn
Stoneham Branch - Montvale to Stoneham
Terryville Branch - Berlin to Waterbury
Torrington Branch - Highland Junction to Torrington
Watertown Branch - West Cambridge to Union Market
Western Route Main Line - Boston to Lowell Junction
Wildcat Branch - Wilmington to Wilmington Junction
Worcester Main Line - Viaduct to Ayer | |||||||
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Malvern Hill, southeast of Richmond VA
“Faugh a Ballagh!” (Clear the Way!) the Irishmen of the 69th Regiment cried as they charged downhill into the teeth of the enemy assault.
The previous days had seen a lot of fighting across the Virginia Peninsula, as the Union Army attempted to reach Richmond and force an early end to the war. Alas, General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia held their own, pushing them back to the banks of the James River. Malvern Hill - a small rise southeast of the Confederate capital, became their last stronghold during the campaign; should they lose it, the entire army would be at risk of folding entirely.
Throughout the day, the Union had held their own against numerous Confederate attacks. But as the sun started to set over the horizon, the rebels still refused to quit the field and began weakening the Union lines. A pivotal moment was upon them all: should their lines break at any point, it could spell ruin for the Union.
---------------
The 69th NY Regiment was formed as a volunteer militia during the 1850’s in Manhattan by young Irish immigrants who had just arrived in the United States. Some fled the famine, some came in search of opportunity, while others were freedom fighters on the run from the United Kingdom, but they all had one thing in common: their heritage.
When the Civil War kicked off in 1861, the 69th NY Regiment was called upon, and the Irishmen answered: they mustered into service and marched out of New York City for Washington DC to join the Union’s newly formed Army of the Potomac.
Their first action came at the First Battle of Bull Run (Virginia). While the battle was a decisive loss for the Union - one of many in the early years of the Civil War - the 69th was one of the few regiments which held their composure during the fight, even stepping up to cover the rear of the Union army as they retreated in defeat. The 69th did not emerge unscathed, however, suffering over 150 casualties, including their commanding officer - Colonel Michael Corcoran - who was wounded on the field of battle and subsequently captured by the Confederates.
Thus, following Bull Run, command of the 69th fell to Thomas Francis Meagher.
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Meagher (pronounced “Mar”) had already become somewhat of a celebrity among the Irish in America, having been a leader of the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848; an effort to win Ireland’s independence from the United Kingdom. When that effort failed, he was arrested by the British, and found guilty of treason.
It’s no secret that the past 3 years have been a challenge for our industry: uncertainty, shortages, increases in costs across the board, etc. We know you’ve seen a lot of the same in your daily lives. While Able Ebenezer has not been immune to these challenges, I am proud to say we are holding our own and staying in the fight.
With that, I wanted to give everyone a quick recap of this past year, and lay out our strategy for 2023, with a “call to action” covering how you - our loyal customers - can support the effort.
2022: HOLDING THE LINE
A year ago, it became clear that the cost increases we endured over the previous 2 years were not going to be temporary, and we needed to take steps to remain sustainable. At that time, the cost of everything from grain, hops, cans, case boxes, CO2, natural gas, electricity and more - along with the cost to ship them all to Merrimack - had gone up over double-digits in terms of percentage, and it was not looking like that trend would ease in 2022.
Thus, we executed our first price increase in the history of Able (going on 8 years at the time), adding a dollar to the cost of pints at the bar, from $5 to $6 (we still eat the tax), and increased our wholesale case pricing ~10%. This helped keep our margins relatively healthy, as we embarked on a year with the focus of “holding what we’ve got:” maintain our current Distro territory and Taproom traffic, and be prepared to adjust should uncertainty appear once again.
Uncertainty did reappear: CO2 prices increased twice, with deliveries becoming sporadic as the supply began to run short (it’s still short; shout out to Matheson for keeping us going though). Fuel for our Distro vehicles - which we run daily - obviously increased, and energy costs for the brewery spiked once again at the end of summer.
Getting on my soapbox for a minute: To top it off (or add insult to injury), the regulatory environment in NH shifted over the summer, with new legislation officially forcing our home delivery service - Distro Direct, later BringtheBeers.com - to cease operations. This one likely hurt the most as home delivery, something we created out of the shutdowns in March 2020 to stay in the game, kept our team together and Able going during that volatile time.
But, as we learned in the military, you focus on what you can control and channel all of your effort towards staying in the fight, regardless of the challenges. After all, we didn’t cry and tap out when the shutdowns came, and we weren’t going to do so when we received that call from the state.
Take the L, pick yourself back up, and drive on.
And that’s what we did: we finished 2022 having held *most* of what we had at the start of the year. Uncertainty still lingers, but we held together.
The question going into the end of the 2022 became what the focus in 2023 would be, given everything that had happened during the year. Would we stay the course and hold what we had? Should we dial back in an attempt to reduce costs, or increase prices again to make our margins healthy again and hope the market will bear it?
We’re not pursuing any of the above; instead, we’re expanding our operations in 2023.
2023: LFG
“Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity.”
-General Carl Von Clausewitz
Right before the New Year, we received a call from Hannaford; they wanted us to expand our distribution to their stores…by a lot.
Some background: We started with Hannaford at the end of 2018, serving just 6 stores in the towns around Merrimack. A year later, our sales performance encouraged them to expand our presence to 10 stores (big shout out to y’all!). We’ve served those 10 stores consistently since then, throughout the recent years of uncertainty. In 2023, however, they wanted us to take on 17 new stores (!!) across the state, with the goal of pushing into the remaining 9 at some point in the next year.
Boom. Go Time.
Note: I really want to take a moment to thank both Hannaford and Whole Foods (who we’ve been doing business with since 2015) for being the only grocery chains willing to work with small, local, self-distributing breweries like Able. It really means the world to us, especially since we’re only maintaining 2 out of hundreds of SKUs on their shelves, and they could easily simplify by just having the large distributors fill those slots.
Our Distro Team adjusted their rhythm to enable us to get hands on all of these stores, while also continuing to service our current partners in the market, and started making the first deliveries this past week. In the coming weeks, as shelf plans are finalized, our core brands “Burn the Ships” and “Victory nor Defeat” will have a locked-in presence at 27 of the 36 Hannaford stores in NH, spanning from West Lebanon to Portsmouth, Nashua to Meredith.
This expansion is what triggered our shift from “holding what we’ve got” in 2022 to “let’s f*cking go” in 2023.
As stated up front, the challenges of recent years have impacted all brewers, and the hospitality industry in general. Many reacted similarly as well, by increasing their prices. They are also adjusting in a manner we didn’t anticipate: reducing the number of SKUs they send out to the market and placing focus back on core brands instead of maintaining a wide variety. This is a solid way to simplify an operation on many fronts, as well as streamline & reduce overall costs, since maintaining a variety of new and rotating products typically comes with higher costs. What this shift has caused in the market is less SKUs available to fill shelves and draft lines, both of which have expanded significantly over the past decade to keep up with the boom of craft beer. Now, with less products available to stock, those shelves and lines are at risk of being underserved, hence the call from Hannaford to expand.
Able has been unique in that we’ve never really leaned on a wide variety of brands to keep y’all interested. Instead, while we always have fun occasionally developing new beers and rotating through our old favorites, our operation has always been focused on our core brands: “Burn the Ships” and “Victory nor Defeat;” the most solid, consistent, proven and loved of our beers.
This presents an opportunity for Able: we can expand the presence of our core brands by simply occupying vacant space across the state, without the need to dial back the rhythm of our rotating & experimental brands. This in turn increases “Burn The Ships” and “Victory Nor Defeat” production, simplifying and streamlining our overall raw materials, which in turn reduces costs.
So, we decided we don’t need to increase our prices again at this time; by simply increasing the raw material purchases, production and sell-through rate of our core brands, we should be able to keep our margins healthy enough for Able to be both sustainable and grow.
Thus, our 2023 strategy is centered around the following mission:
Increase the presence of “Burn The Ships” & “Victory Nor Defeat” across our expanded Area of Operations in order to secure Able’s place as a solid, reliable and true state-wide brand.
I remember taking this photo just before midnight; I had gotten up to piss and walking back to my seat - as we’ve all done so many times over the years - I was hit with emotion at the sight of our bar, completely empty. I felt alone, lost, helpless. But it’s in those moments we need to face our fears head on, and go on the attack. What I wrote that night was meant to keep me in the fight as much as it was for anyone else.
I remember not knowing what to do, and running the numbers on how long we might be able to keep going before having to make sacrifices. I also remember throwing the numbers aside, and deciding that failure - at any level - was not an option.
I’ve done a lot of reflecting this week - looking back at all the challenges our team faced to make it here - and being reminded of this post made me want to share some of it with you, since you all are a big part of it all. Re-reading what I wrote to you all back in May, this statement still accurately sums up my feelings today:
“I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of a team of people who rally, rather than run, in the face of a crisis.”
We had every reason to fold a year ago; to give up, go home, and wait for help to come. But this team didn’t; everyone showed up the next day, ready to help build whatever was needed to keep Able going.
It was tough because, in reality, we had no idea what to do. In figuring out how to survive, we realized we had to find a way to repurpose everyone’s job functions & skill sets:
For a company with only 8 employees (at the time), we have a very diverse operation here at Able: brewers, packaging, bar staff, sales and distribution; we do it all in-house. We lost the functionality of our bar and most of our sales/distro network overnight as restaurants & bars were forced to close. In theory, from a business perspective, the first move to make would be cutting the staff of both to reduce costs and hope to survive the next “three weeks” until things go back to “normal.”
The problem with that approach is it’s not a solution; it’s a bandage. Eventually, we would have to reduce brewing staff because we wouldn’t be brewing as much without an active sales effort. After enough time, we would cease to be a brewery.
So, instead, we went on the offensive. We accepted, up front, that there would be no “going back to normal.” To think otherwise was just fooling ourselves.
"Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity."
-General Carl von Clausewitz
As I mentioned above, we have a very diverse operation with a lot of moving parts. While this can complicate how to find and implement a solution, it also grants our operation independence: we have our own canning line, delivery vehicles, drivers & salespeople; we maintain our own inventory on-site, have complete control over our production rhythm, and have systems & processes in place to manage & sync everything. We had 6 years of experience building this independence, and this independence would be what would keep us together.
As most of you know, we decided the best way to pivot the company would be bringing beers directly to customer’s doors; a service we named Able Direct. In retrospect, it was the obvious strategy: we were already delivering beer in bulk to restaurants & retailers daily; all we had to do was adjust our order punching & invoicing system, add ecommerce to the website, then reconfigure loadouts in the vehicles for the smaller quantities. Putting it together was a big team effort, and looking back, we had fun doing it. I remember the last thing I did before launching the site, within days of being shut down, was add the Bruins/Patriots “fog horn” sound file to our new Dispatch desk computer so it would play every time a new order came in.
Then, suddenly, it took off.
I’m not exaggerating: within days we delivered over 100 orders to people’s doors. Within a month, we were well over 1000. The “fog horn” started to become a bit much, but we embraced it (it still plays in the Distro office, btw). By the end of March, we were struggling to keep up with the demand. Our drivers were here 7-days/week from morning until the last window closed at 6pm. Our Bar Staff became dispatchers, supporting the workload of our drivers by organizing routes, packing cases & maintaining the website. Note: looking back, having dispatchers was critical; delivering 4-packs to homes eats into our overall margin, and they ensured the efficiency of our work.
It’s crazy to say, but April & May 2020 are the two best sales months in Able’s history, no joke. None of our employees were laid off, no one took a pay cut, and we didn’t (and still don’t) qualify for any of the grant money issued by the govt. At the end of May, our team donated $2500 to the restaurant industry’s employee relief fund. What a stellar fucking team effort.
So yes, I’m stupid proud of this team. Nicole, Dan, Chris, Brendan, Mandy, Jim & Mike are absolute rockstars.
And this team is still going: We’re still delivering beer to your doors every day. We’ve created 2 new jobs, upgraded our ordering website (to bringthebeers.com!), invested in software to automate routing & ETA notifications (which allowed our bar staff to retire from Dispatch & reopen the bar), expanded our delivery radius, and - most importantly - we’re still having fun.
But my favorite aspect to think back on from this year has been our community; all of you. You made Able Direct a source of positivity in a very negative time, and it was contagious. You not only believed in us, tried Direct for the first time, and helped spread the word - you went out of your way to add to the positive vibes:
Corey & Trinley volunteered to be the first to test out our online ordering (and thank goodness, cause it needed help). Chef Paul brought us lunch, just about daily, from his commercial kitchen. Jordan hooked us up with free radio ads for 3 weeks to help promote Direct. Dalton & Derek kept making us fried chicken sandwiches in the loading dock at the end of long days. Eric bought cases of beer out of the tap room, then drove around giving out beer & bbq to small businesses in town. Alli ordered beer to her friends houses via Direct, and - when we ran out of friends to send beer to - ordered a case delivered to her local police department (not gonna say which, but yes they accepted it). A local business had ordered cases for a “goodbye party” on the day they had to lay everyone off, then ordered again weeks later to celebrate their ability to bring everyone back (cried a happy tear when that one came in).
There’s honestly too many of these stories to tell; I wish I could fit them all here. Just know that everything you all have contributed to the cause has not gone unnoticed, and is appreciated more than words can convey.
A year ago, we - once again - burned our ships & ventured forward into the unknown, knowing we possessed the determination to make it to the other side with a ‘W’.
Thank you for joining us on the journey; we would not have made it without you, and couldn’t ask for better teammates. Cheers to you, and to the year ahead.
“The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.” - Arthur Schopenhauer
Time is an interesting thing; we always feel as though we don’t have enough of it. Sometimes, our days seem to drag on; and yet, at the end of the year, we look back and say how quickly they have all gone by. This past year, 2020, in particular, seemed to have been the longest year ever, yet somehow, it also went by in an instant.
Time is a crucial factor in brewing. To craft any beer, it takes time and patience; however, depending on the variety of the beer you're crafting, you need to allot yourself more or less time. For example, lagers, in comparison to ales, need several weeks to be conditioned before they are ready for consumption. It takes time and patience to boil the wort and then to ferment the beer until it’s done. When developing new recipes, you often spend time brewing small batches and waiting weeks for them to be done just to try the final sample and say, “not good enough.”
In life, we often find the same thing happening. It is commonplace to view time simply as an abundant resource that you can grind through to achieve an end goal. We might dedicate a substantial amount of time working on something only to get to the end and not feel satisfied; as though that time was wasted. However, if the time spent on a particular task was fulfilling in the moment, how could that be considered a waste? Realizing that our time is precious serves as motivation to make sure we spend it on things that we value. For me, I find the work I do to be gratifying and I find fulfillment in spending time with the people working alongside me.
Outside of work, I find that the best way to spend my time is to simply be in the company of close friends and family. Nothing beats an afternoon with old friends- laughing, conversating, and obviously enjoying a few beers together. That’s what I love about beer; it's communal. I mean, no one ever asks if you want to go grab a glass of water after work, right? Beer is meant to be shared. That’s why I enjoy making it so much; because I get to see the final product poured into a glass and shared amongst friends, which makes all the time spent making it worth it.
This beer has been a labor of love for me. I started over a year ago and would brew a sample batch in between other new recipes we were working on whenever I had a free day. I’ve enjoyed many of the recipes along the way; but, it wasn’t until this final batch that I truly felt proud of it. I’m excited to share it with my friends and family and to see it enjoyed amongst others. So think about the time you have every day and, no matter how trivial, spend it doing what makes you happy. Cheers!
- Jim
What a ride it’s been: Today marks 6 years since our grand opening. This weekend usually hosts our biggest party of the year, but 2020’s anniversary is quiet here at the brewery.
It’s important to acknowledge milestones, but I believe it’s equally important not to let them define you. Yes, it’s been 6 years - and I’m proud of that fact, we all are - but recent weeks have felt more like starting over. Right now, we’re focused on what’s ahead, not what is past.
“One's victories in battle cannot be repeated--they take their form in response to inexhaustibly changing circumstances.” -Sun Tzu
With that, rather than reflect on the past, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on what’s happening at Able, and what you can expect to see from us in the near-term:
TAP ROOM: Renovations to the tap room are nearing completion, with everything on pace to be done by early July. Bigger space, better flow, more seating, air conditioning, new flooring, expanded outdoor seating, and thensome...all built around the original 27’ White Pine bar (which now has charging outlets). We were also able to work in a new glass washer for the Bar Team (you are so welcome, Nicole). You’re going to love the new space; if you happen to drop in for beer to-go, we’ll gladly show you around. We’ll announce a date for grand re-opening in the coming weeks
DISTRO: The Distro Team is still embracing the hustle, and is still on the road everyday (including rn). We’re beyond stoked to have our partnered restaurants beginning to reopen; we def missed them (be sure to get out there and give them your support). We started producing limited quantities of kegs just for them.
Direct (our new home delivery service @ ableebenezer.com/order) is here to stay. In fact, we’re working now on expanding & improving the service. A big shout out to all of you Direct customers who took the time last week to complete Nicole’s survey; your feedback has been a huge help.
Soon, you will see same-day orders stretch into the evenings, delivery windows narrow from hours to minutes, and the delivery radius begin to expand. You will soon be able to choose when you want beer delivered, and receive up-to-the-minute text notifications on your driver’s route status & estimated arrival time, no joke.
-Accident on the DW Highway has traffic backed up? No worries, you’ll see a text with adjusted ETA.
-Chris driving like a mad lad up the Everett TP? No prob, you’ll get a heads up that he’s ahead of schedule.
-You’re the next stop & Dan is 15 minutes out? You’ll see a notification letting you know it’s time to pull out your ID & put pants on (optional).
We didn’t know what this service would become at the onset...honestly, the first iteration of it was intended to be a life raft, nothing more. 3 months later, we’ve delivered nearly 1800 individual orders across southern NH (for perspective: our Distro Team ran just over 2500 total orders to retailers & restaurants in 2019). We’ve already created new jobs with Direct, specifically the Dispatch role (the “managers of the chaos” that proper route planning & execution is, currently being filled by our Bar Team), and anticipate the Distro Team will continue to expand as we move forward.
The Brewhouse team is beginning to get caught up, and is now able to invest more time into R&D. Ingenuity #7 is finally done and in the tanks now; release date to be announced soon. Going forward, we’re committing to actively pursuing fun ideas & expanding our variety of offerings (again, per your feedback), while also maintaining the core brands we all have come to love & expect: Burn the Ships & Victory nor Defeat (never forget where you came from).
Finally - and we’re wicked excited about this project - we’re committing to a new collaboration series with fellow local producers (first up: Ancient Fire collab. Stay tuned, more to follow...).
Beyond all that, the Able team is staying strong, safe & motivated. It’s a slow Sunday today; Brendan’s here covering Dispatch, Mike’s covering down on the road to give Dan & Chris a day off, and I’m knocking out maintenance ahead of tomorrow’s canning run. At day’s end, we’ll crack open a Burn the Ships and give a quick cheers to 6 years.
Thank you all for an incredible 6 years; it has been the time of my life, and - as much as I like to believe there’s nothing I can’t do on my own - we could not have done any of it without you.
Now get out there & enjoy this beautiful Sunday! Cheers.
-Carl
Although the state is allowing portions of our local hospitality industry to resume on-premise ops beginning Monday, May 18th, we at Able Ebenezer are opting to keep our bar closed. Don’t fret tho: We’ll still be offering beer to-go @ the brewery, as well as Direct beer delivery via our Distro Team (ableebenezer.com/order).
Instead, we’re taking this time to renovate the bar; a project we had slated for earlier this Spring, but had to delay amidst the shutdown. We’ll monitor the state’s phases as we progress, and announce a reopening date once we’re ready. In the meantime, we’ll continue driving on with our current rhythm: brewing, canning & bringing the beers.
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A little personal reflection: I want you to know our team here is forever grateful for your continued support - whether it began at our Grand Opening several years ago, or with your first Direct order mere weeks ago. It’s no secret this has been a challenging time for our entire industry, and you have kept us in the fight throughout.
Upon first hearing of the shutdown the afternoon of March 16th, I had no idea where we would be by the end of that month, let alone in May. The bar here was packed that night, filled with regulars wondering if it would be the last time. Several were in tears (which I, admittedly, don’t handle the best).
After sharing a beer and thanking everyone for their support, I drove home to pack a bag, then right back to the brewery. I lived here for the next 4 days.
Mentally, it’s tough not to focus on the imminent dangers ahead; when your mind keeps running the math on how long you might be able to keep paying yourself, your teammates, your bills, or your own rent. You imagine the tough conversations you’re likely going to have to endure, and all the things you’ll have to give up, and the very real possibility that you may have to sell off your dream - one piece at a time - to pay back your debtors. Furthermore, I knew my teammates were processing similar concerns in their own minds. It’s then you begin to triage everything, picking what can be dropped in the moment to delay facing those dangers. Note: Mike & I cancelled two things up front: 1) the production schedule, and 2) our paychecks.
But to survive, you have to shut those things out; refuse to accept them as possible, and force yourself to focus only on what you can control to influence the outcomes.
When challenges come at us, we have two choices; but my time in the Army taught me to really only see one. Thus, I refused to entertain defeat as an outcome. I didn’t have all the answers - not even close - but I would not quit until I did; there was no limit to what I was willing to endure to keep Able going. “Keep your heads up; we'll make it through to the other side, regardless of who or what gets in the way” I wrote to our team that evening.
Another note: I still don’t have all the answers - not even close - so we’re still getting after it everyday. Complacency & comfort are enemies in this ongoing fight.
In 48 hours, we had the beginnings of our Direct delivery service in place. Within just a couple weeks, we had processed hundreds of orders, created new jobs for our bar staff (as Distro Dispatchers; a role they’re maintaining today and likely beyond), and are back in full production. Some have called us “lucky",” but luck had nothing to do with it: this is the product of teamwork & effort.
I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of a team of people who rally, rather than run, in the face of a crisis. In short: we were built for this, and fully intend on making it to the other side; we’ll see you there, beer in hand.
Stark put a great deal of thought into the timing of his march, ensuring the operation coincided with both low illumination (complete darkness from a waning moon phase) and low tide. Because of this, when Stark’s men reach the shore of Chelsea near the convergence of Belle Isle Creek & Chelsea Creek, they are able to easily evade British boat patrols around the islands and wade across the water to Hog Island. They begin quietly ferrying livestock across the creek to the mainland, then over to Noddle’s Island to do the same.
The operation takes hours, going until late morning, but it’s a complete success: the Patriots now possess hundreds of new horses, cattle & sheep for their young army. With the sun now high in the sky, they know it’s time to begin moving the regiment back to Winter Hill. But Stark, not wanting to leave any supplies behind for the British to obtain, orders his men to begin setting fire to the remaining hay stacks and barns. When the rising smoke becomes visible in Boston, Vice Admiral Samuel Graves - General Gage’s naval commander in the waters around the city - orders his navy to surround the islands & land hundreds of marines on Noddle’s to combat the rebels.
By midday, the New Hampshiremen are decisively engaged with the British on Noddle’s Island, while also enduring cannonfire from the ships around the islands. This is the Granite Stater’s first taste of real combat against British Regulars, and a tough one at that. But Stark’s men - although scattered in small teams about the islands - are able to hold off the 400+ redcoats, most using the low marshland beside the creek separating Noddle’s & Hog Island as cover, forcing the British ranks back to the inland of the island.
With the sun now setting, the British commanders on the ground opt to cut their losses, considering the damage done and the day lost.
“Before we got from Noddle’s Island to Hog Island we was fired upon by a Schooner. But we crossed the river and about fifteen of us squatted down in a ditch on the marsh and stood our ground. And there came a company of Regulars on the marsh on the other side of the river and the Schooner, and we had a hot fire until the Regulars retreated. But notwithstanding the bullets flew very thick yet there was not a man of us killed. Surely God has a favor towards us. Thanks be unto him that so little hurt was done when the balls sung like bees round our heads.”
-Private Amos Farnsworth, from his Diary
The Schooner Amos refers to is the HMS Diana - a 120 ton, 18-gun warship commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Graves - Admiral Graves’ nephew.
The Diana isn’t the largest or most formidable ship in the Boston fleet, but she is one of the fastest and most capable for her size. In fact, she was built at the Boston shipyards in 1774, then acquired by the British shortly after and fitted for combat; Admiral Graves personally selecting her for his fleet:
“I have taken it upon me to purchase the Diana schooner of 120 tons, about eight months old, so exceedingly well built that she is allowed to be the best vessel of the kind that has yet been in the King’s Service.”
-Vice Admiral Samuel Graves, in a letter dated January 8th, 1775
Because of her speed and maneuverability, combined with her firepower, the Diana is instructed to cut off the Patriot’s escape route back across to Chelsea by navigating north of Noddle’s Island and into Chelsea Creek with the high tide. Here, they become engaged with the rebels, such as Amos Farnsworth.
But as the battle wears on and British Marines are forced back on land, the wind and tide also turns in favor of the Patriots: the crew of Diana finds themselves without the conditions needed to navigate back east towards the Mystic River and out into Boston Harbor. She signals for assistance from the main fleet, who dispatch two ships & a dozen barges up the Mystic to help tow the Diana out of Chelsea Creek before low tide.
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This is where the story should have likely ended: the Battle of Chelsea Creek is only the 2nd major engagement of the war (Lexington & Concord serving as the first), and the Patriots had won the day decisively. They’d succeeded in their mission, making it back to the mainland with a bounty of supplies, while also holding off a combined force of British Regulars, all with minimal casualties. It’s now been over 18 hours since they first stepped off towards Chelsea, and the only task that remains is an easy march back to Winter Hill.
But the story doesn’t end there.
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The New Hampshiremen see an opportunity to chalk up yet another win for the day. They assume fighting positions along the shoreline and engage the struggling Diana and her would-be rescuers. As night sets in, Colonel Stark sends a rider back to Cambridge requesting reinforcements & additional ammunition to keep up the fight.
At their Headquarters in Cambridge, the Patriot commanders are elated at Stark’s report: not only had the mission been carried out successfully, but the regiment had been decisively engaged with the enemy and came out the victors. Without hesitation, reinforcements led by General Israel Putnam rushes out of Cambridge into the night towards Chelsea Creek.
Side note: Dr. Joseph Warren - Chairman of the MA Committee of Safety, famous Son of Liberty from Boston’s North End, and soon-to-be hero of Bunker Hill fame - was present at the Cambridge Headquarters when the rider arrived. Upon hearing Stark’s report, he volunteered to join Putnam’s men on their march: Dr. Warren did not want to miss the chance to witness what he believed to be history in the making, but was unable to join the fight. What he witnessed that evening at Chelsea Creek motivated him to take the field again - this time as a Private within the ranks - at Bunker Hill a month later, where he would be killed in action while fighting honorably.
It’s now late in the evening, and Putnam’s reinforcements join Stark’s men along the north shore of Chelsea Creek, exchanging fire through the darkness with the British on the water. After hours of attempting to tow the Diana back to deeper waters while under constant fire from the Patriots, the tide finally recedes beyond her waterline: her keel runs aground, settling into the sands just off the shore of Chelsea. Lieutenant Graves orders abandon ship.
The British have a difficult go at it, but are able to use the darkness to transfer her crew over to the HMS Britannia - one of the vessels dispatched to help the Diana. Once aboard, the British tow themselves back to safety in the deeper waters of Boston Harbor, leaving the Schooner Diana behind.
It’s now the early morning hours on the 28th. The musket & cannon fire finally silences, replaced with a loud cheer as the Patriots swarm abroad the abandoned vessel, now listing heavily on one side as the tide continues to recede. They go to work stripping her of any valuables: her 18 guns, powder, shot & supplies and thensome, then load bales of hay to set the Diana ablaze #burntheships.
But before sparking the flame, they have one more trophy to take from the Diana: Her 76’ tall, New England grown, White Pine mast. Yes, these mad lads - now over 24 hours on mission - took the time to cut off HMS Diana’s mast and carry it with them all the way back to Winter Hill.
Not sure there’s any better way to give a nod to the fighters of NH’s Pine Tree Riot.
Months later, her mast would be carried up Prospect Hill - the highest point around Boston, and thus, the most visible to the British held up in the city. There, by order of General Washington himself, the mast was planted to fly the first American Flag. Today, the spot atop Prospect Hill is marked by the "Prospect Hill Monument;” a 4-story structure of stone from which a flag still flies. The City of Somerville continues to raise a new flag every year at their annual Flag Raising Ceremony; 2020’s being the 244th year.
“Orders given from the General for scouting parties to fire at all times whenever they have the opportunity. The same day raised the mast that came out of the schooner that was burnt at Chelsea, for to hoist our new flag upon, in the fort upon Prospect Hill, seventy-six feet high.”
-Lieutenant Paul Lunt, from his Diary
August 1, 1775
By December, 1776, the war for independence was not going well for the Patriots.
The year had started with a win, as the New England militias under command of General George Washington forced the British to evacuate Boston in March. Yet, the remainder of the year would host a series of defeats for Washington & his army: they would suffer a great defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, and subsequently forced to abandon New York City on lower Manhattan Island soon after. From there, they would lose decisively at Pells Point, White Plains, then Fort Washington - the last Patriot position in New York. What remained of their army would flee across the Hudson River to Fort Lee in New Jersey, which would also fall soon after. Finally, Washington receives word that his 2nd in command - General Charles Lee - is captured by the British.
Thus, as December sets in, the Patriots are retreating across New Jersey, then over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, with General Lord Cornwallis’ army in pursuit. The Continental Congress, fearful for their lives, abandons Philadelphia.
Thankfully, harsh winter weather soon sets in, putting a halt to both Patriot & British operations. But while British begin to establish their winter encampments, General Washington & his officers know they must attempt something as their situation is bleak: The army is weak, underfed, and under supplied. Many of their men have deserted, believing the cause to be lost. Further, most of those who remain are due to have their enlistments expire on January 1st. If they settle in for winter, their army would likely fade away before the Spring thaw, and with it, the cause for independence itself.
“I think the game is pretty near up.”
-General George Washington, in a letter to his brother John
December 18, 1776
On December 22nd, Washington calls a meeting with his generals to determine what action - if any - they can muster to save the cause. One officer called to attend the meeting - even though he does not hold a brigade command like Washington’s fellow generals - is Colonel John Stark of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment. He offers only one contribution to the discussion:
“Your men have too long been accustomed to place their dependence for safety on shovels and pickaxes. If you ever mean to establish the independence of these united states, you must teach them to place their dependence upon their arms and their courage.”
-Colonel John Stark
Stark’s words resonate with Washington and his staff, who then began work on a bold counter-offensive. Two days later, Washington calls upon Stark once again:
“We have agreed upon the plan: we are to march tomorrow on Trenton, and you are to command the advance guard.”
General Washington to Colonel Stark
December 24, 1776
Thus, at nightfall on Christmas Day, 1776, in the midst of pounding wind, sleet & snow, the Patriots load themselves into boats along the Delaware River and are ferried across to New Jersey at McKonkey’s Ferry; some 9 miles north of Trenton. Their plan is to surround the town before daybreak and deliver a surprise attack.
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Meanwhile, in Trenton, a combined force of Hessian soldiers and British Cavalry commanded by Colonel Johann Rall are well-established in their warm, dry winter quarters. Rall - an experienced officer and combatant - is so far unimpressed by the colonial rebels, having faced & defeated them handily in the previous months. While he’s received a few vague reports from loyalist spies that the rebels might be planning an attack, Rall scoffs at the notion, whether true or not: “Then let them come,” he tells his messengers. “We will go at them with the bayonet.”
And he has good reason to be cocky: Rall and his Hessians were at Brooklyn, White Plains and Fort Washington, often leading the British attack. Before being called to the colonies, they were veterans of wars in Bavaria, Austria, Russia, Scotland, and in the 7 Years War against France. The Hessians had successfully quelled rebellions and conquered nations many times over. Thus, they are some of the most seasoned, professional soldiers the world can muster…and they know it.
And in their minds, this war is at its end.
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Several miles to the north, Washington’s army is fighting through the blizzard to begin their march. The weather is so bad that 3000 of Washington’s men - who are supposed to cross the Delaware River south of Trenton & secure the rear of the town - are unable to make it across. The 2400 who do cross the Delaware suffer tremendously in the cold, two of whom succumb to the elements and perish during the march. One New England soldier wrote of that harsh night in his journal:
“During the whole night it alternately hailed, rained, snowed, and blew tremendously. I recollect very well that at one time, when we halted on the road, I sat down on the stump of a tree and was so benumbed with cold that I wanted to go to sleep; had I been passed unnoticed I should have frozen to death without knowing it. We then began to march again, just in the old slow way, until the dawn of day, about half-past seven in the morning.”
-Private John Greenwood
The operation is now hours behind schedule, and thus Washington considers abandoning the attack several times throughout the night. But he finds resolve in his men, all who continue onward - albeit slowly - toward Trenton; John Stark & his New Hampshiremen at the front.
The sun has already risen by the time the Patriots arrive on the outskirts of the town. They’ve lost the element of surprise, have less than half the men they intended, and those who survived the brutal river crossing & march are soaked & chilled to the bone, many finding their rifles & powder too wet to fire.
It is in this moment that John Stark orders fixed bayonets, and leads his charging men down 2nd Street into the town of Trenton.
“John Stark had a reputation as a fighter. He was devoted to the revolutionary cause and wrote often to his wife that he was determined to “live free or die,” a phrase his state later made its motto. Stark had trained his New Hampshiremen to use the bayonet, and he led them through the fields along the River Road. The Hessians were astonished to see the despised American rebels running toward them through the storm with fixed bayonets.”
-David Hackett Fischer, “Washington’s Crossing”
Major James Wilkenson of the 1st Pennsylvania Rifles - who were formed with the brigade directly behind Stark’s New Hampshire Regiment during the assault - wrote about this moment in his memoir of the battle:
“We soon marched, Colonel Stark in command of the advance guard, with orders to clear their muskets as best they could as they moved. It was now broad day, and the storm beat violently in our faces. The attack on the left was immediately answered by Colonel Stark in our front, who forced the enemy’s picket and pressed it into town, our column close at his men’s heels. The enemy made a momentary show of resistance by a wild and undirected fire from the windows of their quarters, which they abandoned as he advanced...While I render justice to the services of [other fellow officers], I must not withhold due praise to the dauntless Stark, who dealt death wherever he found resistance, and broke down all opposition before him.”
-Major James Wilkinson, 1st PA Rifles
The fight was over in an hour: By mid-morning, the Hessians were forced out of the streets and into the orchard field just east of the town. It was here they would find themselves surrounded, surrendering to General John Sullivan (of Somersworth NH), who assumed the rear of the town upon hearing 3000 of their men were unable to cross. Washington’s army would find a bounty of arms & supplies, as well as take over 800 prisoners, all with only a handful of casualties. In one daring assault, the Patriots had defeated some of the most renowned soldiers seen at that point in history.
The Battle of Trenton became an instant turning point in the war, saving the cause itself. Having previously been an army constantly on the defensive, or on the run, this served as their first successful offensive operation. The Patriots had finally proven they could hold their own against some of the best, most fierce soldiers in the world. Days later, as enlistments were expiring, many opted to remain with the army, reinvigorated by their victory over the Hessians. Furthermore, as news of the victory spread across the colonies, new enlistments rose dramatically. John Stark personally appealed to his men, convincing all to stay with him in the fight rather than return home to the Granite State. On January 3rd, 1777, they would go on the offensive yet again at Princeton, winning gloriously once more in the cold ice & snow.
Thus, without the daring & courage of Colonel John Stark & his New Hampshiremen, the victory at Trenton may never have been, and the cause for independence would have certainly been lost.
Note: We want to give a big shout-out once again to the team at the NH Historical Society for all of their help & expertise in this effort to share the stories of the NH Regiments. If you’re interested in NH’s history, they’re worth a visit. Please consider supporting their work here: https://www.nhhistory.org/Join/Donate/Ways-To-Give. Cheers!
Andrew McClary was already plowing his field when first light hit on the morning of April 20th, 1775, as the alarm horn was sounded from Epsom town center. Without a second thought, he dropped his work, grabbed what belongings he could from his home, then rounded up fellow men from town and hit the road.
“Like the Roman Cincinnatus, he left the plow in the furrow, hastily armed himself, and dashed off to Deerfield accompanied by a few daring spirits.”
-Elliot Cogswell, History of Nottingham, Deerfield & Northwood NH
By 1 o’clock that afternoon, McClary stood at the front of just over 80 men gathered from the neighboring towns of Northwood & Deerfield, leading them south for Massachusetts with great haste. By nightfall, they arrived in Andover where they stopped for supper. Instead of staying in town until morning, they continued onward and marched all night.
By sunrise on the 21st - less than 48 hours after the British marched on Lexington & Concord - McClary reported to the Patriot headquarters in Cambridge, having led his men 70 miles in under 24 hours. No joke.
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Andrew McClary was a badass.
In 1730, he became the first of his family to be born in the New World, the son of immigrants from Ulster, Ireland. They settled in Epsom, NH, where Andrew would be raised, spending much of his youth climbing Fort Mountain & exploring the surrounding NH countryside. He became an avid outdoorsman, tracker & hunter, then, as a teenager, joined the local militia to serve as a scout. He was also the local champion in boxing & wrestling; he would go undefeated in both.
And one can see why: The man stood over 6 and a half feet tall, and was built like an ox. One local described him as “straight as an arrow, finely proportioned, symmetrical of form, every muscle well formed, rough and ready, jovial, generous, with a stentorial voice, blue eyes, florid complexion. Such a man would be picked out of a thousand as born to command.”
Andrew also excelled as a soldier in the militia. So much in fact that he was selected to join the famous “Roger’s Rangers,” fighting alongside the likes of John Stark & John Goffe throughout the French & Indian War (1754-1763), rising to the rank of Captain.
He was a favorite officer, nearly six and one-half feet in height, with a Herculean form, a voice like Stentor and strength of Ajax, never equaled in athletic exercises and unsubdued in single combat. Whole bodies of men had been overcome by him, and he seemed totally unconscious that he was not equally unconquerable at the cannon’s mouth.
-Warren Tripp, “The McClary’s of Epsom”
Following the war’s end in 1763, Andrew returned to Epsom, where he took charge of the family farm & tavern he had built with his father in his youth. Over the next several years, he would become a successful entrepreneur & leader within the community. His ventures grew to the point where he volunteered his tavern to become the town meeting place (since it was the largest building in town), and the adjacent land the local militia’s muster field (which he maintained himself).
Of he and his neighbors, it was said, “they were a people who would praise good whiskey and drink it; and damn bad whiskey, yet drink it with equal relish.” One tale from his past tells of a bar fight at a Portsmouth tavern, where Andrew overwhelmed six uniformed British officers who attempted to tackle him after a spirited debate over several drinks, throwing each -one after the other - through a window and out onto Court Street.
In December of 1774, he was again in Portsmouth - this time alongside future war heroes John Langdon & John Sullivan - leading the raid on Fort William & Mary to seize all of its arms & supplies (which would be used to combat the British at Boston a few months later).
Now, at the close of April 1775, he is gathered among more than a thousand spontaneously mustered NH citizens along the southern slope of Winter Hill, overlooking the besieged city of Boston. Their first order of business is to organize into something resembling a military regiment, and thus hold a vote to elect their officers. John Stark of Manchester - the well-known, outspoken hero of Roger’s Rangers fame - is chosen as their commander.
Second in command goes to Andrew McClary.
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June 17th, 1775 brings the Battle of Bunker Hill, and McClary’s finest - and final - action.
Less than a couple months into the Siege of Boston, the Patriots are looking to tighten their lines around the city by building fortifications at Bunker & Breed’s Hills just outside Charlestown during the night of June 16th. On the morning of June 17th, the British wake up to the sight of rebels digging these defensive positions directly across the river from Boston’s North End; too close for comfort. General Howe wastes no time, launching a full attack by land & sea to remove the Patriots from the Charlestown peninsula. The New Englander’s respond in kind, ordering reinforcements to Charlestown to support the badly outnumbered Patriots.
The New Hampshire Regiments are some of the first to arrive at the Charlestown Neck - a narrow land bridge connecting Charlestown peninsula to the mainland - but they aren’t the first: Massachusetts Regiments under Colonel Samuel Gerrish are halted in the road leading to Charlestown. Why? Because upon first seeing the thousands of British troops landing on the shores & several warships bombarding the Patriots from the Charles River, Gerrish & his officers are refusing to take the field. In response, Andrew McClary pushes his way to the front, demanding they move out of the way if they do not intend to fight.
“The fire of the gunboats and warships had turned the Neck into a terrifying war zone...it was hardly a surprise that a crowd of fearful soldiers was now blocking the approach to the Neck. In his deep and booming voice, Major McClary demanded that the officers and their men immediately step aside so Colonel Stark & his regiment could march to Bunker Hill.”
-Nathaniel Philbrick, “Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution”
Note: Colonel Gerrish was court-martialed by General Washington following the battle, charged with cowardice. He was found guilty & discharged from the Continental Army.
Once through the neck, they followed Colonel Stark & Major McClary through the cannonade to the base of Bunker Hill, assuming the critical flank position along the rail fence to the Mystic River on the Patriot’s left. It was here the British would endure their greatest losses during the first two assaults, with McClary proving himself a superior combat leader once again:
“During this tremendous fire of musketry and roar of cannon, McClary's gigantic voice was distinctly heard, animating and encouraging the men as though he would inspire every ball that sped with his own fire and energy.”
-Samuel Swett, “History of Bunker Hill Battle”
When British reinforcements arrived later in the afternoon, General Clinton redirected them away from the Patriot flanks & towards the defenses atop Breed’s Hill for their third, and only successful, assault. While the regiments from NH held the field to cover the retreat of their fellow New Englander’s from Connecticut & Massachusetts, it was McClary who was the last man to leave the field, covering the NH men’s retreat back to the Neck.
One of his childhood friends and fellow officers wrote of this moment, when they reached the Charlestown Neck immediately following the battle. Note: I include his full account because it’s told far better than I could ever reiterate:
“A heavy cannonade was kept up upon our line and redoubt, from the commencement to the close of the action, and during the retreat; but with very little effect, except that of killing the brave Major Andrew McClary of Col. Stark's regiment soon after we retired from Bunker Hill. He was among the first officers of the army - Possessing a sound judgment, of undaunted bravery, enterprising, ardent and zealous, both as a patriot and soldier. His loss was severely felt by his compatriots in arms, while his country was deprived of the services of one of her most promising and distinguished champions of liberty.
After leaving the field of battle I met him and drank some spirit and water with him. He was animated and sanguine in the result of the conflict for independence, from the glorious display of valor which had distinguished his countrymen on that memorable day.
He soon observed that the British troops on Bunker Hill appeared in motion, and said he would go and reconnoitre them, to see whether they were coming out over the neck...After he had satisfied himself that the enemy did not intend to leave their strong posts on the heights, he was returning towards me, and when within twelve or fifteen rods of where I stood, with my company, a random cannon shot, from one of the frigates lying near where the centre of Craigie's bridge now is, passed directly through his body and put to flight one of the most heroic souls that ever animated man.
I had him carried to Medford, where he was interred, with all the respect and honors we could exhibit to the manes of a great and good man. He was my bosom friend; we had grown up together on terms of the greatest intimacy, and I loved him as a brother.”
-Captain Henry Dearborn of Epping
He was buried somewhere in the Medford/Somerville area, alongside dozens of fellow men from NH who fell during the battle. While his burial site has been lost to history & no monuments have been erected to commemorate him, the memory & benefit of his heroic efforts remains.
“Thus fell Major McClary, the highest American officer killed at the battle, the handsomest man in the army and the favorite of New Hampshire troops. His dust still slumbers where it was laid by his sorrowing companions in Medford, unhonored by any adequate memorial to tell where lies one of the heroes who ushered in the Revolution with such auspicious omens. His death spreads a gloom not only over the hearts of his men, but all through the Suncook valley; his sun went down at noon on the day that ushered in our nation’s birth.”
-Daniel Webster, at the Dedication of the Bunker Hill Monument
Bar story: Tonight, in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment led Union forces across the narrow beaches of Morris Island in the main assault on Fort Wagner; the key defensive position protecting the harbor of Confederate-held Charleston, SC.
The 54th Massachusetts - renowned as the first regiment comprised of African-American enlisted soldiers - was formed by Governor John Andrew following the Emancipation Proclamation. Recruitment was assisted by famous abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass (two volunteers being his sons) and Ralph Waldo Emerson (who also frequently attended their training in Boston).
Selected to command the unit was Robert Gould Shaw; the son of prominent Boston abolitionists, a veteran of many battles with the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry (including Antietam), and the recipient of 2 Purple Hearts. He accepted the assignment, was promoted to Colonel, then made for Boston to begin organizing and training the new regiment.
Although the Confederacy had recently issued a proclamation stating they would execute any captured African-American soldier - or white officer leading them - far more men came forward to volunteer than required. So many in fact, that the 55th Massachusetts was formed with the surplus. After months of training and with a building hunger to prove themselves in battle against the Confederacy, the 54th Massachusetts - 1,007 enlisted African-Americans and 37 white officers - gathered on the Boston Commons and, with great fanfare & celebration throughout the city, began their March south to join the fight.
Before departing, Shaw wrote to his father, “There is not the least doubt that we will leave the State with as good a regiment as any that has marched."
Upon arrival in South Carolina, Colonel Shaw was disappointed to find his regiment was not slated to join combat units at the front due to questions regarding their readiness & ability. After lobbying his commanders, the 54th was attached to General Quincy Gillmore’s division to assist in occupying James Island - located immediately south of Charleston - on July 8th as part of a larger campaign to take the city. It was here where Shaw’s men saw their first action: Confederate units moved to retake the island, but were successfully repelled by the 54th during the Battle of Grimball’s Landing on July 16th. Although not a major engagement, the men of the 54th had proven themselves in combat, earning a reputation for their effectiveness and composure.
The next day, Union Generals began planning their assault on the Confederate’s main defensive position protecting Charleston Harbor: Fort Wagner.
Fort Wagner was well protected, not just by its man-made defenses, but also by it's surrounding geography. With the Atlantic to the east, harbor to the north, and thick marshland to the west & south, the only ground approach was a narrow strip of sandy beach barely 60-yards wide; enough space to move only one unit at a time. Soldiers advancing on its walls would need to move quickly over a 1000 yards through this narrow stretch while under concentrated artillery and rifle fire.
Colonel Shaw - fresh off his first victory as commander of the 54th - requested his regiment lead the assault. General Gillmore granted his request.
In preparation, Union artillery and naval guns bombarded the fort throughout the day on the 18th of July. At dusk, the barrage ceased, and the 54th Massachusetts began their march forward, Colonel Shaw at the front.
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One soldier within the ranks of the 54th that night was a young man named William Harvey Carney.
Born a slave in Virginia in 1840, Carney escaped north to Massachusetts via the Underground Railroad, settling in New Bedford. Upon hearing of the formation of the 54th, he traveled to Boston to volunteer, not wanting to miss the opportunity to return south to fight. During training, Carney quickly emerged as a disciplined soldier and capable leader among his fellow volunteers and thus, was promoted to Sergeant in C Company.
Now standing on the beaches of Morris Island, with Fort Wagner ahead of him, Carney and his fellow soldiers set off and advanced quickly as the sun began to set. Almost immediately, the regiment began to take indirect fires from artillery, and endured continued fire throughout their approach. Although Carney would be hit during advance, and as many others around him fell, he continued forward towards Fort Wagner directly behind Colonel Shaw. The men cleared the narrow beach and neared the fort’s walls when the color guard (the soldier carrying the US flag into battle) took a fatal shot. Carney - charging beside him - quickly grabbed the flag and continued onward towards the wall.
Those of the 54th who made it to the fort began to advance up its sandy walls as reinforcing regiments attempted to make their way across the beach behind them. Shaw and Carney were among the first to make it to the top; Carney planted & waved the flag from atop Wagner’s walls to rally the charging men as Colonel Shaw and the rest of the 54th poured over the walls around him and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Yet, they would be the only Union men to enter the fort that night.
Regiments outside were unable to make it over the walls, and the 54th - now on their own - was eventually overwhelmed & pushed back. Colonel Shaw would fall fighting at close quarters atop the parapet; he was 25 years old, and buried in an unmarked mass grave in the sands outside the fort. Carney, severely wounded, ended up at the base of the walls. With his last ounce of strength he struggled to make it back across the beach to his lines, still maintaining a tight grip on the flag until he was finally carried from the field.
A writer from the United States Service Magazine, who witnessed the battle first hand, captured this moment: “As our forces retire, Sergeant Carney, who has kept the colors of his regiment flying upon the parapet of Wagner during the entire conflict, is seen creeping along on one knee, still holding up the flag, and only yielding its sacred trust upon finding an officer of his regiment. As he entered the field-hospital, where his wounded comrades are being brought in, they cheer him and the colors. Though nearly exhausted with the loss of blood, he says, ‘Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground.’”
For his actions and bravery under fire that day, William H. Carney would be awarded the Medal of Honor; the first African-American to do so. The official citation accompanying the award states:
“When the color sergeant was shot down, this soldier grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under a fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded.”
After nearly a year of recovery, Carney would be honorably discharged from service. He returned to New Bedford where he first took a job maintaining the city’s street lights, then made a career in the mail service. After retiring from 37 years with the postal service, he served in the Massachusetts Department of State office at the State House. William Carney died in December of 1908 at age 68, buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in New Bedford; an image of the Medal of Honor engraved on his headstone.
The performance of Sergeant Carney and the 54th Massachusetts at the Battle of Fort Wagner ended any debate about African-American’s ability to serve alongside their fellow countrymen. The 54th continued fighting throughout the South - as did the many other integrated units which followed - until the war’s end in 1865.
Bar Story: Today is the US Army's 244th birthday, having been formed on June 14, 1775 in the wake of the Battles of Lexington & Concord, and subsequent Siege of Boston.
Over 22,000 militiamen from across New England arrived outside of Boston in April, 1775, after the British failed to seize a key arms & munitions store in Concord, MA. Another 5,000 militia mobilized in New York once word of the marching British reached the city; those men seized the Battery and it's cannons at the southern tip of Manhattan. War had begun.
In response, the representatives of the 2nd Continental Congress were recalled to Philadelphia deal with the war effort. While they clung to the chance of reconciliation with England in hopes King George would agree to repeal the Coercive Acts (known in the colonies as the "Intolerable Acts"), they also knew the British making a move on the local population in New England was cause to organize a defense force. With thousands of armed militiamen already mobilized with victories under their belt, they had the beginnings of that army already in place.
On June 14th, the Congress agreed to establish & organize the new Continental Army, consisting initially of the soldiers occupying NYC and the hills surrounding Boston, while also raising several regiments of militiamen from PA, MD, DE & VA colonies. All agreed to one-year enlistments.
The next day, the Congress met again to decide who would be named Commander of the new army. While John Hancock of Massachusetts was thought to be the favorite for the role, fellow statesmen Samuel Adams & John Adams nominated Virginia farmer George Washington; a southerner & veteran of the French & Indian War. Since he was from Virginia, it was believed he could help unite the colonies against the British, rather than have New England alone fight the war. In an unanimous vote, Washington was granted command.
Washington accepted the position, stating to the Congress: "I do not think myself equal to the Command I am honored with." In closing, he stated he wished not to profit from his command and thus, refused any pay. Soon after, he mounted up and rode off for Boston, arriving on July 3rd to take command.
Washington would spend the next 8 years (very difficult ones at that) leading the Army before winning his final victory at Yorktown in 1783.
In the decades & centuries since, the US Army has continued to stand as the ultimate defender of these United States & our liberty. From it's modest beginnings as an army of New England farmers, to what is today the world's most powerful fighting force, the Army goes rolling along.
Image: George Washington leads the victorious Continental Army through the streets of New York City in November, 1783.
Bar story: Many of you likely know today marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy in France, where the Allies successfully landed over 150,000 soldiers to combat the Nazi’s conquest of Europe.
What many don’t know much about are the thousands of men who jumped behind enemy lines prior to the invasion, and the brave pilots who carried them.
As early as 1942, Hitler & his generals were very aware of the potential for an Allied invasion, and knew a successful one could turn the tide of the war in Europe. With that in mind, Hitler ordered the construction of the Atlantic Wall, a 2500+ mile-long connected fortification of walls, batteries, bunkers & thousands of soldiers stretching from Norway to the France-Spain border, which would serve to defend Europe from any attempted landing. Between 1942 & 1944, over a million citizens were drafted to build it. Because of this, the Allied forces needed a way to out-maneuver the wall as part of the invasion.
Enter the Airborne.
The 82nd & 101st Infantry Divisions of the US Army were tasked with this mission: their Parachute Infantry Regiments would be dropped deep into Nazi territory hours before the beach landings at dawn. The plan called for 800 Douglas C-47 Skytrains to carry the roughly 13,000 American paratroopers over the Atlantic Wall - at low altitude - where they would jump into enemy territory just after midnight & disrupt Nazi operations from behind their lines.
The formations of C-47’s were subject to heavy enemy fire upon their approach to the coast, causing many of the drops to be off target. However, despite the chaos, the Airborne invasion was a tactical success, as the Nazi’s were unable to reinforce their defensive positions along the Atlantic Wall as the main Allied invasion of Normandy kicked off at sunrise on June 6th.
The plane leading the formations that night was piloted by Lt. Colonel John Donalson; his C-47 would be the first to enter enemy airspace as part of the D-Day invasion.
Donalson was a pilot with the Alabama National Guard’s 106th Observation Squadron, flying a C-47 he had named “Belle of Birmingham,” after a girl he’d met in his home state’s largest city. Yet, he was to be issued a new C-47 for the D-Day invasion. The new plane was manufactured in Oklahoma City, and delivered to the Army Air Corps at Dallas in the Spring of 1944, then made her voyage across the Atlantic. Once received in England, it was time for Donalson to give her a name. Believing that D-Day would mark the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime, he went with a personal message to Adolf Hitler himself: “That’s All, Brother.”
Bar Story: It was on the evening of April 18th, 1775, that Paul Revere climbed into the rowboat he hid days before along the north shore of Boston, and made his way across the harbor under cover of darkness. Behind him, two lights could be seen hanging in the steeple of the Old North Church, alerting the militia in Charlestown ahead of him. They received him on the banks of the Charles River, where he was provided a horse for his ride.
This is a moment years in the making: New England had already built a reputation of civil disobedience against British rule, with Boston becoming the most notorious. After a decade of insubordination, King George declared the colonies in outright rebellion, and ordered General Gage - commander of the British army occupying Boston - to arrest rebel leaders to stand trial for treason, as well as march his army out to the Massachusetts countryside and seize the arms & supplies of local militias.
However, the people of Massachusetts were prepared: their Provincial Government - led by rebels such as Samuel Adams & John Hancock - had spent the fall of 1774 building a system of routes, riders & militiamen designed to “alarm & muster” a large force trained to “turn out for service at a minute's notice.” In the greater Boston area alone, over 16,000 “minutemen” quietly enlisted and began to train.
As the sun set on the 18th of April, Doctor Joseph Warren of Boston - later General Warren of Bunker Hill fame - received word that the British were making their move, gathering the majority of their troops on the Commons to be ferried to Cambridge. He needed to get word out, but Boston was already under martial law, and with darkness setting in, mounted patrols were out & no one would be allowed to enter or leave the city.
At 9pm, he called on silversmith Paul Revere & tanner William Dawes, giving them instructions to ride to Concord - location of both the Provincial Government & militia stores - and trigger the alarm along the way. Revere was to try and go north across the Charles River, while Dawes would attempt to go south across the Boston Neck.
Contrary to popular belief, the lanterns hung in the Old North Church were not intended to alert Revere, but were Revere’s idea to notify the militia across the river of which route the British were taking in order to coordinate their movements, and in case he didn’t make it out of the city. That evening, on the way to his hidden boat, Revere stopped at the Old North Church and instructed Robert Newman - sextant of the church - to hang the lanterns.
And so it was that, just after 10pm, the lanterns were hung as Paul Revere rowed across the river, successfully sneaking past HMS Somerset sitting at anchor, which was providing protection over the British soldiers landing at Cambridge.
Revere would ride quickly through Charlestown, Somerville, Medford, Arlington and finally into Lexington, where he would arrive right around midnight. At each stop, he cried “the Regulars are coming out!” as minutemen poured into the streets and increasing numbers of riders were dispatched out to further communities. The alarm had been given, and the people mustered.
There were countless other riders, most of whose names have been lost to history, who spread the word across New England and the colonies beyond. Without their planning, determination and effort, the American Revolution would not have been. Riders Paul Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Israel Bissel and the many others have thus earned their place in our nation’s history.
In addition to other express riders delivering messages, bells, drums, guns, bonfires, and trumpets were used for rapid communication from town to town, notifying the rebels across Massachusetts to muster their militias. This system was so effective that people in towns 25 miles from Boston were aware of the British army's movements while they were still unloading their boats in Cambridge. In matter of days, the news made it all the way to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
The quickly massing militias caused the British to fail in their mission; they met defeat at the Battle of Concord, and were forced to retreat back to Boston. Following the battle, General Gage offered a pardon to all who would "lay down their arms, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects.” There were no takers.
In the days which followed, militiamen from across New England arrived and surrounded the city, thus beginning a nearly year-long siege. General Washington would arrive & take command later that summer, and the British would finally evacuate Boston in March, 1776.
Fun fact: The Lexington Green hosted the start of the American Revolution for one reason only: it was the site of the Buckman Tavern (still standing), which was a favorite hangout for the Lexington Training Band (militia) after a day of training on the green. So much in fact that the tavern became the rally point for the unit when the alarm was sounded. On the night of April 18th, they mustered at the tavern in the middle of the night, and enjoyed pints of ale as they waited for the British to arrive. They also failed to stop the British advance 🤷♂️
Bar story: It was on this day in 1794 that Congress passed the “Naval Act,” which authorized the building of six frigates; our nation’s first warships.
Joshua Humpreys - a shipbuilder and naval architect from Philadelphia - was selected to design them. The challenge he was presented was much more than designing a few ships; since only six would not rival any of the other established fleets of the world, he had to reimagine what a frigate was in order for them to compete on the high seas. His vision: the largest, heaviest & fastest ships ever built; mighty enough to beat any opponent in battle, yet fast enough to outrun all others when outnumbered. Humphreys’ final designs were the most complex ever attempted to that point in the history of shipbuilding.
President George Washington selected the 6 shipyards where the ships would be built simultaneously. “Frigate B” was to be built at Edmund Hartt’s shipyard in Boston’s north end.
Frigate B would be one of the larger ships at 50-guns, and thus Humphreys’ design called for a complex bill of raw materials. Roughly 60 acres worth of trees were required for her construction: Live Oak - a sturdy, dense hardwood which is difficult to cut and work with - from St. Simon island in Georgia was used for her heavy frame. The keel and hull were built of White Oak from across New England, while her masts were of tall White Pine (of course) from Unity, Maine. From those masts, 36 sails made of flax at the Boston Manufacturing Company were hung, totalling over 42,000 square feet (or roughly one acre).
Her large, 5000+ lb anchors were cast by Nathaniel Cushing of Pembroke, MA. The anchor cable was woven of hemp, measuring 22-inches in diameter and over 700 feet long; it took nearly 300 men to carry the rope from Jeffrey’s wharf at the North Battery down the street to Hartt’s shipyard to be installed on the frigate. The North End’s own Paul Revere would cast the thousands of copper bolts & fasteners for her hull, as well as her 250-lb bell.
This was construction on a scale not yet seen for a frigate.
She was so large & heavy that when the builders attempted to launch her in September of 1797 (an event attended by President John Adams), her hull forced the ways (ramps) into the earth and she came to a stop after sliding only 27 feet. It took a month to rebuild the ways for another attempt.
Finally, on October 21st, 1797, she was successfully launched into Boston Harbor. With a bottle of Madeira wine broken over her hull, she was christened the USS Constitution.
The Constitution would become famous at the onset of the War of 1812: as the US declared war on Britain in June 1812, over 80 Royal Navy vessels were operating in American waters. The US Navy, by comparison, was a much smaller fleet of only 22 ships; the original 6 frigates among them. Yet, with a max expected lifespan of only 10 to 15-years after their completion, they were aging. Thus, the British were heavy favorites on the seas.
After a resupply, the Constitution set out of Boston in August of 1812 with the intent of raiding British merchant ships. She instead came face-to-face with the British frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. As they closed, Guerriere was first to break and fire off full broadsides at Constitution. It was during this initial barrage that cannonballs from Guerriere were witnessed “bouncing” off the sides of the Constitution. In this moment, a crew member is said to have cried out “Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!”
Constitution continued to close rapidly as she took fire, maneuvering within 25 yards before opening up her first full broadsides of grape and round shot. This barrage brought down Guerriere’s masts and crippled her; the British surrendering shortly after. Captain Isaac Hull of the Constitution took Guerriere’s crew prisoner, then set fire to what remained of the tattered vessel. #BurntheShips
Word of their decisive victory spread quickly, and the Constitution was given a hero’s welcome upon her return to Boston. Although the loss of Guerriere was insignificant to the British (who maintained a worldwide fleet of over 600 ships at the time), the battle provided a tremendous boost to American morale & patriotism during the war, serving as proof we could hold our own against the world’s best. After the stories of British cannon being unable to penetrate her mighty, New England-built oak hull, the Constitution earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
Years later in 1830, when rumors the Navy was planning to scrap her, thousands of Americans from across the country wrote letters urging she be saved. The Navy obliged.
She has undergone many refits in the years since, but the USS Constitution still serves today as the oldest active vessel in the United States Navy, stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
Fun fact: During WW2, 1st Armored Division (with whom Able brewers Mike & Carl both served with) was nicknamed “Old Ironsides” by General Bruce Magruder in honor of the Constitution.
Image: USS Constitution setting sail at her 200th anniversary in 1997, with destroyer USS Ramage, frigate USS Halyburton and the Blue Angels.
Bar story: It was in the early spring of 1826, as the snow and ice from winter began to thaw, that the waters of the Nashua River were set loose into the town’s newly dug canal, providing the first power to the turbines at Nashua Manufacturing Company’s Mill #1 in downtown.
This was a defining moment for Nashua, as the town would quickly grow to become a centerpiece of New England manufacturing. Downtown alone would go on to lead in the production of textiles, shoes, steam boilers, paper, tools, lumber, furniture and more. Even armor for our nation’s first iron-clad warship - the USS Monitor (which has its own story to tell) - was forged at the Nashua Iron & Steel Company on East Hollis Street. By the 1860’s, six separate rail lines would run through the city, with over 50 trains coming and going each day to bring its goods across the country.
This expansion was not the product of one person’s ingenuity & know-how, but of many.
Daniel Abbot - one of Nashua’s founding fathers - led a group of local entrepreneurs in chartering the would-be Nashua Manufacturing Company in 1823, believing the Nashua River and surrounding community held great potential. They envisioned a canal running from Mine Falls (today, a fantastic city park) into the center of town, where its waters would power a series of manufactories that would serve as the foundation for a new city. Daniel Webster was among the company’s founders, and its largest investor.
They hired James Baldwin - a young, ambitious civil engineer - to construct the canal. After surveying the terrain, he spent the entirety of 1825 with his crew of locals reshaping the earth from Mine Falls to near the Main Street Bridge (which was also first built in 1825 by the Nashua Mfg Co). At completion, the canal was 3-miles long, 60-feet wide, 6-feet deep, and handled a 33-foot change in elevation. The canal’s locks were constructed of solid stone measuring 24-feet high, 10-feet wide and 82-feet long, and set in place by Baldwin’s team.
The canal’s dams & locks, as well as Nashua Manufacturing Co’s first mill buildings, were all designed by famed New England architect - and one of the fathers of American Architecture - Asher Benjamin. He also designed Nashua’s Unitarian Church on Canal Street (still standing), as well as inspired many of the city’s historic Federal style homes in the north end, including Daniel Abbot’s (now the Abbot-Spaulding Museum operated by the Nashua Historical Society; go check it out). His federal building style became a staple in Nashua’s early architecture, including with the first City Hall (1843), designed by Nashua inventor & architect (and student of Asher's), Samuel Shepard.
In the years that followed the opening of the canal, Nashua became a boomtown. Within a decade, the population more than tripled as more factories, shops, homes, schools, churches and infrastructure were built. Nashua quickly evolved into a city of innovative builders, tinkerers, craftsmen and inventors, all who played a vital role in our country’s growth during those early, defining years. Very Able indeed.
“When we see the position Nashua assumed as the mother of new enterprises, we wonder at the results...Any history of Nashua that left the workers (the men & women who work with their hands) out of consideration would not be complete. It was the superior intelligence of the help, rather than their acquired skill, to which we are indebted for the results.”
- Edward Everett Parker, “History of the City of Nashua,” 1897 | |||
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A railroad company that connected Boston and Lowell, MA. It was first chartered in 1830 and eventually leased to and became part of the Boston & Maine Railroad.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_and_Lowell_Railroad
Related Subjects
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834 | dbpedia | 3 | 72 | https://lowellsfirstlook.com/the-abcs-of-lowell-history-j-is-for-jarvis-train/ | en | The ABCs of Lowell History: J is for Jarvis Train | [
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] | 2020-07-29T10:17:43+00:00 | The ABCs of Lowell History continues with a look at Jarvis Train, an early prominent citizen in the community. | en | Lowell's First Look | https://lowellsfirstlook.com/the-abcs-of-lowell-history-j-is-for-jarvis-train/ | The Lowell Area Historical Museum is offering a weekly feature to explore local history. The ABCs of Lowell History continues with a look at Jarvis Train, an early prominent citizen in the community. To learn more about Lowell history, visit the museum website to explore its collection of local artifacts and records.
Jarvis Clement Train served Lowell in every capacity a citizen could. He was a businessman, farmer, builder, public benefactor, and a politician. He was born in Vermont in 1834, and moved with his family to Boston Township in Ionia County in 1840. In 1856 he married Elizabeth Warren and then moved to Illinois. It was there that he registered for the Civil War draft. In 1867 he returned to Michigan, settling in Lowell. He lived here until his death in 1906 and now rests in Oakwood Cemetery.
During his career Train traded in pelts, hides and woolens. He built a grain elevator across the river in Segwun, operated the mill for a short time, and bought and shipped grain. For many years he dealt extensively in beans, and he owned land outside the city that he farmed. He rented out space in his buildings to local businesses, and operated his own hotel.
As a builder he built buildings for his own businesses such as his Grist Mill, Canning Company, Woolen Mill, and Train’s Hotel, which later became the Waverly Hotel. He is perhaps most well-known for his three story opera house, which is still standing today.
He was known for his public works and good deeds. One of his greatest gifts for the betterment of the city was to develop Island Park, and then he gave the island and the other islands in the Flat River that he owned to the city.
Jarvis Train served his community as a public servant. He held elected offices as a Village Trustee, Township Supervisor, and was even elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives, serving from 1883 – 1884. He was known for serving “conscientiously and well.”
Train’s time in Lowell left a mark and example for us today. He was a man who knew how to overcome adversity. When the Lowell Canning Company went out it was noted that Train lost his $1000.00 investment. On January 9, 1884 Lowell experienced it’s largest fire to date. It started in Strong’s jewelry store and spread through the block. Many businesses were lost and thousands of dollars too. Jarvis Train lost 3 buildings. He lost $3000 but was only insured for $1,100. Another fire, in September of 1894, occurred in the basement of the kitchen of Train’s Hotel. Train suffered a financial loss of $600. The newspaper noted “let us not forget to mention the energy with which Landlord Train and his worthy helpmate met their difficulties. In spite of the ruin in their culinary department, breakfast was served at the usual hour to their numerous guests, as though nothing had happened.”
Through all of life’s troubles, Train continued serving, continued taking risks, and continued supporting Lowell. The American Biographical History is Eminent and Self Made Men stated that Jarvis Train was known for “his honesty, being a warm and generous friend and a supporter of all public improvements”
The picture shows Train’s Hotel built in 1884. It later became Hotel Waverly in 1895. The hotel was located on the southwest corner of Main and Broadway. It operated as a hotel until the 1930s. It is now a parking lot next to the Shell Station. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 33 | https://www.facebook.com/Lowell.NPS/videos/mill-city-minute-1930-railroad-centennial/320848165902232/ | en | All aboard! On this journey, we are going back in time. For this #ThrowbackThursday, we're sharing a Mill City Minute video on the 1930 Railroad... | [] | [] | [] | [
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For this #ThrowbackThursday, we're sharing a Mill City Minute video on the 1930 Railroad... | de | https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/yT/r/aGT3gskzWBf.ico | https://www.facebook.com/Lowell.NPS/videos/mill-city-minute-1930-railroad-centennial/320848165902232/ | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 74 | https://blog.bimajority.org/2021/05/04/weekend-excursion-stations-of-the-bm-new-hampshire-main-line-mbta-lowell-line/ | en | Weekend excursion: Stations of the B&M New Hampshire Main Line/MBTA Lowell Line | [
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] | null | [] | 2021-05-04T00:00:00 | As I've neared the end of this series of posts, I've gotten a bit better at procrastinating, so most of the photos this post is based on (see the associated photo gallery) were taken a month ago now, and I'm drawing a lot on unreliable memory and aerial photos (and a bit of Wikipedia) to… | en | https://s1.wp.com/i/favicon.ico | Occasionally Coherent | https://blog.bimajority.org/2021/05/04/weekend-excursion-stations-of-the-bm-new-hampshire-main-line-mbta-lowell-line/ | As I’ve neared the end of this series of posts, I’ve gotten a bit better at procrastinating, so most of the photos this post is based on (see the associated photo gallery) were taken a month ago now, and I’m drawing a lot on unreliable memory and aerial photos (and a bit of Wikipedia) to bring this together. It’s an interesting time to be writing about this line, for a number of reasons I’ll try to articulate.
As the title suggests, today’s Lowell Line was historically the Boston & Maine’s New Hampshire Main Line, with passenger service north through Nashua, Manchester, and Concord into the White Mountains and through Vermont to Montreal. In Chelmsford, north of Lowell, the line connects with the Stony Brook Railroad and becomes part of Pan Am’s freight main line from Western Massachusetts to Maine. There have been discussions on and off about re-extending commuter rail service to Nashua (where the historic B&M station apparently still stands) and even Manchester, but the discussions have always foundered on New Hampshire’s refusal to subsidize anything other than private automobiles. Recently, Amtrak released a map of possible service extensions which included service as far as Concord — Amtrak, unlike the MBTA, has both the legal right to operate on any railroad and a mandate to provide interstate service, and already operates Downeaster service along the line as far as Woburn.
As I described in more detail in my survey of the Western Route, the B&M planned in the 1950s to run all longer-distance services north of Boston via the NHML, with trains to Haverhill and Portland using the “Wildcat” Branch in Wilmington to access the northern part of the Western Route. This made a good amount of sense (and still does, which is why the Downeaster does so) because the NHML is the highest capacity line on the ex-B&M network, and the second-highest-capacity on the entire MBTA system: it’s the only North Side line with no single-track bottlenecks and no drawbridges other than at North Station; even slow diesel trains can maintain decent speeds because the stations are few in number and fairly widely spaced. All of the stations have platforms for both tracks, allowing bidirectional service without scheduling difficulties, although with the exception of the recently constructed Anderson RTC/Woburn station, they are all low-platform (all except West Medford and closed-for-demolition Winchester Center have mini-highs).
Which then brings me to the saga of Winchester Center, one of the two stations that got me started on this series of travels back in March. Winchester was scheduled for accessibility upgrades, with final design nearly complete and construction supposed to be put to bid in the second half of this year, when regular inspections early this year revealed safety issues with the old station’s platforms. Rather than perform emergency repairs, the MBTA chose to simply demolish the old station early, while commuter-rail ridership was low due to the pandemic, and remove the demolition from the scope of the reconstruction contract, reducing the cost and allowing construction to proceed more quickly. While I did not make it to Winchester Center in time to see the old platforms, I did get pictures of the demolition work in progress. (Not literally in progress, though, because I made my visit on Easter Sunday when no work was taking place.)
So with all that out of the way, let’s go station-by-station. With the historic stops in East Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford Hillside all long gone, the first stop on the modern Lowell Line is at West Medford. The station is located next to the West Medford post office (in fact the inbound shelter looks to be attached to the side of the building) and it is inaccessible, with only low-level platforms on both tracks. A few years ago, the MBTA’s system-wide accessibility program rated West Medford one of the highest priority stations to receive full accessibility upgrades, but I haven’t seen anything to indicate that this has been advanced in the capital program since then, not even as far as a 10% design. In the 2018 passenger counts, about 600 people a day used West Medford — which is pretty good for a commuter rail station but only the fourth-busiest suburban station on this line. Much of the station’s popularity can be explained by its assignment to the inner-core fare zone, zone 1A, so travel to North Station costs only as much as a subway fare and is much faster than taking the bus to Sullivan and then transferring to the Orange Line into town. (It will be interesting to see how the popularity of this stop changes when the Green Line Extension opens, since it will operate much more frequently and offer bus connections closer to West Medford.)
The route runs on a viaduct through much of Winchester; Wedgemere station is located near the south end of that viaduct, where the railroad crosses the Aberjona River at the north end of Upper Mystic Lake. In the middle of a wealthy residential neighborhood and without practical bus connections, Wedgemere gets a surprising amount of traffic compared to its 120-stall town-owned parking lot, about 300 riders in 2018. With the closure of Winchester Center station, only four tenths of a mile to the north, Wedgemere is currently the only station in the town of Winchester, but with much more development within walking distance, Winchester Center had about 50% more traffic.
North of Winchester Center, a long-abandoned branch once led to downtown Woburn, with the main line running through a largely industrial area on the east edge of the town, before crossing under Route 128 into a truck-oriented wasteland of industrial parks. At the Route 128 overpass, Mishawum station was formerly the primary station serving Woburn, located between two toxic-waste cleanup sites, “Wells G & H” and “Industri-plex”. It used to be accessible, and was upgraded with a ramp system on the inbound platform and mini-highs on both platforms before being abandoned in favor of a new station half a mile deeper into auto-dominated industrial-park hell. The former parking lot, shared with the Woburn Logan Express, has turned into a bank office building and a Dave and Buster’s. The station still stands, and still seems to be receiving some maintenance, but at some point in the last decade, the mini-high platforms were partially demolished to reuse the folding steel platform edge at another station. As a result, Mishawum is the only MBTA station to have been accessible, and then made inaccessible. As late as 2018, long after the new station was opened, Mishawum was (apparently illegally?) still being served as a flag stop by a handful of trains a day; the 2018 traffic counts (32 passengers a day) are the most recent mention of any kind I can find of it. The town of Woburn apparently wants to see service maintained at Mishawum, because as we shall see, its replacement is even farther from where any humans can be found without a steel exoskeleton, whereas there is a residential neighborhood not too far southwest of Mishawum. But it’s no longer shown on public schedules, and with the MBTA’s slow diesel trains it’s really too close to the new station to even be a flag stop. Even with electrification, a new station at Montvale Ave. or Salem St. would have a much larger catchment of Woburn residents and result in a more appropriate interstation.
The new station in question is of course Anderson Regional Transportation Center, which is an enormous ocean of parking, nearly 2,000 spaces, accessible only via an unwalkable car sewer with a direct exit off I-93, connected to a combination bus stop and train station, and owned and operated by Massport. Of course, it hardly matters that it’s unwalkable, because in the middle of this toxic waste site (the Woburn Industri-plex Superfund site) there’s nothing you’d want to walk to or from. For train facilities, the station has two overhead pedestrian bridges, one connecting the high-level center platform to the second floor of the station building, and the other, at the far northern end of the platform, connecting to the northwest edge of one of the enormous parking lots. In addition to the MBTA commuter trains, the Downeaster stops here, and presumably if the proposed Amtrak service to Concord ever gets off the ground, it would as well (and probably Lowell, too). When I visited, the parking lots were barren, and Logan Express bus service had been suspended due to the pandemic. Despite the horrible location, the station definitely got plenty of use, with more than 1,200 passengers a day in 2018. (One wonders how many of those passengers are actually driving down I-93 from New Hampshire.)
The next station north, Wilmington, is where the Wildcat Branch diverges to the north as the main line heads north-northwest. The turnout is located just north of the outbound platform, resulting in offset platforms. The single-track Wildcat only connects to the outbound track, but a universal crossover south of the station allows access to both tracks; passenger service using the Wildcat does not currently make a stop a Wilmington, so it matters little that the branch only serves one platform. There is a 200-space MBTA-owned parking lot on the east side of the tracks, but this is far too small to account for the average daily ridership of 575; there is also an apartment complex, “Metro at Wilmington Station”, at the south end of the inbound low-level platform.
There’s a long interstation, about 6 miles, between Wilmington and North Billerica, but the line runs through wooded, low-density areas nearly the entire length. Just south of North Billerica is the B&M’s former maintenance yard, now an industrial park called Iron Horse Park, a 553-acre Superfund toxic waste site, including numerous landfills and former waste lagoons, which are contaminated with a variety of solvents, heavy metals, asbestos, and pesticides. Iron Horse Park is in its 37th year of EPA-supervised cleanup, partially funded by the MBTA, which made the mistake of acquiring 150 acres of the property in the 1970s as it began the process of taking over the B&M’s commuter rail operations. The MBTA’s new backup rail operations center is being constructed in a less restricted part of the park.
I actually went to North Billerica station first, before heading down to Iron Horse Park. It’s another two-track station with low-level platforms and mini-highs, made slightly more interesting by its 19th-century station building (although it’s been extensively renovated, to the point that I had figured it was new-old-style rather than Actually Old when I visited). The station has two surface parking lots, operated the Lowell RTA, with 540 spaces between them, and is also served by two LRTA bus routes, helping to explain its over 900 daily riders in the 2018 statistics. As the sun was setting, I did not make it all the way to Lowell on my initial trip, but returned a week later as part of a wrap-up trip that also included stops in Worcester, Lawrence, Rowley, and Newburyport.
At Lowell, I found LRTA’s exceedingly expensive and aggressively human-enforced parking garage, located over the rail line and next to LRTA’s central bus hub. Google Maps initially wanted to take me into the west garage entrance, which I found blocked with Jersey barriers, and when I found the entrance that was nominally open, I found that it was (unlike every other RTA garage) not equipped with automatic ticketing and payment systems, and the human who was supposed to sell me a ticket was not in their booth. I moved on, not wanting to spend $8 to park for 15 minutes, stopping to take a few quick pictures of the bus hub and the commuter-rail platform, but was chased away by an LRTA employee in a pickup truck. The platform here is a low-level center platform, between the westernmost pair of tracks, with a half-length high-level platform accessed from the 700-space garage, which is built across the tracks. The line quickly narrows to two tracks north of the station before crossing the Pawtucket Canal, and narrows to a single track at the wye with the Stony Brook. There is no layover facility on the Lowell Line, so trains entering and leaving service must do so at Boston Engine Terminal in Somerville; the lack of such a facility is one of the major constraints on increasing service on the line (because there is little room to store additional trainsets that would be required). In 2018. more than 1,500 people a day used the station.
That concludes the March–April run of MBTA station “weekend excursions”, but the project as a whole is far from complete: in addition to the new stations currently under construction (six stations of South Coast Rail, to open 2024; New Chelsea, opening later this year; New Natick Center and Central Falls–Pawtucket, opening next year) there still remain all of the stations that I avoided because they were in crowded areas and there’s still a pandemic on: Boston Landing, Lansdowne, Back Bay, Ruggles, Forest Hills, South Station, JFK/UMass, Quincy Center, Braintree, North Station, Malden Center, and Porter, plus the rest of the Fairmount Line and three stations in Rhode Island. In addition, Mansfield station, which I last saw while it was still under construction, fully opened in 2019. I’ll be fully vaccinated in a few days, and weather permitting, I still have plenty to do and see. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 38 | https://www.nps.gov/lowe/ | en | Lowell National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) | [
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] | null | [] | null | For Teachers | en | /common/commonspot/templates/images/icons/favicon.ico | https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm | All was expectancy. Changes were coming…nobody could guess what. – Lucy Larcom
Lowell’s water-powered textile mills catapulted the nation – including immigrant families and early female factory workers – into an uncertain new industrial era. Nearly 200 years later, the changes that began here still reverberate in our shifting global economy. Explore Lowell, a living testament to the dynamic human story of the industrial revolution. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 62 | https://trolleymuseum.org/national-streetcar-museum-lowell/ | en | National Streetcar Museum at Lowell | [
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] | null | [] | 2017-03-28T12:52:41+00:00 | National Streetcar Museum at Lowell, MA is a Satellite operation of Seashore Trolley Museum which serves as a shuttle to various Lowe National Park sites | en | /wp-content/themes/seashoretrolley/img/favicon.ico | Seashore Trolley Museum | https://trolleymuseum.org/national-streetcar-museum-lowell/ | The National Streetcar Museum at Lowell is OPEN on Saturdays & Sundays from 11AM-4PM, year-round.
Located at 25 Shattuck Street, join us at the National Streetcar Museum at Lowell and learn more about the streetcar, more commonly known as the trolley. If you or your group loves railroads, history, transit, and Lowell, this museum is for you! Children will love our interactive exhibits and displays, especially our hands-on activities. Our knowledgeable volunteers will answer any questions you have, and give you a guided tour of our displays if you would like. The average museum visit by families is 45-60 minutes.
After stopping in at Lowell National Historical Park’s Visitor Center, visit us across the street at the Mack Building and browse our exhibit about the influence of street railways on the development of our cities.
Admission is $3 ; Seniors and youth ages 3-12 are $2, and children under three are free. Admission for Seashore Trolley Museum members is also free! At the museum we accept cash and check; we’re such a small operation that accepting credit cards would mean our admission prices would significantly increase, due to the expense of accepting credit cards. Instead, we’re providing an Eventbrite site for those who would prefer to pay admission by credit card for your convenience.
Metered, on-street parking is available in front of the museum. Parking is free in the National Park Service Visitor Center Lot every day. Additionally, there is no charge for on-street parking meters in Lowell on Sundays.
Before or after you visit, hop on one of the National Park Services’ trolleys for a free trolley ride, with a stop near the museum. More information including trolley schedules can be found on the NPS website.
For questions, please email [email protected]. The National Streetcar Museum at Lowell is a satellite museum of the Seashore Trolley Museum, located in Kennebunkport, ME, in cooperation with the Lowell National Historical Park and the City of Lowell.
Follow us and like us on Facebook! | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 55 | https://www.lowellhistoricalsociety.org/timeline/ | en | Timeline – Lowell Historical Society | [
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834 | dbpedia | 3 | 14 | https://trolleymuseum.org/national-streetcar-museum-lowell/history-streetcars-lowell/ | en | History of Streetcars in Lowell MA | [
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] | null | [] | 2017-05-04T15:30:15+00:00 | History of Streetcars in Lowell Rapid growth prompted Lowell's landowners and real estate speculators to build houses away from the downtown. | en | /wp-content/themes/seashoretrolley/img/favicon.ico | Seashore Trolley Museum | https://trolleymuseum.org/national-streetcar-museum-lowell/history-streetcars-lowell/ | History of Streetcars in Lowell
Early City Transport
The history of streetcars in Lowell is an interesting evolution. Like other urban areas in early 19th-century America, Lowell was a “walking city.” Residents used their feet for all inner-city travel. Beginning in the 1840s, omnibuses appeared in larger cities such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, but Lowell remained a walking city. Rapid growth in the decades before the Civil War, however, prompted Lowell’s landowners and real estate speculators to build houses in new neighborhoods away from the downtown. While many working-class residents remained in or near the congested city center, which contained factories and boarding houses, the burgeoning middle class and wealthier citizens settled in outlying neighborhoods.
To link the city center with Lowell’s growing neighborhoods, the Lowell Horse Railroad Company established the city’s first horse-powered streetcar. Completed in 1864, the company’s line extended from Belvidere, on the east side of Lowell, into the downtown, then westward to Pawtucket Falls. This venture proved quite profitable. The continued growth of Lowell and its environs in the decades following the Civil War fostered the development of Lowell’s early suburbs. Real estate boomed in Lowell and in other American cities, aided by a proliferation of streetcar lines. By the late 1880’s, many transport companies began investing in the latest technology, the electric streetcar.
The Trolleys of Lowell
Lowell’s first electric streetcar began operation in 1889. Owned by the Lowell & Dracut Street Railway Company, the line ran from downtown across the Merrimack River into Dracut. Over the next decade, additional electric lines extended through the downtown and into suburban neighborhoods. The Lowell & Suburban Street Railway Company carried out much of this expansion after it merged the old Horse Railroad Company with the Lowell & Dracut line in 1891.
At the turn of the century, Lowell’s downtown bustled with activity. Horses, wagons, and pedestrians shared city streets with electrically powered trolleys. A maze of overhead wires extended above the steel rails of the trolley tracks that were built in the middle of stone-paved streets.
Despite resistance from their employers, Lowell’s streetcar workers pushed for higher wages and better working conditions. in 1903 they joined with the Amalgamated Association of Streetcar Employees to form a trade union. The streetcar workforce and the union were composed entirely of men, many of whom were Irish.
In the summertime, they ran open-air trolleys that transported people out of the city and into the countryside. One popular destination, Canobie Lake in Southern New Hampshire, was built by streetcar company interests, which profited from the resort and the fares collected.
Accompanying the growth of inner-city trolley lines were interurban street railways that ran from city to city. Many transport companies, however, lacked sufficient capital to operate and maintain their lines. Large firms frequently absorbed smaller companies, discontinuing service to some areas, while expanding it in others. To maintain profits, streetcar managers cut labor as well as operating costs. Strikes by trolley workers, as well as public dissatisfaction with streetcar companies, intensified in the early 1900’s.
Reflecting the “merger-mania” in the transport industry, Lowell’s streetcar lines were acquired in 1901 by the Lynn & Boston Railroad Company, which was reorganized as the Boston & Northern Street Railway Company. This firm, headed by Patrick F. Sullivan of Lowell, was the largest transport company north of Boston. A second and even larger merger under the aegis of the Bay State Street Railway Company failed to improve the region’s streetcar system. The Bay State firm declared bankruptcy in 1918. | ||||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 16 | https://millmuseum.org/railroads-and-mills/ | en | Railroads and Mills | [
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] | null | [] | 2019-03-14T17:43:12+00:00 | Railroads and the MillsJamie H. EvesThe Industrial Revolution relied on cheap transportation of goods in bulk. The textile factories that dominated eastern Connecticut during its Industrial Age (c. 1800-1985) needed to haul in the raw cotton, wool, and silk from which they made their products, and carry away the finished thread and cloth, and after… | en | Windham Textile and History Museum - The Mill Museum | https://millmuseum.org/railroads-and-mills/ | One important artifact of the Age of Rail in Connecticut is a large-scale, cloth-backed, elegantly engraved 1902 wall map titled “The National Publishing Company’s Railroad, Post Office, Township and County Map of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with Distances in Figures Compiled from the Latest Government Surveys and Original Sources.” It provides a snapshot of rail transportation at the turn of the century, when the railroads were at their height.
According to the map, a century ago a dense web of rail lines crisscrossed Connecticut. The “trunk line” (“main line”) was owned by the busy, prosperous New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company (N. Y. N. H. & H.), which snaked eastward along Long Island Sound from New York City to New Haven in a series of lazy, undulating loops. In New Haven, it split into two smaller trunks, one continuing east along the Sound to Providence, Rhode Island, the other heading north, first to Hartford and then across the state line to Springfield, Massachusetts. Numerous “branch lines” (“short lines”) – some owned by the N. Y. N. H. & H. and others by smaller companies – split off from the two trunks, linking all eight of Connecticut’s counties into one efficient, integrated system. All told, only 27 of the state’s 168 towns (16%) were without rail service – and every one of these was a small, rural, hill community like Goshen, Bethlehem, Voluntown, or Union. Well over 95% of the state’s residents lived within ten miles of a train station. Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Willimantic were the state’s rail “hubs,” with eight, six, six and six “spokes,” respectively. Hartford was the state capital, an important river port, and a center for the manufacture of precision machines. New Haven was a seaport. Waterbury was a center for metal manufacturing. And Willimantic produced cloth and thread. Bridgeport (machines and textiles), Manchester (textiles), and Norwich (textiles) also had important rail connections.
For about a century, from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, railroads and trolleys functioned as the chief means of moving large quantities of people and freight in Connecticut and the rest of the United States. The earliest American railroads were horse-drawn short lines, such as John Montressor’s “gravity road” around Niagara Falls and John Thompson’s “tramroad” in Pennsylvania. But the invention of the coal-powered steam engine by the Scottish engineer James Watt in the 1760s, together with its successful application to riverboats by the New York inventor Robert Fulton in 1807, launched an eventual switch from horses to steam and made railroads practical. The first steam railroad in North America was the Baltimore and Ohio (B. & O.); construction on the B. & O. had begun in 1828, but the company switched from horses to steam in 1831. Other railroads quickly followed: the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad in 1832, the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company in 1833, the Columbia Railroad of Pennsylvania in 1834, and the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1835.
In Connecticut, the Age of Rail commenced in the 1840s with the construction of the New York and New Haven Railroad (N. Y. & N. H.), the forerunner of the N. Y. N. H. & H. The company received its state charter in 1844, was organized in 1846, and opened in 1849. Like most American railroads, the N. Y. & N. H. was a privately owned business – a corporation – but it nevertheless relied on government subsidies for survival. Indeed, without government support, long-distance railroads rarely made a profit. The N. Y. & N. H.’s 450-mile looping route along Long Island Sound from New Haven to New York – with stops in West Haven, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Southport, Westport, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, and Greenwich – can be viewed on an elegant, detailed 1845 “Map Exhibiting the Experimental and Located Lines for the New-York and New-Haven Rail-Road,” at the Library of Congress’s superb “American Memory” website at http://memory.loc.gov. In 1872 the New York and New Haven merged with the New Haven and Hartford Railroad to form the giant N. Y. N. H. & H. It continued to grow, and by the early 1900s had absorbed more than twenty-five other railroad companies, owned 2,047 miles of track in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and was an important cog in the corporate empire of the Connecticut-born tycoon J. P. Morgan. A good map of the mature, turn-of-the-century Connecticut railroad network – “Map of the Railroads of Connecticut to Accompany the Report of the Railroad Commissioners, 1893” – can be viewed at the “American Memory” website.
To find out more about trains and Willimantic, I visited the Thomas R. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut, where I looked through old train schedules of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (N.Y.N.H.&H.) that are preserved as part of the Dodd Center’s Connecticut Electric Railway Association Collection. Although these schedules applied only to passenger trains and not to freight trains, they nevertheless provided insight into the history of railroads in Willimantic.
According to the schedules, in the 1920s and 1930s, as many as twelve N.Y.N.H.&H. passenger trains left Willimantic each day. One route – which in January, 1927, departed twice a day, at 6:45 and 11:00 AM – was a local, heading southwest to Middletown, with stops along the way at Chestnut Hill, Leonard’s Bridge, Amston, Westchester, Lyman Viaduct, East Hampton, Cobalt-Middle Haddam, and Portland.
A second route in 1927, departing Willimantic only once a day, at 9:25 AM, traveled east to Pomfret and Putnam before crossing the state line into Rhode Island. It arrived at Providence at 11:47 and Boston at 12:09, covering 140 miles in about two hours and forty-five minutes, an average speed of about 50 miles an hour.
A third route in 1927, to Hartford, was the busiest, with seven trains departing daily, at 7:10, 10:08, and 11:29 AM, and at 2:23, 3:45, 6:11, and 8:09 PM. The morning trains were locals, with regular stops at Andover, Bolton, and Manchester, and whistle stops (the train stopped only if someone requested it) at Hop River, Rockville Junction, Talcottville, Buckland, and Burnside. The afternoon trains had fewer stops. After a brief layover in Hartford (between 20 and 30 minutes), the train continued on to Meriden, New Haven, and New York. The trip from Willimantic to Hartford took about an hour; the journey to New York lasted about four hours and 30 minutes. Unlike the other two routes, this one also operated on Sundays, although with fewer runs.
The passenger trains that stopped in Willimantic featured a combination of parlor cars and coaches, but no sleepers. Sleepers did run on the other Boston-to-Hartford-to-New York route – the one that went through Springfield, Massachusetts, instead of Willimantic – but passengers were told that their berths would not be available until 9:00 at night, and that they had to be out of them by 6:40 in the morning.
Nevertheless, railroad’s relicts remain on the land, inviting historical inspection. Several passenger and freight lines still run, including the Amtrack commuter line along Long Island Sound, which uses the old N. Y. N. H. & H. tracks. Most of the bed of the old branch line from Hartford to Providence still exists, too, converted by the state into a horse, bicycle, and walking trail. It is a venerable route. According to Hans DePold, the town historian of Bolton, one of the towns along the trail, a group of Connecticut businessmen first drew up plans for a Hartford-to-Providence railroad in 1833, at the very dawn of the Age of Rail. Fifteen years later in 1847, they chartered the Hartford & Providence Railroad, renamed the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill when they decided to extend the line west to Fishkill, New York, on the Hudson River. Construction began almost immediately, and by 1849 – the same year that the New York and New Haven opened for business – the railroad connected Hartford to Willimantic. However, like most of the early railroads, it struggled financially. Eventually, the larger, wealthier New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company absorbed it. Now part of a larger system, the line remained in operation until 1956.
Today, hikers routinely walk along portions of the old H. P. & F. bed between Bolton and Willimantic, a distance of about 14 miles. Relict evidence shows that, like other railroads, the H. P. & F. significantly altered the environment through which it passed. Although all of the steel rails and most of the heavy wooden ties have been removed, the bed and other artifacts remain, providing ample evidence of the railroad’s impact. The top of the bed was approximately ten feet wide, and amazingly level. To save fuel, the steep, craggy Connecticut hills were graded into gentle slopes, and the route was laid out with straight lines and wide, easy turns. Rather than detour around the hills, the construction crews dynamited deep “cuts” through hilltops and rocky outcrops, creating artificial gorges that remain cool, moist, and shady even on hot summer days. To cross the “lows,” the crews built high, sloping, raised beds, often several hundred feet wide at the base, which tower above the land. Even when the terrain was relatively level, beds were still elevated several feet above the surface, to make sure the tracks remained dry. In the cuts, deep ditches running along each side of the track drained excess water. Elsewhere, the beds sloped slightly to one side, where a single ditch disposed of the runoff. Mosses grow on the craggy, gray shale walls of the cuts. In the spring rivulets of cold, clear meltwater trickle noisily over the exposed rocks.
Immense amounts of fill were needed to construct these beds – far more than would have been supplied from the limited amounts of rock and gravel the crews removed from the cuts. Where had it all come from? Hikers see little evidence of trackside borrow pits. Indeed, numerous stone fences indicate that farmers’ fields and pastures occupied most of the land beyond the railroad’s right-of-way, and these seem unlikely sources of fill. Scooping out parts of the bed with your hands, a hiker can unearth numerous gravel-sized particles of red sandstone, common enough in the Connecticut Valley around Hartford, but rare in the eastern hills around Bolton and Willimantic. Perhaps the company had commenced constructing the railroad at Hartford and, inching eastward, used their trains and newly laid tracks to haul the fill from the Valley. If so, they had reversed the pattern of nature, moving earth from lower to higher elevations.
Other relicts are also visible. Chunks of coal lay in the ditches. A few gaunt, silver-gray telegraph poles pitch at eccentric angles, most with five crosstrees, indicating that, in addition to the telegraph wires, they possibly carried telephone and even electric wires as well. Although the surrounding countryside is thickly wooded, ample evidence exists that such was not the case a hundred years ago. The stone fences that snake through the woods indicate that the entire area was once open farmland. This means that the railroad would have had to make accommodations for those farmers whose fields lay on both sides of the tracks. Indeed, at several locations old farm roads, now abandoned, cross the railroad, their locations marked by rusty steel gates.
The historian Leo Marx characterizes railroads, trains, and other nineteenth-century technologies as “machines in the garden.” Hikers walking along the old railroad bed, climbing into the high, flinty hills surrounding Bolton Notch, may reflect that he is right. One imagines the countryside as it must have looked a century ago – an open, undulating land of farms and fields, with only a few trees, and the great sweeping vistas of the Hop River Valley below. The green, pastoral landscape would have offered a compelling contrast to the sooty black trains, the billowing clouds of coal smoke, the piercing whistle of the steam engines, the loud chuffing of gears, and the rhythmic clacking of the steel wheels on the rails. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 43 | https://www.falmouthedic.org/brief-history-falmouth-station | en | A Brief History of the Falmouth Station — Falmouth EDIC | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/576a9fd22e69cf8e27a22264/1482506754481-DN2OIPYLAYX1NB3GZZJD/favicon.ico?format=100w | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/576a9fd22e69cf8e27a22264/1482506754481-DN2OIPYLAYX1NB3GZZJD/favicon.ico?format=100w | [
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The first New England railroads, a trio of lines radiating from Boston to Lowell, Worcester, and Providence, were completed in 1835, and rail service reached Plymouth in 1845. A line from Middleborough to Wareham and then to Sandwich was completed in May 1848. Cape Cod did not get a railroad connection until the Old Colony Rail Road completed its line to Wareham and Sandwich. In 1854 the line was extended to Barnstable, Yarmouth, and then the port of Hyannis, where steamers docked for trips to the islands. Tracks were extended to Wellfleet in January 1871 and to Provincetown in July 1873.
This expansion in southeastern Massachusetts should be viewed against the rapid industrialization of the U.S. after 1865, with earlier efforts marking incremental progress in the use of the railroad to further economic growth. The railroad age had started in the 1830s in Great Britain, when lines were laid to haul both passengers and freight (often ore from mines). But even earlier, in Quincy Massachusetts in 1826, the Granite Railroad used three horse-pulled wagons riding on iron-covered wooden rails to haul stone from a quarry to a dock at Boston Harbor. After the Civil War, every town wanted to be connected to the railroad. In the 1880s seventy-one thousand miles of track were laid, most of it west of the Mississippi, a boom enabled in part by the federal land grants offered in the 1872 Morrill Act. The taking, or granting, of land for railroad right-of-way was central to the growth of the many lines that crisscrossed the Northeast and the Midwest.
Joseph Story Fay, a Boston merchant, was the first of the summer visitors and one of the most generous. Early recognizing the importance of bringing the railroad to Woods Hole, he divided his own property for its construction. When he had purchased a large farm in Woods Hole in 1850, Falmouth and Woods Hole were still served by stage lines with four horses on each stage.
In 1861 a group of businessmen in Falmouth petitioned the legislature to grant a charter for a line from Cohasset Narrows (Buzzards Bay) to Woods Hole, and approval was given on April 11, 1861. The next day, the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina and construction was postponed.
In 1864 a new name, The Cape Cod Central Railroad, was approved by the legislature, but the first train arrived in Falmouth and Woods Hole only on July 18, 1872. This new line was 17.5 miles from Cohasset Narrows with stations at North Falmouth, West Falmouth, Falmouth, and Woods Hole.
Freight trains were also central to this period of intense railway activity. The Falmouth Station was a very active spot in town with the freight yards often filled with freight cars. Many businesses were dependent on the railroad, including Falmouth Coal Co., Lawrence Grain Co., and Wood Lumber Co. Every evening Sam Cahoon sent carloads of iced fresh fish from Woods Hole to Boston and New York. Strawberry growers in East Falmouth sent carloads of iced fresh strawberries to Boston, where they became a welcome addition to urban markets and a major source of revenue for local growers.
In 1890 Captain Lewis H. Lawrence built a grain mill on the west side of the railroad tracks and a railroad siding was constructed to bring freight cars to the mill. Frederick T. Lawrence, Jr., the grandson of Captain Lawrence, described this siding in The Book of Falmouth (p. 79):
“The railroad’s freight platform extended to within 42 feet of the Lawrence Bros. mill. It was large enough to unload wagons, autos, cement and the annual circus. Later it was expanded east to an entrance off Palmer Avenue with the addition of three tracks.”
The Pacific Guano Company on Long Neck, now Penzance Point, in Woods Hole was an initial beneficiary of the railroad. The company produced fertilizer for almost 25 years, processing guano from islands in the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico with fish meal made from locally caught fish. In 1872 it produced and shipped out by rail 16,000 tons of fertilizer. The processing plant closed in 1889, primarily because inorganic fertilizers took over the market.
Another beneficiary of the railroad extension was the Falmouth Coal Company. Wilbur Dyer came from Westfield, Maine to Falmouth in 1912 as the railroad station master, and later established the Falmouth Coal Company. His son, Arnold, notes that when the family arrived both the old and new Stations were standing before the older building was demolished.
In 1924, Wilbur Dyer bought two independent coal companies that included the land behind the Enterprise office where there were coal bins and later oil tanks alongside a rail siding. His grandson, Wilbur (Bill) Dyer, continues with the fourth generation of the business as the Falmouth Energy Company.
The Flying Dude
In 1884 several industrialists asked the Old Colony Railroad to offer a private train by subscription from Boston to Falmouth and Woods Hole. The inaugural trip of The Flying Dude left Boston at 3:10 pm on June 13, 1884, and arrived in Woods Hole at 4:50 pm in time for the 5:00 ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. For thirty-two years there were enough paying passengers for this railroad service to run from June to early October each year.
Though subscription trains had become common in this age of industrial barons, the Dude was described in a 1904 Enterprise as “the finest train in New England.”
Conductor Augustus Messer was a dignified presence on the Dude from 1890 to 1904, and spent thirty-two years on the Boston to Woods Hole run. He was familiar with all the passengers, including President Grover Cleveland, who alighted at Gray Gables near the Summer White House in Bourne. In 1904 the former conductor started his first run of the season and suffered a stroke from which he never recovered. The Flying Dude made its last trip on October 2, 1916.
Societal Impacts
The following excerpts were published in the Falmouth Enterprise on July 1, 1905:
“At noon, Monday, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in this village was the scene of one of the most brilliant weddings ever solemnized in this town for Miss Mary Emmons, and John Parkinson, Jr. The young couple are society leaders on the summer set in Falmouth and Buzzards Bay and have known each other since childhood. Many guests for the wedding came by a special train that left Boston at 9:25 in the morning, reaching here at 11:45 and the guests were taken in carriages to the church. The ceremony was witnessed by upwards of 200 guests.
The bridal party took carriages to the summer home of the father of the bride, where a wedding breakfast was served and the nuptial festivities continued until late in the afternoon. The reception was held in the parlor and the guests were served refreshments on tables on the lawn. The bride and groom took their departure on the 2:27 train for Boston.”
Falmouth Station
The original Falmouth Station was built in 1872 of wood and provided service for more than forty years.
In 1914, a new “fancy” brick station was constructed with stone cornices, a red tiled floor and an iron and glass canopy.
However, after the construction of the interstate highways in the 1950s and the increasing use of cars and buses to get to Falmouth and Woods Hole, rail service declined to the point that the station was scheduled to be razed. A group of concerned citizens petitioned that the station be saved. Improvements to the Falmouth Station were completed in 1989 with funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and included improved facilities in the ticket area, exterior landscaping, and handicap access.
The most recent refurbishment was completed in 2017 under the auspices of the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) with funding from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (which owns the property and leases it to EDIC in a 99-year lease).
The Station serves Peter Pan Bus Lines (with service from Woods Hole and Falmouth to Boston, Logan Airport, Providence and New York City); the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, with service Woods Hole to Falmouth and other towns on the Cape; the seasonal Trolley to Woods Hole; and the local taxi companies.
The station backs up to the celebrated Shining Sea Bikeway built on the original railroad right-of-way in the 1970s and runs for more than ten miles from Woods Hole to North Falmouth. The Bikeway attracts many visitors—bikers and walkers of all ages—to the area. The bike path crosses Depot Avenue by the handsomely restored Falmouth Station, where bikers can stop for refreshment and a short rest. | |||
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A railroad company that connected Boston and Lowell, MA. It was first chartered in 1830 and eventually leased to and became part of the Boston & Maine Railroad.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_and_Lowell_Railroad
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] | null | [] | null | The Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, Inc. is composed of individuals who share a common interest in the history and operations of the Boston & Maine Railroad. | en | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53a3b0e7e4b0356e962ad8f4/ea2d4a4a-fd4c-49da-bc43-d239822eb329/favicon.ico?format=100w | Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society | https://bostonmaine.squarespace.com | B&MRRHS ONLINE ARCHIVES
The items linked on this page are representative of the types of materials that can be found at our physical archive at Lowell
PART 1. REFERENCE MATERIALS
Updated February 22, 2023
Abandonments — See ABANDONMENT NOTICES page
Accidents and Weather Events, Notable, compiled by Rick Nowell
Amesbury Branch History by Richard Nichols. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Andover and Wilmington Railroad Map, drawn by Franklin K. Haggerty
Authority For Expenditure Records. Selected, compiled and annotated by Robert P. Fuller. Transcribed by Mark Fecteau
First Series. AFE No. 1 (1910) through 6128 (1923)
Introduction to Second Series
Second Series. AFE No. 2 (1920) through AFE No. 39,765 (1970)
Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Bill Gove New England Logging Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Mal Sockol and Eric DiVirgilio
B&M Bulletin Index through Vol. XXXIII, No. 4 (2023), compiled by Jack Dziadul
B&M Bulletin Index compiled by Dick Lynch. (Through Vol. XXVI, No. 1)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Brad Blodget
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (A - Kl)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (Kn - Z)
B-15 (2-6-0) Mogul large format drawing list
Boston and Lowell Railroad. A Pioneer Railroad and How It Was Built
Boston and Lowell Railroad (compiled by Brad MacGowan, courtesy of UMass Lowell Library)
Lowell Before the Civil War
Plan of Lowell Village, Boyden, 1835
Boston and Lowell Railroad (Narrative, from Summer Saunterings by the B & L (1885))
Locomotive Race of 1851
Along the Route of the Boston and Lowell
Early Days of Railroading in Lowell
Boston and Maine Industries, Inc. Exchange Offer to Shareholders of Boston and Maine Corporation (11 Feb 1969)
Boston Terminal Photo File Organization, prepared by Dan O’Brien
C Class (4-6-0) Ten-Wheeler large format drawing list
Car Disposition Records, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of individual car dispositions (Sold, scrapped, transferred to work service, etc.)
Currently only freight (not passenger) cars.
Excel Transcription
Scans of original pages available and derived data here (done!)
Car Record Books, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of freight, passenger, and, sometimes, “Rail Motor Cars” (i.e. EMC and Budd RDC)
Proof-reading has been done on all index files. Errata from the first versions has been highlighted in yellow.
ALSO NOTE: PDFs are mostly about 18-19 MB!
Car Acquisition Books (1899-1917)
Purchases only
PDF index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Excel Index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Car Books (1923 - 1960)
Include purchases, re-numberings, disposals
Car Books index (Excel) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Car Books Index (PDF) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Centralized Traffic Control on the Boston & Maine. Clipping from Railway Age, Dec. 5, 1931. Gift of Carl Byron
Chaffin Negative Collection Catalogue, prepared by Brad Kippen
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with Conrail, 1980
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with MassCentral Railroad, 1980
Contoocook (N.H.) Railroad Bridge. History and Design. Report by National Park Service, 2003
Conway Daily Sun, February 22, 2020 - “Return of the Snow Train: All Aboooard to Attitash!” (Articles on Snow Train history and Conway Scenic’s 2020 Snow Train revival)
A Descriptive Guidebook to the Railway Route Between Boston and Burlington, via Lowell and Concord, 1850
Contains information about Boston and Lowell, Nashua & Lowell, Northern, Boston, Concord & Montreal, and Connecticut & Passumpssic Rivers Railroads. Also contains summer travel information.
Corporate History. “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” compiled by David D. Ashenden. See also David’s Introduction/Instructions. See Corporate History in the EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT section below for the original document.
Customers on the Portsmouth and Fremont Branches, 1971 - 1982 compiled by Rick Kfoury
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP38-2. Gift of Preston Cook
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP40-2. Gift of Prestion Cook
Drawing Numbers, Assignment of, Mechanical Department, c1928, transcribed from original in Harry Frye Collection
Brandeis and the NH-B&M Merger Battle Revisited by Abrams-1962
Engine House and Turntable Notes
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 1
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 2
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 3
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Freight Car Roster, 1915-1955, by Tim Gilbert
Freight Car Summary, by Ken Akerboom
Freight Car Classification book information
NOTE: Actual freight car pages are included in the appropriate series page(s) in the Freight Car Summary, the links here are for index pages and for buggies [AKA “cabooses”] that don’t have an individual car series page.
“1942” book (might be 1943…)
Scans of original pages available here
1955 book
Note the “index” pages are a bit muddled, they may be out of order?
Scans of original pages available here
Frye Collection -- Photo Credit Codes
G-11 (0-6-0) switcher large format drawing list
The Glory of White River Junction, by Edgar T. Mead and transcribed by Rick Kfoury from the Connecticut Valley Reporter (June 23, 1971).
Goodwin, Dana D. and Charles H. Nash Negative Catalog prepared by R. Richard Conard
Group Index Numbers (to locate mechanical drawings) compiled by Mark Fecteau
Hill-MacMillan-Hutchinson Negative Collection Index. 1944, 1945, 1946 Part 1, 1946 Part 2, 1947 Part 1, 1947 Part 2, 1948 Part 1, 1948 Part 2, 1949 Part 1, 1949 Part 2, 1950, 1951 Part 1, 1951 Part 2, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 - 1963
Historic Railroad Stations of New Hampshire pamphlet
Hoosac Tunnel Accidents, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims by Date, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hutchinson (Leroy C.) Collection--File Box Contents
Map Folder Index
Station Folder Index
Loco Classification By Types
Miscellaneous
Motive Power--Diesels
Railroad Poems
Summary
Industries, 1955, compiler unknown
ICC Freight Statistics (1917-1963) compiled by Ken Akerboom
Notes on the ICC Freight Commodity Statistics by Ken Akerboom
K Class (2-8-0) Consolidation large format drawing list
Large format scans, Catalog of
Lettering
K10 Font, drawn by Ken Akerboom
K10 Font, Notes by Ken Akerboom
Locomotive Assignments (Notes)
Locomotive Supervision, 1904. Courtesy Google Books
The Locomotives of the Boston & Maine Railroad by Charles E. Fisher, includes predecessor roads (Provided by F. Bradford Kippen III, scanned as a searchable PDF by Rick Kfoury) - Uploaded 1/2020. See also Steam Locomotives below.
Manchester Tower - A brief history of the CTC “MA Tower” in Manchester, NH by Rick Kfoury
Minuteman Steam Addenda
Map: B&MRR at Its Greatest Extent, 1915
Map: Boston & Maine Railroad Central Massachusetts Branch, 1975
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Deed of Property and Operating Rights to, by B&M Corp., 1976
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 1 of 2
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 2 of 2
Mass Bay RRE Fantrips. Seventy-Five Years of Rare Mileage, by Rick Conard and John Reading, posted with permission
Mechanical Department Drawings List. This list is very incomplete. See also Large format scans, Catalog of.
Metal File Box Collection Indexes
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Cheshire, Fitchburg and Other Roads, Cat. No. 2004.36.15, compiled by Rick Hurst
Boston and Lowell, Fitchburg and Other Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.21, compiled by Steve Butterworth
Boston and Lowell Railroad Documents, Cat. 2004.36.24, compiled by UMass Lowell intern Matthew Donovan PARTIALLY COMPLETED
Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western, Concord, Concord & Montreal, Fitchburg, Pemigewasset Branch, Whitefield & Jefferson RRs, Cat. No. 2004.36.258, compiled by Leo Sullivan
Various Railroads, Cat. No. 2004.36.265, compiled by Rick Hurst
Milk. Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Milk Supply of Boston, 1898
Modelers Notes Index compiled by Jack Dziadul
Mount Washington Railway. MS list of drawings in tube file, North Chelmsford
Negatives data base, compiled by Rick Conard and Rick Nowell
New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources Survey of the Northern Railroad, 2013
Officers and Divisions, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Official Guide, April 1913, B&MRR Section, submitted by David Ashenden
Paint and Color Guide, compiled by Rick Nowell. See also, in Mechanical Department below:
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9 dated 8-19-1948
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Passenger Car Roster, c1965, compiled by Laurence I. Beake
Passenger Car Roster, pub. B&M Bull., 1980-94, compiled by Hutchinson & Smith, prepared for web by R.K. Hurst
Passenger Department Chronology, compiled and edited by Richard K. "Rick" Hurst
Periodicals Held in B&MRRHS Archives
Photo Identification. Notes from Harry Frye Collection
Postcards—How ro Date. From John A. Goodwin Collection, created by Lowell Historical Society
Preston S. Johnson Collection, catalog of photographic slides, compiled by Rick Nowell
Railroad Enthusiast March - August 1966 (“Slow Train to Keene”), Dana D. Goodwin Collection, scanned by Rick Kfoury
Railroad Periodicals, 1920
Railway Mail Service RPO Routes in New England, by James B. VanBokkelen
Reorganization. ICC FD26115 (1973), scanned by David Ashenden
Restoration of Mileposts on the Northern Main Line, Edwin R. Hiller, Andover Historical Society
Right of Way and Track Maps - Index
Rochester, N.H., Railroading at,1934 by R.E. Fisher, includes map
Salisbury Branch History. See Amesbury Branch History.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps with B&M Trackage
Shelf List — ICC Survey Volumes Held
Shops, Notes About
Signal Chronology [1947-1990], by Daniel E. Horgan (1990), scanned and submitted by Carl R. Byron
Standard Plan Books Edited By Alan LePain, Index
Station Data Base, compiled by Rick Nowell
Station Drawings in B&MRRHS Archives, compiled by David Ashenden
Steam Locomotive Photos, A Guide to Identifying, by Harry A. Frye
Steam Locomotives 1836-1865, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Summer Saunterings by the Boston and Lowell. Issued by Passenger Dept., Boston and Lowell Railroad, First Edition, 1885. Internet Archive
Track Car 215570 “Birth Papers” - Provided by Jesse Mazzie, who owns and operates this motorcar for the CVRTC
Trains Between Boston and Montreal and Between Boston and Quebec City, 1927, compiled by Rick Nowell
Tube File/Round File/Roll Files at Lowell. Inventory compiled by Rick Conard
Turntable Notes
Valuation Plans. See Right of Way and Track Maps
Vincent H. Bernard Signal Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Steve Butterworth, Eric DiVirgilio, and Mal Sockol
Wheelwright Branch Map, 1953, by Alan E. MacMillan
The White-Mountain Village of Bethlehem [N.H.] as a Resort for Health and Pleasure, 1880 Internet Archive
Wooden Bridge Construction, B&M, 1895 by J. Parker Snow
Wooden Dining Car Roster, compiled by Leroy C. Hutchinson and Clyde R. Smith
PART 2. RAILROAD DOCUMENTS ON-LINE
Boston & Maine Railroad
Accounting Department
Contract Bureau
Updated January 2020
Contract Memo 9251-C - Manchester, NH - Repairs to Huse Road bridge over M&L Branch, April 4, 1979.
Contract Memo 10596-A - Manchester, NH - Repairs to I-293 bridges over M&L Branch, Feb. 13, 1979.
Contract Memo 11015-A - Manchester, NH - Widening I-93 bridges over Portsmouth Branch, Jan. 19, 1977.
Contract Memo 12389-A - Manchester, NH - Land tracts near Granite State Packing, Feb. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 12483 - Manchester, NH - Crossings near Foster Grant, Jan. 15, 1976.
Contract Memo 12570 - Manchester, NH - Petition for private crossing at Foster Grant, Aug. 18, 1978.
Contract Memo 44951-B - Manchester, NH - Concerning use of land at Massabesic Street, Dec. 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 54742-C - Manchester, NH - Genest Bros. Bakery, John Danais Co. Inc. sidings, July 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 56332-A - Manchester, NH - Electric service for switch heaters, June 11, 1975.
Contract Memo 58349 - Manchester, NH - Union Leader utilizing old Central Paper siding, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59352-A - Manchester, NH - Work on crossings through the millyard, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59574 - Manchester, NH - Maintenance at Grenier Industrial Park, Sept. 15, 1975.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics sidetrack, Jan. 23, 1976.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - South End Grain at West Manchester, Jan. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735 - Manchester, NH - Lease of railroad land near Beech Street, June 30, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Aug. 3, 1977.
Contract Memo 59746 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Gulf Oil siding at Byron Street, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59756 - Manchester, NH - Use of railroad land at Candia Road, Aug. 2, 1976.
Contract Memo 59831 - Manchester, NH - Waumbek Mills sewer line installation, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59851 - Manchester, NH - City drainage near South Beech Street, Jan. 25, 1977.
Contract Memo 59947 - Manchester, NH - Regarding Gulf Oil, May 11, 1977.
Contract Memo 59992-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Dec. 13, 1977.
Contract Memo 60169 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Hussey Molding Co. sidetrack, March 7, 1978.
Contract Memo 60178 - Manchester, NH - Land usage petition for Granite State Packing, March 22, 1978.
Contract Memo 60209 - Manchester, NH - Concerning American Hoechst Co. sidetrack, May 4, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263 - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, Aug. 28, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263-A - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, May 24, 1979.
Contract Memo 60268 - Manchester, NH - City sewer line through Manchester Yard, Aug. 30, 1978.
Contract Memo 60288 - Manchester, NH - State rehab of Mammoth Road crossing, Oct. 11, 1978.
Contract Memo 60328 - Manchester, NH - Federal funds for Portsmouth Branch crossings, Jan. 8, 1979.
Contract Memo 60370-A - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics track at Manchester Airport, Oct. 12, 1979.
Contract Memo 60439 - Manchester, NH - Use of Ledges Yard tracks 5-7 by Sweetheart Plastics, Aug. 6, 1979.
Employee Magazines and Magazine Articles
Dinosaur Fossils at Holyoke, 1936, 1937
New Icer Speeds Perishables, Jul-Aug 1950
Our Service, April 1917
Post Office on Wheels
Railroad Man Started the Harvard-Yale Regatta
Engineering Department
Updated July 2021
Bridge List, Fitchburg RR, c1890
Characteristic Charts, 1955
Construction of Private Crossing at Sewage Plant, Manchester, NH, Feb. 25, 1974.
Expenses Needed for Northern Mainline Relocation, Manchester, NH, April 29, 1974.
Expenses Related to Bouchard Street Extension, Manchester, NH, Sept. 23, 1974.
Expenses Related to Reconstruction of Queen City Bridge, Manchester, NH, July 24, 1974.
Expenses Related to Widening I-93 Overpasses on Portsmouth Branch, Manchester, NH, Jan. 14, 1977.
Interior and Exterior Work on Manchester and Nashua Yard Offices, June 11, 1979.
Key to Track Map, Chart, and Profile Symbols
Paints for structures, 1921, rev. to 1926
Rejection of Private Grade Crossing at 200 Elm Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1977.
Removal of bridge 35.61 on the Marlborough Branch, July 30, 1975
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 11, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 18, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, December 30, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 14, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 22, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 23, 1975.
Track Changes. “Up and Down Reports, 1897-1961 with some later entries, for use with the valuation plans, February 23, 2011,” compiled by Robert P. Fuller
Valuation Sections 1 - 7.8
Valuation Sections 7.8 - 17
Valuation Sections 17 - 32.1
Valuation Sections 32.1 - 38.2
Valuation Sections 38.2 - 59
Turntables, All Divisions, Dec. 1925
Digital restoration, by Scott J. Whitney (December 2019)
Executive Department
Updated July 20, 2023
Annual Reports. See Annual Reports page
By-Laws. Boston and Maine Railroad, August 1, 1949
Canterbury, NH Industrial Development Proposition, October 20, 1972
Correspondence Regarding American Freedom Train in Manchester, November 1, 1974
Correspondence Regarding Proposed Disaster Drill at Manchester, NH, September 25, 1979
Correspondence Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Note Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Road Operated June 30, 1915
Organization Chart c1925-1927
Corporate History
Contents - Page 33
Page 34 - Page 63
Page 64 - Page 89
Page 90 - Page 123
Page 124 - Page 157
Page 158 - Page 176
Addendum
See also Ashenden’s “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” in REFERENCE MATERIALS above. This is a sortable listing by railroad, date, event, etc.
Federal Railroad Administration
Updated January 2020
Accident Report No. 4189 - October 2, 1972 Head-On Collision at Belchertown, MA between B&M Work Extra 1125 and CV Extra 4929 South (Provided by Tom Murray, 11/3/2021)
Finance Department
Interstate Commerce Commission
Investigation No. 2378 - September 10, 1939 Collapse of Portsmouth Bridge and Loss of B&M P-2 #3666
Legal Department
Updated January 2020
Bill for Derailment at Associated Grocers, Manchester, NH, Sept. 11, 1974
Claim for Incorrect Flagging Procedure at Manchester, NH, October 20, 1975
Claim of John R. Bangs, Clerk, Manchester Freight Office - January 7, 1974
Misuse of Car PLE 006579 at Manchester, NH, Aug. 27, 1974.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1978.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, August 28, 1978.
Unpaid Bill to Manchester Water Works, October 5, 1979.
Marketing and Sales
Updated December 2020
Intermodal Services Routing Announcement, late 1970s
Office of Marketing & Sales Notice - Moving from Elm Street, Manchester, NH to Billerica, MA, 1979. -
Mechanical Department
Barre & Chelsea RR and Montpelier & Wells River RR Equipment Roster, March 1925
Budd Car Diagrams
Diesel Classification
Diesel Out of Service and Mileage Record, 1943-55 courtesy of Carl R. Byron
Engine Houses and Turntables, Dec. 29, 1899
Engine Houses, Fitchburg Division, 1928
Freight Car Classification 1907
How the B&M Uses Budd Rail Diesel Cars, 1958
Locomotive Performance. BC&MRR. 1880s
Mechanical Engineering Department. A Talk by Donald A. McKeown, Dec. 1953.
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9
Painting and Lettering Combines, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-10
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 4 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-11
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 6 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-12
Rail Motor Cars, Sept. 1935
Repairs to Locomotive Cranes at Concord, NH Shop, 1947
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 1
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 2
Summary of Equipment, November 1, 1959
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1962
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1982
Turntables. All Divisions. Dec. 1925
Work Equipment Roster, partial, 1947
Operating Department
Updated February 22, 2023
Public Relations Department
Updated February 18, 2020
“700 New Freight Cars for B&M” - Lowell Sun, Nov. 27, 1973
“Are the Railroads Returning"?” - New Hampshire Times, Nov. 28, 1973
“Award Winner” - Lowell Sun, May 31, 1977
“B&M Group Fails Bid to Liquidate” - Boston Evening Globe, Aug. 28, 1973
“B&M Makes a Comeback” - Lowell Sun, October 13, 1974
“B&M Passenger Train Makes Last Run in NH” - Manchester Union Leader, July 1, 1967
Related photos
“B&M Plows Ahead Under Dustin” - New Englander, 1977
“B&M President to Speak Before Amherst RR Society”- Springfield Daily News, May 14, 1977
“B&M Railroad Cited by CTI for Hiring of Disadvantaged” - Lowell Sun, 1970s
“B&M Railroad President Claims Trucking Troubles” - NH Sunday News, Jan. 30, 1977
“B&M Railroad Enters New Era” - Eagle-Tribune, November 12, 1977
“B&M Seeks $26-Million Loan” - Greenfield Recorder, August 9, 1977
“B&M Trustees Hedge Rejection of Proposed Railroad Plan” - Concord Monitor, Jan. 17, 1974.
“B&M Trustees Submit Plan, Say Will Revive Road’s Health by ‘75” - Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 1971
“B&M Would Buy 600 Employees Out of Jobs” - Boston Herald, July 25, 1973
“Battling Woods Fire” - Lowell Sun, May 28, 1974
“Boston & Maine’s Cherington Eyes Elimination 600 Jobs to Save Road” - Boston Globe, 1972
“Boston & Maine Files Amended Plea to Buy Some Bonds in Default” - Wall Street Journal, Aug. 19, 1977
“Bow Plant has 50-Day Supply” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“Bow: Less Than 50 Days Coal Supply Explained” - Concord Monitor, December 6, 1977
“Caboose Fire” - Eagle-Tribune, December 6, 1978
Circus Train Photo, Greenfield Recorder, 1977
“Dustin ‘Had and Retains’ Complete Confidence of B&M Trustees” - Boston Sunday Globe, July 24, 1977
“Experts’ Solution for Rail Service: Throw B&M Out of County” - Keene Sentinel, May 10, 1973
Part 2
Fairlee, VT derailment and explosion - Various news sources, November 1975
“Fewer Trains Keep Drivers Off Guard” - Nashua Telegraph, May 24, 1979
Flying Yankee photo, Concord Monitor, July 18, 1979
“Freight Car Fire Ignites East Woburn Warehouse” - Woburn Daily News, November 28, 1977
“‘Ghost Train’ Tour Satisfies Riders, Surprises Other Officials” - Daily Sentinel, March 20, 1974
“The Goodwin Line - A Decent Little Railroad in New Hampshire” - Lowell Sun, Dec. 20, 1979
“Harvard Professor May Run Bankrupt B&M Railroad” - Eagle-Tribune, 1972
“Hoboes and Boxcars Leave Concord Behind” - Concord Monitor, 1970s
“Hoosac Tunnel Getting Steel Liner” - Berkshire Eagle, July 21, 1979
“Husband, Wife Die in Railbus-Car Crash” - Manchester Union Leader, Dec. 16, 1980.
“Lincoln Mill to Open” - Manchester Union Leader, November 3, 1978
“Littleton Board Backs B&M Loan Application” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Lunch Break” - Eagle-Tribune, August 10, 1977
“Man Hit by Train, Loses His Left Arm” - Lynn Item, June 15, 1978
“New Chief for a Yankee Railroad” - New York Times, February 29, 1977
“New England Commission Funds Rail Improvements” - Boston Herald, Sept. 28, 1977
“Piggyback Trucks’ Deal Paying Off for NH Firms” - Manchester Union Leader, 1970s
“Problems at the End of the Line” - Concord Monitor, February 19, 1974
“Purchase of B&M Railroad Suggested” - Rutland Daily Herald, Sept. 28, 1972
“Rail Takeover Eyed in New Hampshire” - Boston Sunday Globe, January 20, 1974
“Railroad’s Future in NH May be Decided in Sept.” - Concord Monitor, July 19, 1973
“Railroad Seeks to Close Line” - Concord Monitor, July 20, 1973
“Railroads Chug Out of Woods After 20 Years of Ills for Industry” - Eagle-Tribune, Sept. 9, 1979
“Railroads Wary of 4-Line Merger” - Times-Union, November 26, 1977
“Rail Freight Traffic Increase” - Manchester Union Leader, 1985 (New England Southern)
“Rail Line’s Potential Enthuses Dearness” - Lakes Region Trader, Sept. 22, 1982 (New England Southern)
“Rail Yard to Receive Facelift” - Greenfield Recorder, November 27, 1978
“Raymond's Depot Finally Placed On the Good Ol’ Historical Map” - NH Sunday News, July 29, 1979
“Rhythm of the Rails” - NH Sunday News, April 14, 1985
“Riding the Rails to Acton” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Rolling Stock Moves On” - Greenfield Recorder, March 28, 1978
“Santa Takes to the Rails in Berlin” - unknown publication, December 27, 1977
“Shippers Fear Railcar Crunch” - Boston Sunday Globe, October 22, 1978
“Sometimes It Goes Against the Grain To See Corn Wasted...” - Portsmouth Herald, October 3, 1977
“Stopped to Refuel the Animals” - Lowell Sun, May 24, 1977
“Symbol of Railroading May Fade Into History” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“These ‘Doctors’ Work at Helping Sick Trains” - Advertiser, April 11, 1979 (Billerica Shops)
“They’ve Been Fighting for a Railroad” - New York Times, October 9, 1977
“This Railroad Means Business” - NH Sunday News, October 23, 1977 (Goodwin Railroad)
“Those B&M Cutbacks” - Boston Globe, 1979
“Tie Job Nears End” - Nashua Telegraph, June 30, 1977
“Train-Truck Crash in Merrimack” - Village Crier, December 27, 1978
“Train-Truck Crash Kills 5 in Family” - Manchester Union Leader, May 2, 1979
“Trustee Sees B&M Success” - Boston Herald, January 12, 1974
“Tunnel Work Hits $1M Tag” - Greenfield Recorder, 1979
“Two Receive Safety Awards”, Greenfield Recorder, July 2, 1979
“What Does B&M Have in Mind?” - New Hampshire Sunday News, January 20, 1974
“Whitefield Man Seeks NH Passenger Train Service” - Manchester Union Leader, January 11, 1979
“White River Junction Back on Tracks” - Valley News, October 12, 1981
Standard Plans
Updated July 2021
Semaphore Blades
Wood Signal Blades
Enameled Steel Signal Blades
Traffic Department
Customers (Largest) 1951
Coal Rates to B&M Points. D&H Co. map, 20 Oct 1923. File too large to upload here. See new On-Line Archives page
Freight Traffic Density (Chart), 1956
Handbook to Suburban Homes, Sea-Shore, Lakes, and Mountains 1874
Local Carload Commodity Tariff and Freight Rates, June 15, 1969
Pan Am Railways Map, 2013
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 1
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 2
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 A- pp 1-32
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 B- pp 33-60
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 C- pp 61-80
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 D- pp 81-96
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 A- pp 3-17
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 B- pp 18-33
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 C- pp 34-50
Railroading on the Boston and Maine (2016 Reprint of 1952 brochure)
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1938-9
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1940-41
Snow train menu, 1939
System Map, 1930
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad has had a close relationship with the Boston and Maine Railroad throughout its history. The Eastern Railroad gained control of Maine Central in 1871. B&M leased ERR in 1884 and thereby controlled MEC. When, in 1907, New Haven gained control of the B&M, MEC also came into the New Haven sphere. In 1914 a group of investors purchased a controlling interest in MEC from B&M and independence was re-established. This notwithstanding, from 1933 to 1955 the two railroads entered into an agreement to be operated as separate railroads under a common management and shared many general officers. In the Guilford/PanAm era the two roads have been operated as a single system.
Most of the MEC materials that we present in our On-Line Archives were submitted and scanned by Archives Committee member David Ashenden.
Maine Central Abandonments
Accounting Equipment, 1924 (MECRR Magazine)
Chronology, 1976 (MEC Messenger)
Frankenstein Trestle, Notes on the Name of
Rules Review Book, March 1943, pp 1-17, pp 18-33
Maine Central Railroad. Schedule of Valuation Sections (TIFF Image), June 30, 1916
Parlor, Sleeping, and Dining Car Service, 26 June 1916
Passenger Equipment, Postwar Roster, by Peter Espy. Submitted by Rick Hurst
Pine Tree Flyer. A magazine about the history of railroads in Maine. Six issues were published between 1981 and 1983. Publication was suspended and never resumed.
Vol. 1 No. 1 (1981)
Vol. 1 No. 2 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 3 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 4 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 1 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 2 (1983)
Stations. Handbook of Officers, Agents, Stations and Sidings, 1917. (Digital Commons)
Maine Central Employees Magazine
We are grateful to Dick Glueck of the New England Steam Corporation for providing many issues of the MEC Employee Magazine for scanning and for giving us permission to make scans available on our website. Additional issues came from Rick Conard in 2022. Many hours of scanning time were contributed by Archives Committee member David Ashenden. His project of scanning and indexing the magazine is ongoing.
Employee Magazine Index
Employee Magazine Catalog
1924
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, February 1924
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, April 1924
MAY WANTED
Employee Magazine, June 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, July 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 1 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, November 1924
Employee Magazine, December 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
1925
Employee Magazine, January 1925
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 2
MARCH WANTED
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 2
Employee Magazine, May 1925
Employee Magazine, June 1925
JULY WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1925
Employee Magazine, September 1925
Employee Magazine, October 1925
Employee Magazine, November 1925
Employee Magazine, December 1925
1926 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May NEED COMPLETE ISSUE, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1927 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September Part 1, September Part 2, October, November, December Part 1, December Part 2
1928 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, March, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, June, July, August, September, November, OCTOBER WANTED, December Part 1, December Part 2, December Part 3
1929 — January, COMPLETE JANUARY WANTED, February, March, COMPLETE MARCH WANTED, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, COMPLETE MAY WANTED, JUNE WANTED, July, August Part 1, August Part 2, August Part 3, SEPTEMBER WANTED, October, November, December
1930 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November DECEMBER WANTED
1944 — November, December ALL OTHER 1944 ISSUES WANTED
1945 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, Undated ALL OTHER 1945 ISSUES WANTED
1946 — April, September ALL OTHER 1946 ISSUES WANTED
1947 — Undated. ALL 1947 ISSUES WANTED
1948 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1949 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1950 — January, FEBRUARY WANTED, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, November, December
1951 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, COMPLETE JULY WANTED, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, COMPLETE OCTOBER WANTED, November, December
1952 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1953 — January, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1954 — JANUARY WANTED, February, March, APRIL WANTED, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED (NOT SURE IF ISSUED), December
1955 — January, February, March, April, COMPLETE APRIL WANTED, May, June, COMPLETE JUNE WANTED, July, August, September, October, November, December
1956 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1957 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November-December
1958 — JANUARY-FEBRUARY WANTED, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1959 — January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1960 — November
1961 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1962 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1963 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1964 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1965 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1966 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August (missing pp 3-6), September, October, November, December
1967 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October (Complete Issue Needed), November, December
1968 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1969 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1970 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1971 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1972 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘72-January ‘73
1973 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘73-January ‘74
1974 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘74-January ‘75
1975 — February-March
1976 — January, Summer, Fall (With Historical Section)
1977 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1978 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1979 — Winter, Spring-Summer, Fall
1980 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1981 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1982 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall ‘82-Winter’83
Maine Central Railroad Time Tables
Arrival and Departure of Boston and Maine and Maine Central Trains at Portland Union Station, 20 January 1918. (Portland Terminal Company)
Employee Time Table No. 34, Maine Central, Sept. 24, 1922, Eastern Div.
Employee Time Table No. 1, Maine Central, Apr. 30, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 2, Maine Central, Jun. 26, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 4, Maine Central, Apr. 29, 2934, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Sept. 29, 1935, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Supplement No. 2, March 1936
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Schedules,
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 1
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 2
Employee Time Table No. 22, Portland Terminal Company, Apr. 27, 1930
Official Guide, April 1913, MECRR section
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, April 28, 1946. Maine Central,
Passenger Time Table, October 30, 1955. Maine Central
Executive Department
Annual Reports FYE 1896 through 1893 with leases, mortgages. Google Books
Predecessor Railroads
Northern Railroad
Annual Report, 1848. Submitted and transcribed by Ed Hiller
On-Line Photo Archive | ||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 97 | https://www.lowellsun.com/2023/02/07/state-lawmaker-looking-to-strip-mbta-of-commuter-rail-ferry-operations/ | en | State lawmaker looking to strip MBTA of commuter rail, ferry operations | [
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"Gayla Cawley"
] | 2023-02-07T00:00:00 | State Rep. William Straus filed two bills that would remove commuter rail and ferry operations from the MBTA, and leave it solely responsible for running the region’s bus and subway systems. | en | Lowell Sun | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/02/07/state-lawmaker-looking-to-strip-mbta-of-commuter-rail-ferry-operations/ | State Rep. William Straus filed two bills that would remove commuter rail and ferry operations from the MBTA, and leave it solely responsible for running the region’s bus and subway systems.
If the legislation is approved, commuter rail operations, except for the Fairmount Line which would remain a part of the MBTA, would transfer to the rail and transit division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The ferry would be overseen by a new regional port authority, a political subdivision of the commonwealth created for the purpose of providing water transportation services, similar to regional transit authorities, the legislation states.
“My goal is to have a smaller T, which is then allowed to focus on its core mission,” said Straus, House chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. “So, it would be buses and subway in the immediate Boston metro area, and that core mission is to safely get people back and forth throughout the day.
“A more targeted, less-broad-missioned T, I think, benefits everybody in the state on a number of different levels.”
Aside from Philadelphia, he said, “almost everywhere else” in the United States views its commuter rail differently from its closed-in metropolitan-area subway system, and has distinct oversight and governance for both.
“Whatever the circumstances that got us to the MBTA being in charge of both, it doesn’t work anymore,” Straus said, asserting that the governor’s office is already more involved with commuter rail operations than the T.
According to Straus, the MassDOT secretary of transportation made the decision to hire Keolis Commuter Services as the MBTA’s commuter rail operator, despite that decision technically being made within the T, by the general manager.
Commuter rail also moves people differently from the subway, its capital infrastructure needs are different, and the two systems answer to separate federal agencies for safety oversight, which are the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration, respectively, he said.
In addition, Straus said he doesn’t want to see capital needs for the subway system “in direct competition” with commuter rail, particularly with electrification of its diesel-powered fleet looming.
Similarly, he said safety oversight of the ferry is handled by the U.S. Coast Guard, and direct operation of three ferry routes in Boston Harbor is contracted out to a private company.
Ultimately, Straus is aiming for an MBTA that also delegates much of its major capital work, similar to what he said was done with South Coast Rail and the Green Line Extension.
A statutory change would not be necessary, and Straus sees a potential solution in the new high performance unit created by former MassDOT Secretary Jamey Tesler. Major capital projects could be run out of that secretariat, he said. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 0 | 61 | https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8hx1jt7/entire_text/ | en | Duke (Donald) Collection of Railroad and Electric Railway Photographs and Ephemera | [
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] | null | [] | null | https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8hx1jt7/entire_text/ | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Legal papers regarding land in Nevada. 1914
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. "By the Way" passenger guide. approximately 1915-1936
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. "Along Your Way" passenger guide. 1941-1954
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Chief. 1920s-1960s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Chief - Clippings.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Golden Gate. approximately 1940s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Grand Canyon, The Grand Canyon Limited. approximately 1940s-1950
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Navajo. 1916; 1928
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Ranger. approximately 1940s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Saint, The Angel.
Scope and Contents
Clippings only.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The San Diegan.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The San Francisco Chief.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Scout. 1940s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Name trains - The Scout - Clippings.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. List of Officers, Agents, Stations, etc. 1959
Scope and Contents
Booklet, 173 pgs.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Book: "Southwest 1880 with Ben Wittick, Pioneer Photographer of Indian and Frontier Life". 1970
Scope and Contents
(Santa Fe, N.M.: Packard Publications.) Includes some text and photographs of early locomotives.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Train orders and other operator forms. 1969-1971; undated
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Clippings by region - Arizona and New Mexico.
New Jersey and New York Railroad Company. 1946
Scope and Contents
One item.
New York Central Railroad Company. Book of photographs and clipping. approximately 1939; 1944
Scope and Contents
"Trains Album of Railroad Photographs: Book 9, New York Central Railroad" (Kalmbach Publishing Co.: Milwaukee, 1944); also an article on the railroad from "Fortune," approximately 1939.
New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad Company - Old Colony Railway Company
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. approximately late 19th c.; 1917-1960s
Scope and Contents
Includes several menus; map of "Connecticut River Line" (approximately late 19th c.).
Also called: The New Haven Railroad.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. 1917-1960s
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. Technical drawings (copies). 1891-1970s
Scope and Contents
Drawings include: 1891 locomotive; approximately 1979 stainless steel coach car. Also New York train stations, terminals, railyards, engine terminal facilities and engine houses, 1918, 1924, 1931 and approximately 1970s.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. Timetables. 1889-1946
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. Timetables. 1947-1957
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. Timetables. 1958-1968
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. Employee timetable. 1957
Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Rules and Regulations of the Transportation Dept. 1969
Scope and Contents
Employee handbook on freight and passenger train safety, radio communication, machinery, whistles, signals, operations, etc., 193 pgs.
Related subject headings: Industrial safety--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Promotional - New Orleans and "Old South".
Union Pacific Railroad Company. Booklet on "Union Pacific Campaign for Disruption of Southern Pacific Company". 1922
Scope and Contents
"The Three-fold Purpose of Union Pacific System: Reasons Behind Union Pacific Campaign for Disruption of Southern Pacific Company," issued by Southern Pacific Company, Salt Lake City. [An argument against a potential U.P. monopoly in Utah and the Pacific Coast.] Includes fold-out map of railroad lines.
Includes items for: Central Pacific Railroad Company; Southern Pacific Railroad Company
White Pass and Yukon Route [Canada and U.S.]. 1913-1920s
Scope and Contents
Includes promotional brochures on towns in Alaska (1923); Shushanna [or Chisana] Gold Field, Yukon, mining map and information (1913).
Related subject headings: Mines and mineral resources. ; Gold mines and mining. ; Alaska--Description and travel.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company. 1945
Scope and Contents
Includes employee magazine with several articles and photographs of streetcars.
Related subject headings: Railroads--Employees.
[New York, New York - Subway and other rapid transit]. 1910s-1970s
Scope and Contents
Includes streetcars, elevated rail, buses, subway system.
[New York, New York - Subway and other rapid transit]. Clippings.
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) / Port Authority Trans Hudson Corporation (PATH), [New York and New Jersey]. approximately 1960s-1980s
Scope and Contents
Related subject headings: Subways.
Association of American Railroads. Railroads, Names and nicknames of freight trains; steam locomotives on display. approximately 1950s
Association of American Railroads. Railroads, Statistics of Railroads of Class 1. 1959 - 1968
Association of American Railroads. Railroads, Statistics of Railroads of Class 1. 1969 - 1979
Pacific Railroad Society. Copies of "Pacific Railway Journal: A Historical Quarterly". 1954 - 1957
Scope and Contents
Jointly published by the Pacific Railroad Society and the Southern California chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (Colorado and New Mexico).
A. T. Kearney and Company - GMT International Corporation
A. T. Kearney and Company.
People and railfans - Donald Duke. Golden West Books reviews and correspondence. 1969 - 1998
People and railfans - Ward Kimball. Correspondence about trains and locomotives. 1961 - 1990
People and railfans - Ward Kimball. Sign created for Golden Spike centennial. 1969
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and photographs regarding Kimball painting and installing a reproduction of original sign that stood in Promontory, Utah, reading "10 Miles of Track, Laid in One Day, April 28th, 1869."
People and railfans - Ward Kimball. Personal items and ephemera.
Scope and Contents
Includes two copies of handbill for "The Disney Players" music program, with Ward Kimball, trombone (undated); handbill for town hall meeting of the Hollywood Democratic Committee (approximately 1943-1944); drawing of a locomotive (unsigned caricature), presumably by Kimball.
The Train and Its Cars. Automobile carriers.
Scope and Contents
All clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Caboose.
Scope and Contents
Clippings and 11 photographs.
The Train and Its Cars. Dinner trains and diner cars.
Scope and Contents
All clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Freight trains and freight cars.
Scope and Contents
Mostly clippings. Includes two copies (1957 and 1960) of "Code of Rules Governing the Condition of, and Repairs to, Freight and Passenger Cars," (Association of American Railroads).
The Train and Its Cars. Locomotives, Non-steam.
Scope and Contents
Mostly clippings. Includes "General Motors Diesels in Review, 1934-1944" (General Motors Corporation, 1944).
The Train and Its Cars. Locomotives, Steam.
Scope and Contents
All ephemera and small educational publications. Includes booklet: "Pacific Type Locomotives, Record No. 79, 1914," The Baldwin Locomotive Works (reprint, May 1961).
The Train and Its Cars. Locomotives, Steam.
Scope and Contents
Artwork of locomotives: postcards, prints and copies of drawings. Includes a set of Worthington "fact cards" for various steam locomotives, 1913 - 1937, with photographs. Includes set of movie stills for "The Great Locomotive Chase" (1956), which featured restored mid-19th c. steam locomotives. Eight photographs of fireless locomotives.
The Train and Its Cars. Locomotives, Steam.
Scope and Contents
All clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Locomotives, Steam, On display.
Scope and Contents
Printed lists, approximately 1950s - 1960s, and several clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Passenger cars.
Scope and Contents
Mostly clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Pullman cars (Pullman Car Company). 1893 - 1960s
Scope and Contents
Tickets, claim checks and a set of approximately 100 "Pullman Company" annual passes (1901 - 1944). Also two menus for "Pullman Vestibuled Train" to the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893.
The Train and Its Cars. Pullman cars. approximately 1920s - 1960s
Scope and Contents
All ephemera. Many illustrated promotional brochures, with extensive details on features of cars.
Related subject headings: African Americans -- Pictorial works.
The Train and Its Cars. Pullman cars. approximately 1920s - 1979
Scope and Contents
All ephemera. Many illustrated promotional brochures, with extensive details on features of cars. Includes annual reports and literature produced by successor company, Pullman Incorporated, 1970s.
Related subject headings: African Americans -- Pictorial works.
The Train and Its Cars. Streamliners.
Scope and Contents
All clippings.
The Train and Its Cars. Tank cars.
Scope and Contents
All clippings.
New York Central Railroad Company. Book of photographs and clipping. approximately 1939; 1944
Scope and Contents
"Trains Album of Railroad Photographs: Book 9, New York Central Railroad" (Kalmbach Publishing Co.: Milwaukee, 1944); also an article on the railroad from "Fortune," approximately 1939.
Denver and Salt Lake Railway Company - East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company - Northern Pacific Railroad Company
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company.
Physical Description: 37 Photographic Prints
Scope and Contents
Also called "The New Haven Railroad."
White Pass and Yukon Route [Canada and U.S.].
Physical Description: 11 Photographic Prints
[New York, New York]. Various interurbans and streetcars.
Physical Description: 32 Photographic Prints
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) / Port Authority Trans Hudson Corporation (PATH), [New York and New Jersey].
Physical Description: 7 Photographic Prints
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Steam locomotives no. 6-9057 (not inclusive). 1939-1950s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Diesel locomotives no. 17-149 (not inclusive). Late 1940s-1950s
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Diesel locomotives no. 157-8837 (not inclusive). Late 1940s-1950s | ||||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 78 | https://www.nps.gov/lowe/learn/historyculture/patrick-tracy-jackson.htm | en | Patrick Tracy Jackson | [
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] | null | [] | null | The life of Lowell factory investor Patrick Tracy Jackson | en | /common/commonspot/templates/images/icons/favicon.ico | https://www.nps.gov/lowe/learn/historyculture/patrick-tracy-jackson.htm | Introduction
“ If our plans succeed, as we have reason to expect, we shall have as large a population on our territory in twenty years, as we had in Boston twenty years ago.”
Patrick Tracy Jackson
-1824
Patrick Tracy Jackson was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on August 14, 1780, the youngest son of Jonathan and Hannah (Tracy). His maternal grandfather, Patrick Tracy, had migrated penniless from Ireland. His father was a member of the Continental Congress in 1782. Jackson was educated at Dummer Academy. He and his brother-in-law Francis Cabot Lowell built a cotton manufacturing mill in Waltham in 1815 and were core investors in Lowell's mill operation, a group of entrepeneurs that today we call the "Boston Associates."
New Start
Patrick Tracy Jackson first became an apprentice merchant at age 15. He then went on to a short career at sea working for his older brother Henry from 1799 to 1808.
Jackson met with his brother-in-law Francis Cabot Lowell upon Lowell’s return trip from England. Lowell had traveled to the British Isles for his health. He took interest in the country’s cotton manufacture process and when he returned to his native Massachusetts he built two cotton manufacturing mills of his own along the Charles River in Waltham. Jackson was put in charge of the Waltham operations.
With an agent salary of $3,000 a year, Jackson soon became the largest investor, owning 20 shares of stock.
A Spinning Success
Lowell and Jackson combined for an $80,000 commitment to the mills and were realizing dividends by the end of the first two years.
When Lowell died in 1817, the Associates voted to raise Jackson’s salary to $5,000 a year. Jackson and Nathan Appleton were now the leading stockholders and ventured to find a new location north along the Merrimack River to expand operations. In November 1821, Jackson, Appleton, Kirk Boott, Paul Moody, John Boott and Warren Dutton made their first visit to the Pawtucket Falls in East Chelmsford. By December, Jackson and Appleton had subscribed for 180 shares. The location by the 32-foot falls was transformed from the village of East Chelmsford to the town of Lowell in 1826, and then to the city of Lowell in 1836.
In 1822, because he was still committed to Waltham, Jackson recommended Kirk Boott as an agent of the first major manufacturing company built along the Merrimack River, the Merrimack Manufacturing Company. Boott had resigned from his regiment in the British military when it was ordered to America in 1812. Boott soon became a town planner, architect, engineer and leading citizen with Lowell cloth as his calling card. The fledgeling Merrimack Manufacturing Company, at $28 a spindle, cost a total of $164,764 to equip.
Jackson appointed himself as agent of Proprietors of Locks and Canals on the Merrimack River later in 1822 and could now determine first hand who could start what mill and where in Lowell, and for how much. Unfortunately, Jackson’s other speculations cost him more than one fortune, but at this point he always seemed to recover.
Engineering Innovation
Jackson also conceived the idea of a railroad, and by 1835 he had the engineers of the Locks and Canals Company working on the Boston & Lowell Railroad. Jackson brought in an engine broken down from England and sent it in parts up the Middlesex Canal to Lowell. On May 27, 1835 the engine ‘Stephenson’ had Jackson, George Washington Whistler and James E. Baldwin aboard for its first trip to Boston. By 1853 the Middlesex Canal, which had fostered Jackson’s idea of a railroad had been replaced by newer, stronger, and faster locomotives coming out of the Lowell Machine Shop.
Political Power-Play
Jackson was a field commander in Waltham, with a salary including a house. In Lowell, he acted as superintendent, managing the day to day business. He opened new doors and was soon dominating the ranks of the stockholders.
With Nathan Appleton, Jackson became the prime mover in setting up the Lowell, Appleton, Hamilton and Merrimack Mills. Jackson became so popular that the locomotive ‘Jackson’ named after him was changed to the ‘Patrick’ so as not to confuse the public with the unpopular sitting Democratic President, Andrew Jackson.
At the time President Jackson, aka ‘Old Hickory’, angered the Northern Whigs, as he all but quashed their attempt to charter a Second National Bank.
Nine years later, Patrick Tracy Jackson went so far as to back Democratic President John Tyler’s tension-filled veto of fellow Whig Party leader Henry Clay’s bill to reestablish the Bank in 1841.
Final Years
Jackson began his career in cotton manufacturing on the verge of bankruptcy, worth only $13,000. In the next 25 years he made $400,000.
For all his successes, Jackson was haunted by questionable business decisions. In the late 1830s, he liquified almost his entire interest in the mills and put the proceeds into real estate which turned into a disaster. Mercantile shipping brought in money and so did his investment in the 1835 Boston to Lowell and Boston to Worcester Railroads. He became a member of the Board of Directors of the regional Suffolk Bank. After Kirk Boott’s death in 1837, Jackson resumed direction of the Proprietors of Locks and Canals in Lowell for seven years as “he alone was...fully capable of supplying that gentleman’s place.”
In 1846, Jackson wrote an eleven page book entitled: Boston Memorial on the Cotton Manufacture: To The Senate and House of Representatives in Congress Assembled.
Due to his financial problems, Jackson was forced to stay in one textile business or another until his death, from a sudden attack of dysentery, at his seaside Beverly, Mass. home on September 12, 1847.
“The cheerful dignity with which he met his reverses; ...and the almost youthful alacrity with which he once more put on the harness, were themes of daily comment to his friends...” - Lives of American Merchants, Freeman Hunt, 1848. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 95 | https://enotrans.org/article/amtrak-at-50-the-rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/ | en | Amtrak at 50: The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 | [
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] | null | [] | 2020-10-30T04:02:24+00:00 | Fifty years ago today, President Nixon signed into law the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-518), relieving the nation’s railroads of the requirement that they continue passenger service and creating a new National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry on that service starting in May 1971. That corporation... | en | The Eno Center for Transportation | https://enotrans.org/article/amtrak-at-50-the-rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/ | Fifty years ago today, President Nixon signed into law the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-518), relieving the nation’s railroads of the requirement that they continue passenger service and creating a new National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry on that service starting in May 1971. That corporation would later name itself Amtrak.
Background
By the 1960s, the nation’s railroads had been in poor economic health for decades. Intercity passenger rail demand started to decline after World War I as competition from the automobile for short and middle-distance routes grew. Things stabilized during the Great Depression, due to cheaper fares and also because of increased effort by the freight railroads (more comfortable cars, the beginning of dieselization, etc.), and New Deal relief also paid to electrify some of the Northeast Corridor, increasing service there.
When World War II broke out, federal rationing of gasoline and tires and the government takeover of most civil aviation forced passengers onto the rails and interrupted this trend. But after the war, the decline continued, with traffic back down to prewar levels by the mid-1950s. At the same time, the booming airline industry was eating away at the demand for long-distance travel. In the eleven-year period from 1951 to 1961, per capita intercity rail passenger-miles were cut in half. And from 1961 to 1970, per capita passenger-miles were cut in half once again. In 1970, the average American only rode 53 miles on intercity railroads (excluding commuter rail), down from a 1951 level of 224 miles per capita and a World War II peak of 691 miles per capita.
Every year, fewer passengers wanted to ride, but the railroads were prohibited by law from abandoning unprofitable passenger service without permission from either a state public service commission or the federal Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). After a lot of debate on railroad policy within the Eisenhower Administration, the Transportation Act of 1958 was enacted, which created a new “section 13a” procedure allowing the ICC to take jurisdiction away from state commissions and make it easier for railroads to abandon passenger service. Some unprofitable passenger lines were abandoned, but the ICC refused many other requests.
A few months after the 1958 Act was signed, the ICC released a pessimistic report on the future of passenger rail service (the “Hosmer report”). The study found that the nation’s railroads had lost over $7 billion providing passenger service over the 1946-1957 period, and that the “passenger deficit” had been $723 million in 1957. The Hosmer report concluded:
The passenger deficit is not something which can be conjured away by statistical legerdemain. It is real and serious. Unless a good start toward reducing it can be promptly made the future welfare of the railroads will be gravely endangered. In fact there is here a disturbing overtone due to an implication that the passenger deficit may be a symptom of more deep-seated infirmities for which some remedy must be found if the railroads are to survive.[1]
As part of the political machinations to get the 1958 law through the Senate, that chamber commissioned a detailed staff study (through the Senate Commerce Committee) of the national transportation system. That report, issued in July 1961 (National Transportation Policy a.k.a. the “Doyle Report”), recommended that “a very thorough economic market analysis should be made” of passenger rail operating costs from the ground up, and “If the results of such a study indicate profitable operations based on conservative traffic and financial forecasts, a national passenger service corporation should be formed which would have complete control of marketing and producing the service.”[2]
The report even included a detailed outline of how such a corporation could be structured, but cautioned, “Since the original premise is not to initiate a national railroad passenger service corporation unless conservative forecasts indicate a very good possibility of profit it would be most likely that the corporation could become a profitable venture and, therefore, a good investment.”[3]
The decline of passenger rail nevertheless continued, and every few months brought more bad news, whether through the quarterly financial reporting of the railroads or through other means. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad declared bankruptcy in 1961. A year later, the Boston Terminal Corporation filed for bankruptcy because the city of Boston was trying to seize South Station for unpaid taxes. (Railroads had many gripes about federal policy, but the fact that they had to pay to build and maintain, and pay property taxes on, their own stations while federal and state government paid to build and maintain airports, using tax dollars paid by railroads, was toward the top of their list.)
In 1967, the Central Railroad of New Jersey declared bankruptcy. Later in 1967 came a major kick in the teeth from Uncle Sam – the Post Office canceled its remaining contracts with railroads for the transport of mail. Randal O’Toole, in Romance of the Rails, wrote that “most railroads moved mail and passengers in the same trains, thus earning twice the revenue for the same basic cost. Mail revenues actually exceeded passenger revenues on many trains, so cancellation of the mail contracts led to more passenger trains being discontinued.”[4]
Meanwhile, the two biggest railroads east of the Mississippi, the Pennsylvania and the New York Central, decided to fight their economic malaise by merging into a mammoth “Penn Central” that came into being in February 1968 as the sixth-largest corporation in the United States. It would go down in history as one of the most misguided corporate mergers of all time.
In exchange for its approval of the merger, the ICC forced the new Penn Central to take over the bankrupt New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The result was a colossus that dominated the Northeast, Ohio and Indiana.
In July 1969, the ICC produced a follow-up report to the Hosmer report which looked at the detailed finances of the passenger operations of eight railroads and concluded that, if all eight had been able to cancel all their passenger train service, they would have saved a collective $118 million in 1968. The report found “For every $1.00 in revenues that these carriers, as a group, would have lost by not operating any intercity passenger service in 1968, they would have avoided $1.83 in expenses.”[5]
Railroads had other problems beside their passenger train deficit, to be sure, but the continued difficulty railroads had in abandoning the money-losing passenger service made the passenger train problem the one that Congress had to address. The Senate Commerce Committee held hearings in September 1969, where subcommittee chairman Vance Hartke (D-IN) led off by saying “Congress should not let the passenger train disappear from the scene by default…There seems to be a market, there seems to be an interest, the question is what should be done and what can be done by the Congress.”[6]
Several bills had been introduced in the Senate, which the committee examined. Hartke had first introduced his own bill (S. 2750, 91st Congress) authorizing unlimited federal operating subsidies of railroad operation of passenger routes that they had tried to abandon but been denied ICC permission and requiring the Department of Transportation to provide the railroads with new rolling stock, if need be. But Millard Tydings (D-MD) and a group of other Senators including Claiborne Pell (D-RI) had their own bill (S. 2939, 91st Congress), the “Intercity Rail Passenger Service Act of 1969.” It called for DOT to purchase all passenger rolling stock from the railroads, maintain and upgrade the rolling stock as necessary, and then lease the rolling stock back to the railroads, thus relieving them of most of their capital costs for maintaining passenger service.
DOT proposes “Railpax”
As far back as 1968 (under the Johnson Administration), the policy staff at DOT had been looking at potential options for the provision of passenger rail service in what is now called the Northeast Corridor. A report authored by Richard Barber (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy) in late 1968 (but not released until 1970) looked at several different options for a new NEC rail service provider, including a federal agency, a federal corporation, an interstate compact, a new private corporation, and a new quasi public-private corporation.[7]
Throughout 1969 at DOT, policy staff from the Office of the Secretary and from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) were looking at options. Jim McClellan, who was then on the FRA policy team, later wrote, “Everyone, including the White House, understood that passenger trains made sense in the Northeast. Some believed that there were other corridors that might work. Almost no one had any belief that long-haul passenger trains were needed, or, indeed, would ever be needed. But again, our overriding concern was to find a solution that removed the passenger burden from the back of the Penn Central and the other freight railroads. The collapse of passenger railroading was acceptable; the collapse of freight railroading was not.”[8]
As to what kind of entity would provide the passenger service, McClellan wrote “The DOT/FRA team debated structure at some length, but in the end focused on a single national entity that would contract for passenger services with the railroads…We felt that having a myriad of rail carriers, some still doing a good job but most not, created a huge image problem. If the passenger train was to have a fighting chance, it needed a pro-passenger management with nationwide responsibility and a nationwide identity.”[9] Robert Gallamore, who was in the DOT policy office at the time, says that the name for the entity, “Railpax,” came from Assistant Secretary for Policy Paul Cherington, as a portmanteau of “railroad” and “pax,” an abbreviation for “passenger” in common use in the aviation sector (where Cherington had previously worked as an analyst.)[10]
At the September Senate hearings, the Federal Railroad Administrator, Reginald Whitman, testified that DOT was working on several different proposals. One was for a new 50-50 matching grant program to states and localities to take over their own intercity passenger rail operations. Another was for federal grants to railroads for rolling stock equipment and initial roadbed and safety improvements, if the route was profitable or else subsidized by state and local governments.
And a third option was the creation of “a private corporation to provide rail passenger service in selected high-density routes throughout the Nation for at least a 3-year period. The corporation, which we have called ‘Railpax’ in our discussions, would have a board of directors composed of stockholder representatives and Presidential appointees. The plan envisions ownership of stock by railroads and the public.”[11]
Whitman said that railroads would pay Railpax a fee equal to 150 percent of their annual avoidable passenger losses, which would mean that “no Federal funds are required.” (About that payment—McClellan wrote that “In essence, the same government that had forced [railroads] through regulation to stay in the business was now going to make them pay to leave. (When the Mafia does a shakedown like that, someone goes to jail.)”)[12]
If Railpax then found a route to be unprofitable and wished to discontinue it, Whitman said “States or municipalities could contract with Railpax for partial or full support of the service.”[13]
He then added that DOT was about three months away from completing its analysis and recommending a final course of action, which Congress took to mean that they would submit a proposal by the end of 1969. Whitman reiterated the options at House hearings in November 1969.
Upon taking office, Nixon had appointed former Massachusetts governor John Volpe as Secretary of Transportation. Volpe had been Federal Highway Administrator under President Eisenhower and, as governor of the Bay State, he had almost been picked by Nixon has his 1968 running mate before Nixon reversed course at the last minute and chose Maryland governor Spiro Agnew instead.[14]
By mid-December 1969, Volpe had officially decided to go with the Railpax idea. A draft bill and explanatory material were sent by DOT to the Bureau of the Budget (BoB) for the interagency “clearance” process on December 23, 1969. The draft bill would have created a private company (not “an agency or establishment of the United States Government”), answerable to a 13-member board (seven Presidential appointees, three from railroad stockholders, and three from non-railroad stockholders), with Class A stock to be held by railroads and Class B stock to be “sold at a price and in a manner to encourage the widest distribution to the American public.”
Although the draft bill did not say so explicitly, the section-by-section analysis made it clear that the bill authorized “the creation of a corporation for profit.” McClellan later wrote “Most (including a number of us on the planning team) were dubious of the ‘for profit’ claim, but the reality was that neither the White House nor the more conservative members of Congress were going to sign off on an entity that was set up to be a perpetual ward of the state. And the pro-passenger crowd did not object; many of them had argued that passenger trains could be profitable if they were just run right. The ‘for profit’ mandate haunts Amtrak to this day.”[15]
Under the draft bill, the Secretary of Transportation would designate a Basic System of routes that the corporation would operate. Starting in January 1974, the corporation could start cutting unprofitable routes unless state, regional or local authorities agreed to cover future operating losses. The draft bill authorized $40 million in startup appropriations from Congress and another $60 million in federal loan guarantees to the corporation.
White House resists Railpax
Assistant Secretary of Transportation Paul Cherington went to the White House on January 12, 1970, to make the case for Railpax to the staff. The bill and the presentation did not go over well—BoB and the Council of Economic Advisers did not like the bill, and other Cabinet agencies had some concerns. On January 14, after Transportation Secretary Volpe had briefly talked to President Nixon on the phone, Volpe told Budget Director Bob Mayo that Budget was the only federal department or agency that objected to the Railpax bill, and Mayo responded that, if that were true and if President Nixon decided to support the bill, he might be able to find the $40 million by shorting funding for the supersonic transport plane. But the next day, Mayo found out about the opposition from CEA and other agencies, and then told Volpe that, in light of the opposition, his offer to find the money was withdrawn.[16]
By Monday, January 18, news of the proposal had leaked, and a description of the Railpax proposal was in the newspapers the following day, as if it were already Administration policy (the New York Times headline was “Nixon Drafts Bill for Body to Run Passenger Trains”). This prompted immediate pushback from the White House – BoB made clear that it was opposed, and Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler said Railpax was only one of a number of proposals under consideration. Per the New York Times, this response “confused and dismayed some Department of Transportation officials. Sources in the agency said that, as recently as Friday afternoon, they had been led to believe that the White House and the Bureau of the Budget had endorsed the plan.”[17]
(This would not be the last time that DOT and the White House had different opinions on Railpax.)
On January 23, White House domestic policy czar John Ehrlichman sent President Nixon a pair of short memos. One was an outline of the railroad situation, which concluded that Congress might pass the Hartke bill (limitless federal subsidies for passenger train operating losses) “without the Administration having given a definitive alternative to Congress which could have been supported by the Republicans…”[18] The second memo outlined for possible options – submit Railpax on behalf of the Administration; have a Senate Republican introduce Railpax on his own; propose Railpax without any federal dollars (except for the loan guarantee); or just amend section 13 of the Interstate Commerce Act and allow railroads to end all their passenger service. (Ehrlichman noted that “It has always been considered political suicide to talk about discontinuing trains”.)[19]
On January 28, Nixon’s one-man domestic policy brain trust, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, warned Ehrlichman in a memo that Railpax “is an interesting idea, but the Department of Transportation has not given us nearly enough information to decide if it is a good idea.”[20] He recommended that the plan be sent back to DOT with instructions to answer two questions:
At around this time (late January or early February 1970), Secretary Volpe sent President Nixon an (undated) memo to try and clear things up. In it, Volpe defended Railpax, then wrote that “There has been a regrettable amount of discussion of this problem and related alternatives in the papers already. I say regrettable because a number of statements have been attributed to the Department of Transportation which, if made, were both premature and unwise. Nonetheless, we are faced with the need to take a position and relay that position to Congress.”[21]
Ehrlichman told Nixon on February 4 not to worry about Volpe’s memo, writing that “We have indicated to DoT that the staff work is not complete and have requested additional work by them on this matter…There is no reason for you to spend time with the Secretary’s memoranda or the back-up material at this time.”[22]
DOT sent Under Secretary Jim Beggs and Deputy Under Secretary Charlie Baker to the White House on February 12 to make another pitch for Railpax. A Ehrlichman staffer later wrote “There is a consensus of opinion that this briefing could have been conducted in a more professional manner,” Ehrlichman requested that DOT prepare a report for possible submission to the President on the pros and cons of various options for dealing with the passenger train problem.[23]
Beggs at DOT sent Ehrlichman the additional material on February 18, writing that “the analysis we conducted over the last several months lead us to the conclusion that this proposition, while undoubtedly less than perfect, is in our judgment the best course of action in the real world.” The analysis paper looked at six options: direct subsidies, complete free market, status quo, a moratorium on discontinuances accompanied by a study, a series of regional rail compacts, and Railpax. The analysis also included a list of potential corridors operated by the Railpax corporation, along with their expected financial performance in the fourth year of the company. (The Chicago-Los Angeles corridor was estimated to be “Very Profitable” in the fourth year.)[24]
Budget responded with a very negative memo to Ehrlichman on February 23, stating that “DOT makes four basic arguments in favor of RAILPAX, which we believe are not supported by their own analysis.” BoB said that the very need to save rail passenger service was not proved, that DOT’s estimates of Railpax profitability were overly optimistic, that Railpax would inevitably see the Federal role expand over time, and that the impact of Railpax on other modes had not been analyzed. OMB recommended that railroads be allowed to discontinue all passenger service – or, failing that, that a Railpax completely free of all federal subsidies be created.[25]
Ehrlichman agreed, telling President Nixon in a March 2 memo that Volpe “feels under some pressure from the Senate to come up with an alternative. However, his staff work has been quite mediocre and incomplete…it would appear that the Federal government should not get involved in this. If the Senate acts on some kind of 100% subsidy proposal, we will probably recommend that you veto it.”[26]
Volpe finally got his long-awaited meeting with Nixon (and Ehrlichman) on March 5, 1970 at 3:30 in the afternoon, but Ehrlichman had prepared Nixon with a memo urging that Nixon not make any commitment to Volpe at that time. This is where the paper trail in the White House files at the Nixon Library stops for many months. What happened in this meeting?
CBS News’s young White House correspondent, Dan Rather, later wrote that Volpe’s personal Railpax pitch to Nixon (possibly in this meeting) “evoked romantic images of America’s past when passenger trains gave people the opportunity to travel about and see their wonderful country. Despite his disappointment over not being picked as Nixon’s running mate in 1958, Volpe must have been paying attention the night of the acceptance speech in Miami Beach when the nominee conjured up a vision of himself as a lonely boy in Yorba Linda lying in bed at night listening to train whistles and dreaming of faraway places.”[27]
After the March 5 meeting, the Railpax proposal was never formally transmitted to Congress.
Formally.
Railpax goes over the transom to the Senate
As all this was happening at the White House, Senate Commerce chairman Warren Magnuson (D-WA) and subcommittee chairman Hartke were losing patience. The Boston and Maine Railroad had declared bankruptcy on March 12, raising the prospect of more bankruptcies to come. The Commerce Committee began holding discreet executive sessions to discuss passenger train legislation (so discreet that they were not listed in the Daily Digest of the Congressional Record, which is problematic from a research standpoint).
Hartke combined elements of several proposals into one new bill—the operating subsidies for private railroad passenger losses from his own bill, the DOT rolling stock pool from the Tydings bill (which would save the railroads all future capital costs), and the direction that the Secretary of Transportation designate a minimum basic national passenger route system.
Steve Ditmeyer, who was one of the FRA staffers on this project at the time, now recalls that “Secretary Volpe received a phone call from Senator Winston Prouty (R-VT) [Hartke’s minority counterpart on the subcommittee] who said the Senate [Commerce Committee] was going to vote on the passenger train subsidy bill the next day and asked if the Secretary could get him a copy of the Department’s draft Rail Passenger Service Act.”[28]
The authorization to leak the bill could have come from the very top – months later, in his memo to Nixon to implore him to sign the bill into law, Volpe wrote that “On the eve of reporting out by the Senate Commerce Committee of Senator Harkin’s $435 million subsidy bill, I intervened with your agreement.”[29]
Regardless of who exactly gave the Railpax bill to Prouty, by sometime in the first week of April 1970, Prouty’s staff had made a few tweaks to DOT’s legislation and offered it in committee as a substitute for the Hartke subsidy bill. Prouty’s proposal failed, and the Commerce Committee voted, 12 to 4, to approve Hartke’s bill.[30]
Instead, Commerce filed its report on the revised Hartke bill (renumbered as S. 3706, 91st Congress) on April 9 (S. Rept. 91-765). Prouty filed dissenting views starting on page 76 of the report and included the text of his version of the Railpax bill at the end of his views.
(We may have Prouty to blame for the fact that Amtrak’s legal name sounds weird. The original DOT proposal would have created a National Railroad Passenger Service Corporation. But the version that Prouty offered in committee and printed in the report dropped the word “Service” for some reason and would have created a National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and that version of the name survived to enactment and since to this day. Whereas anyone with a reasonable facility for the English language has to admit that “National Railroad Passenger Service Corporation” would sound much better than the actual name.)[31]
Although Railpax had failed in committee, getting a bill to the Senate floor involved both party leaders and the general acquiescence of the entire Senate. The White House did not like Railpax, but they disliked the open-ended federal operating subsidies of the Hartke bill more, and Senate Republicans, backed by a firm presidential veto threat, refused to let the Hartke bill move forward.
Talks continued behind the scenes, and as they did, the virtues of Railpax – a “private” company that was “for profit” and would not need any federal subsidies after 1973 – became more and more apparent. By April 28, Under Secretary of Transportation Jim Beggs was ready to announce to the press that the Nixon Administration and Senate leaders had agreed to support a modified Railpax plan. The press reported Beggs saying that “the White House had relaxed its objections to the plan for the Government’s initial investment in the new passenger train corporation, while at the same time the Senate Commerce Committee had withdrawn its insistence on a still more costly system of operating subsidies.”[32]
The Commerce Committee printed the new bill (as Committee Print No. 7) and quickly circulated it to stakeholders to get letters of support. On April 30, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) got the unanimous consent of the Senate to make S. 3706 the pending business, and the next day, on behalf of the bipartisan Commerce Committee leadership, Mansfield introduced the modified Railpax bill as a substitute amendment (Sen. Amdt. #608) for the entire bill (see text starting on page 13845 here). The text of the bill said Railpax was to be “a for profit corporation.” A one-time appropriation of $40 million in startup costs was authorized (along with no more than $60 million in federal loan guarantees), plus an additional $75 million in direct federal loans and loan guarantees to railroads to enable them to buy into Railpax.
Senate debate began on May 5. One major alternative was offered, on May —a complete substitute for the bill, proposed by Sens. Claiborne Pell and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) (S. Amdt. #618, text on p. 14269 here). The Pell-Kennedy bill would have replaced one Railpax with many—one private, non-profit corporation per urban rail corridor. For long-distance routes, the bill was a bit vague (“The Secretary is authorized to contract with railroads and the corporations for the provision of passenger service within the national basic passenger system for rail passenger service outside of the urban corridors passenger system if the Secretary finds that such service is required to meet seasonal passenger demand, to meet passenger transportation demand for which no alternative mode of transportation exists, or to meet other requirements in the national interest.”)
Pell told the Senate that urban corridors under 500 miles were where the traffic was, and where the need was, not long-distance trains. He warned “If investors are not willing to put their money in present rail corporations providing long-distance passenger service, they are no more likely to put their money into a rail corporation providing long-distance passenger service. No matter where it is put, uneconomic long-distance passenger service does not produce dividends for investors.”[33]
Hartke responded that the Pell-Kennedy bill, with its 18 corridor corporations, was unwieldy and unworkable, and said “I have been assured by Secretary Volpe that the situation with respect to long-haul service may not be as bleak as commonly assumed…The proposal thus would eliminate service that is now well patronized, deprive the public of a good transport alternative, and axe thousands of rail jobs.”[34]
After debate, “well realizing that I do not have the majority support of this body,” Pell withdrew his amendment. The Senate then went on to pass S. 3706, with a half-dozen minor amendments, by a vote of 78 to 3.[35]
(The text of S. 3706 as passed by the Senate is here starting on p. 14287.)
The House debates and decides
In the House, Rep. Robert Tiernan (D-RI) introduced the Pell-Kennedy bill as H.R. 17849 (91st Congress) on May 27. The House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee held hearings in the first week of June on both the Senate-passed bill and the Pell-Kennedy-Tierney bill.
Secretary Volpe testified on June 2: “With sufficient capitalization, a new, quasi-public corporation, whose only purpose is to maintain and improve rail passenger service over a more economically sensible system, has a good chance of becoming a sound and successful enterprise…I do not wish to leave the committee with the impression that there are no risks in the course of action proposed by S. 3706. The rejuvenation of railroad passenger service will require a great deal of effort, dedication, and imagination. These traits have never been lacking in American enterprise, and S. 3706 provides a framework within which they can be exercised. On behalf of the administration, I strongly urge early and favorable consideration of S. 3706 by this committee and the Congress.”[36]
(The committee asked the Bureau of the Budget for its opinion, in writing, and Budget responded with a tepid, one-sentence statement: “The Bureau of the Budget recommends that your Committee give favorable consideration to S. 3706 rather than H.R. 17428.”)[37]
The president of the Association of American Railroads testified that they were not opposed to the Senate-passed bill, but with a few amendments (a hard effective date for serviced discontinuance, another alternate method of calculating each participating railroad’s financial contribution to Railpax, and some technical amendments), it could have their strong support.
The Congress of Railway Unions expressed its wholehearted support for S. 3706, but labor thought Railpax was underfunded and wanted it more than doubled. A representative of the Railway Labor Executives Association said that the federal financial aid authorized by the bill fell “far short of the amount necessary to inaugurate a financially sound and efficient national rail passenger system. Moreover, even the increased funds and guarantees proposed by us remain far below those which are available under the Urban Mass Transportation Act and the High Speed Ground Transportation Act for the development and preservation of commuter and intercity corridor passenger traffic.”[38]
The National Association of Rail Passengers endorsed the Senate bill and most of the amendments sought by AAR, as well as supporting the extra federal financial support sought by the unions.
Nothing happened in the House immediately after the hearings, but the passenger train situation jumped back into the spotlight on June 21, when the Penn Central declared bankruptcy—the largest corporate bankruptcy in American history (it would not be surpassed until Enron in 2001). A subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission report found that the culprit was losses on railroad operations, not the Penn Central’s other businesses:
Profit/Loss on Rail Operations, Penn Central and Predecessor Companies (Million $$)
CY CY CY CY Jan.-Mar. 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 +2.6 -85.7 -142.4 -193.2 -101.6 Source: SEC staff report, August 1972
Penn Central management blamed the bankruptcy on passenger service losses (though the subsequent SEC investigation shared blame with the freight operations as well), putting a great public mandate on Congress to Do Something.
In July, the House subcommittee began holding closed-door executive sessions on the bill, and by August 11, the subcommittee had approved an amended version of S. 3706, accepting some of the amendments suggested by AAR and the unions. Congress then took its summer recess before the full Commerce Committee could act.
On September 23, the full House committee ordered a “clean bill” reported and sent to the Ways and Means Committee informally, because one of AAR’s requested amendments involved allowing railroads to deduct their financial contributions to Railpax from their taxes as a business expense. Ways and Means agreed, and on October 7, Interstate and Foreign Commerce formally substituted the text of the amended S. 3706 for H.R. 17849 and then ordered H.R. 17849, as amended, reported to the House. (Because of the tax law change, the bill had to have a House bill number, per the Constitution.) The report was filed later that day (H. Rept. 91-1580).
The bill reported to the House expanded the loan guarantees for Railpax and the private railroads significantly beyond what the White House had reluctantly supported in the Senate bill.
On October 9, DOT Congressional liaison (and future U.S. Senator) Bob Bennett wrote to the White House to notify them that the Railpax bill was on schedule for a House vote the following week and that “The Senate Committee is anxious to get this Bill passed before the [pre-election] recess and is prepared to accept the House bill without a conference if the House can pass it early enough on Wednesday to permit Senate action Wednesday evening.”[39]
Bennett noted that the higher loan guarantee levels in the House bill were problematic, but suggested that the White House would just have to accept them, because of the Penn Central crisis:
White House staff debated whether or not to issue a veto threat because of the higher funding levels or have a Republican House member offer a floor amendment reducing the funding, but decided against it. Importantly, the day the House was considering the bill, John Ehrlichman talked to Secretary Volpe and they agreed that, if Congress wound up providing more appropriations and loan guarantees than had been authorized in the Senate-passed bill, the President would simply impound the money (refuse to spend it or lend it). (This was 1970, and Congress would not outlaw impoundments until 1974.)[40]
The House Rules Committee granted a special rule allowing H.R. 17849 to come to the floor on October 13, and the bill came up later that day. The debate, which spread into the following day, was a bit anticlimactic. Even though the bill was brought up under an open rule, allowing any germane amendments, the only amendment offered was a technical one changing a date.
Commerce chairman Harley Staggers (D-WV) assured the House that “We know that in starting off they are going to have some trouble, but I expect that after a very few years it will be a prosperous organization, because we have begun to develop high-speed trains, better railroad cars, with more commodious service that people will use, as has been exemplified by the Metroliner that runs between Washington and New York now. The people are using these trains because they are acceptable, they are clean, and they afford rapid transportation from the heart of one city to the heart of another. I believe that with this as an example, this corporation will be able to move forward, and make a go of it…This will be private, as I said, a private corporation to be run for profit.”[41]
The House passed the bill by voice vote on October 14, 1970. Later that day, as the Senate prepared to leave for its election recess, the Senate took up the House-passed bill and passed it by unanimous consent, with almost no debate. (Commerce chairman Magnuson submitted a statement for the Record outlining what he said were the two small differences between the original Senate-passed bill and the House bill, and Gordon Allott (R-CO) made sure that Win Prouty, who was up for re-election, got his due credit as the sponsor of Railpax.[42]
Secretary Volpe issued a statement congratulating Congress on passing the bill: “The resounding margin by which this bill was passed – by a voice vote in the House – reflects, I believe, the importance Americans attach to continuing and improving intercity rail passenger service for fast, convenient and comfortable travel between urban areas as a matter of public convenience and necessity.”[43] Both chambers then adjourned for a month-long recess, during which the Railpax bill would be enrolled and sent to President Nixon.
There was, however, the not-so-insignificant detail as to whether or not the President would sign the bill.
The White House veto debate
The initial assumption within the White House was that the President would sign the bill into law. Nixon had a trip to Vermont to campaign for Win Prouty scheduled for October 17, and his advisers debated whether or not to have Nixon announce his intent to sign the bill there, alongside Prouty. But that wound up not happening, and afterwards, John Ehrlichman began to have, in the words of an anonymous White House aide on October 21, “serious reservations about the bill. He has had many calls and discussions with Railway people who do not like portions of the bill…whether or not the President will sign the bill is ‘up in the air’ at this time, according to JDE.”[44]
Congress formally transmitted the enrolled copy of H.R. 17849 to the White House on October 21, which started the constitutional 10-day clock (excluding Sundays) for the President to sign or veto the bill, lest it become law on its own. The last day for presidential action was Monday, November 2 (the day before the midterm elections). Because Congress had taken a one-month recess, Nixon had the option of an unreviewable “pocket veto” if he wanted to kill the bill.
Ehrlichman ordered Nixon’s all-purpose economic and business advisor, Peter Flanigan, to come up with a pros-and-cons memo on the bill. That memo was ready by October 27, and Flanigan took issue with DOT’s financial assumptions: “DoT predicts that after a $40 million deficit in the first year, the corporation will decrease its deficit to $9 million in the third year and make a profit in the fourth and following years. The DoT projections are based on the somewhat speculative assumption that improved service will gradually attract increasing traffic. I have been given a more pessimistic estimate, checked with some industry sources, that operating deficits could amount to $50 to $75 million annually.”[45]
After listing several pros and cons, Flanigan said it came down to the fact that Volpe had gone out on a limb in vocal support of the bill before Congress: “If this bill were being now presented to us as a departmental proposal, I would oppose it on economic grounds…Now, however, the bill comes to us for signature or veto having received strong and continuing Administration support through the statements of Secretary Volpe. I do not believe that it is sound administrative practice or politically credible for the Administration, in the absence of overwhelming new evidence, now to reverse its principal spokesman for transportation policy. To do so on the eve of a Congressional election would seem particularly undesirable. Therefore, unless the President is prepared to risk Secretary Volpe’s resignation, I would recommend that he sign the Railpax bill.”
FRA’s Jim McClellan later recalled being summoned to the White House for a meeting with staff to discuss the bill: “The arguments went back and forth with a lot of focus on the numbers, and I weighed in as appropriate. When one key staffer cited a Stanford University study that showed that passenger trains lost a lot of money, I dismissed the results as biased because the study was funded by the antipassenger Southern Pacific. The Stanford study was actually pretty good, but the goal was to win the argument, not to discover the truth.”[46]
The White House had reorganized on July 1, 1970, and the Bureau of the Budget had a new name (Office of Management and Budget, or OMB), and a new Director, George Shultz. Shultz sent President Nixon a memo making strong arguments against the bill and urging a veto: “Railpax, with a majority of its directors appointed by the President, would inevitably have its deficits, its service problems, and its other headaches laid at the feet of the President. The Government would be charged with ‘running the railroads,’ without the necessary authority to improve any of the problems and with all the factors which led to their present plight built into their future operation…In spite of the public position of the Secretary of Transportation in favor of the bill, I feel the bill is bad enough to veto.”[47]
Paul McCracken, the chairman of Nixon’s Council of Economic Advisers, also urged a veto: “…this bill appropriates substantial funds for an enterprise with little economic justification. The funds appropriated are already twice as large as those in the original bill. However, even at this higher funding level, there is the real prospect that future budgets will be saddled with commitments which it ought to be our responsibility to spell out now. For those reasons we strongly urge the President to veto this bill. If, however, he is not prepared to do this, his signing message should contain a clear commitment that the Federal capital contribution to the Corporation will be limited to the amount specified in the bill, that rail passenger service will have to stand or fall on its economic merits, and that this bill implies no claim on future budgets.”[48]
By this point, the bill’s deadline was growing near, and Nixon hit the road on the 27th to go on a multi-day campaign swing (Florida-Texas-Illinois-Minnesota-Nebraska-California). Speaking of politics, White House legislative liaison Bill Timmons notified Ehrlichman’s office that “We did not alert Republicans on Capitol Hill that the bill might be vetoed. Therefore, a veto could embarrass some of our friends who supported the legislation” and said that a veto could hurt candidates like Prouty, Lowell Weicker (R-CT), and Hugh Scott (R-PA). He also said that, as of October 29, rumors of a possible veto were circulating in the press, and “We can expect Democratic charges to hit the papers this weekend. (I strongly suspect DOT is building up pressure).”[49]
On Friday, October 30, Nixon spent the day at his “Western White House” in San Clemente, California, along with his senior aides (Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Kissinger, Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods). Back in Washington, OMB’s Shultz got a call from Volpe, who said that a newspaper in St. Paul, Minnesota was reporting that Shultz was opposed to the bill and that, therefore, Nixon was going to veto it. Volpe told Shultz that he took this to mean that he should not bother sending the president his own arguments in favor of the bill, but Shultz told Volpe to send his memo to the White House anyway.[50] Volpe tried to call Nixon at about 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 in California) but Nixon did not take the call.
Volpe sent his memo to Nixon that day. It assured the President that “all of the indications that we have are that the Rail Passenger Corporation will be economically viable by the third of fourth year of operation and will be providing sound transportation alternatives to aviation and highway movement. The operations of the Corporation can be expected to turn a relatively small initial year loss of $30-40 million – the current level in the preliminary network – into an operating profit by the third year…the economic prospects make the hazard of future demands for Federal support relatively low.”[51]
Volpe went on to list other reasons that the bill should be signed (expectations on the Hill, the need to keep train service going to head off additional airport and highway spending arguments, and the continued need to do something to lift the financial burden from the Penn Central and other private railroads). But he added a handwritten postscript: “Mr. President – My credibility on Capitol Hill will practically be destroyed if this bill is vetoed, and it could well cost us Win Prouty’s seat. John.”
After weighing all the arguments, Nixon decided to get it over with and signed the bill into law at some point on the 30th. There was no ceremony, and no signing statement, only a one-sentence announcement from the press secretary that he had signed the bill. Because there was no statement, Nixon was unable to comply with CEA’s wishes that a signing statement clearly lay out the expectation of profitability and that no subsidies after the initial tranche of aid would be forthcoming.
(How was Volpe able to circumvent Ehrlichman from 3,000 miles away? Volpe’s then-legal counsel, Joseph Bosco, later wrote that “Volpe was able to succeed in that hostile environment partly because he had a secret White House ally: fellow co-religionist and daily communicant Rose Mary Woods, Nixon’s personal secretary. She had had her own problems with Nixon’s inner circle and saw Volpe as a kindred spirit. At critical times, she was able to get him the direct access to Nixon that his staff denied to all Cabinet officers and even to Agnew. (After the railroad legislation turnaround, an irate Ehrlichman called Volpe to complain, ‘I don’t know how you got to the president, but he’s decided to sign your bill after all.’)”)[52]
The Nixon Administration had avoided its worst-case scenario of having to sign a bill (like that originally proposed by Senator Hartke) that promised unlimited, open-ended operating subsidies for private railroads to operate money-losing passenger service indefinitely. And they accomplished their two short-term political objectives: needing to be seen “doing something” about the passenger train problem, and preventing the issue from blowing up three days before the midterm elections.
But by signing the Railpax bill, Nixon only bought a temporary (three-year) reprieve from having to deal with the difficult issues relating to passenger trains that had been building up for forty years.
Upon signature, the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 became Public Law 91-518 and set a startup date for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation of May 1, 1971.
To be continued…
[1] United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. “Railroad Passenger Train Deficit” (Proceeding No. 31954), 1958, at p. 72. Available online at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015018275076
[2] United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce. National Transportation Policy (Report of the Special Study Group on Transportation Policies in the United States). Senate Report No. 445, 87th Congress. Washington: GPO 1961 p. 326. Available online at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015023117982&view=1up&seq=9
[3] National Transportation Policy p. 328.
[4] Randal O’Toole, Romance of the Rails: Why the Passenger Trains We Love Are Not the Transportation We Need. Washington: Cato Institute, 2018 chapter 9.
[5] United States. Interstate Commerce Commission. “Investigation of Costs of Intercity Passenger Rail Service.” July 1969, page ii. Available online at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015004568708?urlappend=%3Bseq=7
[6] United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce. Passenger Train Service Legislation (Hearings before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, September 23, 24, and 25, 1969) p. 1. Available online at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.$b644054
[7] Email from Robert Gallamore to the author, October 29, 2020, and Northeast Corridor Transportation Project Report (April 1970) by the Office of High Speed Ground Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[8] Jim McClellan, My Life With Trains (Railroads Past and Present). Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2017. Chapter 8.
[9] My Life With Trains chapter 8.
[10] Email from Robert Gallamore to the author, October 29, 2020.
[11] Passenger Train Service Legislation p. 143.
[12] My Life With Trains chapter 8.
[13] Passenger Train Service Legislation p. 143.
[14] Joseph A. Bosco, “Volpe might have stopped Watergate.” POLITICO (online ed.), August 7, 2013 4:32 p.m. Retrieved February 7, 2021 from https://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/opinion-joseph-bosco-richard-nixon-watergate-095308
[15] My Life With Trains chapter 8.
[16] Recounted in memo from Robert P. Mayo to John Ehrlichman, dated February 14 or 16, 1970 (both date stamps are on the document), subject line “DOT’s Railpax proposal.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[17] Robert Lindsey, “Volpe’s Rail Plan Finds Opposition.” The New York Times, January 20, 1970 p. 85.
[18] Memo from John D. Ehrlichman to Richard Nixon, January 23, 1970, subject “Background and present status with respect to Rail Passenger Service.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[19] Memo from John D. Ehrlichman to Richard Nixon, January 23, 1970, subject “Rail Passenger Service.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[20] Memo from Daniel Patrick Moynihan to John D. Ehrlichman, January 28, 1970, no subject line. Original located in White House Central Files: Files of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Box 35, Folder “Railpax [2 of 2], Nixon Library.
[21] Memo from John Volpe to Richard Nixon, undated, subject line “Rail Passenger Service.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[22] Memo from John D. Ehrlichman to Richard Nixon, February 4, 1970, subject line “Sec. Volpe memoranda.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[23] Memo from Tod R. Hullin to John D. Ehrlichman, February 17, 1970, subject line “Follow-up to the Railpax presentation by Jim Beggs and Charles Baker, Thursday, February 12, 2:00 p.m.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[24] Letter from James M. Beggs to John D. Ehrlichman, February 18, 1970, subject line “Rail Passenger Service,” and accompanying document of the same name. (The route-by-route analysis is Appendix C.) Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[25] Memo from Robert P. Mayo to John D. Ehrlichman, February 23, 1970, subject line “Rail Passenger Service.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[26] Memo from John D. Ehrlichman to Richard Nixon, March 2, 1970, subject line “Status of DOT’s Rail Passenger Service Proposals.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “Beginning – 4/1/70,” Nixon Library.
[27] Dan Rather and Gary Paul Gates. The Palace Guard. New York: Warner Books, 1974 (quote is from 1975 Warner Paperback Library edition, p. 225).
[28] Email from Steve Ditmeyer to the author, October 26, 2020.
[29] Memo from John Volpe to Richard Nixon, October 30, 1970, subject line “Rail Passenger Legislation.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[30] “Corporation Created to Operate Rail Passenger System.” In CQ Almanac 1970, 26th ed., 09-804-09-809. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 1971. https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/cqal70-1291580.
[31] Thanks to Alan Pisarski for pointing this out while the article was still in draft form.
[32] “U.S. Rail Aid Is Set For Intercity Lines.” The New York Times, April 29, 1970 p. 1.
[33] Congressional Record (bound edition), May 6, 1970 p. 14274.
[34] Congressional Record (bound edition), May 6, 1970, p. 14279.
[35] Congressional Record (bound edition), May 6, 1970 – quote is p. 14281 and vote is p. 14287.
[36] United States. Congress. House of Representatives. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Passenger Train Service (Supplemental Hearings before the Subcommittee on Transportation and Aeronautics, June 2, 3, and 4, 1970) pp. 67-69.
[37] Passenger Train Service p. 60
[38] Passenger Train Service p. 135.
[39] Memo from Robert F. Bennett to Dick Cook, October 9, 1970, no subject line. Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[40] Memo from John D. Ehrlichman to John A. Volpe, October 16, 1970, no subject line. Carbon copy of original located in White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office File, Kenneth Cole series, box 6, folder “Chron File: October 1970,” Nixon Library.
[41] Congressional Record (bound edition), October 13, 1970 pp. 36594-36595.
[42] Congressional Record (bound edition), October 14, 1970 pp. 36894-36895.
[43] “Statement of Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe on the Passage by the House of Representatives of the National Rail Passenger Service Act,” October 14, 1970.
[44] Unsigned memo to “RZ” (presumably Ron Ziegler), October 21, 1970. Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[45] Memo from Peter Flanigan to John Ehrlichman, October 27, 1970 (no subject line). Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[46] My Life With Trains chapter 8.
[47] Memorandum from OMB Director George Shultz to President Nixon, undated, subject line “Railpax.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[48] Letter from Paul W. McCracken to OMB official Wilfred Rommel, October 27, 1970. Nixon Library.
[49] Memo from William E. Timmons to Ken Cole, October 29, 1970, subject line “Railpax.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[50] This conversation is recounted secondhand in a memo from Ken Cole to John Ehrlichman, October 30, 1970 (no subject line). Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library.
[51] Memo from John Volpe to Richard Nixon, October 30, 1970, subject line “Rail Passenger Legislation.” Original located in White House Central Files: Subject Files, Series TN 4 (Railroads), Box 6, Folder “5/1/70 – 11/5/70,” Nixon Library. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 63 | https://railroad.net/trolley-s-of-the-lowell-national-historical-park-lowell-ma-t1572.html | en | Trolley's of the Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell, MA | [
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Moderator: Nicolai3985 | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 0 | https://libguides.uml.edu/early_lowell/Boston_and_Lowell_RR | en | The Town & the City: Lowell before and after The Civil War | https://libguides.uml.edu/ld.php?screenshot=ecaehd.png&size=facebook&cb=1723300386 | https://libguides.uml.edu/ld.php?screenshot=ecaehd.png&size=facebook&cb=1723300386 | [
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"Brad MacGowan"
] | null | Originally created to be a digital archive for Lowell documents from 1826 to 1861, this website has grown to cover many periods and events in Lowell's history. | en | //d2jv02qf7xgjwx.cloudfront.net/apps/common/favicon/apple-touch-icon.png | https://libguides.uml.edu/early_lowell/Boston_and_Lowell_RR | From Summer Saunterings by the B & L (1885)
https://archive.org/details/summersauntering00bost/page/n9/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater
The original main line of the Boston & Lowell Railroad was only twenty-six miles in length; and for many years it remained "little among the thousands" of great railway lines. Now that it has suddenly reached out and, by purchase, lease and business contract, secured the management or traffic of many connecting and tributary roads, so that it has become the largest railroad system in New England, it is interesting to recall the fact that, as it was the first railroad chartered in New England for passenger transportation, so it was the first to be completed and operated its entire length, and it was the third or fourth in the United States.
In 1821, what is now the city of Lowell was a straggling village of twelve houses; some time previous a canal had been dug around Pawtucket Falls, on the Merrimack River, for purposes of navigation. In 1822, an organization was effected under the name of " The Locks and Canal Co." on the Merrimack River, to utilize the water power for manufacturing purposes, and the first wheel was set in motion Sept. 1, 1823. The facilities for the transportation of raw material to, and manufactured goods from, the place, were the river from Newburyport via Haverhill, the Middlesex Canal from Boston, and the highways; the latter being sandy in summer, muddy in spring and early winter, and often blockaded with snow in mid-winter. In 1820, Messrs. William Appleton, Patrick T. Jackson and Kirk Boott, of Boston, with other far-seeing men of the owners and managers of water power and mills located at Lowell, were convinced that there must be greater transportation facilities for the proper development of their investments; for already on an average as many as twenty-four tons of freight passed daily between the manufacturing village and the then young city of Boston, and "six stage-coaches, drawn by four and six horses each, "conveyed" from 100 to 120 passengers daily from one town to the other." This is a small amount of freight and number of passengers to us, but for that day indicates that great business activity had begun in eastern Massachusetts. It was evident that something must be done speedily, and certain enterprises in England and other parts of this country attracted their attention and directed their efforts.
In 1827, a road three miles in length, with rails of wood covered with iron, was opened from the Quincy granite quarries to the Neponset River, and successfully used with horse-propelling power. This same year another similar road, nine miles in length, was opened among the coal mines of the Lehigh region in Pennsylvania; and, in 1821), the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co. constructed a third railroad. All of these were operated either by gravity, animals, or stationary steam engines, and were for freight transportation only. The latter company, hearing of the success of Stephenson in moving loads of coal in England on a railroad, sent an agent there, who purchased a locomotive steam engine named the " Stourbridge Lion," which was tested on their road at Honesdale, Penn., August 8, 1829, "which was, without a shadow of doubt, the day the first locomotive turned a driving wheel upon a road on the American continent."
The Massachusetts Legislature of 1829 had ordered a survey, at State expense, to ascertain the practicality of a railroad between Boston and Lowell. It was made by Mr. James Haywood, and his report transmitted to the Legislature by Gov. Levi Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1830. The previous October, Stephenson had made his successful experiment with a locomotive steam engine on the Manchester & Liverpool Railroad. All these movements had been closely watched by those interested in the Lowell "Locks and Canal Co.," and on Jan. 18, 1830, Patrick T. Jackson, Esq., requested Kirk Boott, Esq., agent, to call a meeting of the directors, by whom he hoped a meeting of the "proprietors" would be called, and he states that his "object is to draw the attention of the proprietors of that stock to the project for building a railroad from this place (Boston) to Lowell." The directors' meeting was the 22d and the proprietors the 27th of January, at the house of Mr. Jackson, No. 22 Winter Street, Boston, when the first step was taken for the organization of a company to build the Boston & Lowell Railroad. The project was strenuously opposed by the owners of the Middlesex Canal, but the Legislature of that year granted a charter, giving the company the exclusive right to railroad transportation between Boston and Lowell for thirty years, which rights the courts afterwards sustained them in asserting. The road was so well located and built that there is no grade over ten feet to the mile, except at the overhead crossing of the Fitchburg Railroad in Somerville, and all the curves are wide and easy.
A copy of "The Merchants' and Traders' Guide and Strangers' Memorandum Book for the year of our Lord 1836," says: "This road was opened for public accommodation on the 24th of June, 1835, [the Providence road was opened June 11th, and the Worcester, July 4th, of the same year,] and its cost thus far exceeds $1,000,000. The road is built with a single track, and is constructed of the iron edge-rail, supported by cast-iron chairs on stone blocks and stone sleepers, resting on stone foundation walls. A second track is commenced and laid about five miles." This second track was not so expensively laid with stone foundation walls, as it was found that the frost would not heave the sleepers so much as was feared. All of the stone blocks and stone sleepers have now been removed, being replaced with wood; but many of them may yet be seen lying by the railroad side between Boston and Lowell. The rails were not of the now universal "T" pattern, but what were called "fish bellies," because they were wider perpendicularly in the middle than the ends -where they rested on the chairs; they were of iron and weighed only 35 pounds to the yard and broke easily. The first locomotive used on the road was built in England and named the "Stephenson," and, among other peculiarities,
had the plates on the side of her fire-box welded instead of riveted. The first passenger car was an open one ; covers were soon provided, above which was a chaise-top for the conductor, who was the lookout, and carried a silver whistle to blow as a signal, which however could hardly be heard when the train was in motion, on account of the force of the wind. The engines had no cabs, and the engineer and fireman were exposed to all the extremes of weather.
"The Merchants' and Traders' Guide," before quoted, also contains the following interesting notice in connection with the above: "Before the starting of the cars, stages leave Nos. 9 and 11 Elm Street, and City Tavern, Brattle Street, and call at almost any part of the city for passengers, and take them to the depot free of charge. Arrangements have not yet been made, though they are in progress, for the conveyance of merchandise, but there is a private car attached to the train for the purpose of conveying small quantities of merchandise." Probably this was the forerunner of the modern express companies' cars.
The Boston terminus was then at the foot of Lowell Street, where the freight-house now is. In 1857, the present site of the station on Causeway Street was occupied, and the present costly and commodious depot, 700 feet long, having a frontage of 205 feet, with a train-house having an arch with a clear span of 120 feet without any central support, was occupied in 1874. The spot upon which it stands is made land, and the Blackstone Canal which formerly crossed Boston along the line of the street of that name, intersected Causeway Street near this point, that street being originally what its name implies, a causeway with water on either side. The writer's father has told him he had often seen vessel's jib-booms extending over that street, the water allowing them to be moored by its side. | |||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 75 | https://connecticuthistory.org/iron-and-water-the-norwich-worcester-railroad-story/ | en | Iron and Water: The Norwich & Worcester Railroad Story - Connecticut History | [
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"Alex Donovan",
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] | 2019-11-16T14:00:19-05:00 | Connecticut’s early railroad history had at its core the goal of linking New York City and Boston through a hybrid system of steamboats and trains. | en | Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project - Stories about the people, traditions, innovations, and events that make up Connecticut's rich history. | https://connecticuthistory.org/iron-and-water-the-norwich-worcester-railroad-story/ | By Richard Malley for Your Public Media
Connecticut’s early railroad history had at its core the goal of linking New York City and Boston through a hybrid system of steamboats and trains. This strategy allowed relatively fast schedules without the expense of constructing a rail route along the irregular Connecticut shoreline and avoided exposing steamboat passengers to the dangers of the Rhode Island coast. Using protected Stonington Harbor as its rail/water connection, the New York, Providence & Boston Railroad linked the two cities beginning in 1837.
Business leaders in nearby Norwich also saw an opportunity to share in the economic boom associated with railroads and organized a stock company to construct a railroad linking Long Island Sound with Boston via Norwich and Worcester. Construction at Norwich began November 18, 1835. Within a year, Massachusetts interests had secured approval for the necessary rail link from Worcester to Boston. This combined effort, known as the Norwich & Worcester Railroad, threaded its way north through the Quinebaug Valley of eastern Connecticut to Worcester, then east to Boston.
As with the competing line at Stonington, overnight steamers would carry passengers to and from New York via Long Island Sound. At Norwich, the head of Thames River navigation, the railroad built a massive wharf to facilitate transfer of passengers and freight. A later extension of the railroad a few miles downriver to Allyn’s Point provided an alternate terminal in the event of wintertime ice problems at Norwich.
When the Norwich & Worcester line opened for travel in 1840 it boasted one of the first railroad tunnels in the country. Its creation involved skillful engineering, copious amounts of blasting powder, and strong backs. Within a decade, the line began constructing its own locomotives and cars in a large shop in Norwich. The company also owned a succession of fine passenger steamers like the City of Worcester and City of Lowell.
The New Haven Railroad inherited a substantial operation when it took control of the Norwich & Worcester in 1898. Today the line, long since extended to Groton, is part of the Providence & Worcester Railroad’s regional freight system.
Richard Malley is Head of Collections at the Connecticut Historical Society.
© Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and Connecticut Historical Society. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared on Your Public Media
Note: ConnecticutHistory.org does not edit content originally published on another platform and therefore does not update any instances of outdated content or language. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 83 | https://www.faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/bmrr/b_and_m.html | en | Unofficial Boston and Maine Railroad Page | [] | [] | [] | [
"Boston and Maine Railroad",
"Boston & Maine",
"B&M",
"Flying Yankee",
"Minuteman",
"roster",
"modeling information"
] | null | [] | null | Unofficial Boston and Maine Railroad page
with HO scale model railroad passenger cars, steam engine roster,
diesel engine roster, caboose roster, passenger car roster, freight car roster, model
detailing information | ./favicon.ico | null | Unofficial Boston & Maine Railroad Page
Copyright 1997 - 2021 by James B. Van Bokkelen . This document may be duplicated and distributed for non-commercial purposes only, all other rights reserved.
Credit: Dwight Smith took the Black & White period photos used on the Unofficial B&M Page.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the B&M Boston & Maine RR Historical Society Modeling Eras on the B&M The B&M in (Recent) Print
Boston & Maine Equipment
B&M Passenger Equipment Roster and Modeling Information
Preserved B&M Passenger Equipment
B&M Freight Equipment Roster and Modeling Information B&M Wood and Steel Caboose Roster and Modeling Information B&M Steam Locomotive Roster and Painting Information
Information on Detailing B&M Steam Locomotives
B&M Diesel Locomotive Roster and Painting Information
Information on Detailing B&M Diesels
Boston & Maine Operations
B&M Notes By Location B&M Operations
New England Railroads and Railroad Operations
My New England RR index page.
Railway Post Office Routes in New England Inter-Line Passenger Services in New England
Introduction
The Boston and Maine Railroad began as a second through route from Boston towards Portland, Maine, after the Eastern RR, incorporated in 1833 and completed in 1843. The next 70 years involved a great deal of financial and political finagling, but by 1915 the B&M reached from Troy and Saratoga in New York to Southern Quebec. This system map, from Employee's Timetable #4, January 4, 1964, shows what remained after the first surge of Interstate construction.
The B&M was pretty parsimonious; few other Class 1 roads put as much energy into old equipment. Thus, the 1950s were particularly interesting: The steam-diesel transition began in earnest in 1943 with the arrival of the first EMD FT freight diesels. It finally ended in Spring 1956 after the first big order of self-propelled Budd Rail Diesel Cars replaced both WWI-era 4-6-2 steam locomotives and three- to seven-year-old diesel road-switchers hauling a dog's breakfast of second-hand steel commuter coaches. The B&M innovated with early diesel switchers, the Budd articulated streamliner The Flying Yankee , and the complete dieselization of the Hoosac Tunnel main line west of Greenfield by 1946. Conversely, the B&M ran one of the last big fleets of open-platform wood passenger cars, certainly the last hauling commuters into a major metropolis, and used ball signals and covered bridges well into the diesel era.
I didn't see much of this personally: I can barely remember being taken to trackside at North Station in 1960 to see the last arrival of the Gull from St. John and Halifax. My own B&M memories are of the RDCs and Geeps going about their business during the long decline under indifferent ownership in the 1960s, and then bankruptcy and a revitalization that was finally smothered in Guilford Gray. Still, I find the pre-interstate era interesting to research and model, and thus I owe a great deal to those who documented it.
Acknowlegements
Sincere thanks to the dedicated B&MRRHS volunteers who've prepared the B&M Bulletin articles I've compiled much of this information from, particularly Roger Hinman. I count myself lucky to have almost all the issues back to 1972, and hope that this effort will in turn be found useful by others. Thanks to Andy Miller for info on the ex-PRR cars. As I've prepared this, I've also been reminded how often it turns out that D. L. Ellis of Concord Junction Car Shops (Box 592, W. Acton, MA 01720) has made important B&M equipment available to the modeler, and my thanks go out to him as well as other manufacturers who give attention to the Route of the Minuteman.
Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society (unofficial)
The B&MRRHS has an official web site which has information on current Society events. They also have a web forum.
The B&MRRHS was organized in 1971. After a few initial photocopied publications, they began producing a quarterly glossy paper magazine called the B&M Bulletin with the Fall 1971 issue. Publication has continued fairly regularly: Volume 20 Number 4 came out in late 1996, but Volume 21 Number 1 didn't appear until late in 1998. Initially, all Bulletin photography was black and white; color covers began with the Winter 1978 - 1979 issue, and a few from the mid 1980s have color photo sections inside.
Besides the B&M Bulletin , the B&MRRHS also publishes the bi-monthly B&MRRHS Newsletter , which includes a section called Modeler's Notes . The B&MRRHS has also published several softbound books (all presently out of print) and various B&M plans, datasheets, videocasettes and specially decorated kits. Members receive the B&M Bulletin and the Newsletter as they are issued. The B&M Bulletin is also available over the counter at some hobby shops, and the B&MRRHS has offered back issues and other merchandise at various New England train shows.
B&MRRHS Archives
The B&MRRHS has a sizeable collection of archival material, held at the University of Lowell, in Lowell, Massachusetts. The collection includes photographs, timetables, detailed track maps of most lines updated through the 1950s, the ICC Valuation Report from the WWI era, and a substantial amount of corporate information on the B&M and some of its predecessors. More information is available on-line from the ULowell Library , though there is no on-line catalog as yet.
Modeling Eras on the B&M
As I view it, there are six main modeling eras accessible to those who need to use mostly commercially produced models, each defined by major changes in equipment and/or paint schemes:
Pre-World War II (circa 1925 - 1941)
Before WWII, the B&M was typified by passenger equipment in the dark green scheme with imitation gold letters and a locomotive roster dominated by 2-6-0s, 2-8-0s and 4-6-2s. Heavy freight power included 2-10-2s, early Lima Super-Power 2-8-4s in 1928 and thirteen modern dual-service Baldwin 4-8-2s beginning in 1935. The largest passenger steam on the B&M was also built by Lima - two classes of heavy 80" drivered 4-6-2s built in 1934 and 1937. A few 4-4-2s and the survivors of large numbers of 4-4-0s and 4-6-0s filled out the main line roster, and 0-6-0s and 0-8-0s worked the yards and industrial districts. Use of the block herald scheme on locomotives began before the depression, but the 1911 scheme wasn't all gone for a decade.
A large portion of the passenger fleet was still wood cars built before the turn of the century. Most, if not all of the survivors had steel underframes, but open platforms and truss rods were common. Monitor-roof steel heavyweights held down most of the intercity trains, though after 1934 "American Flyer" lightweight coaches replaced deluxe heavyweights on the showpiece Boston-Portland services. Gas-electrics with and without trailers handled many branch lines, and after the mid-1930s the Budd Flying Yankee and no. 1140, a large EMC motor-baggage car capable of hauling a 3 or 4 car train (unofficially known as the Sacred Cow ) served alongside the old and new steam. A few EMD SC and Alco HH-600 switchers arrived in the late 1930s, painted basic black . The B&M's last new steam engines were five R-1d 4-8-2s purchased in 1941, but they were followed in 1943 by four used P-5 4-6-2s purchased from the DL&W.
Until late 1941, the B&M's standard structure paint scheme used #1A Gray with #2A Dark Green Trim. At that point it was changed to Cream with Maroon trim and wainscotting (where applicable). There wasn't a rush to repaint; many stations and other buildings remained gray/green a decade or more later.
Steam - Diesel Transition (1943 - 1956)
The Hoosac Tunnel electrification was a bottleneck on the shortest, most lightly-graded route to the ports of New England, which gave the B&M priority for twenty-four of EMD's wartime FT A-B freighters. After the war ended in 1945, the B&M sampled two E-7s, and then bought fourteen more in 1946. Five more E-7s in 1949 and a single E-8 in 1950 finished the fleet. Single F-2As were bought to complement A-B FTs, along with several F-2s, F-3s and F-7s in A-B sets. Alco supplied S1s, S2s, S3s, S4s, S5s, RS-2s and RS-3s, EMD supplied SW-1s, NW-2s, SW-8s, SW-9s, BL-2s and GP-7s, but the dieselization wasn't complete until six months after the largest-ever order of Budd RDCs arrived in 1955; The official last run of steam was a fan trip with P-4 3713 (under restoration at Steamtown) on April 22, 1956 but the remaining 4-6-2s and 2-6-0s on standby duty didn't make their last trips to Billerica shops until July. For most of this period, the Minuteman image was the prevalent paint scheme. The 1946 E-7s arrived in a short-lived Rock Island-like maroon and white paint, and many EMD and Alco switchers and the first RS-2 did their chores in the black with red nose stripes .
Starting in the early 1940s, passenger cars were painted maroon, usually with dulux gold lettering and black roofs and underbodies. Twenty-four stainless-sheathed lightweight cars arrived in 1947 for the joint B&M - MEC service between Boston and Bangor, ME. Most of the open-platform wood cars were replaced by several large purchases of second-hand steel commuter coaches between 1940 and 1952, but some survived almost to the end of steam. The first Budd RDCs arrived in 1952, with no decoration on their ends. They began to receive Minuteman heralds soon after, probably next year, as road diesels started to get silver trucks. A few photos of RDCs show a number on the end between the fireman's window and the top of the Minuteman herald, but this wasn't universal.
McGinnis Era (1956 - 1962)
While profitable, the B&M wasn't profitable enough for its investors - the railroad was vulnerable to a takeover. New management arrived in the form of Patrick B. McGinnis, who had recently stirred up quite a bit of controversy during a brief tenure as president of the New York, New Haven & Hartford. While a great many of McGinnis' programs were window dressing for questionable financial manuvering, he did have a profound and lasting effect on the railroad from the modeler's point of view.
First, a set of modernistic blue, black and white paint schemes were introduced with considerable fanfare. Then, more Budd RDCs were purchased, including single-motor RDC-9s without control cabs. All but the RDC-9s arrived with white ends sporting interlaced blue, black and white BM heralds. By late 1958 RDCs completely replaced all remaining locomotive-hauled passenger service other than interline trains. McGinnis also bought an ACF Talgo Train with the railroad's first and only Fairbanks-Morse locomotives, possibly to honor promises dating from his ill-fated lightweight train program at the New Haven. Finally, he took advantage of EMD's "buy now, pay later" plan to replace the FTs and a few other units with 50 new GP-9s in the "Bluebird" scheme . The new RDCs combined with the decline in overall passenger traffic to leave dozens of locomotives idle. The F-2s, RS-2s, E-7s and older switchers were scrapped rather than sold, hinting that maintenance had been neglected.
McGinnis's machinations apparently favored his friends rather than the stockholders as a body, and a net began to close around him. He resigned as president in 1962, was indicted in 1963 and went to prison in 1966 for taking kickbacks on the sale of the 1947 streamlined passenger cars.
The older RDCs quickly got white ends and BM heralds to match the newer ones, but after less than a dozen locomotives repainted in the initial rush, diesels that had been delivered in maroon and gold stayed that way. The joint management agreement with the MEC had ended before McGinnis arrived, but during his tenure the two railroads drifted further apart: The MEC didn't want to run either RDCs or the Talgo beyond Portland, possibly because it would have meant paying mileage rates to the B&M. Neither did they concur with the B&M's decision to drop most mail and express service as unprofitable in 1959.
The few new B&M structures erected after 1957 were painted varying combinations of white/gray, black and blue. Existing structures with Cream/Maroon almost always retained it till they were demolished.
Adrift (1962 - 1971)
The B&M eroded slowly through the 1960s under absentee owners mostly interested in a tax loss. The last interline trains dropped away, and the RDC runs were pruned back until finally only the Boston commuter service subsidized by the MTA (later MBTA) remained:
1958: RDCs west of Greenfield, MA on the Fitchburg Division discontinued
1960: RDCs from Dover to North Conway, NH, discontinued
1960: RDCs beyond Fitchburg to Greenfield discontinued April 23.
1960: Boston - St. John, New Brunswick Gull discontinued
1960: New York - Portland State of Maine discontinued
1964: RDC service to Laconia, NH cut back to Concord, NH.
1965: RDC service to Portland ends, leaving one weekday round-trip to Dover
1965: RDC service to Portsmouth, NH discontinued in January. One except-Sunday round-trip to Newburyport restored later in the year.
1964: RDC service on the Fitchburg Division cut back to Ayer, MA.
1965: Boston - White River - Newport - Montreal RDCs (joint w/CPR) discontinued
1966: New York - Springfield - Montreal Ambassador, Washingtonian/Montrealer discontinued
1967: Last round-trips to Dover and Concord, NH discontinued
During this period, older locomotives were gradually scrapped or sold; The motive power surplus continued and many B&M engines and even a few RDCs spent a year or two out on lease. The BL-2s and one F-unit went to EMD as trade-ins for six GP-18s in 1961, the only new locomotives purchased during the decade. Some surplus RDCs were sold to the CNR, CPR and RDG; a few more were destroyed in accidents. In the late '60s, the RDCs started to lose their white ends, receiving BM heralds applied to bare stainless steel as the Minuteman had once been. Simultaneously, a new solid blue scheme started to appear on switchers, GP-7s, Fs and RSs shopped for major overhauls.
Bankruptcy and Revitalization (1971 - 1981)
When "pay later" time for McGinnis's schemes finally came in 1971, the B&M hit bottom. A fortunate choice of trustees helped start the revival, and energetic executives like John Barriger and Alan Dustin contributed a lot, but the key part came with the Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority's use of Federal funds to buy the Boston commuter district, track, RDCs, stations and engine facilities. The B&M continued to operate the North Side commuter service, and even took over the former New Haven and Boston & Albany operations out of South Station when Conrail wanted out of the commuter business. Several New Hampshire branches were abandoned, but this was momentarily balanced by taking over some ex-NH and ex-NYC trackage in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
New power arrived in the form of twelve GP-38s in 1973 and eighteen GP-40s in 1977, painted in variations of the solid blue scheme . The GP-40s idled many of the GP-7s, and this, combined with a 1977 decision to remove the enclosures from the RDCs' underfloor diesel engines (officially due to risk of fires from oil leaks) doomed the RDCs as self-propelled units. After the harsh winter of 1977-78, most were reduced to push-pull coaches, with one underfloor diesel idling to provide heat, light and occasionally air conditioning. It's peculiarly ironic that the GP-7s worked out their last few years hauling de-motored RDCs on the commuter services the RDCs had displaced them from 20 years previously.
The MBTA applied various new purple-themed paint schemes to the RDCs as they went through the shops, and finally eliminated decrepit ex-NH power and units leased from the B&M and D&H by buying its own F-40PHs and rebuilt F-units. Some RDCs were used as cab and steam generator cars with ex-NH coaches in this era. More RDCs were rebuilt by M-K in Boise to coaches with the radiator blisters removed (Boise Budds). Alas, modifications to the suspension made them noiser and rougher-riding than originally. All were disposed of as the MBTA expanded its builty-new coach fleet.
Guilford Transportation Industries/Pan Am Railways (1981 - present)
Once in a while I feel nostalgic for the pre-strike days, when B&M, MEC and D&H power mixed on the Freight Main Line (Bangor - Binghampton). Then I think of all the traffic and opportunities lost, of seeing trains sit a day or more on the main track waiting for crews and the long battle with Amtrak and the State of Maine over Boston - Portland passenger trains, and the feeling passes. I'll leave the rest of the story (and modeling it) for others.
The B&M in (Relatively Recent) Print
This is a start, and mostly reflects books that I myself have. Eventually, as I get information on other sources I will expand it. I've found useful B&M content in all of them, though some cover other railroads as well. The order is roughly chronological.
Books Whose Primary Subject is the B&M
Boston & Maine Steam Vol. 1 Class P-3, P-4 and P-5 Pacifics by Liljestrand & Sweetland (B&W, softcover, Bob's Photo 2008)
Trackside along the Boston & Maine with Donald G. Hills by Carl Byron (hardcover, Morning Sun 2005)
Passenger Cars of New England Vol. 1 - Boston & Maine by R. A. Liljestrand (B&W, softcover, The Railroad Press 2000)
Equipment of the Boston & Maine Vol. 1 Diesel Switchers and Road Switchers by Liljestrand & Sweetland (B&W, softcover, Bob's Photo)
Equipment of the Boston & Maine Vol. 3 Gas/Diesel Railcars, Talgo & Electric Locomotives by Liljestrand & Sweetland (B&W, softcover, Bob's Photo)
Equipment of the Boston & Maine Vol. 2 Diesel Cab Units by Liljestrand & Sweetland (B&W, softcover, Bob's Photo)
Railroad Cities: Concord, New Hampshire by Liljestrand & Sweetland (B&W, softcover, Bob's Photo)
The Boston and Maine - Forest, River & Mountain by Robert W. Jones (hardcover, Pine Tree Press 2000) The Boston and Maine - City & Shore by Robert W. Jones (hardcover, Pine Tree Press 1999) Boston and Maine Trackside by Carl Byron with Arthur Mitchell (Morning Sun 1999)
B&M Cabooses - A History of Devlopment & Use 1914 - 1955 by Tim Gilbert (B&W, Salisbury Point Railroad Historical Society 1999).
The Boston and Maine - Three Colorful Decades of New England Railroading by Robert W. Jones (hardcover, Trans-Anglo 1991) Boston and Maine in Color by Plant & Plant (Morning Sun 1997) The Boston and Maine by Philip Hastings (B&W, hardcover, Locomotive and Railway Preservation Society 1989) Minuteman Steam by Harry Frye (B&W, hard and soft cover, B&MRRHS 1983) Memories of the Boston & Maine by Henry Maywald (color, softcover, N.J. International circa 1980) The Route of the Minuteman by Nelligan & Hartley (B&W, softcover, Quadrant Press 1980) ISBN 0-915276-26-7 Railroad Stations of New England Today, Vol. 1: The Boston and Maine Railroad by Beauregard (B&W, softcover, RR Ave. Enterprises 1980) Vanishing Markers by Ralph E. Fisher (B&W hardcover, Stephen Green Press 1976) The Central Massachusetts B&MRRHS (B&W, B&MRRHS 1975, reprinted with revisions 2008) Through Covered Bridges to Concord by Edgar T. Mead (B&W, softcover, Stephen Green Press 1970) The Up-Country Line by Edgar T. Mead (B&W, Stephen Green Press 197?)
Other Books With Worthwhile B&M Information
Trackside around New Hampshire with Ben English Jr. by George Melvin (hardcover, Morning Sun 2009) Trackside in search of Northern New England Steam with John T. Morrison by John R. Canfield (hardcover, Morning Sun 2006) Trackside around Massachusetts with Russ Monroe by Jeremy Plant (hardcover, Morning Sun 2004) Passenger Trains of Northern New England in the Streamline Era by Kevin Holland (hardcover, TLC 2004)
Railroad Cities - Springfield, MA by R. A. Liljestrand and D. Sweetland (B&W, softcover, 2000)
Railroad Cities - Worcester, MA by R. A. Liljestrand and D. Sweetland (B&W, softcover, 2001)
Railway Milk Cars Vol. 2 by R. A. Liljestrand and J. Nehrich (B&W, softcover)
Maine Central In Color, Vol. 2 by Plant and Melvin (hardcover, Morning Sun 1999) Trackside East of the Hudson 1941 - 1953 by McChesney and Plant (hardcover, Morning Sun 1998) The Northern New England Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by Sweetland and Horsley (hardcover, Morning Sun 1994) Green Mountain Rails by Robert W. Jones (hardcover, Pine Tree Press 1994) Connecticut River Railroads and Connections 10 volumes, written and published by R.W. Nimke (B&W, 1991 - 1995) New England Rail Album written and published by George Phelps (B&W, softcover 1990) New England Rails 1948 - 1968 by David Sweetland (hardcover, Morning Sun 1989) Before Guilford by Preston Cook (hardcover, Old Line Graphics 1988) Moguls, Mountains and Memories B&MRRHS (B&W, softcover, B&MRRHS 1981) The Railroad That Came Out at Night by Frank Kyper (B&W softcover, Carstens Publications 1977, 1990) New England Diesels by D. Albert and G. Melvin (B&W, George R. Cockle and Assoc. 1975) | ||||||
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834 | dbpedia | 1 | 17 | https://historybuzz.substack.com/p/from-the-history-buzz-archives-an | en | From the History Buzz Archives: An Update on the Andover-Wilmington Railroad | [
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"Marilyn Helmers",
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] | 2023-03-01T23:01:13+00:00 | What's It Wednesdays: It's all about the line | en | https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05455fb2-1d93-4ab6-9068-350f40cc7be7%2Ffavicon.ico | https://historybuzz.substack.com/p/from-the-history-buzz-archives-an | Welcome or welcome back to History Buzz! If you’re a subscriber to the Buzz, thank you! If you’re new here, or you haven’t become a subscriber yet, please sign up for a subscription to have History Buzz delivered directly to your inbox. If you can, please consider a paid subscription to support the research and writing that make History Buzz possible.
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In September 2020 before History Buzz was debuted, What’s It Wednesday writer Marilyn Helmers shared a story about an old railroad rail that found its way into the History Center’s collection. Today, we’re sharing her story again with an update.
Fast forward to February 2023 when writer Tom Adams gave a talk on trains in Andover. One of our guests shared that he has been searching for a map of the original route of the Andover Wilmington Railroad. A few days later, another guest sent us a link to – not only a map – but the “First Report of the Directors of the Andover and Wilmington Rail Road Corporation with that of the Engineer,” dated October 31, 1834.
Later in this post, we’ll share excerpts from the report, the map, and a link to the document on the Hathi Trust website.
It’s all about the line
Marilyn Helmers, September 2020
Five years ago, we got a call that an old rail had been dug up during a renovation of a house on Abbot St. Of course we had to investigate.
We found this rail from a railroad track. But not just any track. This is part of what once was the Andover-Wilmington railroad line - one of the first railroad lines in Massachusetts.
It all started in 1833, with Andover resident Hobart Clark who gathered in Locke Tavern with other prominent Andover men, Abraham Marland, Amos Abbot, John Smith, and Merrill Pettingill, with the intention of starting a rail line. The first railroad in Massachusetts, the Boston-Lowell railroad, was being planned and Andover wanted to have a rail connection. The group petitioned the Massachusetts legislature for permission and the Andover and Wilmington Railroad Corporation was chartered in March 1833.
Planning began for the 8-mile connection that would bring rail service to Andover and its mills. The Boston-Lowell line opened in 1835. The Andover-Wilmington line opened in the summer of 1836.
First Report of the Directors of the Andover and Wilmington Rail Road Corporation with that of the Engineer,” dated October 31, 1834.
To the Stockholders of the Andover and Wilmington Rail Road Corporation
Gentlemen:
The present Board of Directors have now the honor to present to you a statement somewhat in detail, of the proceedings of the Directors from the first organization of the Corporation, which was in June, A.D. 1833.
The first measure of importance taken by your Directors was to procure an Engineer to make such surveys and estimates as were necessary, to enable the subscribers to the stock to decide on the practicability and expediency of the undertaking.
In selecting an Engineer, it was the object to obtain a gentleman of experience and high professional attainments, whose report would be entitled to your full confidence. This was a task found to be a more difficult task than was at first apprehended – Engineers being at this time much engaged in similar projects.
The Directors contracted with Colonel Loammi Baldwin, who, being very busy with other contracts, started the work and then handed it off to his associate, Mr. Pratt “his most experienced Engineer.”
The report lays out the two paths – named the Eastern and Western lines – engineers researched to determine the best path of the rail line. Description of the routes depends on one knowing the names and locations of properties and owners along the way. There are a lot of “thence’s” in the description.
The first line was commenced at the Bridge of the Lowell Rail Road, near Col. Jacques store in Wilmington, thence following the Andover Road, as far as Richardson’s house, near Wilmington Meeting House; thence bearing westerly, and passing on the west side of said Meetinghouse; thence northerly over the low ground and Lubber Brook to the Salem and Tewksbury Road, about forty rods to the west of the house of William Blanchard, Esq.; thence crossing said Road and continuing the same direction over said Blanchard’s farm and the Harnden farm, to the west Andover and Wilmington Road, near Thomson’s house about twenty rods to the west; then bearing a little to the west and crossing said Road again, and passing over the farm of William Burt about four rods westerly of Burt’s house; thence to the valley of Chandler’s Brook (or Foster’s Pond Brook) then bearing easterly on the side of the Meadow on said Brook; thence over said Meadow, crossing said Brook about forty rods westerly of the Chandler’s bridge, and so about the same direction over Mear’s Plain to the head of said Plain, near the house of Isaac Goldsmith, Jr.; thence crossing the old Boston and Haverhill Road, and bearing more northly over the land of Nehemiah Abbot and land of Ezra Abbot and other, nearly parallel to the general course of said road, to a point in the Road behind Mr. Locke’s Tavern, near the house of Peter French. The length of this line is 7 80/100 miles. Rise from the Lowell Rail Road at Jaques’ Bridge, 71 37/100 feet. This is called the Western Route.
The description of the Eastern Route was similar.
The Engineer’s final report, “From the view I have taken, in company with you and other gentlemen interested in the inquiry, and from having personally attended two days in the commencement of the survey, I have no doubt, a highly favorable route for the contemplated road may be found, and even much more so than, on my first view, I had supposed. . .Upon the whole, the appearances and character of the country over which this Rail Road is contemplated, are very favorable to the project.”
His report includes the rise and elevation of each section of the proposed rail line. He offered an alternative to what he called the “embarrassments” of “vallies” at Chandler’s Brook and at Goldsmith’s house.
The cost of the nearly 8-mile line was estimated to be “$77,002.20, exclusive of expense of Engineers and other contingencies.” However, “No calculations have yet been made as to the amount required to be paid in damages for land and fences.”
One can imagine that would be a substantial cost these days.
Addressing the question of how much income the rail line would provide stockholders, the Directors presented data on comparable lines in other parts of Massachusetts and New England. They compared the amount of traffic currently traveling via stagecoach and estimated that 15,681 passengers would potentially travel on the new railroad.
The stage fare has usually been one dollar each way. Suppose the fare on the Rail Road to be seventy-five cents, the number of 15,681 passengers would amount to the sum of $11,760.75.
The daily cost of running the Engine “will be at [the] present high price of fuel be $16” in payments to the Engineer ($2), the Assistant ($1.50), plus coal ($8), oil ($.50), repairs ($2.50), interest ($.75), and contingencies ($.75). Tolls paid to the Boston and Lowell Rail Road Corporation for using part of their line would have to be figured in.
The Directors note that these early calculations do not take into account all the potential income from agricultural and manufacturing transportation. Other successful railroads carry “agricultural productions, lime, timber, lumber, fire wood, paving stones, plaster of Paris, coal, boards, bricks, and scrap iron.”
When articles so varied, and some of them of so small value, can be carried profitably to their owners . . . no doubt can exist as to the profits of both on Merchandize and Passengers.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
Hobart Clark
Abraham Marland
Amos Abbott
John Smith
Merril Pettengill
Andover, October 21, 1834
Later in the report, Engineer Joshua Barney’s cost estimates included the costs of the engineers and contingencies. The $87,002.02 cost of constructing the railroad was laid out in great detail. Mr. Barney’s report ended with a short paragraph estimating the cost of the engine and cars of about $20,000.
I have no doubt that a capital of One hundred and ten thousand dollars will be found fully adequate to put the road in successful operation.
Very respectfully, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
Joshua Barney
Below is the map of the proposed new Andover and Wilmington Railroad, with elevations.
Click here to read the whole document and map on the Hathi Trust website.
To put some of the “thence’s” and resident names from 1834 into landmarks that are more familiar today, we’ll start with the commemorative stone marker at the walkway at 264 Andover Street beyond the South School playing field.
Across the street at 265 Andover Street is the house that was originally the railroad depot, the first stop on the line. The depot agent made sure residents traveling along Andover Street would stop when the train came. There were no crossing gates, so flags were used to stop traffic.
From Andover Street the railroad tracks ran down through what is now the Andover Recreation Park. The current road was the old rail bed. It crossed Abbot Street and ran through land that is now the Spring Grove Cemetery. Evidence of the old railroad bed can still be seen at the main entrance to the cemetery. Then the tracks continued down the southeast side of Abbot Street, crossing School Street and then Central Street where Chestnut Street intersects. It ended at the Andover Depot on Essex Street. The depot was where the back entrance to Memorial Hall Library is today.
This structure, formerly at 9 Essex Street, was built as the Andover & Wilmington Railroad terminus depot and passenger station in 1836. After the railroad line was relocated, the building saw many uses. It was a furniture store, a plumbing business, movie theater and then the town’s senior center. In the 1980s, it was cleared for the expansion of the Memorial Hall Library.
In the 1840’s, railroad travel was expanding, and new lines were being added throughout Massachusetts. The Andover and Wilmington, and other short lines, were absorbed by the Boston and Maine railroad. In 1846, the railroad was relocated nearer to the Shawsheen River to be closer to the mills of Ballardvale, Marland and Abbot Villages. The line was extended to North Andover through what is now the Shawsheen Village area and into the new city of Lawrence. By 1848, the Andover and Wilmington railroad line was abandoned.
Want to know more about the Andover-Wilmington route through Andover? Please check out https://andoverhistorical.org/research-highlights.
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834 | dbpedia | 1 | 2 | https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-beginnings-of-american-railroads-and-mapping/ | en | The Beginnings of American Railroads and Mapping | http://www.loc.gov/static/images/favicons/open-graph-logo.png | http://www.loc.gov/static/images/favicons/open-graph-logo.png | [
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] | null | [] | null | Railways were introduced in England in the seventeenth century as a way to reduce friction in moving heavily loaded wheeled vehicles. The first North American "gravity road," as it was called, was erected in 1764 for military purposes at the Niagara portage in Lewiston, New York. The builder was Capt. John Montressor, a British engineer known to students of historical cartography as a mapmaker. | en | The Library of Congress | null | Railways were introduced in England in the seventeenth century as a way to reduce friction in moving heavily loaded wheeled vehicles. The first North American "gravity road," as it was called, was erected in 1764 for military purposes at the Niagara portage in Lewiston, New York. The builder was Capt. John Montressor, a British engineer known to students of historical cartography as a mapmaker.
Surveying and mapping activities flourished in the United States as people began moving inland over the inadequately mapped continent. The settlement of the frontier, the development of agriculture, and the exploitation of natural resources generated a demand for new ways to move people and goods from one place to another. Privately owned toll or turnpike roads were followed first by steamships on the navigable rivers and by the construction of canals and then in the 1830s by the introduction of railroads for steam-powered trains.
The earliest survey map in the United States that shows a commercial "tramroad" was drawn in Pennsylvania in October 1809 by John Thomson and was entitled "Draft Exhibiting . . . the Railroad as Contemplated by Thomas Leiper Esq. From His Stone Saw-Mill and Quarries on Crum Creek to His Landing on Ridley Creek." Thomas Leiper was a wealthy Philadelphia tobacconist and friend of Thomas Jefferson, who owned stone quarries near Chester. Using his survey map, Thomson helped Reading Howell, the project engineer and a well-known mapmaker, construct the first practical wooden tracks for a tramroad. Thomson was a notable land surveyor who earlier had worked with the Holland Land Company. He was the father of the famous civil engineer and longtime president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, John Edgar Thomson, who was himself a mapmaker. In 1873 the younger Thomson donated his father's 1809 map to the Delaware County Institute of Science to substantiate the claim that the map and Leiper's railroad were the first such work in North America.
In 1826 a commercial tramroad was surveyed and constructed at Quincy, Massachusetts, by Gridley Bryant, with the machinery for it developed by Solomon Willard. It used horsepower to haul granite needed for building the Bunker Hill Monument from the quarries at Quincy, four miles to the wharf on the Neponset River.
These early uses of railways gave little hint that a revolution in methods of transportation was underway. James Watt's improvements in the steam engine were adapted by John Fitch in 1787 to propel a ship on the Delaware River, and by James Rumsey in the same year on the Potomac River. Fitch, an American inventor and surveyor, had published his "Map of the Northwest" two years earlier to finance the building of a commercial steamboat. With Robert Fulton's Clermont and a boat built by John Stevens, the use of steam power for vessels became firmly established. Railroads and steam propulsion developed separately, and it was not until the one system adopted the technology of the other that railroads began to flourish.
John Stevens is considered to be the father of American railroads. In 1826 Stevens demonstrated the feasibility of steam locomotion on a circular experimental track constructed on his estate in Hoboken, New Jersey, three years before George Stephenson perfected a practical steam locomotive in England. The first railroad charter in North America was granted to Stevens in 1815. Grants to others followed, and work soon began on the first operational railroads.
Surveying, mapping, and construction started on the Baltimore and Ohio in 1830, and fourteen miles of track were opened before the year ended. This roadbed was extended in 1831 to Frederick, Maryland, and, in 1832, to Point of Rocks. Until 1831, when a locomotive of American manufacture was placed in service, the B & O relied upon horsepower.
Soon joining the B & O as operating lines were the Mohawk and Hudson, opened in September 1830, the Saratoga, opened in July 1832, and the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, whose 136 miles of track, completed to Hamburg, constituted, in 1833, the longest steam railroad in the world. The Columbia Railroad of Pennsylvania, completed in 1834, and the Boston and Providence, completed in June 1835, were other early lines. Surveys for, and construction of, tracks for these and other pioneer railroads not only created demands for special mapping but also induced mapmakers to show the progress of surveys and completed lines on general maps and on maps in "travelers guides".
Planning and construction of railroads in the United States progressed rapidly and haphazardly, without direction or supervision from the states that granted charters to construct them. Before 1840 most surveys were made for short passenger lines which proved to be financially unprofitable. Because steam-powered railroads had stiff competition from canal companies, many partially completed lines were abandoned. It was not until the Boston and Lowell Railroad diverted traffic from the Middlesex Canal that the success of the new mode of transportation was assured. The industrial and commercial depression and the panic of 1837 slowed railroad construction. Interest was revived, however, with completion of the Western Railroad of Massachusetts in 1843. This line conclusively demonstrated the feasibility of transporting agricultural products and other commodities by rail for long distances at low cost.
Early railroad surveys and construction were financed by private investors. Before the 1850 land grant to the Illinois Central Railroad, indirect federal subsidies were provided by the federal government in the form of route surveys made by army engineers. In the 1824 General Survey Bill to establish works of internal improvements, railroads were not specifically mentioned. Part of the appropriation under this act for the succeeding year, however, was used for "Examinations and surveys to ascertain the practicability of uniting the head-waters of the Kanawha with the James river and the Roanoke river, by Canals or Rail-Roads."
In his Congressional History of Railways, Louis H. Haney credits these surveys as being the first to receive federal aid. He /collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/notes/ that such grants to states and corporations for railway surveys became routine before the act was repealed in 1838.
The earliest printed map in the collections of the Library of Congress based on government surveys conducted for a state-owned railroad is "Map of the Country Embracing the Various Routes Surveyed for the Western & Atlantic Rail Road of Georgia, 1837". The surveys were made under the direction of Lt. Col. Stephen H. Long, chief engineer, who ten years earlier had surveyed the routes for the Baltimore and Ohio . Work on the 138-mile Georgia route from Atlanta to Chattanooga started in 1841, and by 1850 the line was open to traffic. Its strategic location made it a key supply route for the Confederacy. It was on this line that the famous "Andrews Raid" of April 1862 occurred when Union soldiers disguised as railroad employees captured the locomotive known as the General. | |||
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] | 2005-05-12T06:46:11+00:00 | en | /static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_railroads_in_North_America | Name Chartered State Opened Notes Union Canal Company of Pennsylvania March 3, 1826 Pennsylvania 1830 Chartered on May 30, 1811, to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on March 3, 1826 Granite Railway March 4, 1826 Massachusetts October 7, 1826 Only authorized to carry freight until April 16, 1846 Delaware and Hudson Canal Company April 5, 1826 Pennsylvania October 9, 1829 Chartered on March 13, 1823, to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 5, 1826 Danville and Pottsville Railroad April 8, 1826 Pennsylvania September 24, 1834 Mohawk and Hudson Railroad April 17, 1826 New York September 24, 1831 Carried only passengers for first few years of operation due to competition from the adjacent Erie Canal. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad February 28, 1827 Maryland January 7, 1830 First common carrier in the United States, chartered from its inception to haul freight and passengers on timetabled trains over vast distances with steam power, first to open for public service South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company December 19, 1827 South Carolina December 1830 Operated first steam hauled passenger train in the United States on a schedule. Known to the public as the Charleston & Hamburg Railroad. Ithaca and Owego Railroad January 28, 1828 New York April 1, 1834 Mill Creek and Mine Hill Navigation and Railroad Company February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania November 3, 1829 Tioga Navigation Company February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania 1839 Chartered on February 20, 1826, to build a canal or slack-water navigation; authorized to build a railroad on February 7, 1828 Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad February 13, 1828 Maryland July 4, 1831 Chesterfield Railroad February 27, 1828 Virginia July 1831 New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Railroad Company March 14, 1828 Maryland February 28, 1832 Chartered on January 6, 1810, as the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike Company to build a turnpike; renamed and authorized to build a railroad on March 14, 1828 Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad March 24, 1828 Pennsylvania October 18, 1832 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works Schuylkill Valley Navigation Company April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania 1830 Chartered on March 20, 1827, to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Schuylkill Valley Navigation and Railroad Company on January 15, 1829 Schuylkill East Branch Navigation Company April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania November 18, 1831 Chartered on February 20, 1826, to build a lock navigation; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company on April 23, 1829 Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad April 15, 1829 Pennsylvania April 1831 Northern Liberties and Penn Township Railroad April 23, 1829 Pennsylvania April 1834 Mount Carbon Railroad July 15, 1829 Pennsylvania 1831 Tuscumbia Railway January 15, 1830 Alabama June 12, 1832 Pontchartrain Railroad January 20, 1830 Louisiana April 23, 1831 Lexington and Ohio Railroad January 27, 1830 Kentucky August 15, 1832 Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company February 4, 1830 New Jersey October 1, 1832 Petersburg Railroad February 10, 1830 Virginia October 1832 Lykens Valley Railroad and Coal Company April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania April 1834 Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania November 5, 1836 Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad April 19, 1830 New York 1839 Boston and Lowell Railroad June 5, 1830 Massachusetts June 24, 1835 Petersburg Railroad January 1, 1831 North Carolina 1833 Paterson and Hudson River Railroad January 31, 1831 New Jersey 1834 Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad February 9, 1831 New Jersey August 13, 1836 Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad February 16, 1831 New York July 12, 1832 West Chester Railroad February 18, 1831 Pennsylvania October 1, 1832 West Feliciana Railroad March 5, 1831 Louisiana January 1835 Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad March 21, 1831 Pennsylvania March 18, 1834 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works Southwark Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania 1835 Cumberland Valley Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania August 16, 1837 Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania January 17, 1838 Renamed Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad on March 14, 1836 Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad April 5, 1831 Pennsylvania June 6, 1832 First common carrier in Pennsylvania. Earlier railroads were operated to haul minerals like coal and iron, but later in the decade would become modern common carrier systems hauling passengers and public goods. Winchester and Potomac Railroad April 8, 1831 Virginia (now partially West Virginia) March 1836 New York and Harlem Railroad April 25, 1831 New York November 26, 1832 Boston and Providence Railroad July 22, 1831 Massachusetts July 28, 1835 Boston and Worcester Railroad June 23, 1831 Massachusetts April 16, 1834 Clinton and Vicksburg Railroad December 19, 1831 Mississippi May 15, 1838 Reorganized by the Commercial and Railroad Bank of Vicksburg on 25 December 1833. Reorganized on 9 March 1850 as the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad. Reorganized in January 1857 as the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. Reorganized on 28 January 1867 as the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad. On 22 October 1885, the five foot gauge of the entire line from Meridian to Vicksburg, 152 miles including sidings, was changed to standard gauge of 4 feet 6 inches in about 16 hours. From 1889 the Meridian-Vicksburg Railway line was known as the Alabama & Vicksburg Railway line of the Queen and Crescent Route.[28] Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad January 5, 1832 Ohio 1838 Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad January 13, 1832 Alabama August 20, 1833 Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad January 18, 1832 Delaware July 14, 1837 Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis Railroad February 2, 1832 Indiana July 4, 1834 Ohio and Indianapolis Railroad February 3, 1832 Indiana 1851 Renamed Jeffersonville Railroad on February 3, 1849 Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad February 23, 1832 Pennsylvania November 14, 1833 Baltimore and Port Deposit Railroad March 5, 1832 Maryland July 6, 1837 New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company March 7, 1832 New Jersey September 15, 1834 Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad March 8, 1832 Virginia July 27, 1834 New Jersey, Hudson and Delaware Railroad March 8, 1832 New Jersey 1872 Merged into the New Jersey Midland Railway on April 26, 1870 Franklin Railroad March 12, 1832 Pennsylvania September 10, 1839 Delaware and Maryland Railroad March 14, 1832 Maryland July 14, 1837 Merged into the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad on April 18, 1836 York and Maryland Line Railroad March 14, 1832 Pennsylvania August 23, 1838 Liggett's Gap Railroad April 7, 1832 Pennsylvania October 20, 1851 Renamed Lackawanna and Western Railroad on April 14, 1851 Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad April 14, 1832 New York April 19, 1836 Saratoga and Fort Edward Railroad April 17, 1832 New York October 15, 1848 Reorganized as the Saratoga and Washington Railroad on May 2, 1834 New York and Albany Railroad April 17, 1832 New York December 31, 1848 Sold to the New York and Harlem Railroad on March 9, 1846 Watertown and Rome Railroad April 17, 1832 New York October 1849 Tonawanda Railroad April 24, 1832 New York May 1837 New York and Erie Railroad April 24, 1832 New York September 23, 1841 Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad April 25, 1832 New York April 18, 1836 Leased by the Long Island Rail Road from opening Hudson and Berkshire Railroad April 26, 1832 New York September 26, 1838 Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad May 1, 1832 Connecticut 1840 Merged into the Norwich and Worcester Railroad on June 22, 1836 New York and Stonington Railroad May 14, 1832 Connecticut November 17, 1837 Merged into the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad on July 1, 1833 Williamsport and Elmira Railroad June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania January 12, 1837 Strasburg Rail Road June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania 1837 Still in operation as a shortline freight hauler and tourist railroad. Recognized as the oldest, continuously operating railroad in the United States as it still operates under its original 1832 charter. | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 19 | https://bedforddepot.org/bedfords-railroad-history/ | en | Bedford’s Railroad History | [
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] | null | [] | null | en | https://bedforddepot.org/bedfords-railroad-history/ | 1845 – The Lexington & West Cambridge Railroad, organized by the citizens of those towns, is chartered on March 24. Construction begins on August 20.
1846 – The 6.6-mile Lexington & West Cambridge opens between the Fitchburg Railroad’s main line in West Cambridge and Lexington Center on August 25. There are at first six daily trains (three round trips) between Lexington and the Fitchburg’s Charlestown depot. All are operated by the Fitchburg using its equipment.
1848 – The Fitchburg Railroad opens a monumental passenger station on Causeway Street in Boston. Lexington & West Cambridge trains begin terminating there instead of in Charlestown.
1857 – The Lexington & West Cambridge begins operating its own trains on September 1, having acquired some used locomotives and cars.
1859 – Competition arrives in the form of the West Cambridge Horse Railroad, which begins hourly service from West Cambridge to Boston on June 13.
1867 – The town of West Cambridge is renamed Arlington and the local railroad becomes the Lexington & Arlington Railroad.
1869 – The number of daily trains between Lexington and Boston has grown to 11, but the Lexington & Arlington is nearly bankrupt. In December, it is acquired by the Boston & Lowell Railroad.
1870 – On December 1, the Boston & Lowell opens a two-mile cutoff between East Arlington and its main line at Somerville Junction, allowing Lexington Branch traffic to bypass the Fitchburg Railroad and reach Boston entirely on B&L rails. There are now 16 daily passenger trains.
1871 – On April 10, the Boston & Lowell creates a subsidiary, the Middlesex Central Railroad, to extend the Lexington & Arlington northward.
1873 – The Middlesex Central opens an 8.0-mile extension from Lexington to Bedford and Concord on August 4.
1877 – The Billerica & Bedford Railroad begins regular service between those towns on November 29. It is the first two-foot gauge common-carrier in America. Its low cost and mechanically successful operation will spawn some 200 miles of such ultra-narrow gauge railroads in rural Maine.
1878 – Unable to pay its bills, the Billerica & Bedford files for bankruptcy on January 30 and ceases operations on June 1. Its equipment is sold at auction and becomes a bargain for the Sandy River Railroad of Farmington, Maine, which would operate from 1879 to 1935.
1879 – The Middlesex Central completes a 2.6-mile extension from Concord Center to the state prison in what is now West Concord, and a further 0.5 miles to a connection with the Framingham & Lowell Railroad at Middlesex Junction. Passenger service to Prison (renamed Reformatory in 1888) begins on August 4.
1883 – Bedford becomes an engine terminal, acquiring a two-stall engine house and a wye to turn locomotives. The Middlesex Central is absorbed by the Boston & Lowell.
1885 – The Boston & Lowell opens its Bedford & Billerica Branch on May 1. The 8.1-mile standard-gauge line from Bedford to the B&L main line in North Billerica uses most of the right-of-way of the defunct Billerica & Bedford narrow gauge. The Bedford depot is now at a junction between rail lines to Concord and Billerica. The fork to Concord eventually becomes known as the Reformatory Branch.
1886 – To better accommodate the ever-increasing traffic, the Boston & Lowell completes a second track from Somerville Junction to Lexington.
1887 – The Boston & Lowell is leased by archrival Boston & Maine Railroad. The B&M takes over operations on the Lexington Branch on October 11. The B&L had increased the daily passenger service to 48 trains for Arlington, 42 for Lexington, 21 for Bedford, 6 for Reformatory via Concord, and 8 for Lowell via Billerica.
1900 – Passenger service on the Lexington Branch peaks at 58 trains for Arlington, 42 for Lexington, 26 for Bedford, 14 for Reformatory via Concord, and 10 for Lowell via Billerica. There are also two scheduled daily freights and occasional extra trains. However, serious competition arrives in the form of the Lexington & Boston Street Railway, which begins trolley service from Arlington Heights to Concord and Billerica on tracks that parallel the Lexington Branch.
1901 – The Boston & Maine removes Middlesex Junction from its list of stations. (The half mile of track from there to Reformatory had seen little or no use except for car storage since 1891.)
1910 – Automatic block signals are installed on the double-track part of the Lexington Branch (as far north as Lexington).
1914 – Reflecting the loss of riders to streetcars since 1900, passenger service on the Lexington Branch has been cut in half (27 daily trains for Arlington, 21 for Lexington and Bedford, 4 for Reformatory, and 7 for Lowell). Competition from motor vehicles is not yet a major factor.
1924 – The Middlesex & Boston Street Railway (successor to the Lexington & Boston) converts to buses. The last trolleys on the former L&B routes operate on September 15.
1926 – Effective April 25, passenger service to Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford is reduced to 10 trains daily (five round trips) and that to Lowell via Billerica to two trains (one round trip). Although the last passenger trains to Concord and Reformatory run on April 24, freight service on the Reformatory Branch continues.
1927 – The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) approves abandonment of the 2.6 miles from Concord to Reformatory on February 5. More importantly, Lexington Branch traffic is permanently rerouted back to the Fitchburg Division on April 25. To permit that, the connection in West Cambridge used in 1846–70 is rebuilt. The former Lexington Branch trackage from Somerville Junction to North Cambridge becomes part of a freight cutoff, and the second track and automatic block signals beyond North Cambridge are taken out of service.
1932 – The last passenger trains to Lowell via Billerica operate on December 31. Thereafter, all passenger trains originate or terminate in Bedford.
1949 – In September, the number of daily passenger trains between Boston and Bedford is reduced to six (three round trips).
1953 – The Monday-Wednesday-Friday local freight on the Lexington Branch is dieselized beginning on August 26.
1955 – In April, the number of daily passenger trains between Boston and Bedford is reduced to four (two round trips). What are supposed to be the last steam-powered passenger trains run on May 16. For the next three years, diesel road switchers haul the usual types of conventional passenger cars.
1956 – A snowstorm causes steam to be pressed back into passenger service for three weeks beginning on March 22. The last steam-powered train on the Lexington Branch leaves Bedford on the morning of April 10 behind Pacific #3662.
1958 – Starting May 19, passenger service on the Lexington Branch is reduced to a single daily round trip, and locomotive-hauled passenger trains are replaced by self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars.
1962 – The abandonment of the southern two-thirds of the Bedford & Billerica Branch (5.3 miles from Billerica Center to Bedford) is approved by the ICC on February 1, and that of the 3.8-mile remnant of the Reformatory Branch between Bedford and Concord on May 8. That ends all service on the Lexington Branch beyond Bedford.
1965 – In January, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) begins subsidizing Boston-area commuter rail. The MBTA determines service levels and fares and pays the Boston & Maine to operate the trains on B&M lines out of North Station, including the Lexington Branch.
1976 – Effective December 27, the MBTA acquires all of the B&M’s remaining commuter trackage (including the Lexington Branch) and rolling stock. The B&M continues to operate the passenger trains under contract and provide freight service on its former trackage.
1977 – The evening train from North Station to Bedford on January 10 becomes the last passenger train on the Lexington Branch. A snowstorm that day causes the train to arrive hours late and the equipment is stranded in Bedford for a week or two. In late March the MBTA announces that service on the line will not be resumed.
1981 – To make way for the MBTA’s Red Line subway extension to Alewife, the Lexington Branch is embargoed on January 31 from Rindge Avenue in West Cambridge to the end of track in Bedford. The last freight train, retrieving cars from Arlington Heights, operates on January 30.
1991 – The Lexington Branch is formally “railbanked” (not abandoned) in order to permit construction of the paved Minuteman Bikeway on its right-of-way from Arlington to Bedford.
1993 – The grand opening of the Minuteman Bikeway is held on May 29. | |||||||
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Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page!
U.S. Census Bureau History: America's First Subway
On September 1, 1897, the first underground subway in the United States opened in Boston, MA. Known as the "Tremont Street Line," the half-mile long route initially connected three underground stations to the city's existing above-ground street railway system. On opening day, more than 100,000 people paid 5 cents to take the 3- to 4-minute journey underneath Boston's streets. Today, subways in the United States and Puerto Rico carry an estimated 2.8 million workers aged 16 and over to work every day.
Rail transit to commute to and from Boston began as early as 1830 when the Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered to provide steam rail service between Lowell and Boston, MA. Dozens of railways were soon establishing routes into Boston from outlying cities and towns. In March 1856, the Cambridge Horse Railroad started horse-drawn streetcar service between Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA—adjacent to Harvard University—and Boston's West End neighborhood. Like the steam railways, the number of streetcar companies plying the streets of Boston and its suburbs multiplied quickly. Horse-drawn trolleys, wagons, and the smelly manure they left behind soon jammed Boston's streets. In response, electric streetcars began replacing horse-drawn trolleys in 1889 and rail companies and the state legislature began planning commuter routes above and below the city's streets.
On March 28, 1895, dignitaries including Massachusetts Governor Frederick T. Greenhalge, broke ground for the nation's first underground subway during a ceremony at the Boston Public Garden. Workers utilized two construction techniques learned from building the subways in London, England, and Paris, France. The first method involved boring a "tube-like" tunnel—the origin of the London subway's "Tube" nickname—through the earth without disturbing traffic or buildings on the surface. A second "cut and cover" technique involved digging trenches, constructing steel beam and concrete tunnel walls with arched brick ceilings, and then filling in the excavation to bury the tunnel underground.
As construction progressed on the Tremont Street Subway, workers discovered they were digging through a forgotten part of Boston's Central Burying Ground. During the subway tunnel's excavation, they unearthed more than 900 graves dating back to the 1750s. Progress slowed again when a broken utility pipe filled the excavated "cut and cover" cavity beneath Boylston and Tremont Streets with gas. On March 4, 1897, a spark from a streetcar passing over the construction site ignited a tremendous explosion. The blast destroyed nearby streetcars, shattered windows for blocks around, injured dozens of pedestrians, and killed eight to ten people [depending on accounts] including: Reverend W.A. Start, who was standing on a nearby sidewalk; streetcar conductors Gilford D. Bigelow and Benjamin R. Sargent; public carriage driver Benjamin Downing and his passenger William L. Vinal; private carriage passenger A. M. Bates; William Mayvour, who was a waiter at the nearby Hotel Thorndike; and cab driver Delano Sibley.
Despite these setbacks, workers completed construction of the Tremont Street Subway early and under budget. In the next decade, New York City, NY (1904), and Philadelphia, PA (1907), , followed Boston's example by moving their rapid transit rail systems underground.
Today, the original 1897 Tremont Street Line remains a vital component of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's subway system. The rapid transit system's "Green Line" carries more than 100,000 commuters through the historic tunnel every day between the Boylston and Government Center stations.
You can learn more about the history of our nation's railroads, rapid transit systems, and commuting patterns using census data and records. For example:
The U.S. Census Bureau first collected detailed statistics on transportation—including steam railroads, steamboat companies, and incorporated express companies—in 1880. With a particular emphasis on railroads, the census incorporated specially-designed questionnaires that asked hundreds of questions to collect data on the railroads' financial and physical characteristics. Data published in the 1883 Report on the Agencies of Transportation in the United States, showed that total railroad track mileage built and completed grew from 39.8 miles in 1830 to 20,198.99 miles in 1855 and reached 87,801.42 miles at the time of the 1880 Census. Total permanent investment for track, equipment, building, land, etc., by railroad companies in the United States was nearly $5.2 billion at the time of the census. Asset and debt data were available for railroads large and small. For example, the giant New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Co., had assets of more than $121.6 million from construction; $19.5 million in equipment; nearly $1.2 million in land; more than $1.7 million in cash; and total liabilities (including stock, loans, dividends, etc.) of $149.4 million. Meanwhile, the tiny North Brookfield Railroad Co., in North Brookfield, MA, had assets of $105,456.79 from constructing its 4.16 mile branch line in 1876, $0 in equipment, $83.38 in cash, and liabilities of $105,615.17.
The 1890 Census expanded coverage of rail transportation by collecting data from cities' rapid-transit facilities, including railways powered by animals, cable, and electricity. The August 23, 1890, Census Bulletin: Transportation—Rapid Transit in Cities reported that the 286 street railroads responding to the census had a total length of 3,150.93 miles. Animals (usually horses) powered more than 74 percent of these railways. In 1890, animal power was used on 2,351.10 miles; electricity on 260.36 miles; cable on 255.87 miles; and steam on 61.79 miles of elevated and 221.81 miles of surface roads. Philadelphia, PA, led the nation for total rail line length with 283.47 miles, followed by Boston, MA, with 200.86 miles, and Chicago, IL, with 181.78 miles.
The Census Bureau conducted its first census of street and electric railways in 1902. Data showed that between 1890 and 1902, the number of street and electric railways grew from 789 to 987. The number of fare passengers grew from 2,023,010,202 in 1890 to 4,774,211,904 in 1902. One of the greatest changes in the 12 years between the 1890 and 1902 railway censuses was the way systems powered their railways. In 1890, animals (usually horses) powered railcars on 4,061.94 line miles while electricity powered 914.25 line miles. By 1902, electricity powered 16,230.62 line miles compared to just 195.21 line miles using animals; 113.93 line miles using cable; and 111.82 line miles using steam. Additional data and historical information about the construction and growth of the nation's street and electric railways are available in the Census Bureau's Street and Electric Railways Part 1 and Part 2.
One drawback of the rapid growth of street and electric railways between 1890 and 1902 was the dangers this traffic posed to pedestrians who were not accustomed to dodging rapidly moving and difficult to stop railcars. In 1902, 1,217 people were killed and 47,429 people were injured in street railway accidents. By comparison, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 239 fatalities in 2021.
Forty years after Boston's Tremont Street subway opened, the Census Bureau conducted the 1937 Census of Street Railways, Trolley-bus, and Motorbus Operations. As automobiles like the Ford Model T became increasingly affordable and the nation's roads improved, the need for street railways declined. In 1917, there were 1,200 in 1922, 706 in 1932. By 1937, the number of railway companies had fallen to 478. Passenger traffic fell from 14.1 billion in 1927 to 9.4 billion, 10 years later. As the number of street railways and passenger traffic decreased, so too did the number of street railway employees. The number of salaried and wage-earning employees decreased by 35.1 percent, from 27,845 in 1927 to 18,068 in 1937.
The 1960 Census was the first to ask respondents about their place of work and how they commuted to their place of employment. These data helped governments better understand commuting patterns to determine road, highway, and transit spending; locate future transit station locations; and target areas for housing or business development, etc. The Census Bureau published its supplementary report Place of Work and Means of Transportation to Work in January 1963. The report showed that about 83 percent of the workers living in the central cities of standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA) of 100,000 or more at the time of the 1960 Census also worked in these central cities; about 9 percent commuted to the outlying suburban ring, while and 2 percent worked outside the area. Transportation to work data showed that New York City, NY, was the only SMSA where more than half of workers (54.8 percent) used public transportation to go to work. Other SMSAs with large percentages of people using public transportation to travel from home to work included Boston, MA (25.1 percent); Jersey City, NJ (39.6 percent); New Orleans, LA (32 percent); Philadelphia, PA (27.5 percent); and Washington, DC (23.7 percent).
Although data about the number of people using carpools to commute to work had been asked in previous censuses, the 1980 Census collected more detailed data about carpools. That year, more than 19 million people carpooled, including 13.3 million in a 2-person carpool; more than 3.3 million in 3-person carpools; 1.4 million in 4-person carpools; and 1 million commuted in 5-or-more-person carpools.
The 1990 Census was first to inquire about workers' usual time leaving their home to go to work. In 1990, 54.8 percent of all workers 16 years and over (61,194,181) left home for work between 6:30 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. In 2020, American Community Survey estimates reported that 24.1 percent of the nation's 142,512,559 workers 16 years and over who did not work from home departed for work sometime after the "traditional" morning rush between 9:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. During the morning hours in 2020, the largest cohort of commuters—14.6 percent—left between 7:00 a.m. and 7:29 a.m.
The 1990 Census was the first to ask about workers' usual time spent traveling to work. Of the 111,664,249 workers 16 years and over who did not work at home in 1990, the majority (19,026,053) had travel times between 15 and 19 minutes to work. Long commutes of 90 minutes or more were usual for 1,763,991 people, while the average travel time for all workers not working at home was 22.4 minutes. Ten years later, the majority of workers not working at home still had commutes of 15 to 19 minutes (19,634,328), but the number of people reporting commutes of more than 90 minutes rose to 3,435,843 and average time to work increased to 25.5 minutes.
In 2000, 75.7 percent of workers 16 years and over drove to work alone; 12.2 percent carpooled; 4.7 percent used public transportation; 2.9 percent walked; and 1.2 percent rode a motorcycle, bicycle, or had another means of transportation to work. More recently, 2020 American Community Survey estimates revealed that nearly 75.4 percent of the nation's 152,193,868 workers 16 year and over drove to work alone; more than 8.8 percent carpooled; about 4.6 percent used public transportation; 2.2 percent walked; and 1.8 percent usually took a taxi, motorcycle, bicycle, or other mode of transportation to work. As the technology has made working from home easier, the number of people 16 years and over reporting they worked from home rose from 3,406,025 in 1990 to 10,940,462 in 2020.
Many villages, towns, and cities in the United States are named for the train stations they grew up around. Along with towns like Railroad, PA, and Railroad, IN, rail-related places include: Lake Station, IN, which was the western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad; Fairfax Station, VA, so named because it was a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad; Johnson Siding, SD, named for the rail siding that ran through the area along the Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad; Cook Station in Crawford County, MO, named after becoming a stop on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway; Laury's Station, PA, named for the town's first station agent and postmaster when the Lehigh Valley Railroad opened a train station in the town previously named "Slate Dam"; Yeehaw Junction, FL, named for the Florida East Coast Railway's Yeehaw Station; and Huntington Station, NY, named for the Long Island Railroad station that opened in the community in 1868.
The Census Bureau's report Commuting by Public Transportation in the United States: 2019 featured data collected from the American Community Survey. Data from the survey's question, "How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK?" showed that 5 percent of workers 16 years and over (7,778,444) used public transportation, including: 3,601,403 taking the bus; 2,935,633 riding the subway or elevated rail; 921,391 boarding long-distance train or commuter rail; and 242,776 commuting by light rail, streetcar, or trolley.
Data from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns series showed that in 2020 there were 674 urban transit systems (NAICS 4851) in the United States. Urban transit systems include establishments primarily engaged in operating local and suburban passenger transit systems such as light rail, subways, streetcars, and buses. These establishments employed 53,911 employees during the pay period that included March 12, 2020.
This Month in Census History
In a report by Census Bureau director James C. Capt on September 12, 1942, the 1940 Census of Housing found that 15 million American homes had a refrigerator; 9.2 million used ice boxes; and more than 9.3 million homes had no type of refrigerating equipment.
By 1950, more than 33.7 million homes had electric- or gas-powered mechanical refrigerators.
In 2011, the Survey of Income and Program Participation showed that 99.2 percent of American households had mechanical refrigeration.
Subway Systems
Boston, MA, opened the first subway in the United States in September 1897, but within a decade, it was surpassed in length and ridership by the New York City Subway—the largest subway system in the United States.
New York City's first subway—the "Manhattan Main Line"—opened on October 27, 1904, and transported riders between city hall and Harlem's 145th Street. After more than a century of growth, New York's 248-mile-long subway system carries 1.7 billion passengers annually.
Subways in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, are the nation's second and third largest systems. In 2019, Washington's 117-mile Metro carried nearly 238 million passengers, while Chicago's 102.8-mile "L" carried more than 218 million.
In Boston, MA, the Tremont Street Tunnel that opened on September 1, 1897, is still used by the region's subway system. In 2019, the 38-mile-long "T" carried more than 152 million passengers.
The newest—and shortest—subway line in the United States can be found in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 10.7-mile Tren Urbano system opened in 2004 and carried more than 5.2 million passengers in 2019.
Worldwide, Shanghai, China, had the longest and busiest subway system in 2019. More than 10.6 million people ride the 499-mile-long Shanghai Metro every weekday!
Did you know?
Alfred Ely Beach designed his "Beach Pneumatic Transit" in the 1860s and secretly constructed it beneath New York City's congested Broadway Avenue in 1869 using a tunneling device of his own invention. On February 26, 1870, Beach began offering rides along the 300 foot long test track.
Despite positive reviews, city politicians were reluctant to approve an expansion of the subway. Financier John Jacob Astor III argued construction would damage buildings and worsen surface traffic. When New York governor John Adams Dix finally signed a bill chartering Beach's pneumatic railway in 1873, the Panic of 1873 and advances in electric motors ended Beach's air-driven railway dreams.
More than 2 decades later, a growing population and gridlocked streets convinced New Yorkers to invest in underground transit. Approved in 1894, the New York City Subway opened its first underground segment on October 27, 1904. On its first day, it carried more than 150,000 people along its 9.1 mile route.
Today, New York's subway is the largest and busiest subway system in the United States.
Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page! | ||||||
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834 | dbpedia | 0 | 21 | https://kids.kiddle.co/Central_Massachusetts_Railroad | en | Central Massachusetts Railroad facts for kids | [
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] | null | [] | null | Learn Central Massachusetts Railroad facts for kids | en | /images/wk/favicon-16x16.png | https://kids.kiddle.co/Central_Massachusetts_Railroad | This page is about the former railroad forming part of the Boston and Maine Railroad system. For the current railroad, see Massachusetts Central Railroad.
The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. The eastern terminus of the line was at North Cambridge Junction where it split off from the Middlesex Central Branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad in North Cambridge and through which it had access to North Station in Boston. From there, the route ran 98.77 miles west through the modern-day towns of Belmont, Waltham, Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, Hudson, Bolton, Berlin, Clinton, West Boylston, Holden, Rutland, Oakham, Barre, New Braintree, Hardwick, Ware, Palmer, Belchertown, Amherst, and Hadley to its western terminal junction at N. O. Tower in Northampton with the Connecticut River Railroad.
History
Inception (1868–1883)
In the late 1860s citizens in the towns of Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to build a railroad through their towns. On February 21, 1868 the state chartered the Wayland and Sudbury Branch Railroad to run 6.75 miles from Mill Village in Sudbury through Wayland to a connection with the Fitchburg Railroad at Stony Brook in Weston. Later that year another group of citizens submitted a petition requesting that the new railroad extend further west to Northampton. On May 10, 1869 the General Court chartered the Massachusetts Central Railroad and united it with the Wayland and Sudbury Branch.
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was organized on September 2, 1869 with James M. Stone of Charlestown elected as its first president. Construction began the following fall despite difficulty in raising capital. The company hired contractor Norman Munson to build the railroad in April 1871 but two years later the Panic of 1873 forced Munson into bankruptcy and halted construction. The railroad stagnated until June 5, 1878 when new president Silas Seymour called a stockholders meeting. The stockholders elected a new Board of Directors which appointed George S. Boutwell president in 1879 and rehired Munson to resume construction.
That same year, the Massachusetts General Court amended the railroad's charter to allow for several new expansions. The most significant was an extension east through Waltham and Belmont, which eliminated the connection with the Fitchburg at Stony Brook. From [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]] to Hill Crossing, the line ran alongside the Fitchburg. Original plans called for the route to briefly parallel the Lexington Branch cutoff through North Cambridge and terminate at the Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) mainline at Willow Bridge. However, this was later changed to join the cutoff at North Cambridge Junction, west of North Avenue (now Massachusetts Avenue). Other amendments included a branch from Amherst to a connection with the Troy and Greenfield Railroad in West Deerfield and approval to connect with and build over the route of the never-constructed Holyoke and Belchertown Railroad through Granby and South Hadley.
With its new connection in the east the stockholders approved a 25-year lease of the Massachusetts Central to the B&L on March 21, 1880 pending its completion within two years. The first rails were finally laid in October that same year at the junction with the Framingham and Lowell Railroad in South Sudbury. The route from Cambridge to Hudson was complete by August 20, 1881 and inspected by state and company officials on September 21. Satisfied with the work the officials set the railroad's grand opening for October 1, 1881. The company appointed Munson as general manager and purchased five locomotives. The first schedule included four passenger round trips from Boston to Hudson, four passenger round trips from Boston to Waltham, and a daily freight from Boston to Hudson and back.
Meanwhile, westward construction continued with tracks reaching Oakdale and Jefferson by June 1882. In 1883 the selling agents for the company's bonds, Boston-based Charles A. Sweet and Co., declared bankruptcy. The railroad ceased operations and construction on May 16 and remained in limbo for the next 29 months.
Resurrection and operation under the Boston & Maine (1883–1902)
To restore service to the line the Central Massachusetts Railroad was formed out of the failed Massachusetts Central Railroad Company on November 10, 1883. The directors contracted with the B&L to operate trains over the Central Massachusetts route in the fall of 1885 with service resuming from Boston to Hudson on September 28 and to Jefferson on December 14. The new schedule included seven daily round trips from Boston to Jefferson and another ten to Waltham.
The B&L formally leased the Central Massachusetts on December 7, 1886, resuming work on the route to Northampton but abandoning any plans for branches to Holyoke or West Deerfield. Though considerable grading work had already been done along the original planned route in Hardwick, Greenwich, and Enfield the railroad's leadership decided to redirect the route through an easier terrain in the Ware River Valley, taking the line into Palmer and reconnecting with the original route in Belchertown. This turned out to be a fortuitous decision given that much of the disused portion of the line was flooded in the 1930s to construct the Quabbin Reservoir. Tracks were installed through Muschopauge in Rutland by November.
The Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) leased the B&L On April 1, 1887, renaming the Central Massachusetts line as the Central Massachusetts Branch. The tracks reached Ware on June 27, 1887 and before the end of that year construction finished with the completion of the bridge over the Connecticut River. The first train to traverse the entire route, led by locomotive No. 238, Hudson, left Boston at 8:30 A. M. on December 12 and arrived in Northampton at 12:30 P. M. Revenue service commenced on December 19 with three daily passenger round trips between Boston and Northampton, two between Boston and Hudson, three between Boston and Wayland, and two between Ware and Northampton.
Although the Central Massachusetts Railroad never grew beyond Northampton as its early backers had hoped it nonetheless became an integral link for the B&M to points west and south. This was primarily due to the fact that no rail bridges spanned the North River in New York City, separating New England from major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D. C. In 1889 construction of the Poughkeepsie Bridge over the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, New York completed the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route, the first all-rail route between New England and points south of New York City. Trains such as the Philadelphia and Washington Express and the Harrisburg Express traveled over the several railroads that composed the route, including the Central Massachusetts Branch of the B&M.
With the B&M suddenly such an important link into New England Archibald Angus McLeod, president of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R), sought to use the line as part of his bid to control the coal mining traffic between eastern Pennsylvania and New England independent of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). In 1892 McLeod took stock control of the B&M and of the New York and New England Railroad to fulfill his plan, electing himself president of the B&M on October 26. Early in 1893 the P&R went bankrupt and McLeod lost stock control of the B&M, resigning as president on May 23. With relatively stable local control restored the B&M was able to lease one of its major competitors, the Fitchburg Railroad, in 1900. Two years later, on February 20, 1902, the B&M outright purchased the Central Massachusetts Railroad and dissolved its corporate entity.
With the Central Massachusetts Branch now a part of its system the B&M set about improving the connections between the line and the rest of its network. The first change was in Oakdale where on March 30, 1902 the railroad shut down the accident-prone yard where the Central Massachusetts Branch crossed at grade over the Worcester, Nashua, and Portland Division (WN&P) main line. The next improvement was at Jefferson where the B&M rehabilitated a connecting track that split off of the Central Massachusetts Branch at Holden Junction and connected with the Worcester and Hillsboro Branch at Carr Junction to allow passenger service into Princeton, Hubbardston, Gardner, and Winchendon. Finally the B&M built a connection in Gleasondale from Gleason Junction on the Central Massachusetts Branch to C. M. Junction on the Marlborough Branch to enable passenger service into Marlborough. While traffic into Marlborough flourished, traffic along the connection in Jefferson languished, and in 1909 the B&M took up that track.
Wachusett Reservoir Relocation (1902–1907)
On June 5, 1895 the General Court of Massachusetts authorized the damming of the south branch of the Nashua River for the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir, flooding roughly 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of land in the towns of Clinton, Boylston, and West Boylston. The Central Massachusetts Branch needed to be rerouted as the new reservoir would cover 7.01 miles (11.28 km) of track as well as the stations at South Clinton, Boylston, and West Boylston. Two proposals for the new route emerged. The first proposal called for a connection to the defunct Lancaster Railroad in Hudson that would route traffic through Bolton to a connection with the WN&P Division main line in South Lancaster and leave Berlin at the end of a four-mile branch. The second proposal would build a new route through Clinton and connect with the WN&P Division main line there. On April 3, 1902 the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board reached an agreement with the B&M to reroute the Central Massachusetts Branch according to the latter plan.
The new portion of the Central Massachusetts Branch started just west of West Berlin Junction in Berlin where the Central Massachusetts Branch connected with the Fitchburg Line of the NYNH&H. From there it ran northwest into Clinton through a 1,110-foot (340 m)-long tunnel. The western portal of the tunnel opened onto a 917-foot viaduct near the site of the Wachusett Dam that passed over Route 70 and the Nashua River before connecting with the WN&P Division main line at Clinton Junction. Traffic over the Central Massachusetts Branch followed the WN&P Division main line through Sterling into Oakdale where a redesigned junction routed it back onto the original Central Massachusetts Branch. Just before Clinton Junction an additional connection branched off at Reservoir Switch leading to East Switch on the WN&P Division to allow traffic to approach the Central Massachusetts Branch from the north or continue from the Central Massachusetts Branch north along the WN&P Division main line. The first train passed over the new route on June 2, 1903 while the old track was officially removed from through service on June 15 but remained in place and used during the remainder of the reservoir construction, some of it being re-gauged to 3' to allow construction trains to utilize it. Under this arrangement the WN&P main line between Oakdale and Sterling Junction became exceptionally busy as it accommodated B&M traffic from the WN&P Division and the Central Massachusetts Branch as well as NYNH&H traffic heading between Worcester and Fitchburg along the tracks of the original Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad.
Operation under Charles Mellen (1907–1913)
In 1907 Charles Sanger Mellen, the president of the NYNH&H and protégé of J. P. Morgan, gained control of the B&M to form a near monopoly on all rail traffic in southern New England. Mellen sought to build a direct route through Springfield that would funnel traffic into Boston along the Central Massachusetts Branch and away from the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A), which was controlled by William H. Vanderbilt’s New York Central Railroad (NYC). Legal proceedings brought against Mellen by Louis D. Brandeis to break up his monopoly meant Mellen could not build the route himself so he befriended a railroad contractor from Westfield named Ralph D. Gillett and made him president of the Hampden Railroad with the intent to lease the new route upon its completion.
The Massachusetts General Court incorporated the Hampden in July 1910. It started at Hampden Junction on the Central Massachusetts Branch about two miles east of Bondsville and continued 14.82 miles southwest through Belchertown, Ludlow, and Chicopee to the B&A main line at Athol Junction about two miles east of Springfield. Construction finished by May 9, 1913 with service between New York and Boston scheduled to commence on June 23. Just days before its grand opening operations were suspended indefinitely as Mellen faced a hearing before the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regarding his questionable business practices. He abruptly resigned from the presidencies of both the NYNH&H and B&M on July 9 leaving the Hampden a bridge between two suddenly competing railroads. Despite one more tour by B&M officials in November 1914 neither they nor the NYNH&H wished to lease the line, which was shut down for good in 1925.
Severance (1913–1939)
The failure of the Hampden and Mellen's empire marked the beginning of the downturn of the Central Massachusetts Branch. Much of the traffic routed through Northampton under Mellen's empire vanished or was rerouted by the B&M along the parallel Fitchburg Division via Mechanicville. In August 1917 the B&M discontinued passenger service between Ware and Northampton and downsized the terminal in Ware significantly. The line enjoyed a brief upswing in traffic between World War I and the early 1920s but the Great Depression and increased competition from automobiles and trucks began to take their toll in the latter half of the decade. By 1928 no freights and only one passenger train ran the length of the line from Boston to Northampton.
The struggling economy and reduction in business forced the B&M to take austerity measures and cut back on less profitable lines including the Central Massachusetts Branch. To keep the line open but defray some of the operation and maintenance costs the B&M obtained trackage rights to the Central Vermont Railway's Southern Division in 1931, which ran parallel to the Central Massachusetts Branch for several miles between Belchertown and Amherst. Connections at Canal Junction in Belchertown and at Norwottuck Junction in Amherst allowed the B&M to route all of its trains over the Southern Division and abandon the parallel Central Massachusetts Branch tracks. The railroad pulled off a similar maneuver in January 1933, obtaining trackage rights to the Ware River Branch of the B&A. In order to maintain service to customers in Gilbertville and Wheelwright the B&M build three connections to the Ware River Branch at Barre Junction in Barre, Forest Lake Junction in Palmer, and Creamery in Hardwick. The railroad routed trains on the Central Massachusetts Branch along the Ware River Branch and made the sections from Creamery to Gilbertville and Wheelwright spurs, taking the tracks south of Gilbertville to Forest Lake and north of Wheelwright to Barre Junction out of service. The ICC approved the abandonments in 1941 and the B&M took up all of the abandoned tracks.
To further cut costs the B&M also reduced service on the Central Massachusetts Branch, discontinuing passenger service to Northampton on April 23, 1932. In 1943 the B&M abandoned the Marlborough Branch between its original connection with the Fitchburg Division in South Acton through Maynard and Stow to Gleason Junction, making the Central Massachusetts Branch the exclusive route into Marlborough. By 1938 most of the traffic on the Central Massachusetts Branch was east of Clinton. The only business on the western end of the line was local freight service between Northampton and Rutland. Since no trains passed over the middle of the route the B&M took the tracks between Oakdale and Muschopauge out of service on June 1, 1938. Later that year on September 21 the Hurricane of 1938 badly damaged the tracks, particularly near the Quinapoxet, Ware, and Swift Rivers where washouts severed the line at Coldbrook and knocked out a bridge in Gilbertville. The B&M could not justify the cost to make repairs to an area it was hardly using and so on January 30, 1939 the railroad formally submitted a request to the ICC to abandon the tracks between Oakdale and Barre Junction, abandon the tracks between Creamery and Gilbertville, and discontinue operations on the Ware River Branch between Creamery and Barre Junction. The ICC approved the abandonments on November 7 and then the discontinuance of service on the Ware River Branch a month later on December 17. With the line officially cloven in two the B&M renamed the line between Northampton and Wheelwright as the Wheelwright Branch and retained the Central Massachusetts Branch moniker for the eastern half of the line between Boston and Oakdale.
Abandonment of the Wheelwright Branch
On the Wheelwright Branch freight service continued between Northampton and Wheelwright at least three times per week until 1973 when the paper mill in Wheelwright closed. In April 1974 the B&M cut freight service to once per week, took the tracks between Creamery and Wheelwright out of service, and embargoed all traffic on the line east of Bondsville. With only one customer in Bondsville the railroad petitioned the ICC to abandon the remainder of the Wheelwright Branch in June 1979, reasoning that that business could be better served by the new Massachusetts Central Railroad which the General Court had chartered on October 16, 1975 to run along the Ware River Secondary of the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad after that line was to be excluded from the government's reorganization of the northeast railroads into Conrail. The ICC approved the plan and operations east of Amherst ceased by August and on the rest of the line by November.
On February 14, 1980 the B&M officially took line from Northampton to Norwottuck out of service. Later that month the Massachusetts Central assumed responsibility for the customer in Bondsville but had to stop after about a year due to the poor condition of the tracks. The ICC finally approved the abandonment of the Wheelwright Branch in 1982 and the B&M took up the tracks between Northampton and Norwottuck later that year. This left only two sections of B&M-owned track on the Wheelwright Branch: between Canal Junction and Bondsville and between Creamery and Wheelwright. The Massachusetts Central could not afford to acquire either property and so in 1983 the B&M took up both. As of 2006 the last remaining portion of the Central Massachusetts Railroad still in revenue service is in Ware where the Massachusetts Central uses what remains of the yard in that town as well as a small section that provides access to a paper plant customer.
Decline in the east (1939–2006)
In 1939 the B&M ended passenger service to Marlborough leaving the four daily trains between Boston and Clinton the last of the passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch. Freight service, however, continued to all three communities and saw a major uptick as World War II intensified. In 1942 the United States Government built the Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex which connected to the Central Massachusetts Branch at Mirror Lake Junction just east of Ordway station in Hudson. B&M trains transported huge quantities of ammunition to and from the bunker with inbound ammunition from Boston being dropped in a yard just north of Mirror Lake Junction and outbound ammunition being brought to the NYNH&H in South Sudbury. This business ended with the war as the government repurposed the facility and removed the yard and connection to the Central Massachusetts Branch.
Further east the B&M worked with the state and other railroads to modernize and streamline the rail infrastructure in and around Boston between 1951 and 1952. Rather than have the Central Massachusetts Branch and Fitchburg Division run parallel to one another from Clematis Brook to their connection at Fens in Cambridge, the B&M decided to connect the two lines at Clematis Brook and route all Central Massachusetts Branch traffic onto the Fitchburg Division. After upgrading the Fitchburg Division to handle the increase in traffic the railroad took up the tracks of the Central Massachusetts Branch tracks between Clematis Brook and Hill Crossing. The remaining track between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction became a part of the Freight Cutoff to the yards in Boston. Around the same time the B&M also modernized its motive power, adopting diesel locomotives throughout its system. The last of the steam locomotive operations for scheduled passenger revenue service on the B&M took place between Boston and Clinton on the Central Massachusetts Branch. On May 5, 1956 the last steam-powered train on the line departed Clinton for Boston and shortly thereafter the railroad closed the engine house in Clinton and began using Budd self-propelled railcars for passenger service along the route.
By 1958, freight and passenger business between Clinton and Boston dwindled to nearly nothing. The B&M cut all service west of Berlin early that year with only two weekday passenger trains running as far as Hudson on the Marlborough Branch. On August 11 the railroad removed all track between Berlin and Clinton Junction, including East Switch, from service. The viaduct in Clinton remained in place until 1974 when the Metropolitan District Commission removed it. On June 14, 1959, the B&M further cut passenger service to Hudson back to one daily round trip, after attempting to abandon all service on the line.
MBTA purchase and abandonment
Quick facts for kids
Central Mass Branch Overview Status Abandoned Owner Boston and Maine Railroad Locale East-Central Massachusetts Termini Hudson, Massachusetts
North Station, Boston, Massachusetts Stations 14 Service Type Commuter Rail System MBTA Commuter Rail Rolling stock Budd RDCs History Opened 1964 Closed November 26, 1971 Technical Line length 28 miles Character Surface Track gauge Standard (1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in))
In 1959, the NYNH&H discontinued passenger service on its lines in the former Old Colony Railroad network, triggering calls for state intervention. In response, the Mass Transportation Commission tested fare and service levels throughout the NYNH&H and B&M systems, concluding that commuter rail service was important enough to warrant continued operation, but was unlikely to be financially self-sustaining. Based on this conclusion, the state created the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on August 3, 1964 and merged it with the existing Metropolitan Transportation Authority to serve a larger part of the state and subsidize commuter rail service. The MBTA immediately set to work optimizing the commuter rail networks of the NYNH&H, NYC, and B&M. On the Central Massachusetts Branch, this included cutting passenger service back to South Sudbury starting on January 18, 1965.
In spite of the subsidies, ridership continued to decline on the Central Massachusetts Branch, and by 1969 the MBTA recommended an end to all service on the line. Devoted riders managed to briefly delay the decision, but in December 1970 the B&M filed for bankruptcy. On July 30, 1971, the state renewed the B&M's annual subsidy but without funding for the Central Massachusetts Branch. A group of citizens from Wayland argued that the single train along the route was too inconvenient for commuters and so on October 1 the MBTA announced that it would temporarily schedule more trains to determine whether the line was still viable. After two months, the MBTA concluded that the modest increase in ridership was not sufficient to warrant continued funding; on November 26, all passenger service ended on the Central Massachusetts Branch. The MBTA examined the possibility of restoring passenger service to the line in 1972 and again in 1975, but nothing came of either study.
Despite the end of passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch freight service continued well into the 1970s. Trains ran to South Sudbury 3–4 times each week and traveled as far as Hudson when needed, usually 1–2 times per week. With no business in Marlborough the B&M took the last section of the Marlborough Branch out of service in 1974. On December 27, 1976 the B&M sold the Central Massachusetts Branch as well as its Budd RDC fleet and several other lines to the MBTA but retained the rights to freight service. Business continued to decline however, and by 1977 the B&M had to reduce service to runs as needed. That same year the railroad removed the track between Berlin and Hudson from service as it had deteriorated to the point of being unsafe. In August 1979 the B&M petitioned the ICC to abandon the Central Massachusetts Branch between Berlin and Waltham North Station and the remaining segment of the Marlborough Branch. The last train to Hudson ran on June 19, 1980 and the last train west of Waltham about a month later on August 14. The B&M officially took the track west of Bacon Street in Waltham out of service on September 11 and the United States District Court overseeing the B&M's bankruptcy approved the abandonment in October. Around the same time the B&M and MBTA increased vertical height clearances along the New Hampshire Route main line. This made the Hill Crossing Freight Cutoff obsolete and in 1980 the B&M and MBTA took up the Central Massachusetts Branch track between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction to make room for the MBTA's Red Line.
In 1983 Guilford Rail System purchased the B&M and began to transfer all operations to the B&M subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway. The Springfield Terminal took over operations on the last piece of the Central Massachusetts Branch between Clematis Brook and Bacon Street in Waltham in 1987 and continued them until the last customer shut down in 1994. In 1996 State Representative Nancy Evans of Wayland proposed restoring commuter service on the Central Massachusetts Branch between Interstate 495 in Berlin and Boston to alleviate traffic on Route 20 but was met with substantial backlash from residents of new homes built along the dormant line in the time since its operations had ceased. The Executive Office of Transportation carried out a feasibility study anyway estimating that restoring service to the route as far as Berlin would cost in excess of $103 million and that any benefit gained was unlikely to outweigh the costs. In 1999 Evans, now the Director of Planning for the MBTA, proposed converting the Central Massachusetts right of way into a busway but the state rejected this proposal as well. As of 2006 the grade crossings and bridges between Clematis Brook and Berlin have been mostly removed but the tracks remain mostly intact if encroached upon and badly overgrown.
Rail trail plans
Main article: Mass Central Rail Trail
In 1996 the towns along the eastern portion of the Central Massachusetts Branch requested permission to convert the route between Clematis Brook and Berlin into the Wayside Rail Trail. The MBTA agreed to lease the property for the project with the stipulation that it would retain the right to revert it to a commuter rail line and that the trail would be policed and maintained by the communities themselves. Every town along the route except for Weston accepted the terms but without unanimous approval the trail took a while to come to fruition. Waltham moved ahead to convert the property in their city anyway reasoning that even if service were restored it would start from a new connection at Stony Brook west of their city limits. As of Spring 2021, Weston and Wayland have moved forward and have opened a 5 mile paved section of the trail from the bridge over the MBTA Fitchburg line at the Waltham-Weston border as far west as Wayland Station near the intersection of Route 126 and US 20. A crushed stone continuation connects the fully paved portion with the shopping center at the intersection of US 20 and Andrew Ave in Wayland.
Efforts to convert the property to recreational trails found more success elsewhere along the route. The portion of the Marlborough Branch between Gleason Junction and Marlborough became the Assabet River Rail Trail. In Boston the former Central Massachusetts Branch section of the Hill Crossing Freight Cutoff between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction became the Fitchburg Cutoff Path.
The towns along the former Wheelwright Branch exhibited similar enthusiasm for recreational trails along the property. In March 1985 with support from the local governments and regional planning agency the state purchased 10 miles of the line between the west end of the Connecticut River Bridge in Northampton and Amherst with the intent to convert it into a rail trail. Work began in 1992 and on July 29, 1993 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management officially opened the Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail. By 1997 the trail extended as far as Belchertown where progress halted due to a concerted effort from private landowners who had taken over the long-abandoned property. In 2006 the western end of the trail was extended to N. O. Tower. In West Boylston, Holden, and Rutland a volunteer organization called Wachusett Greenways began to convert the roughly 30 miles of property between Oakdale and Rutland to the Mass Central Rail Trail. The Mass Central Rail Trail currently includes a portion of the former Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad in Sterling between Sterling Junction and Sterling Center; however this route was never a part of the Central Massachusetts Branch and does not connect with the rest of the trail since the former WN&P Division main line tracks remain in service as the Worcester Main Line of Pan Am Railways.
Locomotives
The Massachusetts Central Railroad operated five locomotives between 1881 and 1883. These were the only five locomotives that the company ever owned with other railroads providing motive power later in the line's history.
No. 1
Model: 4-4-0
Manufacturer: Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
Manufacturer Number: 2308
Cylinders: 15 x 24
Date Manufactured: 1873
Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works built locomotive No. 1 for the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway (IB&W) as their No. 70. In 1880 the IB&W returned the locomotive to Rogers which sold it to the Housatonic Railroad as their No. 21. The Massachusetts Central Railroad purchased the locomotive in 1881 then sold it to the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad (SJ&LC) in 1883 where it became No. 11, Col. Jewett. The locomotive became a part of the B&L following its merger with the SJ&LC in 1885. The B&L renumbered it as No. 163, Highgate. The locomotive returned to the SJ&LC 1887 when the B&M leased the B&L and became No. 8, Highgate. The SJ&LC scrapped the locomotive in May 1892.
No. 2
Model: 4-4-0
Manufacturer: Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works
Manufacturer Number: 2310
Cylinders: 15 x 24
Date Manufactured: July 26, 1873
Rogers built locomotive No. 2 for the IB&W as their No. 71. In 1880 the IB&W returned the locomotive to Rogers which sold it to the Housatonic as their No. 22. The Massachusetts Central Railroad purchased the locomotive in 1881 then sold it to the SJ&LC in 1883 where it became No. 12, Col. Fairbanks. The locomotive became a part of the B&L in 1887, which renumbered it as No. 164, Col. Fairbanks. The B&M took possession of the locomotive in 1895, renumbering it as No. 629 and then No. 555 on February 29, 1904. The B&M scrapped the locomotive on March 20, 1907.
No. 3
Model: 4-4-0
Manufacturer: Schenectady Locomotive Works
Manufacturer Number: 1443
Cylinders: 17 x 24
Date Manufactured: October 1881
Schenectady Locomotive Works built locomotive No. 3 for the Massachusetts Central Railroad. In 1887 the locomotive became B&L No. 10, Woburn, and later that year it became B&M No. 310, Woburn. The B&M rebuilt the locomotive in 1898 and renumbered it No. 680 in 1911 before scrapping it in August 1920.
No. 4
Model: 4-4-0
Manufacturer: Schenectady Locomotive Works
Manufacturer Number: 1444
Cylinders: 17 x 24
Date Manufactured: October 1881
Schenectady built locomotive No. 4 for the Massachusetts Central Railroad. In 1887 the locomotive became B&L No. 65, Marlboro, and later that year it became B&M No. 365, Marlboro. Manchester Locomotive Works rebuilt the locomotive in 1904 and the B&M renumbered it No. 683 in 1911, scrapping it before 1923.
No. 5
Model: 4-4-0
Manufacturer: Hinkley & Williams
Manufacturer Number: 809
Cylinders: Unknown
Date Manufactured: October 1867
Prior to its time with the Massachusetts Central Railroad Locomotive No. 5 was No. 11, N. C. Munson, of the N. C. Munson Construction Company (incidentally the original contractor for the Massachusetts Central Railroad). It was sold to the Massachusetts Central around 1882 and sold at auction in 1886.
Other Power
In addition to the above locomotives the Massachusetts Central Railroad would on occasion lease power from the B&L. Small 4-4-0, 4-6-0, and 0-4-0 locomotives predominated through 1900 partially due to weight restrictions over the line's bridges. After 1900 the 4-4-0 locomotives continued to provide the bulk of the power for passenger service with class B-14 and B-15 2-6-0, class L-1 4-8-0, and class A-41-f 4-4-0 locomotives mixed in for longer and freight trips. During WWII K-8-b and K-8-c class 2-8-0 locomotives worked the larger ammunition trains on the eastern end of the line. J-1 class 4-4-2 locomotives generally handled passenger service during the war and into the 1950s. Diesel power arrived in the mid-1950s with EMD SW9 switchers regularly assigned to the Marlborough local freight starting in June 1953. Road switchers equipped with steam generators took over passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch starting in 1956. Budd Rail Diesel Cars quickly replaced the road switchers for passenger service beginning in the late 1950s and continued service in that capacity until passenger service ceased in 1971.
Stations and junctions
The Central Massachusetts Railroad built its stations in the Gothic-inspired Victorian style of architecture popular during the 1870s. The name of the architect responsible for their design has been lost to time. Cost restrictions played heavily into the station designs though the railroad added decorations such as painted wainscotting and gables for aesthetics. All of the stations were wooden and based on one of two basic plans for smaller or larger communities. Individual stations were often tailored to their location, including additions such as attached or separate freight houses and milk sheds which were similarly decorated to appear presentable to the public. Other structures such as engine houses, water towers, section houses, and crossing shanties were not decorated. To create the illusion of variety the railroad never used the same design on two consecutive stations except at Waverly and Belmont where the consistent design helped passengers distinguish the Central Massachusetts Railroad stations from those of the parallel Fitchburg Railroad.
The station listing on the Central Massachusetts Railroad changed many times over the line's history thanks to leases, ownership changes, and rerouting. The list below is from the 1920 Boston and Maine Southern Division employees' timetable. The listings with grayed-out backgrounds are the stations between West Berlin Junction and Oakdale that the railroad abandoned during the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir. The italicized mileage numbers for these stations indicate their position on the line in the 1892 employees' timetable. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 96 | https://www.boston25news.com/homepage | en | This website is unavailable in your location. – Boston 25 News | [
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834 | dbpedia | 2 | 79 | https://www.bmrrhs.org/410project | en | 410 Project — Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/624efffd8ef1885fd8ab5ca1/t/624f41b38dac664dd3dba0ca/1649361332026/BMRRHS_Logo_Circle_Web.png?format=1500w | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/624efffd8ef1885fd8ab5ca1/t/624f41b38dac664dd3dba0ca/1649361332026/BMRRHS_Logo_Circle_Web.png?format=1500w | [
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The 410 was built by the Manchester Locomotive Works at Manchester, N.H., in June 1911. This locomotive did switching duty at Lowell and other locations on the B&M during her active days on the railroad. A switching locomotive is designed to deliver cars of raw materials from the railroad yard to local industries, to pick up loaded and empty cars, and to make up and break down intercity trains that will be moved to distant destinations by larger, more powerful “road engines.” The 410’s short wheelbase was particularly useful in navigating the tight curves and narrow clearances of the industrial tracks that wound through the streets and alleys of Lowell.
Like all steam-powered engines, No. 410 was rendered obsolete by diesel engines that required far less maintenance. Sold to the H. E. Fletcher Granite Company in Westford, Massachusetts on June 28, 1950, No. 410 worked in a quarry until her flue time expired and she was replaced by another retired B&M steam switcher in April 1952. Later, No. 410 was acquired by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for preservation at the Museum of Transportation in Boston and was moved to the B&M Shops at North Billerica, Massachusetts. This plan was not realized, however, and through the efforts of national, state, and local agencies No. 410 was brought to Lowell on July 17, 1993. The Society has been involved with the restoration since 1992 when a group of our members started working on the engine at North Billerica. By the time it arrived at Lowell, brought by rail and then lifted by crane to the track where she now sits, No. 410 had been scraped, painted, and lettered by NPS and B&MRRHS volunteers. Click here to view the project log!
410 Overview
The railcar, No. 1244, is set up as a combination coach-baggage car, known by railroaders as a “combine,” but was built by the Pullman Company in July 1907 as a 72-passenger coach. It is 60 feet 2 inches in length and has open platforms at both ends. It was built as No. 1244, renumbered to 244 in 1930, and rebuilt as maintenance of way car No. M3031 at Concord, N.H. in September 1946. It was sold to Luria Brothers in 1962, and then led a nomadic life on the St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County Railroad, the Montpelier and Barre Railroad, and the Goodwin Railroad. Following a sojourn at Wolfeboro Falls, N.H., No. 1244 the car came to Lowell. It is owned by the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission. The section of track on which it sits is on land owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is adjacent to the site of the original Boston and Lowell station at the corner of Merrimack and Dutton streets. The B&MRRHS displays items from its hardware collection in the combine. An attractive exhibit in the combine, “The History of Railroads in Lowell,” was opened to the public in June 1993, made possible with a grant from the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission. The B&MRRHS and the National Park Service share the responsibility for maintaining the car.
Hardware Curator Richard Nichols has compiled an illustrated summary of the combine’s contents. | |||
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Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page!
U.S. Census Bureau History: America's First Subway
On September 1, 1897, the first underground subway in the United States opened in Boston, MA. Known as the "Tremont Street Line," the half-mile long route initially connected three underground stations to the city's existing above-ground street railway system. On opening day, more than 100,000 people paid 5 cents to take the 3- to 4-minute journey underneath Boston's streets. Today, subways in the United States and Puerto Rico carry an estimated 2.8 million workers aged 16 and over to work every day.
Rail transit to commute to and from Boston began as early as 1830 when the Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered to provide steam rail service between Lowell and Boston, MA. Dozens of railways were soon establishing routes into Boston from outlying cities and towns. In March 1856, the Cambridge Horse Railroad started horse-drawn streetcar service between Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA—adjacent to Harvard University—and Boston's West End neighborhood. Like the steam railways, the number of streetcar companies plying the streets of Boston and its suburbs multiplied quickly. Horse-drawn trolleys, wagons, and the smelly manure they left behind soon jammed Boston's streets. In response, electric streetcars began replacing horse-drawn trolleys in 1889 and rail companies and the state legislature began planning commuter routes above and below the city's streets.
On March 28, 1895, dignitaries including Massachusetts Governor Frederick T. Greenhalge, broke ground for the nation's first underground subway during a ceremony at the Boston Public Garden. Workers utilized two construction techniques learned from building the subways in London, England, and Paris, France. The first method involved boring a "tube-like" tunnel—the origin of the London subway's "Tube" nickname—through the earth without disturbing traffic or buildings on the surface. A second "cut and cover" technique involved digging trenches, constructing steel beam and concrete tunnel walls with arched brick ceilings, and then filling in the excavation to bury the tunnel underground.
As construction progressed on the Tremont Street Subway, workers discovered they were digging through a forgotten part of Boston's Central Burying Ground. During the subway tunnel's excavation, they unearthed more than 900 graves dating back to the 1750s. Progress slowed again when a broken utility pipe filled the excavated "cut and cover" cavity beneath Boylston and Tremont Streets with gas. On March 4, 1897, a spark from a streetcar passing over the construction site ignited a tremendous explosion. The blast destroyed nearby streetcars, shattered windows for blocks around, injured dozens of pedestrians, and killed eight to ten people [depending on accounts] including: Reverend W.A. Start, who was standing on a nearby sidewalk; streetcar conductors Gilford D. Bigelow and Benjamin R. Sargent; public carriage driver Benjamin Downing and his passenger William L. Vinal; private carriage passenger A. M. Bates; William Mayvour, who was a waiter at the nearby Hotel Thorndike; and cab driver Delano Sibley.
Despite these setbacks, workers completed construction of the Tremont Street Subway early and under budget. In the next decade, New York City, NY (1904), and Philadelphia, PA (1907), , followed Boston's example by moving their rapid transit rail systems underground.
Today, the original 1897 Tremont Street Line remains a vital component of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's subway system. The rapid transit system's "Green Line" carries more than 100,000 commuters through the historic tunnel every day between the Boylston and Government Center stations.
You can learn more about the history of our nation's railroads, rapid transit systems, and commuting patterns using census data and records. For example:
The U.S. Census Bureau first collected detailed statistics on transportation—including steam railroads, steamboat companies, and incorporated express companies—in 1880. With a particular emphasis on railroads, the census incorporated specially-designed questionnaires that asked hundreds of questions to collect data on the railroads' financial and physical characteristics. Data published in the 1883 Report on the Agencies of Transportation in the United States, showed that total railroad track mileage built and completed grew from 39.8 miles in 1830 to 20,198.99 miles in 1855 and reached 87,801.42 miles at the time of the 1880 Census. Total permanent investment for track, equipment, building, land, etc., by railroad companies in the United States was nearly $5.2 billion at the time of the census. Asset and debt data were available for railroads large and small. For example, the giant New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Co., had assets of more than $121.6 million from construction; $19.5 million in equipment; nearly $1.2 million in land; more than $1.7 million in cash; and total liabilities (including stock, loans, dividends, etc.) of $149.4 million. Meanwhile, the tiny North Brookfield Railroad Co., in North Brookfield, MA, had assets of $105,456.79 from constructing its 4.16 mile branch line in 1876, $0 in equipment, $83.38 in cash, and liabilities of $105,615.17.
The 1890 Census expanded coverage of rail transportation by collecting data from cities' rapid-transit facilities, including railways powered by animals, cable, and electricity. The August 23, 1890, Census Bulletin: Transportation—Rapid Transit in Cities reported that the 286 street railroads responding to the census had a total length of 3,150.93 miles. Animals (usually horses) powered more than 74 percent of these railways. In 1890, animal power was used on 2,351.10 miles; electricity on 260.36 miles; cable on 255.87 miles; and steam on 61.79 miles of elevated and 221.81 miles of surface roads. Philadelphia, PA, led the nation for total rail line length with 283.47 miles, followed by Boston, MA, with 200.86 miles, and Chicago, IL, with 181.78 miles.
The Census Bureau conducted its first census of street and electric railways in 1902. Data showed that between 1890 and 1902, the number of street and electric railways grew from 789 to 987. The number of fare passengers grew from 2,023,010,202 in 1890 to 4,774,211,904 in 1902. One of the greatest changes in the 12 years between the 1890 and 1902 railway censuses was the way systems powered their railways. In 1890, animals (usually horses) powered railcars on 4,061.94 line miles while electricity powered 914.25 line miles. By 1902, electricity powered 16,230.62 line miles compared to just 195.21 line miles using animals; 113.93 line miles using cable; and 111.82 line miles using steam. Additional data and historical information about the construction and growth of the nation's street and electric railways are available in the Census Bureau's Street and Electric Railways Part 1 and Part 2.
One drawback of the rapid growth of street and electric railways between 1890 and 1902 was the dangers this traffic posed to pedestrians who were not accustomed to dodging rapidly moving and difficult to stop railcars. In 1902, 1,217 people were killed and 47,429 people were injured in street railway accidents. By comparison, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 239 fatalities in 2021.
Forty years after Boston's Tremont Street subway opened, the Census Bureau conducted the 1937 Census of Street Railways, Trolley-bus, and Motorbus Operations. As automobiles like the Ford Model T became increasingly affordable and the nation's roads improved, the need for street railways declined. In 1917, there were 1,200 in 1922, 706 in 1932. By 1937, the number of railway companies had fallen to 478. Passenger traffic fell from 14.1 billion in 1927 to 9.4 billion, 10 years later. As the number of street railways and passenger traffic decreased, so too did the number of street railway employees. The number of salaried and wage-earning employees decreased by 35.1 percent, from 27,845 in 1927 to 18,068 in 1937.
The 1960 Census was the first to ask respondents about their place of work and how they commuted to their place of employment. These data helped governments better understand commuting patterns to determine road, highway, and transit spending; locate future transit station locations; and target areas for housing or business development, etc. The Census Bureau published its supplementary report Place of Work and Means of Transportation to Work in January 1963. The report showed that about 83 percent of the workers living in the central cities of standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA) of 100,000 or more at the time of the 1960 Census also worked in these central cities; about 9 percent commuted to the outlying suburban ring, while and 2 percent worked outside the area. Transportation to work data showed that New York City, NY, was the only SMSA where more than half of workers (54.8 percent) used public transportation to go to work. Other SMSAs with large percentages of people using public transportation to travel from home to work included Boston, MA (25.1 percent); Jersey City, NJ (39.6 percent); New Orleans, LA (32 percent); Philadelphia, PA (27.5 percent); and Washington, DC (23.7 percent).
Although data about the number of people using carpools to commute to work had been asked in previous censuses, the 1980 Census collected more detailed data about carpools. That year, more than 19 million people carpooled, including 13.3 million in a 2-person carpool; more than 3.3 million in 3-person carpools; 1.4 million in 4-person carpools; and 1 million commuted in 5-or-more-person carpools.
The 1990 Census was first to inquire about workers' usual time leaving their home to go to work. In 1990, 54.8 percent of all workers 16 years and over (61,194,181) left home for work between 6:30 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. In 2020, American Community Survey estimates reported that 24.1 percent of the nation's 142,512,559 workers 16 years and over who did not work from home departed for work sometime after the "traditional" morning rush between 9:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. During the morning hours in 2020, the largest cohort of commuters—14.6 percent—left between 7:00 a.m. and 7:29 a.m.
The 1990 Census was the first to ask about workers' usual time spent traveling to work. Of the 111,664,249 workers 16 years and over who did not work at home in 1990, the majority (19,026,053) had travel times between 15 and 19 minutes to work. Long commutes of 90 minutes or more were usual for 1,763,991 people, while the average travel time for all workers not working at home was 22.4 minutes. Ten years later, the majority of workers not working at home still had commutes of 15 to 19 minutes (19,634,328), but the number of people reporting commutes of more than 90 minutes rose to 3,435,843 and average time to work increased to 25.5 minutes.
In 2000, 75.7 percent of workers 16 years and over drove to work alone; 12.2 percent carpooled; 4.7 percent used public transportation; 2.9 percent walked; and 1.2 percent rode a motorcycle, bicycle, or had another means of transportation to work. More recently, 2020 American Community Survey estimates revealed that nearly 75.4 percent of the nation's 152,193,868 workers 16 year and over drove to work alone; more than 8.8 percent carpooled; about 4.6 percent used public transportation; 2.2 percent walked; and 1.8 percent usually took a taxi, motorcycle, bicycle, or other mode of transportation to work. As the technology has made working from home easier, the number of people 16 years and over reporting they worked from home rose from 3,406,025 in 1990 to 10,940,462 in 2020.
Many villages, towns, and cities in the United States are named for the train stations they grew up around. Along with towns like Railroad, PA, and Railroad, IN, rail-related places include: Lake Station, IN, which was the western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad; Fairfax Station, VA, so named because it was a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad; Johnson Siding, SD, named for the rail siding that ran through the area along the Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad; Cook Station in Crawford County, MO, named after becoming a stop on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway; Laury's Station, PA, named for the town's first station agent and postmaster when the Lehigh Valley Railroad opened a train station in the town previously named "Slate Dam"; Yeehaw Junction, FL, named for the Florida East Coast Railway's Yeehaw Station; and Huntington Station, NY, named for the Long Island Railroad station that opened in the community in 1868.
The Census Bureau's report Commuting by Public Transportation in the United States: 2019 featured data collected from the American Community Survey. Data from the survey's question, "How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK?" showed that 5 percent of workers 16 years and over (7,778,444) used public transportation, including: 3,601,403 taking the bus; 2,935,633 riding the subway or elevated rail; 921,391 boarding long-distance train or commuter rail; and 242,776 commuting by light rail, streetcar, or trolley.
Data from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns series showed that in 2020 there were 674 urban transit systems (NAICS 4851) in the United States. Urban transit systems include establishments primarily engaged in operating local and suburban passenger transit systems such as light rail, subways, streetcars, and buses. These establishments employed 53,911 employees during the pay period that included March 12, 2020.
This Month in Census History
In a report by Census Bureau director James C. Capt on September 12, 1942, the 1940 Census of Housing found that 15 million American homes had a refrigerator; 9.2 million used ice boxes; and more than 9.3 million homes had no type of refrigerating equipment.
By 1950, more than 33.7 million homes had electric- or gas-powered mechanical refrigerators.
In 2011, the Survey of Income and Program Participation showed that 99.2 percent of American households had mechanical refrigeration.
Subway Systems
Boston, MA, opened the first subway in the United States in September 1897, but within a decade, it was surpassed in length and ridership by the New York City Subway—the largest subway system in the United States.
New York City's first subway—the "Manhattan Main Line"—opened on October 27, 1904, and transported riders between city hall and Harlem's 145th Street. After more than a century of growth, New York's 248-mile-long subway system carries 1.7 billion passengers annually.
Subways in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, are the nation's second and third largest systems. In 2019, Washington's 117-mile Metro carried nearly 238 million passengers, while Chicago's 102.8-mile "L" carried more than 218 million.
In Boston, MA, the Tremont Street Tunnel that opened on September 1, 1897, is still used by the region's subway system. In 2019, the 38-mile-long "T" carried more than 152 million passengers.
The newest—and shortest—subway line in the United States can be found in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 10.7-mile Tren Urbano system opened in 2004 and carried more than 5.2 million passengers in 2019.
Worldwide, Shanghai, China, had the longest and busiest subway system in 2019. More than 10.6 million people ride the 499-mile-long Shanghai Metro every weekday!
Did you know?
Alfred Ely Beach designed his "Beach Pneumatic Transit" in the 1860s and secretly constructed it beneath New York City's congested Broadway Avenue in 1869 using a tunneling device of his own invention. On February 26, 1870, Beach began offering rides along the 300 foot long test track.
Despite positive reviews, city politicians were reluctant to approve an expansion of the subway. Financier John Jacob Astor III argued construction would damage buildings and worsen surface traffic. When New York governor John Adams Dix finally signed a bill chartering Beach's pneumatic railway in 1873, the Panic of 1873 and advances in electric motors ended Beach's air-driven railway dreams.
More than 2 decades later, a growing population and gridlocked streets convinced New Yorkers to invest in underground transit. Approved in 1894, the New York City Subway opened its first underground segment on October 27, 1904. On its first day, it carried more than 150,000 people along its 9.1 mile route.
Today, New York's subway is the largest and busiest subway system in the United States.
Visit https://www.census.gov/history every month for the latest Census History Home Page! | ||||||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 59 | https://www.visit-massachusetts.com/state/train-information/ | en | Find information on Train Schedules, Routes, Stations Massachusetts | [
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Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA, 02210 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
Regional Route offers downtown-to-downtown service along the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Newport News, VA, with many departures every day. Car service is available from Kingston, RI, to Newport, RI. Seasonal ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard is available from Kingston. Duration of full trip is 12 hours.
Acela Express offers fast service from Boston to Washington. Hourly service downtown to downtown during peak morning and afternoon rush hours between New York and Washington, D.C., and intermediate cities. Length of full trip is 7 hours.
The Lakeshore Limited offers daily trips from New York to Chicago, passing through Boston.
Haverhill (HHL) Amtrak Station
Washington Street at Railroad Square Haverhill, MA, 01832 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Downeaster offers four round trips every day from Boston North Station to Brunswick, ME. Intermediate stops include Woburn and Haverhill, MA; Exeter and Durham, NH; Wells, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach, ME. Length of full trip is 2 hours.
Amherst (AMM) Amtrak Station
13 Railroad Street Amherst, MA, 01002 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Vermonter route runs daily from Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, VT. Major stops include New Haven and Hartford, CT; Springfield, MA; and St. Albans, VT. Duration of full trip is 14 hours.
Boston-Back Bay (BBY) Amtrak Station
Copley Square - Stuart and Dartmouth Streets Boston, MA, 02116 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
Regional Route offers downtown-to-downtown service along the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Newport News, VA, with many departures every day. Car service is available from Kingston, RI, to Newport, RI. Seasonal ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard is available from Kingston. Duration of full trip is 12 hours.
Acela Express offers fast service from Boston to Washington. Hourly service downtown to downtown during peak morning and afternoon rush hours between New York and Washington, D.C., and intermediate cities. Length of full trip is 7 hours.
Boston – North Station (BON) Amtrak Station
135 Causeway Street Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Downeaster offers four round trips every day from Boston North Station to Brunswick, ME. Intermediate stops include Woburn and Haverhill, MA; Exeter and Durham, NH; Wells, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach, ME. Length of full trip is 2 hours.
Pittsfield (PIT) Amtrak Station
Depot Street Pittsfield, MA, 01201 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Lakeshore Limited offers daily trips from New York to Chicago, passing through Boston.
Springfield (SPG) Amtrak Station
66 Lyman Street Springfield, MA, 01103 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Vermonter route runs daily from Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, VT. Major stops include New Haven and Hartford, CT; Springfield, MA; and St. Albans, VT. Duration of full trip is 14 hours.
The Lakeshore Limited offers daily trips from New York to Chicago, passing through Boston. Stops in Massachusetts include Boston-South Station, Boston-Back Bay, Framingham, Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield.
Worcester (WOR) Amtrak Station
2 Washington Square Worcester, MA, 01604 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Lakeshore Limited offers daily trips from New York to Chicago, passing through Boston.
Woburn (WOB) Amtrak Station
Anderson Regional Transportation Center, 100 Atlantic Avenue Woburn, MA, 01801 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Downeaster offers four round trips every day from Boston North Station to Brunswick, ME. Intermediate stops include Woburn and Haverhill, MA; Exeter and Durham, NH; Wells, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach, ME. Length of full trip is 2 hours.
Westwood -- Route 128 (RTE) Amtrak Station
50 University Avenue Westwood, MA, 02090 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
Regional Route offers downtown-to-downtown service along the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Newport News, VA, with many departures every day. Car service is available from Kingston, RI, to Newport, RI. Seasonal ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard is available from Kingston. Duration of full trip is 12 hours.
Acela Express offers fast service from Boston to Washington. Hourly service downtown to downtown during peak morning and afternoon rush hours between New York and Washington, D.C., and intermediate cities. Length of full trip is 7 hours.
Framingham (FRA) Amtrak Station
441 Waverly Street Framingham, MA, 01701 Phone: 800-872-7245
Schedules may change without notice; always call ahead to confirm.
The Lakeshore Limited offers daily trips from New York to Chicago, passing through Boston. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 1 | 36 | https://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/87746 | en | The Somerville Times Historical Fact of the Week – November 14 | http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/times_general_1.jpg | http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/times_general_1.jpg | [
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By Bob (Monty) Doherty
The first railroad in North America was constructed in 1826 between the granite quarries of Quincy, Massachusetts and a wharf on the Neponset River. It was known as the Quincy Tramway or Granite Railroad and was a three-mile track that hauled the building stones for the Bunker Hill Monument.
Four years later in 1830, some members of the same group received a charter to build the Boston and Lowell Railroad, the first major railroad in the state and one of the first major railroads in the county. The initial trip over the 26-mile track took place on June 25, 1835. After leaving Lowell, it arrived in Boston one hour and 17 minutes later. Three celebrities were on this inaugural ride with many following throughout its future years. They were business friends Patrick Tracy Jackson, George Washington Whistler, and James Baldwin, all prominent men in Boston and Lowell.
Patrick Tracy Jackson was a United States manufacturer, co-founder of the Boston Manufacturing Company, and founder of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company. He was considered the heart of early Lowell.
James Baldwin was a civil engineer and the son of Colonel Naomi Baldwin. Colonel Baldwin was a Revolutionary War hero and the builder of the Middlesex Canal that carried historic Concord River water through Somerville for over fifty years. James surveyed and designed the new Boston and Lowell Railroad.
On his way to Lowell, Author Charles Dickens rode this line and stopped in Somerville during her inaugural year of 1842. This stop was to visit the Mclean Hospital at Cobble Hill. Drawing inspiration from this trip, he wrote A Christmas Carol one year later.
This year, 2018, the city of Lowell celebrates the 200th anniversary of their favorite son, Benjamin Butler’s birth. He was a successful lawyer, businessman, politician, Massachusetts Governor, and legendary Civil War General. General Butler declared slaves were contraband of war, thereby freeing thousands of African Americans long before President Lincoln’s proclamation. He was a frequent rider on the Boston and Lowell Railway’s smoking car and was often seen with his gentle giant Mastiff dog at his side. He was active in legal cases involving the Middlesex Canal that ran through Somerville and also represented the Ursuline Nuns after their East Somerville convent’s burning. In 1853 his efforts postponed Charlestown from being annexed to Boston for twenty more years until 1873.
George Washington Whistler built the train engine used in the inaugural ride. He named it, The Patrick, after Mr. Jackson. They used his first name because they didn’t want to honor the sitting President Andrew Jackson. Whistler also invented the train whistle. His son, James McNeil Whistler who was the famous international artist who painted his mother’s image, was born in Lowell. Thus, the man who drove the first train through Somerville was “Whistler’s father.” | |||
834 | dbpedia | 2 | 63 | https://bostonmaine.squarespace.com/ | en | Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53a3b0e7e4b0356e962ad8f4/t/62e4b15b0b510e117815d54b/1659154779662/BMRRHS_Logo_small.png?format=1500w | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53a3b0e7e4b0356e962ad8f4/t/62e4b15b0b510e117815d54b/1659154779662/BMRRHS_Logo_small.png?format=1500w | [
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The items linked on this page are representative of the types of materials that can be found at our physical archive at Lowell
PART 1. REFERENCE MATERIALS
Updated February 22, 2023
Abandonments — See ABANDONMENT NOTICES page
Accidents and Weather Events, Notable, compiled by Rick Nowell
Amesbury Branch History by Richard Nichols. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Andover and Wilmington Railroad Map, drawn by Franklin K. Haggerty
Authority For Expenditure Records. Selected, compiled and annotated by Robert P. Fuller. Transcribed by Mark Fecteau
First Series. AFE No. 1 (1910) through 6128 (1923)
Introduction to Second Series
Second Series. AFE No. 2 (1920) through AFE No. 39,765 (1970)
Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Bill Gove New England Logging Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Mal Sockol and Eric DiVirgilio
B&M Bulletin Index through Vol. XXXIII, No. 4 (2023), compiled by Jack Dziadul
B&M Bulletin Index compiled by Dick Lynch. (Through Vol. XXVI, No. 1)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Brad Blodget
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (A - Kl)
B&MRR Employees Magazine Index compiled by Dick Lynch (Kn - Z)
B-15 (2-6-0) Mogul large format drawing list
Boston and Lowell Railroad. A Pioneer Railroad and How It Was Built
Boston and Lowell Railroad (compiled by Brad MacGowan, courtesy of UMass Lowell Library)
Lowell Before the Civil War
Plan of Lowell Village, Boyden, 1835
Boston and Lowell Railroad (Narrative, from Summer Saunterings by the B & L (1885))
Locomotive Race of 1851
Along the Route of the Boston and Lowell
Early Days of Railroading in Lowell
Boston and Maine Industries, Inc. Exchange Offer to Shareholders of Boston and Maine Corporation (11 Feb 1969)
Boston Terminal Photo File Organization, prepared by Dan O’Brien
C Class (4-6-0) Ten-Wheeler large format drawing list
Car Disposition Records, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of individual car dispositions (Sold, scrapped, transferred to work service, etc.)
Currently only freight (not passenger) cars.
Excel Transcription
Scans of original pages available and derived data here (done!)
Car Record Books, scanned/transcribed by Ken Akerboom
Record of freight, passenger, and, sometimes, “Rail Motor Cars” (i.e. EMC and Budd RDC)
Proof-reading has been done on all index files. Errata from the first versions has been highlighted in yellow.
ALSO NOTE: PDFs are mostly about 18-19 MB!
Car Acquisition Books (1899-1917)
Purchases only
PDF index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Excel Index (updated 17-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Car Books (1923 - 1960)
Include purchases, re-numberings, disposals
Car Books index (Excel) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Car Books Index (PDF) (updated 25-Oct-2020)
Scans of original pages available here
Centralized Traffic Control on the Boston & Maine. Clipping from Railway Age, Dec. 5, 1931. Gift of Carl Byron
Chaffin Negative Collection Catalogue, prepared by Brad Kippen
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with Conrail, 1980
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operating Agreement with MassCentral Railroad, 1980
Contoocook (N.H.) Railroad Bridge. History and Design. Report by National Park Service, 2003
Conway Daily Sun, February 22, 2020 - “Return of the Snow Train: All Aboooard to Attitash!” (Articles on Snow Train history and Conway Scenic’s 2020 Snow Train revival)
A Descriptive Guidebook to the Railway Route Between Boston and Burlington, via Lowell and Concord, 1850
Contains information about Boston and Lowell, Nashua & Lowell, Northern, Boston, Concord & Montreal, and Connecticut & Passumpssic Rivers Railroads. Also contains summer travel information.
Corporate History. “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” compiled by David D. Ashenden. See also David’s Introduction/Instructions. See Corporate History in the EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT section below for the original document.
Customers on the Portsmouth and Fremont Branches, 1971 - 1982 compiled by Rick Kfoury
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP38-2. Gift of Preston Cook
Diesel Locomotives. Specifications for GP40-2. Gift of Prestion Cook
Drawing Numbers, Assignment of, Mechanical Department, c1928, transcribed from original in Harry Frye Collection
Brandeis and the NH-B&M Merger Battle Revisited by Abrams-1962
Engine House and Turntable Notes
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 1
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 2
Financial Condition of the …New Haven Railroad and of the Boston and Maine Railroad,” by Louis D,. Brandeis, 1907 Part 3
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Freight Car Roster, 1915-1955, by Tim Gilbert
Freight Car Summary, by Ken Akerboom
Freight Car Classification book information
NOTE: Actual freight car pages are included in the appropriate series page(s) in the Freight Car Summary, the links here are for index pages and for buggies [AKA “cabooses”] that don’t have an individual car series page.
“1942” book (might be 1943…)
Scans of original pages available here
1955 book
Note the “index” pages are a bit muddled, they may be out of order?
Scans of original pages available here
Frye Collection -- Photo Credit Codes
G-11 (0-6-0) switcher large format drawing list
The Glory of White River Junction, by Edgar T. Mead and transcribed by Rick Kfoury from the Connecticut Valley Reporter (June 23, 1971).
Goodwin, Dana D. and Charles H. Nash Negative Catalog prepared by R. Richard Conard
Group Index Numbers (to locate mechanical drawings) compiled by Mark Fecteau
Hill-MacMillan-Hutchinson Negative Collection Index. 1944, 1945, 1946 Part 1, 1946 Part 2, 1947 Part 1, 1947 Part 2, 1948 Part 1, 1948 Part 2, 1949 Part 1, 1949 Part 2, 1950, 1951 Part 1, 1951 Part 2, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 - 1963
Historic Railroad Stations of New Hampshire pamphlet
Hoosac Tunnel Accidents, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hoosac Tunnel Accident Victims by Date, compiled by Charles Cahoon
Hutchinson (Leroy C.) Collection--File Box Contents
Map Folder Index
Station Folder Index
Loco Classification By Types
Miscellaneous
Motive Power--Diesels
Railroad Poems
Summary
Industries, 1955, compiler unknown
ICC Freight Statistics (1917-1963) compiled by Ken Akerboom
Notes on the ICC Freight Commodity Statistics by Ken Akerboom
K Class (2-8-0) Consolidation large format drawing list
Large format scans, Catalog of
Lettering
K10 Font, drawn by Ken Akerboom
K10 Font, Notes by Ken Akerboom
Locomotive Assignments (Notes)
Locomotive Supervision, 1904. Courtesy Google Books
The Locomotives of the Boston & Maine Railroad by Charles E. Fisher, includes predecessor roads (Provided by F. Bradford Kippen III, scanned as a searchable PDF by Rick Kfoury) - Uploaded 1/2020. See also Steam Locomotives below.
Manchester Tower - A brief history of the CTC “MA Tower” in Manchester, NH by Rick Kfoury
Minuteman Steam Addenda
Map: B&MRR at Its Greatest Extent, 1915
Map: Boston & Maine Railroad Central Massachusetts Branch, 1975
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Deed of Property and Operating Rights to, by B&M Corp., 1976
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 1 of 2
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Purchase and Sale Agreement with B&M Corp for Commuter Lines. 1976. Part 2 of 2
Mass Bay RRE Fantrips. Seventy-Five Years of Rare Mileage, by Rick Conard and John Reading, posted with permission
Mechanical Department Drawings List. This list is very incomplete. See also Large format scans, Catalog of.
Metal File Box Collection Indexes
Fitchburg Railroad Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.14, compiled by Eric DiVirgilio, transcribed by Mark Fecteau
Cheshire, Fitchburg and Other Roads, Cat. No. 2004.36.15, compiled by Rick Hurst
Boston and Lowell, Fitchburg and Other Documents, Cat. No. 2004.36.21, compiled by Steve Butterworth
Boston and Lowell Railroad Documents, Cat. 2004.36.24, compiled by UMass Lowell intern Matthew Donovan PARTIALLY COMPLETED
Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western, Concord, Concord & Montreal, Fitchburg, Pemigewasset Branch, Whitefield & Jefferson RRs, Cat. No. 2004.36.258, compiled by Leo Sullivan
Various Railroads, Cat. No. 2004.36.265, compiled by Rick Hurst
Milk. Bellows Falls Creamery, by Brad Blodget
Milk Supply of Boston, 1898
Modelers Notes Index compiled by Jack Dziadul
Mount Washington Railway. MS list of drawings in tube file, North Chelmsford
Negatives data base, compiled by Rick Conard and Rick Nowell
New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources Survey of the Northern Railroad, 2013
Officers and Divisions, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Official Guide, April 1913, B&MRR Section, submitted by David Ashenden
Paint and Color Guide, compiled by Rick Nowell. See also, in Mechanical Department below:
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9 dated 8-19-1948
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Passenger Car Roster, c1965, compiled by Laurence I. Beake
Passenger Car Roster, pub. B&M Bull., 1980-94, compiled by Hutchinson & Smith, prepared for web by R.K. Hurst
Passenger Department Chronology, compiled and edited by Richard K. "Rick" Hurst
Periodicals Held in B&MRRHS Archives
Photo Identification. Notes from Harry Frye Collection
Postcards—How ro Date. From John A. Goodwin Collection, created by Lowell Historical Society
Preston S. Johnson Collection, catalog of photographic slides, compiled by Rick Nowell
Railroad Enthusiast March - August 1966 (“Slow Train to Keene”), Dana D. Goodwin Collection, scanned by Rick Kfoury
Railroad Periodicals, 1920
Railway Mail Service RPO Routes in New England, by James B. VanBokkelen
Reorganization. ICC FD26115 (1973), scanned by David Ashenden
Restoration of Mileposts on the Northern Main Line, Edwin R. Hiller, Andover Historical Society
Right of Way and Track Maps - Index
Rochester, N.H., Railroading at,1934 by R.E. Fisher, includes map
Salisbury Branch History. See Amesbury Branch History.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps with B&M Trackage
Shelf List — ICC Survey Volumes Held
Shops, Notes About
Signal Chronology [1947-1990], by Daniel E. Horgan (1990), scanned and submitted by Carl R. Byron
Standard Plan Books Edited By Alan LePain, Index
Station Data Base, compiled by Rick Nowell
Station Drawings in B&MRRHS Archives, compiled by David Ashenden
Steam Locomotive Photos, A Guide to Identifying, by Harry A. Frye
Steam Locomotives 1836-1865, Roster of, compiled by Rick Nowell
Summer Saunterings by the Boston and Lowell. Issued by Passenger Dept., Boston and Lowell Railroad, First Edition, 1885. Internet Archive
Track Car 215570 “Birth Papers” - Provided by Jesse Mazzie, who owns and operates this motorcar for the CVRTC
Trains Between Boston and Montreal and Between Boston and Quebec City, 1927, compiled by Rick Nowell
Tube File/Round File/Roll Files at Lowell. Inventory compiled by Rick Conard
Turntable Notes
Valuation Plans. See Right of Way and Track Maps
Vincent H. Bernard Signal Collection. Description of the collection with an inventory compiled by Steve Butterworth, Eric DiVirgilio, and Mal Sockol
Wheelwright Branch Map, 1953, by Alan E. MacMillan
The White-Mountain Village of Bethlehem [N.H.] as a Resort for Health and Pleasure, 1880 Internet Archive
Wooden Bridge Construction, B&M, 1895 by J. Parker Snow
Wooden Dining Car Roster, compiled by Leroy C. Hutchinson and Clyde R. Smith
PART 2. RAILROAD DOCUMENTS ON-LINE
Boston & Maine Railroad
Accounting Department
Contract Bureau
Updated January 2020
Contract Memo 9251-C - Manchester, NH - Repairs to Huse Road bridge over M&L Branch, April 4, 1979.
Contract Memo 10596-A - Manchester, NH - Repairs to I-293 bridges over M&L Branch, Feb. 13, 1979.
Contract Memo 11015-A - Manchester, NH - Widening I-93 bridges over Portsmouth Branch, Jan. 19, 1977.
Contract Memo 12389-A - Manchester, NH - Land tracts near Granite State Packing, Feb. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 12483 - Manchester, NH - Crossings near Foster Grant, Jan. 15, 1976.
Contract Memo 12570 - Manchester, NH - Petition for private crossing at Foster Grant, Aug. 18, 1978.
Contract Memo 44951-B - Manchester, NH - Concerning use of land at Massabesic Street, Dec. 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 54742-C - Manchester, NH - Genest Bros. Bakery, John Danais Co. Inc. sidings, July 27, 1978.
Contract Memo 56332-A - Manchester, NH - Electric service for switch heaters, June 11, 1975.
Contract Memo 58349 - Manchester, NH - Union Leader utilizing old Central Paper siding, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59352-A - Manchester, NH - Work on crossings through the millyard, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59574 - Manchester, NH - Maintenance at Grenier Industrial Park, Sept. 15, 1975.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics sidetrack, Jan. 23, 1976.
Contract Memo 59619 - Manchester, NH - South End Grain at West Manchester, Jan. 6, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735 - Manchester, NH - Lease of railroad land near Beech Street, June 30, 1976.
Contract Memo 59735-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Aug. 3, 1977.
Contract Memo 59746 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Gulf Oil siding at Byron Street, July 28, 1976.
Contract Memo 59756 - Manchester, NH - Use of railroad land at Candia Road, Aug. 2, 1976.
Contract Memo 59831 - Manchester, NH - Waumbek Mills sewer line installation, Jan. 7, 1977.
Contract Memo 59851 - Manchester, NH - City drainage near South Beech Street, Jan. 25, 1977.
Contract Memo 59947 - Manchester, NH - Regarding Gulf Oil, May 11, 1977.
Contract Memo 59992-A - Manchester, NH - Regarding Manchester Paper Supply Co. Inc siding, Dec. 13, 1977.
Contract Memo 60169 - Manchester, NH - Concerning Hussey Molding Co. sidetrack, March 7, 1978.
Contract Memo 60178 - Manchester, NH - Land usage petition for Granite State Packing, March 22, 1978.
Contract Memo 60209 - Manchester, NH - Concerning American Hoechst Co. sidetrack, May 4, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263 - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, Aug. 28, 1978.
Contract Memo 60263-A - Manchester, NH - Petition for a grade crossing over Valley St. spur, May 24, 1979.
Contract Memo 60268 - Manchester, NH - City sewer line through Manchester Yard, Aug. 30, 1978.
Contract Memo 60288 - Manchester, NH - State rehab of Mammoth Road crossing, Oct. 11, 1978.
Contract Memo 60328 - Manchester, NH - Federal funds for Portsmouth Branch crossings, Jan. 8, 1979.
Contract Memo 60370-A - Manchester, NH - Concerning NH Plastics track at Manchester Airport, Oct. 12, 1979.
Contract Memo 60439 - Manchester, NH - Use of Ledges Yard tracks 5-7 by Sweetheart Plastics, Aug. 6, 1979.
Employee Magazines and Magazine Articles
Dinosaur Fossils at Holyoke, 1936, 1937
New Icer Speeds Perishables, Jul-Aug 1950
Our Service, April 1917
Post Office on Wheels
Railroad Man Started the Harvard-Yale Regatta
Engineering Department
Updated July 2021
Bridge List, Fitchburg RR, c1890
Characteristic Charts, 1955
Construction of Private Crossing at Sewage Plant, Manchester, NH, Feb. 25, 1974.
Expenses Needed for Northern Mainline Relocation, Manchester, NH, April 29, 1974.
Expenses Related to Bouchard Street Extension, Manchester, NH, Sept. 23, 1974.
Expenses Related to Reconstruction of Queen City Bridge, Manchester, NH, July 24, 1974.
Expenses Related to Widening I-93 Overpasses on Portsmouth Branch, Manchester, NH, Jan. 14, 1977.
Interior and Exterior Work on Manchester and Nashua Yard Offices, June 11, 1979.
Key to Track Map, Chart, and Profile Symbols
Paints for structures, 1921, rev. to 1926
Rejection of Private Grade Crossing at 200 Elm Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1977.
Removal of bridge 35.61 on the Marlborough Branch, July 30, 1975
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 11, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 18, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, December 30, 1974.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 14, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 22, 1975.
Snow Removal Costs at Manchester Yard, January 23, 1975.
Track Changes. “Up and Down Reports, 1897-1961 with some later entries, for use with the valuation plans, February 23, 2011,” compiled by Robert P. Fuller
Valuation Sections 1 - 7.8
Valuation Sections 7.8 - 17
Valuation Sections 17 - 32.1
Valuation Sections 32.1 - 38.2
Valuation Sections 38.2 - 59
Turntables, All Divisions, Dec. 1925
Digital restoration, by Scott J. Whitney (December 2019)
Executive Department
Updated July 20, 2023
Annual Reports. See Annual Reports page
By-Laws. Boston and Maine Railroad, August 1, 1949
Canterbury, NH Industrial Development Proposition, October 20, 1972
Correspondence Regarding American Freedom Train in Manchester, November 1, 1974
Correspondence Regarding Proposed Disaster Drill at Manchester, NH, September 25, 1979
Correspondence Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Note Regarding Water Cooler in Manchester Yard Office, May 21, 1974
Road Operated June 30, 1915
Organization Chart c1925-1927
Corporate History
Contents - Page 33
Page 34 - Page 63
Page 64 - Page 89
Page 90 - Page 123
Page 124 - Page 157
Page 158 - Page 176
Addendum
See also Ashenden’s “Digital Listing of the Corporate History of the Boston and Maine Railroad Issued by the ICC, 1916,” in REFERENCE MATERIALS above. This is a sortable listing by railroad, date, event, etc.
Federal Railroad Administration
Updated January 2020
Accident Report No. 4189 - October 2, 1972 Head-On Collision at Belchertown, MA between B&M Work Extra 1125 and CV Extra 4929 South (Provided by Tom Murray, 11/3/2021)
Finance Department
Interstate Commerce Commission
Investigation No. 2378 - September 10, 1939 Collapse of Portsmouth Bridge and Loss of B&M P-2 #3666
Legal Department
Updated January 2020
Bill for Derailment at Associated Grocers, Manchester, NH, Sept. 11, 1974
Claim for Incorrect Flagging Procedure at Manchester, NH, October 20, 1975
Claim of John R. Bangs, Clerk, Manchester Freight Office - January 7, 1974
Misuse of Car PLE 006579 at Manchester, NH, Aug. 27, 1974.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, April 28, 1978.
Petition for a Private Crossing on Valley Street, Manchester, NH, August 28, 1978.
Unpaid Bill to Manchester Water Works, October 5, 1979.
Marketing and Sales
Updated December 2020
Intermodal Services Routing Announcement, late 1970s
Office of Marketing & Sales Notice - Moving from Elm Street, Manchester, NH to Billerica, MA, 1979. -
Mechanical Department
Barre & Chelsea RR and Montpelier & Wells River RR Equipment Roster, March 1925
Budd Car Diagrams
Diesel Classification
Diesel Out of Service and Mileage Record, 1943-55 courtesy of Carl R. Byron
Engine Houses and Turntables, Dec. 29, 1899
Engine Houses, Fitchburg Division, 1928
Freight Car Classification 1907
How the B&M Uses Budd Rail Diesel Cars, 1958
Locomotive Performance. BC&MRR. 1880s
Mechanical Engineering Department. A Talk by Donald A. McKeown, Dec. 1953.
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1951 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1953 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS in Maroon & Yellow, 1954 Revised (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2 in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco RS2s and RS3s in “Bluebird”, circa 1957 (Concept by the B&M; never actually carried out)
Paint Diagram - Alco S4, Maine Central, 1954 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - Alco S5, 1953 (American Locomotive Co. Draft)
Paint Diagram - EMD E7A 3800, 1945
Painting and Lettering Coaches, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-9
Painting and Lettering Combines, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-10
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 4 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-11
Painting and Lettering Baggage Cars - 6 Door, Mech. Dept. Diagram SP-553-12
Rail Motor Cars, Sept. 1935
Repairs to Locomotive Cranes at Concord, NH Shop, 1947
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 1
Steam Locomotive Classification, June 7, 1928. Part 2
Summary of Equipment, November 1, 1959
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1962
Summary of Equipment, January 1, 1982
Turntables. All Divisions. Dec. 1925
Work Equipment Roster, partial, 1947
Operating Department
Updated February 22, 2023
Public Relations Department
Updated February 18, 2020
“700 New Freight Cars for B&M” - Lowell Sun, Nov. 27, 1973
“Are the Railroads Returning"?” - New Hampshire Times, Nov. 28, 1973
“Award Winner” - Lowell Sun, May 31, 1977
“B&M Group Fails Bid to Liquidate” - Boston Evening Globe, Aug. 28, 1973
“B&M Makes a Comeback” - Lowell Sun, October 13, 1974
“B&M Passenger Train Makes Last Run in NH” - Manchester Union Leader, July 1, 1967
Related photos
“B&M Plows Ahead Under Dustin” - New Englander, 1977
“B&M President to Speak Before Amherst RR Society”- Springfield Daily News, May 14, 1977
“B&M Railroad Cited by CTI for Hiring of Disadvantaged” - Lowell Sun, 1970s
“B&M Railroad President Claims Trucking Troubles” - NH Sunday News, Jan. 30, 1977
“B&M Railroad Enters New Era” - Eagle-Tribune, November 12, 1977
“B&M Seeks $26-Million Loan” - Greenfield Recorder, August 9, 1977
“B&M Trustees Hedge Rejection of Proposed Railroad Plan” - Concord Monitor, Jan. 17, 1974.
“B&M Trustees Submit Plan, Say Will Revive Road’s Health by ‘75” - Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 1971
“B&M Would Buy 600 Employees Out of Jobs” - Boston Herald, July 25, 1973
“Battling Woods Fire” - Lowell Sun, May 28, 1974
“Boston & Maine’s Cherington Eyes Elimination 600 Jobs to Save Road” - Boston Globe, 1972
“Boston & Maine Files Amended Plea to Buy Some Bonds in Default” - Wall Street Journal, Aug. 19, 1977
“Bow Plant has 50-Day Supply” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“Bow: Less Than 50 Days Coal Supply Explained” - Concord Monitor, December 6, 1977
“Caboose Fire” - Eagle-Tribune, December 6, 1978
Circus Train Photo, Greenfield Recorder, 1977
“Dustin ‘Had and Retains’ Complete Confidence of B&M Trustees” - Boston Sunday Globe, July 24, 1977
“Experts’ Solution for Rail Service: Throw B&M Out of County” - Keene Sentinel, May 10, 1973
Part 2
Fairlee, VT derailment and explosion - Various news sources, November 1975
“Fewer Trains Keep Drivers Off Guard” - Nashua Telegraph, May 24, 1979
Flying Yankee photo, Concord Monitor, July 18, 1979
“Freight Car Fire Ignites East Woburn Warehouse” - Woburn Daily News, November 28, 1977
“‘Ghost Train’ Tour Satisfies Riders, Surprises Other Officials” - Daily Sentinel, March 20, 1974
“The Goodwin Line - A Decent Little Railroad in New Hampshire” - Lowell Sun, Dec. 20, 1979
“Harvard Professor May Run Bankrupt B&M Railroad” - Eagle-Tribune, 1972
“Hoboes and Boxcars Leave Concord Behind” - Concord Monitor, 1970s
“Hoosac Tunnel Getting Steel Liner” - Berkshire Eagle, July 21, 1979
“Husband, Wife Die in Railbus-Car Crash” - Manchester Union Leader, Dec. 16, 1980.
“Lincoln Mill to Open” - Manchester Union Leader, November 3, 1978
“Littleton Board Backs B&M Loan Application” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Lunch Break” - Eagle-Tribune, August 10, 1977
“Man Hit by Train, Loses His Left Arm” - Lynn Item, June 15, 1978
“New Chief for a Yankee Railroad” - New York Times, February 29, 1977
“New England Commission Funds Rail Improvements” - Boston Herald, Sept. 28, 1977
“Piggyback Trucks’ Deal Paying Off for NH Firms” - Manchester Union Leader, 1970s
“Problems at the End of the Line” - Concord Monitor, February 19, 1974
“Purchase of B&M Railroad Suggested” - Rutland Daily Herald, Sept. 28, 1972
“Rail Takeover Eyed in New Hampshire” - Boston Sunday Globe, January 20, 1974
“Railroad’s Future in NH May be Decided in Sept.” - Concord Monitor, July 19, 1973
“Railroad Seeks to Close Line” - Concord Monitor, July 20, 1973
“Railroads Chug Out of Woods After 20 Years of Ills for Industry” - Eagle-Tribune, Sept. 9, 1979
“Railroads Wary of 4-Line Merger” - Times-Union, November 26, 1977
“Rail Freight Traffic Increase” - Manchester Union Leader, 1985 (New England Southern)
“Rail Line’s Potential Enthuses Dearness” - Lakes Region Trader, Sept. 22, 1982 (New England Southern)
“Rail Yard to Receive Facelift” - Greenfield Recorder, November 27, 1978
“Raymond's Depot Finally Placed On the Good Ol’ Historical Map” - NH Sunday News, July 29, 1979
“Rhythm of the Rails” - NH Sunday News, April 14, 1985
“Riding the Rails to Acton” - unknown publication, 1970s
“Rolling Stock Moves On” - Greenfield Recorder, March 28, 1978
“Santa Takes to the Rails in Berlin” - unknown publication, December 27, 1977
“Shippers Fear Railcar Crunch” - Boston Sunday Globe, October 22, 1978
“Sometimes It Goes Against the Grain To See Corn Wasted...” - Portsmouth Herald, October 3, 1977
“Stopped to Refuel the Animals” - Lowell Sun, May 24, 1977
“Symbol of Railroading May Fade Into History” - Concord Monitor, 1977
“These ‘Doctors’ Work at Helping Sick Trains” - Advertiser, April 11, 1979 (Billerica Shops)
“They’ve Been Fighting for a Railroad” - New York Times, October 9, 1977
“This Railroad Means Business” - NH Sunday News, October 23, 1977 (Goodwin Railroad)
“Those B&M Cutbacks” - Boston Globe, 1979
“Tie Job Nears End” - Nashua Telegraph, June 30, 1977
“Train-Truck Crash in Merrimack” - Village Crier, December 27, 1978
“Train-Truck Crash Kills 5 in Family” - Manchester Union Leader, May 2, 1979
“Trustee Sees B&M Success” - Boston Herald, January 12, 1974
“Tunnel Work Hits $1M Tag” - Greenfield Recorder, 1979
“Two Receive Safety Awards”, Greenfield Recorder, July 2, 1979
“What Does B&M Have in Mind?” - New Hampshire Sunday News, January 20, 1974
“Whitefield Man Seeks NH Passenger Train Service” - Manchester Union Leader, January 11, 1979
“White River Junction Back on Tracks” - Valley News, October 12, 1981
Standard Plans
Updated July 2021
Semaphore Blades
Wood Signal Blades
Enameled Steel Signal Blades
Traffic Department
Customers (Largest) 1951
Coal Rates to B&M Points. D&H Co. map, 20 Oct 1923. File too large to upload here. See new On-Line Archives page
Freight Traffic Density (Chart), 1956
Handbook to Suburban Homes, Sea-Shore, Lakes, and Mountains 1874
Local Carload Commodity Tariff and Freight Rates, June 15, 1969
Pan Am Railways Map, 2013
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 1
Passenger Time Table, Summer 1907, Part 2
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 A- pp 1-32
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 B- pp 33-60
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 C- pp 61-80
Passenger Time Table, September 30, 1917 D- pp 81-96
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 A- pp 3-17
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 B- pp 18-33
Passenger Time Table, September 29, 1929 C- pp 34-50
Railroading on the Boston and Maine (2016 Reprint of 1952 brochure)
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1938-9
Snow Train Brochure from winter of 1940-41
Snow train menu, 1939
System Map, 1930
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad has had a close relationship with the Boston and Maine Railroad throughout its history. The Eastern Railroad gained control of Maine Central in 1871. B&M leased ERR in 1884 and thereby controlled MEC. When, in 1907, New Haven gained control of the B&M, MEC also came into the New Haven sphere. In 1914 a group of investors purchased a controlling interest in MEC from B&M and independence was re-established. This notwithstanding, from 1933 to 1955 the two railroads entered into an agreement to be operated as separate railroads under a common management and shared many general officers. In the Guilford/PanAm era the two roads have been operated as a single system.
Most of the MEC materials that we present in our On-Line Archives were submitted and scanned by Archives Committee member David Ashenden.
Maine Central Abandonments
Accounting Equipment, 1924 (MECRR Magazine)
Chronology, 1976 (MEC Messenger)
Frankenstein Trestle, Notes on the Name of
Rules Review Book, March 1943, pp 1-17, pp 18-33
Maine Central Railroad. Schedule of Valuation Sections (TIFF Image), June 30, 1916
Parlor, Sleeping, and Dining Car Service, 26 June 1916
Passenger Equipment, Postwar Roster, by Peter Espy. Submitted by Rick Hurst
Pine Tree Flyer. A magazine about the history of railroads in Maine. Six issues were published between 1981 and 1983. Publication was suspended and never resumed.
Vol. 1 No. 1 (1981)
Vol. 1 No. 2 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 3 (1982)
Vol. 1 No. 4 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 1 (1982)
Vol. 2 No. 2 (1983)
Stations. Handbook of Officers, Agents, Stations and Sidings, 1917. (Digital Commons)
Maine Central Employees Magazine
We are grateful to Dick Glueck of the New England Steam Corporation for providing many issues of the MEC Employee Magazine for scanning and for giving us permission to make scans available on our website. Additional issues came from Rick Conard in 2022. Many hours of scanning time were contributed by Archives Committee member David Ashenden. His project of scanning and indexing the magazine is ongoing.
Employee Magazine Index
Employee Magazine Catalog
1924
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, January 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, February 1924
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, March 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, April 1924
MAY WANTED
Employee Magazine, June 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, July 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, August 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 1
Employee Magazine, September 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 1 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
Employee Magazine, October 1924, Part 2
Employee Magazine, November 1924
Employee Magazine, December 1924 COMPLETE ISSUE WANTED
1925
Employee Magazine, January 1925
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, February 1925, Part 2
MARCH WANTED
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 1
Employee Magazine, April 1925, Part 2
Employee Magazine, May 1925
Employee Magazine, June 1925
JULY WANTED
Employee Magazine, August 1925
Employee Magazine, September 1925
Employee Magazine, October 1925
Employee Magazine, November 1925
Employee Magazine, December 1925
1926 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May NEED COMPLETE ISSUE, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1927 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September Part 1, September Part 2, October, November, December Part 1, December Part 2
1928 — January Part 1, January Part 2, February, March, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, June, July, August, September, November, OCTOBER WANTED, December Part 1, December Part 2, December Part 3
1929 — January, COMPLETE JANUARY WANTED, February, March, COMPLETE MARCH WANTED, April Part 1, April Part 2, May, COMPLETE MAY WANTED, JUNE WANTED, July, August Part 1, August Part 2, August Part 3, SEPTEMBER WANTED, October, November, December
1930 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November DECEMBER WANTED
1944 — November, December ALL OTHER 1944 ISSUES WANTED
1945 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, Undated ALL OTHER 1945 ISSUES WANTED
1946 — April, September ALL OTHER 1946 ISSUES WANTED
1947 — Undated. ALL 1947 ISSUES WANTED
1948 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1949 — JANUARY WANTED, FEBRUARY WANTED, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, JULY WANTED, August, September, October, November, December
1950 — January, FEBRUARY WANTED, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, November, December
1951 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, COMPLETE JULY WANTED, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, COMPLETE OCTOBER WANTED, November, December
1952 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, AUGUST WANTED, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED, December
1953 — January, February, MARCH WANTED, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1954 — JANUARY WANTED, February, March, APRIL WANTED, May, June, July, August, September, October, NOVEMBER WANTED (NOT SURE IF ISSUED), December
1955 — January, February, March, April, COMPLETE APRIL WANTED, May, June, COMPLETE JUNE WANTED, July, August, September, October, November, December
1956 — January, February, March, April, MAY WANTED, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1957 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November-December
1958 — JANUARY-FEBRUARY WANTED, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1959 — January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December
1960 — November
1961 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1962 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1963 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1964 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1965 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1966 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August (missing pp 3-6), September, October, November, December
1967 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October (Complete Issue Needed), November, December
1968 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1969 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1970 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1971 — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
1972 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘72-January ‘73
1973 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘73-January ‘74
1974 — February-March, April-May, June-July, August-September, October-November, December ‘74-January ‘75
1975 — February-March
1976 — January, Summer, Fall (With Historical Section)
1977 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1978 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1979 — Winter, Spring-Summer, Fall
1980 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1981 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
1982 — Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall ‘82-Winter’83
Maine Central Railroad Time Tables
Arrival and Departure of Boston and Maine and Maine Central Trains at Portland Union Station, 20 January 1918. (Portland Terminal Company)
Employee Time Table No. 34, Maine Central, Sept. 24, 1922, Eastern Div.
Employee Time Table No. 1, Maine Central, Apr. 30, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 2, Maine Central, Jun. 26, 1933, System
Employee Time Table No. 4, Maine Central, Apr. 29, 2934, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Sept. 29, 1935, System
Employee Time Table No. 8, Maine Central, Supplement No. 2, March 1936
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Schedules,
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 1
Employee Time Table No. 21, Maine Central, Apr. 27, 1941. Rules, part 2
Employee Time Table No. 22, Portland Terminal Company, Apr. 27, 1930
Official Guide, April 1913, MECRR section
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 23, 1913. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part A,
Passenger Time Table, June 1930. Maine Central Part B,
Passenger Time Table, April 28, 1946. Maine Central,
Passenger Time Table, October 30, 1955. Maine Central
Executive Department
Annual Reports FYE 1896 through 1893 with leases, mortgages. Google Books
Predecessor Railroads
Northern Railroad
Annual Report, 1848. Submitted and transcribed by Ed Hiller
On-Line Photo Archive | ||
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] | null | [] | null | Learn Oldest railroads in North America facts for kids | en | /images/wk/favicon-16x16.png | https://kids.kiddle.co/Oldest_railroads_in_North_America | Name Chartered State Opened Notes Union Canal Company of Pennsylvania March 3, 1826 Pennsylvania 1830 Chartered on May 30, 1811 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on March 3, 1826 Granite Railway March 4, 1826 Massachusetts October 7, 1826 Only authorized to carry freight until April 16, 1846 Delaware and Hudson Canal Company April 5, 1826 Pennsylvania October 9, 1829 Chartered on March 13, 1823 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 5, 1826 Danville and Pottsville Railroad April 8, 1826 Pennsylvania September 24, 1834 Mohawk and Hudson Railroad April 17, 1826 New York September 24, 1831 Carried only passengers for first few years of operation due to competition from the adjacent Erie Canal. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad February 28, 1827 Maryland January 7, 1830 First common carrier in the United States, chartered from its inception to haul freight and passengers on timetabled trains over vast distances with steam power, first to open for public service South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company December 19, 1827 South Carolina December 1830 Operated first steam hauled passenger train in the United States on a schedule. Known to the public as the Charleston & Hamburg Railroad. Ithaca and Owego Railroad January 28, 1828 New York April 1, 1834 Mill Creek and Mine Hill Navigation and Railroad Company February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania November 3, 1829 Tioga Navigation Company February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania 1839 Chartered on February 20, 1826 to build a canal or slack-water navigation; authorized to build a railroad on February 7, 1828 Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad February 13, 1828 Maryland July 4, 1831 Chesterfield Railroad February 27, 1828 Virginia July 1831 New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Railroad Company March 14, 1828 Maryland February 28, 1832 Chartered on January 6, 1810 as the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike Company to build a turnpike; renamed and authorized to build a railroad on March 14, 1828 Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad March 24, 1828 Pennsylvania October 18, 1832 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works Schuylkill Valley Navigation Company April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania 1830 Chartered on March 20, 1827 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Schuylkill Valley Navigation and Railroad Company on January 15, 1829 Schuylkill East Branch Navigation Company April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania November 18, 1831 Chartered on February 20, 1826 to build a lock navigation; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company on April 23, 1829 Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad April 15, 1829 Pennsylvania April 1831 Northern Liberties and Penn Township Railroad April 23, 1829 Pennsylvania April 1834 Mount Carbon Railroad July 15, 1829 Pennsylvania 1831 Tuscumbia Railway January 15, 1830 Alabama June 12, 1832 Pontchartrain Railroad January 20, 1830 Louisiana April 23, 1831 Lexington and Ohio Railroad January 27, 1830 Kentucky August 15, 1832 Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company February 4, 1830 New Jersey October 1, 1832 Petersburg Railroad February 10, 1830 Virginia October 1832 Lykens Valley Railroad and Coal Company April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania April 1834 Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania November 5, 1836 Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad April 19, 1830 New York 1839 Boston and Lowell Railroad June 5, 1830 Massachusetts June 24, 1835 Petersburg Railroad January 1, 1831 North Carolina 1833 Paterson and Hudson River Railroad January 31, 1831 New Jersey 1834 Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad February 9, 1831 New Jersey August 13, 1836 Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad February 16, 1831 New York July 12, 1832 West Chester Railroad February 18, 1831 Pennsylvania October 1, 1832 West Feliciana Railroad March 5, 1831 Louisiana January 1835 Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad March 21, 1831 Pennsylvania March 18, 1834 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works Southwark Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania 1835 Cumberland Valley Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania August 16, 1837 Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania January 17, 1838 Renamed Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad on March 14, 1836 Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad April 5, 1831 Pennsylvania June 6, 1832 First common carrier in Pennsylvania. Earlier railroads were operated to haul minerals like coal and iron, but later in the decade would become modern common carrier systems hauling passengers and public goods. Winchester and Potomac Railroad April 8, 1831 Virginia (now partially West Virginia) March 1836 New York and Harlem Railroad April 25, 1831 New York November 26, 1832 Boston and Providence Railroad July 22, 1831 Massachusetts July 28, 1835 Boston and Worcester Railroad June 23, 1831 Massachusetts April 16, 1834 Clinton and Vicksburg Railroad December 19, 1831 Mississippi May 15, 1838 Reorganized by the Commercial and Railroad Bank of Vicksburg on 25 December 1833. Reorganized on 9 March 1850 as the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad. Reorganized in January 1857 as the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. Reorganized on 28 January 1867 as the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad. On 22 October 1885, the five foot gauge of the entire line from Meridian to Vicksburg, 152 miles including sidings, was changed to standard gauge of 4 feet 6 inches in about 16 hours. From 1889 the Meridian-Vicksburg Railway line was known as the Alabama & Vicksburg Railway line of the Queen and Crescent Route. Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad January 5, 1832 Ohio 1838 Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad January 13, 1832 Alabama August 20, 1833 Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad January 18, 1832 Delaware July 14, 1837 Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis Railroad February 2, 1832 Indiana July 4, 1834 Ohio and Indianapolis Railroad February 3, 1832 Indiana 1851 Renamed Jeffersonville Railroad on February 3, 1849 Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad February 23, 1832 Pennsylvania November 14, 1833 Baltimore and Port Deposit Railroad March 5, 1832 Maryland July 6, 1837 New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company March 7, 1832 New Jersey September 15, 1834 Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad March 8, 1832 Virginia July 27, 1834 New Jersey, Hudson and Delaware Railroad March 8, 1832 New Jersey 1872 Merged into the New Jersey Midland Railway on April 26, 1870 Franklin Railroad March 12, 1832 Pennsylvania September 10, 1839 Delaware and Maryland Railroad March 14, 1832 Maryland July 14, 1837 Merged into the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad on April 18, 1836 York and Maryland Line Railroad March 14, 1832 Pennsylvania August 23, 1838 Liggett's Gap Railroad April 7, 1832 Pennsylvania October 20, 1851 Renamed Lackawanna and Western Railroad on April 14, 1851 Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad April 14, 1832 New York April 19, 1836 Saratoga and Fort Edward Railroad April 17, 1832 New York October 15, 1848 Reorganized as the Saratoga and Washington Railroad on May 2, 1834 New York and Albany Railroad April 17, 1832 New York December 31, 1848 Sold to the New York and Harlem Railroad on March 9, 1846 Watertown and Rome Railroad April 17, 1832 New York October 1849 Tonawanda Railroad April 24, 1832 New York May 1837 New York and Erie Railroad April 24, 1832 New York September 23, 1841 Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad April 25, 1832 New York April 18, 1836 Leased by the Long Island Rail Road from opening Hudson and Berkshire Railroad April 26, 1832 New York September 26, 1838 Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad May 1, 1832 Connecticut 1840 Merged into the Norwich and Worcester Railroad on June 22, 1836 New York and Stonington Railroad May 14, 1832 Connecticut November 17, 1837 Merged into the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad on July 1, 1833 Portsmouth and Lancaster Railroad June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania September 16, 1836 Renamed Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad on March 11, 1835 Williamsport and Elmira Railroad June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania January 12, 1837 Strasburg Rail Road June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania 1837 Still in operation as a shortline freight hauler and tourist railroad. Recognized as the oldest, continuously operating railroad in the United States as it still operates under its original 1832 charter. | |||||
834 | dbpedia | 3 | 39 | https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Lowell-Railroad-Nashua-Salem/dp/1166940209 | en | Amazon.com | [
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834 | dbpedia | 0 | 83 | https://m.facebook.com/groups/abandonedrails/posts/beverly-west-virginia-out-of-service-track-formly-the-old-western-maryland-the-t/8317881261578649/ | en | Facebook | [] | [] | [] | [
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834 | dbpedia | 2 | 75 | https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Lowell_Line | en | Wikiwand / articles | [
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] | null | [] | null | The Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the New Hampshire M... | en | https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Lowell_Line | The Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the New Hampshire Main Line of the Boston & Lowell Railroad and later operated as part of the Boston & Maine Railroad's Southern Division, the line was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in Massachusetts.
Quick Facts Overview, Status ...
Lowell LineOverviewStatusOperationalOwnerMassachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityLocaleNortheastern MassachusettsTerminiStations9ServiceTypeCommuter railSystemMBTA Commuter RailTrain number(s)300–342 (weekday)
1300-1317 (Saturday)
2300-2317 (Sunday)Operator(s)Keolis North AmericaDaily ridership6,485 (October 2022)[1]HistoryOpened1835 (Boston & Lowell Railroad)TechnicalLine length25.4 miles (40.9 km)[2]CharacterElevated and surface-levelTrack gauge4 ft8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Close
All stations are accessible except for West Medford, Winchester Center, and Mishawum.
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad started freight operations in 1835, with traffic from the Lowell mills to the Boston port. Demand for the express passenger service exceeded expectations, and in 1842 local service was added as well. The line north of Lowell was first owned by the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad, which was chartered in 1844. Trackage was completed as far as Wells River, Vermont, in 1853. The Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M) acquired the railroad in 1895.[3][4] The line served as the route for Boston to Montreal service during the Golden Age of Rail (roughly 1880 to 1940). The Ambassador, the train from Boston's North Station to Montreal, ran through Concord, New Hampshire, along this line until 1966.[5] This line, along with the New Englander, via Concord, White River Junction, Montpelier, ran through the northwestern section of Vermont prior to entering Quebec, Canada. The Alouette and Red Wing trains travelled to Montreal via Concord, Plymouth, Wells River and Newport in northeastern Vermont prior to entering Quebec. (The route via Wells River, St. Johnsbury and Newport was the more direct route of the two itineraries.)[6] For this itinerary the Montreal route was marketed as an Air-line railroad.
Massive cutbacks on May 18, 1958, included the end of Stoneham Branch service and the closure of Medford Hillside, Tufts College, and North Somerville stations.[7] Cuts on June 14, 1959, ended service north of Woburn on the Woburn Loop; trains for points north were rerouted via the mainline to the east. Boston–Lowell local service was halved to seven daily round trips; Tyngsboro, Bleachery, and South Wilmington stations were closed.[7][8] B&M passenger service to Boston on the line was shortened from Concord, New Hampshire to Lowell in 1967.[9]
MBTA era
In 1973, the MBTA bought the Lowell line, along with the Haverhill and all other local Greater Boston passenger lines. Along with the sale, the B&M contracted to run the passenger service on the Lowell line for the MBTA. After bankruptcy, the B&M continued to run and fulfill its commuter rail contract under the protection of the United States Bankruptcy Court, in the hopes that a reorganization could make it profitable again. It emerged from the court's protection when newly formed Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI) purchased it in 1983.
For approximately thirteen months in 1980–81, daily passenger service was provided to Concord. Two round-trips were operated on each weekday and one on weekend days. Originally, there were intermediate stops in Manchester and Nashua. A stop in Merrimack was added later. Service was discontinued when federal funding was withdrawn.[10]
Anderson Regional Transportation Center opened on April 28, 2001, replacing Mishawum as the Lowell Line's primary park-and-ride station for Route 128. Mishawum was reduced to limited reverse-peak service.[9] On December 15, 2001, the Amtrak Downeaster began operating over the line south of Wilmington.[9] In October 2006, the MBTA added four short turn round trips that terminated at Anderson RTC.[11] The line was shut down on weekends in July through September 2017 for the installation of Positive Train Control equipment in order to meet a 2020 federal deadline.[12]
Substantially reduced schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic were in effect from March 16 to June 23, 2020, and from December 14, 2020, to April 5, 2021.[9] On January 23, 2021, reduced schedules went into place with no weekend service on seven lines, including the Lowell Line.[9] Weekend service on the seven lines resumed on July 3, 2021.[13] As of February 2022, the line has 21+1⁄2 round trips on weekdays and nine on weekends.[14] By October 2022, the line had 6,485 daily riders – 59% of pre-COVID ridership.[1] In June 2022, the MBTA indicated it was considering improvements to a siding in Woburn, which would allow 30-minute headways between Boston and Anderson/Woburn by 2024.[15]
Until December 2020, a small number of Haverhill Line trains ran via the Wildcat Branch and the inner Lowell Line, making stops between Anderson/Woburn and West Medford.[16][17] Some Haverhill Line trains resumed using this routing on April 5, 2021, but no longer make stops on the Lowell Line.[18][19] From September 9 to November 5, 2023, all outer Haverhill Line service was routed over the Wildcat Branch during signal work on the inner part of the Haverhill Line. The diverted trains stopped only at Anderson/Woburn.[20] Beginning May 20, 2024, weekday midday inbound Haverhill Line trains were again temporarily routed over the Wildcat Branch during construction work, again stopping only at Anderson/Woburn.[21][22]
The Medford Branch of the Green Line Extension, which opened on December 12, 2022, runs along the Lowell Line through Somerville and part of Medford. There are five Green Line stations on the branch, but no additional commuter rail stops were added.[9]
Proposed expansion to New Hampshire
MBTA Commuter Rail service connecting Concord, Manchester and Nashua from the Lowell Line used to exist in New Hampshire until subsidies were ceased in 1967.[10] The service came back in 1980 for a quick 13 month return, but the program grant was cut by the Reagan administration in 1981, and commuter rail service has remained not available.[10] In October 2010, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation received a $2.24 million federal grant to study an extension of the Lowell Line to Concord.[23] In January 2011, a bill was introduced into the New Hampshire legislature to end the proposed extension and give up a potential $4.1 million grant into its planning.[24] The MBTA acquired trackage rights from Pan Am in May 2011 as part of a larger transaction.[25]
The project was estimated to cost $246 million in a 2014 NHDOT report.[26] Extending service to NH was projected to provide an expected 34 trains a day to Nashua and 16 a day to Manchester, connecting commuters from Nashua to Boston as low as 54 minutes and commuters from Manchester to Boston in as low as 1 hour and 25 minutes with 3,120 passengers a day.[27][28] Proponents of the extension see expanded rail services as a link to Boston’s growing economy while opponents consider the project to be extraneous and expensive.[29][30]
In December 2020, a $5.5 million contract was awarded to AECOM for preliminary engineering and design work, environmental and public engagement services, and final design, for the project to extend MBTA commuter rail service to southern New Hampshire.[31] The project called for the extension of the Lowell Line up through Nashua and Manchester along an existing rail alignment.[28][32][26] The proposed expansion would include four new stops: South Nashua, Crown Street in Nashua, Bedford, and Manchester.[28] In January of 2022, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the location for new facilities to house layover trains adjacent to the Manchester Transit Authority facilities.[33]
By autumn 2022, the study was being carried out by AECOM and the State of New Hampshire to design and make a financial plan for the project by 2023. In December 2022, the New Hampshire Executive Council voted to cease state funding for an extension of the AECOM study; the study reported an updated project cost of $782 million.[34][35][36] The MBTA rail extension project to Manchester is currently in the pre-decisional stage, and is awaiting approval by the NH government.[37]
Track speeds
North of Wilmington, the line is authorized for a maximum of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). South of Wilmington, the line has an unusual asymmetrical speed limit. The northbound track supports up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) where curvature allows, while the southbound track has a maximum of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Additional speed restrictions are in place at Wilmington, through the grade crossings in West Medford, and in the North Station terminal area.[38]
Other services
Amtrak's Downeaster service to Maine, along with some Haverhill Line express trains, run on the Lowell Line from North Station to Wilmington, then follow the Wildcat Branch to the Haverhill Line. This routing is used to avoid the inner Haverhill Line, which has a number of single-track sections.
The line is the designated freight clearance route into Boston from the north; all stations with high-level platforms must either have mini-high platforms or a freight passing track. Pan Am Railways runs freight on the line, including local freights based out of Lawrence Yard and DOBO (a Dover to Boston through freight).
More information State, Fare zone ...
State Fare zone Location Miles (km)[2][39][40] Station Connections and notes MA 1A Boston 0.0 (0.0) North Station Amtrak: Downeaster
MBTA Commuter Rail: Fitchburg Line, Haverhill Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line
MBTA subway: Orange Line, Green Line (D and E branches)
MBTA bus: 4
EZRide Somerville 0.8 (1.3) Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility Flag stop for MBTA employees only Medford 4.0 (6.4) Tufts University Open September 1977 to October 1979 5.5 (8.9) West Medford MBTA bus: 94,95 1 Winchester 7.3 (11.7) Wedgemere 7.8 (12.6) Winchester Center Temporarily closed on January 8, 2021
MBTA bus: 134
Former junction with Woburn Branch (closed 1981) 9.0 (14.5) Winchester Highlands Closed June 1978[9] Woburn 10.5 (16.9) Walnut Hill Closed January 18, 1965[9] 10.9 (17.5) Lechmere Warehouse Open 1979 to 1996[9] 2 11.6 (18.7) Mishawum Flag stop with limited reverse commute service. Indefinitely closed on December 14, 2020. 12.7 (20.4) Anderson/Woburn Amtrak: Downeaster
Logan Express 3 Wilmington 15.2 (24.5) Wilmington LRTA: 12
Junction with the Wildcat Branch 17.0 (27.4) Silver Lake Closed January 18, 1965[9] Billerica 19.2 (30.9) East Billerica Closed January 18, 1965[9] 5 21.8 (35.1) North Billerica LRTA: 3/4, 13 6 Lowell 25.5 (41.0) Lowell LRTA: 1/8, 2, 3/4, 5, 6/9, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20
MVRTA: 24 Chelmsford 28.7 (46.2) North Chelmsford Closed June 30, 1967 NH Nashua 39.0 (62.8) Nashua Closed June 30, 1967; open from January 28, 1980 to March 1, 1981[9] Merrimack 46.1 (74.2) Merrimack Open from April 1980 to March 1, 1981[9] Manchester 55.5 (89.3) Manchester Closed June 30, 1967; open from January 28, 1980 to March 1, 1981[9] Concord 73.3 (118.0) Concord Closed June 30, 1967; open from January 28, 1980 to March 1, 1981[9] Currently operating station
Close
Woburn Branch
More information Location, Station ...
Location Miles (km)[2][39][40] Station Connections and notes Winchester 7.8 (12.6) Winchester Center Junction with mainline Woburn 9.0 (14.5) Cross Street Closed February 1, 1981[41] 9.8 (15.8) Woburn Closed February 1, 1981[41] Currently operating station
Close | ||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 7 | https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/george-strait | en | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | [
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] | null | [] | 2022-12-01T22:08:33+00:00 | en | /images/favicon.ico | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/george-strait | George Strait’s name has become synonymous with “real country.” The Texas traditionalist is one of the most successful, enduring, and influential recording artists in any field.
Early Life in Texas
Strait grew up in Pearsall, Texas. His parents divorced when he was still in grade school, and Strait and his older brother, Buddy, were raised by their father, John Strait, a junior high school math teacher. The boys learned ranching early on, helping on the family’s 2,000-acre spread.
Strait didn’t listen much to country music growing up; rather, he was inspired by mid-1960s British Invasion rock groups and joined several garage bands in high school. He eloped after graduation with his longtime sweetheart, Norma, then signed up for a stint in the Army.
While stationed in Hawaii, Strait found his true calling: country music. In 1973, he auditioned for and won the role of singer in a country band on base. He absorbed the music of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, and Haggard’s tribute album to the legendary Bob Wills, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills), was instrumental in turning Strait in the direction of western swing.
Back home, Strait enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos) to pursue a degree in agriculture, but by then he was also seriously considering a music career. He hooked up with the Ace in the Hole band, kept an extensive regional performance schedule, and recorded several singles on the D Records label. Despite club success, however, several trips to Nashville failed to drum up interest in Strait as a major-label prospect.
Strait to Nashville
During one fortuitous club appearance, club owner and former record promotion man Erv Woolsey liked what he heard. In 1981, Woolsey helped Strait sign with MCA, and he remained Strait’s behind-the-scenes advocate before eventually taking on the role of full-time manager.
Strait arrived in Nashville just as the Urban Cowboy movement was in full swing. His first honky-tonk missive, 1981’s “Unwound,” went to #6 on the Billboard charts. The accompanying album, Strait Country, helped to increase hardcore country airplay on many radio stations.
Much of modern country music includes pop sounds, but Strait consistently draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions of his native Texas. As a vocalist, he proved a masterful interpreter: while his Texas accent came through, he avoided over-the-top twang and flashy fillips in favor of subtle phrasing. Through his love of Haggard, he developed both the evocative nuance of Lefty Frizzell and the smooth, crooning shadings of Bing Crosby and Perry Como.
Strait began his long reign at the top of the charts, and subsequent Top Ten hits displayed his range. Although his roots were in Texas dancehall music, he also proved he had a way with pop-influenced tunes, typified by “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)” (#3, 1982), and smooth ballads, as shown in his performance of “Marina Del Rey” (#6, 1983). His #1 hits included his cover of the Bob Wills staple “Right or Wrong” (1984), the sly “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (1987), and the western swing of “Am I Blue” (1987). Albums such as 1984’s Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind emphasized Strait’s ongoing debt to western swing and honky-tonk.
A Tragic Loss, a Movie Role, and Some Important Songwriters
Personal tragedy struck in 1986, when Strait’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car accident. (Strait’s son, George Jr., affectionately known as “Bubba,” was born in 1981.) When Strait won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards that year—for the second year in a row—he accepted it in Jenifer’s memory.
By 1990, the year Strait won his second consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year award, country’s ranks had swelled with many young “hat acts” who dressed like Strait, but few were able to mimic his keen blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. As evidence of his staying power, his blockbuster hit “Love Without End, Amen” topped the charts for five weeks.
Strait hit the big screen in 1992 with Pure Country, a film in which he played a disillusioned country star named Dusty Chandler. The soundtrack of the same name became Strait’s biggest seller to date, yielding the #1 hits “I Cross My Heart” and the album opener “Heartland.”
Although Strait seldom wrote songs until well into his hitmaking career, he has relied on the cream of the tunesmith crop throughout the years, including stalwart Whitey Shafer and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Dean Dillon. In recent years, Strait has leaned on the talents of singer-songwriters Jim Lauderdale and Aaron Barker. He has also recorded several songs co-written by his son, Bubba.
Setting Records and Staying in the Spotlight
Strait’s career continued undiminished in the late 1990s and beyond. In 1995, he celebrated his fifteenth year as a recording artist by releasing a boxed-set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box, which flew out of stores in unprecedented numbers.
One year later, the CMA presented him with the Single of the Year award for “Check Yes or No,” as well as the awards for Album of the Year (Blue Clear Sky) and Male Vocalist of the Year. Strait won another CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award and another CMA Album of the Year award (Carrying Your Love with Me) in 1997. The next year, he kicked off the George Strait Country Music Festival, a nationwide, multi-artist tour sponsored by Nokia and Chevy Trucks, and released yet another best-selling album, One Step at a Time. He released Always Never the Same in 1999 and followed in 2000 with George Strait, which showcased his hit single “Go On.”
Strait has continued his winning streak into the twenty-first century with albums including the technologically experimental The Road Less Traveled (2001), 2005’s Somewhere Down in Texas, Twang (2009), 2011’s Here for a Good Time, and 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine. In 2008, he won the CMA’s Single of the Year award, for “I Saw God Today,” and the organization’s Album of the Year award, for Troubadour, released earlier that year. In 2013, Strait was again named CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Strait’s musical consistency and unadorned performing style continue to make him as one of American music’s most popular artists. He has earned forty-four #1 Billboard country hits, more than any other artist, and ranks third—behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles—among artists with the most gold- and platinum-certified albums.
Although Strait announced that he would be retiring from touring in 2014, he continues to perform in Las Vegas and occasionally at large venues in other cities.
—Chrissie Dickinson
Adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music, published by Oxford University Press | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 1 | 58 | https://musicrow.com/2024/05/tom-foote-longtime-road-manager-for-george-strait-passes/ | en | Tom Foote, Longtime Road Manager For George Strait, Passes | [
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] | 2024-05-01T16:39:46+00:00 | Longtime road manager for George Strait, Tom Foote, has passed away. His passing tragically [...] | en | MusicRow.com | https://musicrow.com/2024/05/tom-foote-longtime-road-manager-for-george-strait-passes/ | Longtime road manager for George Strait, Tom Foote, has passed away. His passing tragically comes a little over a month after Strait and his band suffered two losses on the same day when his longtime manager Erv Woolsey and his fiddle and mandolin player Gene Elders both died.
Foote first met Strait back in 1975 when his band posted a flyer looking for a singer at Southwest Texas State University. Strait, an agriculture major just back from a stint serving in the Army, auditioned, and the rest is history. The band became Strait’s Ace In The Hole Band and he and Foote became lifelong friends and business partners. As former drummer for the band, Foote transitioned to Strait’s tour manager in 1983.
“We were a bunch of kids back then,” Foote told the Lexington Herald Leader in 2010. “I was 23 and I think George was 24, maybe. We were playing local beer joints and dance halls and really did that for the better part of six years until he got his record deal with MCA. In fact, until George had his record deal, we had never played outside of Texas. It was a really great time. Some of my favorite memories were when we first started.”
Foote had other ties to the music business as well. His uncle was writer Horton Foote, best known for his screenplays for To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies.
“We lost another one of our good friends and a huge part of our musical journey yesterday,” Strait wrote on Instagram about the loss of his dear friend. “Tom Foote, our one-time drummer and long-time road manager for around 48 years, suddenly passed away at his home after our rehearsal. The band and I were with him most of the afternoon and he was great. Just doing what he loved to do which was making sure we were taken care of. 2024 is taking its toll on the Ace in the Hole group. We’re all heartbroken to say the least. Rest in peace brother Tom. You will be hugely missed. I’ll see you down the road amigo.”
Funeral arrangements for Foote have not yet been announced. | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 14 | https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/george-strait | en | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | [
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] | null | [] | 2022-12-01T22:08:33+00:00 | en | /images/favicon.ico | Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/george-strait | George Strait’s name has become synonymous with “real country.” The Texas traditionalist is one of the most successful, enduring, and influential recording artists in any field.
Early Life in Texas
Strait grew up in Pearsall, Texas. His parents divorced when he was still in grade school, and Strait and his older brother, Buddy, were raised by their father, John Strait, a junior high school math teacher. The boys learned ranching early on, helping on the family’s 2,000-acre spread.
Strait didn’t listen much to country music growing up; rather, he was inspired by mid-1960s British Invasion rock groups and joined several garage bands in high school. He eloped after graduation with his longtime sweetheart, Norma, then signed up for a stint in the Army.
While stationed in Hawaii, Strait found his true calling: country music. In 1973, he auditioned for and won the role of singer in a country band on base. He absorbed the music of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, and Haggard’s tribute album to the legendary Bob Wills, A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills), was instrumental in turning Strait in the direction of western swing.
Back home, Strait enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos) to pursue a degree in agriculture, but by then he was also seriously considering a music career. He hooked up with the Ace in the Hole band, kept an extensive regional performance schedule, and recorded several singles on the D Records label. Despite club success, however, several trips to Nashville failed to drum up interest in Strait as a major-label prospect.
Strait to Nashville
During one fortuitous club appearance, club owner and former record promotion man Erv Woolsey liked what he heard. In 1981, Woolsey helped Strait sign with MCA, and he remained Strait’s behind-the-scenes advocate before eventually taking on the role of full-time manager.
Strait arrived in Nashville just as the Urban Cowboy movement was in full swing. His first honky-tonk missive, 1981’s “Unwound,” went to #6 on the Billboard charts. The accompanying album, Strait Country, helped to increase hardcore country airplay on many radio stations.
Much of modern country music includes pop sounds, but Strait consistently draws from both the western swing and the honky-tonk traditions of his native Texas. As a vocalist, he proved a masterful interpreter: while his Texas accent came through, he avoided over-the-top twang and flashy fillips in favor of subtle phrasing. Through his love of Haggard, he developed both the evocative nuance of Lefty Frizzell and the smooth, crooning shadings of Bing Crosby and Perry Como.
Strait began his long reign at the top of the charts, and subsequent Top Ten hits displayed his range. Although his roots were in Texas dancehall music, he also proved he had a way with pop-influenced tunes, typified by “If You’re Thinking You Want a Stranger (There’s One Coming Home)” (#3, 1982), and smooth ballads, as shown in his performance of “Marina Del Rey” (#6, 1983). His #1 hits included his cover of the Bob Wills staple “Right or Wrong” (1984), the sly “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (1987), and the western swing of “Am I Blue” (1987). Albums such as 1984’s Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind emphasized Strait’s ongoing debt to western swing and honky-tonk.
A Tragic Loss, a Movie Role, and Some Important Songwriters
Personal tragedy struck in 1986, when Strait’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car accident. (Strait’s son, George Jr., affectionately known as “Bubba,” was born in 1981.) When Strait won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards that year—for the second year in a row—he accepted it in Jenifer’s memory.
By 1990, the year Strait won his second consecutive CMA Entertainer of the Year award, country’s ranks had swelled with many young “hat acts” who dressed like Strait, but few were able to mimic his keen blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. As evidence of his staying power, his blockbuster hit “Love Without End, Amen” topped the charts for five weeks.
Strait hit the big screen in 1992 with Pure Country, a film in which he played a disillusioned country star named Dusty Chandler. The soundtrack of the same name became Strait’s biggest seller to date, yielding the #1 hits “I Cross My Heart” and the album opener “Heartland.”
Although Strait seldom wrote songs until well into his hitmaking career, he has relied on the cream of the tunesmith crop throughout the years, including stalwart Whitey Shafer and fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member Dean Dillon. In recent years, Strait has leaned on the talents of singer-songwriters Jim Lauderdale and Aaron Barker. He has also recorded several songs co-written by his son, Bubba.
Setting Records and Staying in the Spotlight
Strait’s career continued undiminished in the late 1990s and beyond. In 1995, he celebrated his fifteenth year as a recording artist by releasing a boxed-set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box, which flew out of stores in unprecedented numbers.
One year later, the CMA presented him with the Single of the Year award for “Check Yes or No,” as well as the awards for Album of the Year (Blue Clear Sky) and Male Vocalist of the Year. Strait won another CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award and another CMA Album of the Year award (Carrying Your Love with Me) in 1997. The next year, he kicked off the George Strait Country Music Festival, a nationwide, multi-artist tour sponsored by Nokia and Chevy Trucks, and released yet another best-selling album, One Step at a Time. He released Always Never the Same in 1999 and followed in 2000 with George Strait, which showcased his hit single “Go On.”
Strait has continued his winning streak into the twenty-first century with albums including the technologically experimental The Road Less Traveled (2001), 2005’s Somewhere Down in Texas, Twang (2009), 2011’s Here for a Good Time, and 2019’s Honky Tonk Time Machine. In 2008, he won the CMA’s Single of the Year award, for “I Saw God Today,” and the organization’s Album of the Year award, for Troubadour, released earlier that year. In 2013, Strait was again named CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Strait’s musical consistency and unadorned performing style continue to make him as one of American music’s most popular artists. He has earned forty-four #1 Billboard country hits, more than any other artist, and ranks third—behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles—among artists with the most gold- and platinum-certified albums.
Although Strait announced that he would be retiring from touring in 2014, he continues to perform in Las Vegas and occasionally at large venues in other cities.
—Chrissie Dickinson
Adapted from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Encyclopedia of Country Music, published by Oxford University Press | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 43 | https://www.2ndmaw.marines.mil/Units/MAG-26/VMM-261/ | en | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing > Units > MAG | [
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Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (HMR) 261, the "Raging Bulls", was activated on 5 April, 1951 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. Throughout its history, the squadron has carried the tail code of "EM" on its aircraft.
In 1954, the squadron moved from Cherry Point to MCAS New River. Two years later, it was redesignated Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Light) (HMR(L)) to reflect the acquisition of HUS helicopters to replace its HRS-1 helicopters. The squadron was, during this period, the first helicopter squadron to conduct troop lifts on the East coast. In 1959, the Bulls deployed to Okinawa, Japan before returning to New River the next year.
The squadron returned to Japan in 1961 and received its designation as Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261. By that time the Bulls were flying the H-34 helicopter. In 1963, the Bulls were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 16, based in DaNang, Republic of Vietnam. During their time at DaNang, HMM-261 conducted combat operations and delivered troops and supplies throughout the operating area. Over 80 Bulls received Air Medals for actions during this tour in Vietnam. In 1964, the squadron deployed aboard the USS Valley Forge as part of the Ready Landing Force in the Western Pacific, and was afterwards shore-based at MCAS Futenma, Okinawa. Following an active West PAC tour, HMM-261 returned to New River.
The squadron returned to Vietnam a year later for the second of three eventual tours. During this tour and the subsequent tour in 1965-1966, the Bulls operated from DaNang, Marble Mountain, ChuLai, and the USS Valley Forge. The squadron continued to fly the H-34 helicopter throughout both tours, and participated in several major offensives including: OPERATIONS DOUBLE EAGLE, UTAH, NEVADA, TEXAS, and HOT SPRINGS.
Throughout the 1965-1966 tour, the Bulls flew over 11,589 combat hours, 38,090 combat sorties, transported 47,522 troops into combat and 2,315 wounded. Many of the aircraft were shot up during troop insertions. The helicopters were hit 273 times. Because of their actions, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Award (1st MAW) and the Navy Unit Commendation. Many of the pilots also received awards for their heroism which included the Navy Cross, Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medals, Bronze Stars, Navy Commendations, Purple Hearts and Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry.
In 1966 the Bulls came home to New River again. During the late 1960's the squadron accepted their first brand-new CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter. Throughout the 1970's, the Bulls participated in various training exercises in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean regions. It was during this time that the squadron added to their nickname and became the "Raging Bulls".
In 1982, the Raging Bulls deployed to Beirut, Lebanon. In October 1982, the squadron was about to be deployed again to Beirut, but was diverted to the Caribbean for the invasion of Grenada, code-named OPERATION URGENT FURY. There, the squadron provided assault support during the initial landings and subsequent operations ashore. Two AH-1 Cobras were shot down and three squadron pilots killed during the invasion. Two CH-46 helicopters were also shot down. Several hundred American students received their rides to safety aboard Raging Bull aircraft. Following this operation, HMM-261 deployed to war-ravaged Beirut. While stationed off Beirut, the squadron conducted missions in support of the 22D Marine Amphibious Unit ashore following the bombing of the Marine Barracks, and flew over 800 American and Lebanese citizens to safety.
From 1983-1990, the Raging Bulls continued to make Mediterranean cruises as part of Marine Amphibious Units (MAU), and later Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU). In 1990, while part of a 22D MEU, the squadron took part in OPERATION SHARP EDGE which consisted of the evacuation and protection of American citizens in Liberia. In January 1991, following a quick turnaround in New River, the squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia for OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. With the ground war in full swing, the Raging Bulls flew numerous medevac and assault support missions in support of 2D Marine Division. The squadron returned home to New River in April 1991.
In October 1992, the squadron deployed as the aviation combat element (ACE) of 22D MEU. During this deployment, the squadron was part of OPERATION PROVIDE PROMISE. The Bulls assumed primary search and rescue (SAR) responsibility of all United Nations flights flying relief into war-torn Sarajevo. The Bulls remained at sea for 66 consecutive days on 24 hour alert. The Bulls returned back to the New River in April.
The squadron once again chopped to 22D MEU in October 1994. During this deployment, the Bulls returned to the Adriatic Sea and supported OPERATIONS DENY FLIGHT and PROVIDE PROMISE. Once again, they assumed primary SAR responsibility for all United Nations flights flying into the former Yugoslavia. The Bulls would return home that following April.
In November 1996, the squadron was attached to 22D MEU for a Landing Force 6th Fleet (LF6F) Mediterranean Sea deployment. Pre-deployment training took the squadron from New River to Charleston, South Carolina, Fort Eustis, Virginia, and several times to the USS KEARSARGE off the Onslow County coast. Following this, the squadron and the MEU were declared Special Operations Capable (SOC) and ready for the deployment.
In April 1997, HMM-261 (REIN) departed for LF6F 97-2 two weeks early to be on station in preparation for a pending Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in the country of Zaire, leaving behind a detachment of (4) CH-46's and (2) UH-1N's to board the USS Ponce (LPD- 15). The 22D MEU Forward, which included HMM-261(REIN) Det. A, departed on time and entered the Mediterranean Sea to cover the 22D MEU's commitments. During the deployment, the main body of the 22D MEU participated in two major operations: OPERATION GUARDIAN RETRIEVAL, operating out of Brazzaville, Congo; and OPERATION NOBLE OBELISK, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, which resulted in the evacuation of more than 2,500 American citizens and foreign nationals. Meanwhile, HMM-261 (REIN)'s Detachment A participated in OPERATION SILVER WAKE in Tirana, Albania while still managing to conduct nine joint exercises with nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. HMM-261 returned to New River in October of 1997.
A year later, HMM-261 would be called upon to help provide hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. The squadron returned later that month to prepare for their next deployment. In September of 1999, HMM-261 was forced to move their aircraft to Norfolk to avoid Hurricane Fran. The squadron returned on the heels of the hurricane in order to complete their on-load for deployment with 22D MEU. Their first exercise was BRIGHT STAR in Egypt, where the squadron participated in the largest multinational exercise since the Gulf War. Two months later, they traveled to Israel to be on stand-by for contingency operations into the former Republic of Yugoslavia. HMM-261 returned in March of 2000 where they would prepare for their next deployment in 2002.
In February 2002, HMM-261 (REIN) once again embarked aboard ARG (Amphibious Ready Group) shipping in support of LF6F. Exercises to prepare for further operations in the 5th Fleet became the priority early in the deployment. The squadron Harriers participated in OPERATION INFINITE ANVIL while the ARG participated in exercises in the Horn of Africa. A permanent detachment of squadron aircraft aboard the USS Trenton participated in Exercise Sea Eagle while also sharing a milestone by making the LPDs 50,000 Class A mishap free landing.
Early in June 2002, the 22D MEU prepared for a NEO in Pakistan due to the increased tension between Pakistan and India. It was called upon again the next month to conduct operations in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Once off the coast of Pakistan, the MEU continued to plan for interdiction operations in Afghanistan. Concurrently, AV-8s flew the MEUs first reconnaissance flights over the country. Advanced parties were dispatched into Pakistan to conduct liaison with host nation agencies. In August, the ARG transited the Suez Canal bound for North Carolina.
The year 2003 brought about pre-deployment planning for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II, as well as administrative and logistical preparations for Desert Talon at MAWTS-1 Yuma, Arizona. Upon completion of Desert Talon in January 2004, HMM-261 embarked aboard the USS BATAAN, which carried the squadron and its assets to the Middle East. Upon arriving in the Persian Gulf, HMM 261 flew into First Marine Expeditionary Forces Area of Operation, where it was attached to the Third Marine Air Wing at Marine Corps Air Station, Al Asad.
While in Iraq, HMM-261 was fully engaged in various operations in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II. The squadron continued to perform direct support missions in the form of Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC), Command and Control (C&C) standby, general support, re-supply, troop movements, VIP lifts and Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP)/Quick Reaction Force (QRF) during the day and night. In September 2004, HMM-261 returned to MCAS, New River, where it was attached to Marine Aircraft Group 29. During the deployment, HMM-261 successfully completed over 2,000 Aviation Support Requests (ASRs), transported 8,358 passengers and 815,274 lbs of cargo, flew 3,058.2 hours and executed 1,941 sorties, with zero combat casualties or loss of any aircraft.
HMM-261 joined 22D MEU early in May to begin their pre-deployment training. In step with MEU and SOTG Planning, the Bulls reshaped their work-up training with the CENTCOM Theater Planning guidance. The focus was re-prioritized from traditional MEU (SOC) Mission Essential Task Lists (METL) to include stability and combat operations in Iraq, a focus on Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) and Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS). With this, the squadron preemptively conducted multiple exercises rehearsing the R2P2 process. This was followed by the MEU (SOC) workshop where the MEU defined its planning process. Immediately following the MEU (SOC) workshop, the Bulls conducted an extensive two-week Raid Training Package with 1st Battalion 2d Marines, flying multiple full mission profile raids.
During June and July, the squadrons operational tempo increased with multiple MEU exercises. In June, the squadron sent aircrew detachments to Fort A.P. Hill and Expeditionary Strike Group Interoperability Exercise (ESGINT) aboard the USS NASSAU. In July, the squadron completed VBSS training. During the course, the squadron practiced inserting the Maritime Special Purpose Force aboard ships. Two weeks after VBSS, the Raging Bulls headed to Savannah, Georgia for Training in an Urban Environment Exercise (TRUEX). With ACE support, the MSPF received their certification, a highly unusual accomplishment so early in the work-up training cycle.
The peak of the training cycle came in August. Returning from TRUEX, the squadron had one week to prepare and embark aboard the USS NASSAU for the Expeditionary Strike Group Exercise (ESGEX). The Raging Bulls finished their pre-deployment training early in October with the completion of CERTEX. Overall, the 22D MEU had far exceeded their expectations. An SOTG evaluator described this as one of the best MEU work-ups seen. On November 8, 2005 HMM-261 (REIN) began their deployment.
The squadron spent twenty six days aboard the USS NASSAU before they arrived off the coast of Kuwait. On December 20th, HMM -261 (REIN) began its offload to Al Asad, Iraq. The fly-in took four days. Three days after their arrival, the Raging Bulls began to impact combat operations in Iraq by flying Assault Support, Close Air Support, Armed Reconnaissance, and Escort Missions.
Within the first four days of combat operations, the Raging Bulls would fly 454 hours and 273 sorties. The squadron conducted 194 Assault Support Requests (ASR) and 23 Joint Tactical Air Requests (JTAR). Flying both day and night, missions were conducted from the western border of Iraq to Baghdad. The squadrons fixed wing and attack helicopter assets were responsible for Convoy Escort, Armed Reconnaissance, Close Air Support and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). The assault aircraft lifted 623 passengers and 76,600 lbs of cargo. With the pilots collective experience from previous deployments in Iraq, the Bulls made a rapid transition from theater familiarization to combat operations.
The Raging Bulls were relentless, pressing forward into the New Year. From January 1st until February 18th 2006, the squadron flew over 2,700 combined combat hours for all type model series (T/M/S). Over 4,700 passengers and 290,000 lbs of cargo were transported during this period.
With experience gained during the MEU work-ups, the squadron was able to fly any assigned mission with complete integration of all T/M/S. A mission of note occurred in January. A total of 11 aircraft were used in a helo raid to capture insurgents. The result of the mission was nine terrorist captured that had been linked with the production of IEDs that had been used around the local area. The Bulls were able to execute this mission flawlessly during a low light level night in austere weather conditions.
Along with their ability to provide fully integrated raid packages, the Bulls also displayed proficient skills in its ability to strike back at anti-coalition forces. The AV-8Bs provided Close Air Support which saved Marines lives. Marines had been under fire from a position inside a soccer stadium in Ramadi. This forced them to seek cover and suppressed their ability to observe. After the AV-8Bs conducted strafing runs and a Precision Guided Missile (PGM) strike on the stadium all actions by the enemy stopped.
On February 18th, 2006, the squadron ended combat operations and began preparing for the backload onto the USS NASSAU. The squadron completed its second tour in Iraq with no loss of life or aircraft. HMM-261(REIN)s two months time in Iraq made a difference in the II MEF AO. They provided relief for Second Marine Air Wings squadrons and most importantly supported the efforts of II Marine Expeditionary Force making its second tour a definite success.
On March 24th 2006, 22D MEU and the HMM-261(REIN) began IMAGE NAUTILUS in Djibouti. This exercise was vital as it gave the squadron an opportunity to get a great deal of initial training done for its junior pilots. Concurrent with squadron training, the squadron supported the MEU by providing standby CASEVAC. All training was flown from the ship, which required a great deal of coordination. Initial training flights were done for paraops, forward air controllers, defensive measures against fixed and rotary wing, air to air combat, Terrain Flight (TERF) instructors, TERF externals, HAC checks, and section/division lead checks. With the conclusion of the exercise, the Raging Bulls had completed 74 initial T&R training flights.
Following IMAGE NAUTILUS, the Raging Bulls began to travel eastward towards home. They made a stop in Palma, Spain to enjoy well deserved liberty. On May 1st 2006, the Bulls finally arrived off the coast of North Carolina. On the 3rd of May 2006, the Bulls were reunited with loved ones and family completing another successful deployment.
After returning from well deserved leave the Raging Bulls spent the next several months preparing for their upcoming chop to the 22D Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) planned for January 2007. In April of 2007 HMM-261 completed their first exercise aboard the USS Kearsarge. As the Raging Bulls continued their work ups for the 22D MEU they departed for Fort Picket Virginia for Marine Special Operations Capable Deployment Certification and Training in a Realistic Urban Environment Exercise. In June of 2007, HMM-261 (REIN) prepared for its final MEU PTP exercise, Certification Exercise (CERTEX). The first day of August 2007 marked the departure of the squadron on its deployment with the 22D MEU Special Operations Capable (SOC) for the transit across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean Sea. As the USS Kearsarge made its way into the Mediterranean Sea they sailed into Malta on 15 August for its first port call of the deployment. Following the port call in Malta the squadron conducted multiple operations in Djibouti and Kuwait. In September 2007 multiple Fragmentary Orders (FRAGs) were completed in support of the 22D MEU as well as a three day Assault Support mission into Bucca, Iraq in support of Army Central Command. During the mission, the squadron launched multiple waves of CH-46E sections to and from the Bucca Detention Facility.
In October after sailing south to the Port of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, the USS Kersarge docked and began a much anticipated port call. On 1 November, the squadrons main body sailed southwest towards the coast of Somalia to participate in anti-piracy operations. On 15 November, after completing its final three days of armed reconnaissance missions in support of Operation BOW SPIRIT, the ACE main body on the USS Kearsarge was tasked to proceed east towards Bangladesh and began its support of Operation SEA ANGEL II, which consisted of humanitarian aid missions in order to provide food, water, blankets and medical supplies to the Bangladesh citizens affected by Tropical Cyclone Sidr. During Operation SEA ANGEL II, the squadron was able to move 378,420 pounds of food and supplies and transport 765 passengers. On 2 December the squadron main body was relieved by the 11th MEU that marked the end of humanitarian operations for the 22D MEU.
Following the relief in place, HMM-261 (REIN) sailed toward the Suez Canal marking the transition from Fifth Fleet to Sixth Fleet. After a short port call in Haifa, Israel the USS Kearsarge anchored off the coast of Israel in preparation for support of HMX-1 and the President of the United States. After three days of support the USS Kearsarge sailed west towards the Straits of Gibraltar destined for Rota, Spain. While in Rota, the Marines of the 22D MEU and ACE washed all transport containers, vehicles and equipment as well as enjoyed a four day port call which would be their last port call of the deployment. Upon completion of the wash down and port call in Spain the ship sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean. The squadron disembarked the 22D MEU and all ACE aircraft, personnel and equipment between 27 and 31 January 2008.
February and March of 2008 proved to be busy months while squadron began post deployment leave and prepared the squadron spaces for its re-designation as VMM-261. On 11 April HMM-261 commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James G. Flynn was designated as VMM-261 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Anthony J. Bianca. A significant personnel shift occurred during the remainder of this month. Non-transitioning aircrew and maintainers commenced the checkout process and personnel transitioning to the new platform were sent to VMMT-204 for training. In August 2008 the squadron prepared for the influx of personnel, new furniture and its first MV-22 Osprey. On 23 October VMM-261 conducted their first operational flight. The focus for the remainder of 2008 was to support the fall Weapons Tactics Instructor Course.
During the early months of 2009 the squadron began ramping up operations for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Ground training and individual pilot qualifications were a major focus leading up to the deployment for training aboard Navy Auxiliary Field (NAF) El Centro, California. The squadron spent 6 weeks at NAF El Centro working on pre-deployment training as well as participating in Enhanced Mojave Viper (EMV). During EMV the squadron participated in Ground Air Integrated Training (GAIT) 1/2/3/4, Clear Hold Build (CHB) II, CHB III and Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) exercises. Upon completion of EMV the squadron completed: two night systems instructors, five personnel high light level qualified and one tiltrotor aircraft commander (TAC).
On November 5th the main body of VMM-261 departed for Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. After only two short weeks of general support tasking, the Bulls took part in their first named operation. The Marines of Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan launched OPERATION COBRAS ANGER in the first part of December with an early morning insert. VMM-261 provided two aircraft for the mission and inserted 80 Recon Marines into multiple landing zones in vicinity of the town of Now Zad. The entire air package included AV-8s, AH-1Ws, UH-1Ys, CH-53Es and a KC-130.
The squadron continued to support COBRAS ANGER throughout December. During that time the squadron participated in a raid in support of Recon Marines and Afghan National Army Commandos in the town of Bar Now Zad. VMM-261 provided all four assault support aircraft for the mission. The air package was nearly the same as the previous mission near Now Zad.
December proved only to be the tip of the iceberg as the squadron settled into a very demanding and fast-paced working stride. During routine tasking in the middle of January, the Bulls responded to an immediate air support request from Third Battalion Fourth Marines, which were taking enemy fire in the vicinity of Bar Now Zad. The Bulls inserted a quick reaction force and carried three casualties from the insert location. The squadron executed another immediate air support request later that evening inserting 30 Marines from Now Zad to an area heavy with enemy contact.
Later that month, VMM-261 participated in Operation FAS LANDEY by launching a four-ship division. The Ospreys inserted two waves of Marines from Fourth Light Armored Reconnaissance and 4th Reconnaissance Battalion. Toward the end of January, the Bulls also inserted Marines from India Company Third Battalion Fourth Marines in the vicinity of Buji Bhast and Black Pass in order to conduct ongoing patrols and resupply.
In February the squadron lifted numerous very important persons (VIPs) starting with General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps and Sergeant Major Carlton W. Kent, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, throughout the area of operations for familiarization flights. In the middle of the month, the squadron inserted General Stanley A. McChrystal, Commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command along with 28 members of the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior into a forward operating base in vicinity of Marjeh. The Bulls wrapped up the month of February flying Karl W. Eikenberry, United States Ambassador to Afghanistan from Camp Bastion to Lashkar Gah.
In early March the squadron lifted the Honorable Mr. Robert M. Gates, United States Secretary of Defense. The first named operation of the month was in support of Operation SADDLE HORN. VMM-261 inserted members from the Afghan National Army and Special Operations Task Force to a landing zone in vicinity of Shingazi. The purpose of this mission was to clear an enemy safe-haven south of Marjeh. Later in the month the squadron lifted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen from Kabul to a landing zone in the heart of Marjeh and then onto Patrol Base Wilson. After a short stay at Patrol Base Wilson the Bulls moved him once more to Camp Nathan Smith, a forward operating base in the vicinity of Kandahar.
Toward the beginning of April the Bulls participated in Operation MELMASTYA which consisted of multiple VIP movements between Zaranj and Farah. Later in the month VMM-261 participated in OPERATION LIONS PREY, a three ship-tactical insert of approximately 60 Marines to a landing zone in the vicinity of Safaar Bazaar.
May was marked with new beginnings for the Raging Bulls as they conducted a change of command early in the month. On 5 May, the Marines of VMM-261 conducted a change of command, at which, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony J. Bianca relinquished command to Lieutenant Colonel Ivan G. Thomas. The majoity of the month was dedicated to VIP and general support tasking. Later in the month, the squadron supported Operation LITHIUM from 28-31 May. The operation consisted of multiple inserts and extracts to unimproved landing zones in close proximity to both the Pakistani and Iranian borders, in order to collect soil samples of the area. VMM-261 provided assault support for members from a United States Geological Survey Team as well as Marines of 3rd Recon Battalion. Other players participating in the mission were VMFA-232, a section of FA-18s, and armed intelligence surveillance reconnaissance. The purpose of the operation was to locate lithium ore for the Afghan people to exploit to aid the stabilization of their economy.
Overall the squadron participated in over 30 named operations, flew 2,853 hours, and moved over 24,900 passengers and 800,000 pounds of cargo. The Raging Bulls were given the chance to demonstrate the versatility of the MV-22 by flying missions as far north as Bagram, followed by a trip to the eastern and western board of Afghanistan all in the same day. Many missions of note were many trips into Marjeh as well as buildup of coalition forces along the Sangin River Valley to include the Kajaki Dam. During many of these missions the Bulls took fire with minor damages and continued their mission. As the Bulls continued to support Operation Enduring Freedom they proved to be a valuable asset to 3D MAW (FWD). The Raging Bulls returned home to MCAS New River, NC on 15 July 2010 and they look forward to their next big challenge. | ||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 3 | 57 | https://www.milwaukeetool.com/ | en | Milwaukee® Tool Official Site | [
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] | null | [] | null | Milwaukee Tool is the most respected manufacturer of heavy-duty power tools, hand tools, instruments, and accessories. | en | /img/Foundation/Theming/MilwaukeeTool/global/favicon.ico | https://www.milwaukeetool.com | Modular Storage System
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8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 5 | https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-band-name-george-straits-ace-in-the-hole-band/ | en | Behind the Band Name: George Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band | [
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"Cillea Houghton"
] | 2023-07-08T01:30:00+00:00 | George Strait wouldn't sound the same without his longtime backing band, Ace in the Hole Band. Learn how the band came to be. | en | American Songwriter | https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-band-name-george-straits-ace-in-the-hole-band/ | George Strait wouldn’t sound the same without his longtime backing band, Ace in the Hole Band. While many may think that Strait hired the band, it was actually the other way around. Strait originally started off as the band’s lead singer before he embarked on a solo career in country music, bringing the band along with him for the ride.
Meaning Behind the Band Name
It all started in Strait’s native Texas in the town of San Marcos in the 1970s. This proved to be a central location for the original band members – lead singer Jay Dominguez, lead guitarist Ron Cabal, steel guitarist Mike Daily, bassist Terry Hale and drummer Tommy Foote – as they all met as students at what’s now called Texas State University. After Dominguez and Foote left the band after graduating in 1975, the band resorted to finding new members by posting an ad around campus. Strait, who was an agricultural science major at the time, responded to the ad and was hired after his audition as their new lead singer.
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The band was originally named Stoney Ridge, but Strait changed the name to Ace in the Hole Band. They made their debut with the new iteration at Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos in October 1975 where they became a regular act, according to Texas State University’s archive, Texas Music History Online.
Strait started taking singing seriously while he was serving in the Army from 1971 to 1975. “I was in the service and for some reason, I got it in me that I could sing,” he explained in an early career interview with KXIX-TV in Victoria, Texas. “I thought that I could possibly make a career out of singing. I was in the Army at the time, I was stationed in Hawaii. I went and bought a guitar, I started learning songs and learned enough where I could get a band together and did that. The last year I was in the service, that’s what I did for the Army was sing country music.”
After Strait signed his first record deal in 1981, he quickly became one of the genre’s biggest acts when he scored five consecutive No. 1 hits: “A Fire I Can’t Put Out,” “You Look So Good in Love,” “Right or Wrong,” “Let’s Fall to Pieces Together” and “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.” This led to lineup changes in the group as they became his backing band on tour, including Foote becoming the singer’s road manager. Foote was replaced on drums by Roger Montgomery. Piano player Rondal Huckaby also joined, along with Rick McRae replacing Cabal on lead guitar and fellow guitarist Benny McArthur, and Gene Elders on fiddle.
In 1989, Strait released “Ace in the Hole,” which became his 18th No. 1 single. The band suffered a tragic loss with the death of Mike Kennedy, who was the drummer from 1991 until he died in a car accident in 2018. Cabal was also tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident in Austin, Texas, in 1996.
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ATLive | |||||
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] | null | [] | null | null | George Strait "King of Country" is one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
King George brings the music of George Strait to you with the sights and sound that make you feel like you are at one of his shows. | ||||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 1 | 0 | https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ace-in-the-hole-band | en | Ace in the Hole Band | [
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] | null | The Handbook of Texas is your number one authoritative source for Texas history. Read this entry and thousands more like it on our site. | en | /images/favicon/apple-touch-icon.png | Texas State Historical Association | https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ace-in-the-hole-band | The Ace in the Hole Band has been country superstar George Strait’s backup band since 1975. The original members, which included George Strait (vocals and guitar), Ron Cabal (lead guitar), Mike Daily (steel guitar), Terry Hale (bass), and drummer Ted Stubblefield (who was replaced early on by Tommy Foote), met while they were students enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University).
The Ace in the Hole Band rose from the ashes of Stoney Ridge, a group that had included Daily, Hale, Cabal, Foote, and vocalist Jay Dominguez. In July 1975 Dominguez left the band, and Foote moved to Houston after graduating from the university. The remaining members began posting flyers across campus to advertise for a new vocalist. George Strait, at the time a young agriculture major, auditioned and was quickly hired as lead singer. The band played its first show as Ace in the Hole on October 13, 1975, at Kent Finlay’s Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos. Ted Stubblefield, who also was a member of Kent Finlay’s group, High Cotton Express, played drums for both bands for a short time. Foote returned to San Marcos to replace Stubblefield by January 1976, and the core Ace in the Hole lineup was formed.
During the mid-1970s Cheatham Street Warehouse provided a particularly fertile environment for the development of such groups as Ace in the Hole. Finlay booked a variety of dynamic young acts including Asleep at the Wheel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alvin Crow, and others, and the bands that played at Cheatham Street often came by on their nights off to listen to each other and engage in a spirit of friendly competition. Ace in the Hole’s main hometown competition at that time was Joe Bob’s Bar and Grill Band, led by Joe Bob Burris, a talented singer-songwriter who continued to perform locally in the early 2000s. Ace in the Hole played nearly every week at Cheatham Street for six years during the mid-to-late 1970s before it broke into the national market in the early 1980s.
From the outset Ace in the Hole played mainly traditional country music, including honky-tonk and western swing, by such artists as Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Johnny Bush, George Jones, and Merle Haggard. In fact, the group had difficulty finding work in Austin venues, which were caught up in the “Progressive Country” movement at the time and had little interest in hiring a more traditional country band.
Around 1976 Mike Daily’s father, Don Daily (son of Pappy Daily, founder of D Records in Houston), decided to record the band. He arranged for the group to go to Doggett Studios in Houston Heights and cut the Dallas Frazier tune “The Honky Tonk Downstairs.” On the flip side was Strait’s own composition, “I Just Can’t Go on Dying Like This.” The single was released to regional radio stations throughout the Southwest, and it received airplay on stations in Houston and Oklahoma. Approximately one year later the band had added Bill Mabry on fiddle, and it recorded the Clay Blaker song “Lonesome Rodeo Cowboy,” along with another Strait tune, “That Don’t Change the Way I Feel About You.” Within a year the band cut Blaker’s “The Loneliest Singer in Town” and another Strait composition, “I Don’t Want to Talk It Over Anymore.” During this session the band also recorded “Right or Wrong” and an instrumental version of “Little Liza Jane.” The three George Strait compositions were later released on the multi-platinum MCA box set George Strait: Strait Out of the Box (1995).
In 1977 Cheatham Street Warehouse owner Kent Finlay, local songwriter Darrell Staedtler, and George Strait drove to Nashville in hopes of making connections for Strait in the Nashville music scene. At the time most Nashville record executives were promoting a pop-oriented country sound and were not interested in Strait’s more traditional approach. Nevertheless, Strait did record several good demos in Nashville and made some initial contacts that would eventually lead to his first record deal.
The most important contact Strait made in Nashville was reconnecting with MCA Records A&R man, Erv Woolsey, who had once owned the Prairie Rose nightclub in San Marcos where Ace in the Hole had performed. Through Woolsey, Strait would later sign his first record deal with MCA in 1981. By 1984 he had become one of the most popular entertainers in country music, and Woolsey left MCA to become Strait’s full-time manager. Strait’s commitment to more traditional country music would revolutionize the mainstream country market and inspire legions of younger “neo-traditional” artists.
The 1980s brought several changes to Ace in the Hole as Strait began touring nationally. In 1983 piano player Rondal Huckaby joined the group, and drummer Roger Montgomery replaced Tommy Foote, who became road manager, a job he continued to hold in 2014. In 1984 Ron Cabal left the band and was replaced by Rick McRae and Benny McArthur on guitars. Fiddler Gene Elders joined the band in 1985, and in 1987 Mike Kennedy became the group’s newest drummer. In 1990 Cabal wrote a book entitled A Honky Tonk Odyssey, My Eight Years with George Strait. Cabal was later killed in 1996 in a hit-and-run accident outside of Austin.
Although Ace in the Hole is primarily George Strait’s touring band, the members also have recorded with Strait in the studio. Perhaps the most notable of their studio recordings was Strait’s 1987 release, “Ocean Front Property,” which was the first country song ever to enter the charts at Number 1. The band members also were featured in Strait’s critically and commercially-acclaimed 1992 movie Pure Country. In 1994 the Ace in the Hole Band recorded a self-titled CD without Strait that featured guest vocalists Darrell McCall and Mel Tillis. The band’s success and solid reputation continued into the 2000s as they maintained a steady touring schedule with Strait, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music in 2009. That same year, in June 2009, Strait and Ace in the Hole headlined the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) in Arlington to an audience of more than 60,000 fans.
In 2013 Strait announced that he was retiring from touring. Strait and the Ace and the Hole Band subsequently embarked on their final tour—“The Cowboy Rides Away” tour. Their last performance took place on June 7, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington before more than 104,000 fans. It was the highest-attended single-show concert in the United States and provided the largest gross in sales. That concert also produced a live album and DVD. Strait won Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association (2013) and Academy of Country Music (2014).
As of 2015 the Ace in the Hole Band included Terry Hale (bass guitar), Mike Daily (steel guitar), Ron Huckaby (keyboards), Rick McRae (lead guitar and fiddle), Benny McArthur (lead guitar and fiddle), Mike Kennedy (drums), Gene Elders (fiddle and mandolin), Joe Manuel (acoustic guitar), John Michael Whitby (keyboards and guitar), and Thom Flora and Marty Slayton Jordan (backup vocals). Tommy Foote served as road manager. The band continued to perform, and some members also played under the name Texas Jamm Band. Mike Daily records and produces other artists and is active in music publishing with Tommy Foote. | ||||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 17 | https://tasteofcountry.com/george-strait-road-manager-tom-foote-dead-dies/ | en | George Strait Mourning Death of Longtime Road Manager | [
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] | 2024-05-01T13:00:19+00:00 | Geoge Strait and the members of his longtime backing band, the Ace in the Hole Band, are mourning another death in their ranks. | en | Taste of Country | https://tasteofcountry.com/george-strait-road-manager-tom-foote-dead-dies/ | Geoge Strait and the members of his longtime backing band, the Ace in the Hole Band, are mourning another death in their ranks. The country icon turned to social media on Tuesday evening (April 30) to share the news that his former drummer and longtime road manager, Tom Foote, has died.
"We lost another one of our good friends and a huge part of our musical journey yesterday," Strait begins his post. "Tom Foote, our one-time drummer and long-time road manager for around 48 years, suddenly passed away at his home after our rehearsal."
Strait and his band have been in rehearsals for his upcoming stadium tour, which begins on May 4 in Indianapolis and includes dates in June, July and December.
"The band and I were with him most of the afternoon and he was great," he adds. "Just doing what he loved to do which was making sure we were taken care of. 2024 is taking its toll on the Ace in the Hole group. We’re all heartbroken to say the least. Rest in peace brother Tom. You will be hugely missed. I’ll see you down the road amigo."
RELATED: In Memoriam: Country Stars Who've Died in 2024
According to Saving Country Music, Foote was the drummer in a band out of San Marcos, Texas, called Stoney Ridge in 1975, when they hired Strait as their new singer. The existing group morphed into his Ace in the Hole Band, and Foote remained as Strait's drummer until 1983, when he left that role and became his road manager. He served in that role until his death.
The devastating loss comes just over a month after Strait and his band suffered two tragic losses on the same day. Strait posted on his social media accounts on March 20 to share the news that his longtime manager, Erv Woolsey, had died. He had been Strait's manager for 45 years.
The following day, on March 21, Strait shared that his fiddle player, Gene Elders, had also died.
"Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day," Strait wrote on social media. "Our Ace in the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv. All of our prayers go out to both families."
Elders' official website states that he had played fiddle and mandolin in Strait's band since 1984, and he also played fiddle in Lyle Lovett's Large Band for 11 years.
Tom Foote's cause of death has not been announced, and funeral plans are not yet public. | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 9 | https://www.pennlive.com/life/2024/03/member-of-legendary-country-music-band-has-died.html | en | Member of legendary country music band has died | [
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] | 2024-03-22T09:00:00.507000+00:00 | No cause of death was reported. | en | /pf/resources/images/pennlive/favicon.ico?d=1375 | pennlive | https://www.pennlive.com/life/2024/03/member-of-legendary-country-music-band-has-died.html | Gene Elders, a longtime fiddle player in Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait’s legendary Ace in the Hole Band, has died.
No cause of death has been reported.
WANT MORE COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS? CLICK HERE.
It was the second heartbreaking death to rock Strait in a day’s time after his manager, Erv Woolsey, also passed away.
“Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day,” Strait posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Our Ace in the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv. All of our prayers go out to both families. We loved him so much.”
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Elders’ website said he played in Strait’s band since 1984. It said he also played in Lyle Lovett’s Large Band for 11 years, and also played on recordings for Joan Baez, Lucinda Williams and Dan Fogelberg.
Fans took to social media following the news to remember Elders.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to watch Gene Elders play that haunting fiddle outro on ‘Amarillo By Morning’ live several times,” one person wrote. “The arena goes dark except for a long spot light on Gene, it sends chills every time. RIP Gene Elders.”
“Today was a devastating day for the Strait camp,” another person wrote. “Our hearts are hurting. Rest in Peace Gene Elders. Rest in Peace Erv Woolsey. We will miss you both.” | ||||
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] | null | [] | null | Hole Rock band For the Record… [1] Selected discography [2] Sources [3] As the late Kurt Cobain was to Nirvana, his widow, Courtney Love [4], is to the rock group Hole, although many critics tend to focus more on her flamboyant personality than on her musicianship. | en | /sites/default/files/favicon.ico | https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/hole | Hole
Rock band
For the Record…
Selected discography
Sources
As the late Kurt Cobain was to Nirvana, his widow, Courtney Love, is to the rock group Hole, although many critics tend to focus more on her flamboyant personality than on her musicianship. Love, the band’s lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist, is truly the image of the “bad girl of rock.” Every interview with her seems to be pockmarked with profanity, though it is profanity eloquently stated. In spite of her outspoken nature, exhibitionist behavior, outrageous appearance, and alleged drug use, she comes off as articulate, intelligent, utterly entertained by the culture she is enmeshed in—and very angry at it, too. With Love as its driving force, Hole has emerged as a provocative mainstay on the rock scene. As Billy Corgan—Smashing Pumpkins singer and Love’s former boyfriend—put it in Entertainment Weekly, “No girl rock band has come close to [Hole’s] fury.”
Hole reportedly takes its name from two sources: Love’s mother’s maxim “You can’t walk around with a big hole inside yourself” and the line “There’s a hole that pierces right through me,” from Greek dramatist Euripides’s
For the Record…
Members include Melissa Auf Der Maur (born March 17, 1972, in Montreal, Canada; joined group 1994), bass; Jill Emery (bandmember 1989-93), bass; Eric Erlandson (founding member; born January 9, 1963, in Los Angeles, CA) guitar; Courtney Love (founding member; born July 9, 1964, in San Francisco, CA; raised in Eugene, OR; daughter of Linda Carroll [a therapist] and Hank Harrison [an author and publisher]; married James Moreland [a musician], 1989 [divorced 1990]; married Kurt Cobain [a musician], 1992 [died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, April 5, 1994]; children: [with Cobain] Frances Bean), vocals, guitar; Kristen Pfaff (joined group 1993; born in 1967; died of a heroin overdose, June 1994), bass; Caroline Rue (bandmember 1989-92) drums; Patty Schemel (born April 24, 1967, in Seattle, WA; joined group mid-1992), drums.
Love formed band with Erlandson, Emery, and Rue in Los Angeles in 1989; relocated to Seattle, WA; released Pretty on the Inside on independent label, Caroline, 1991; band re-formed; released Live Through This, DGC, 1994.
Awards: Gold record for Live Through This, 1994.
Addresses: Record company —David Geffen Company, 9130 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069.
tragedy Medea. The group was formed in Los Angeles in late 1989 after Love sought bandmembers through an ad in the Recycler, an L.A. weekly featuring free ads. She, guitarist Eric Erlandson, bass player Jill Emery, and drummer Caroline Rue went on to record Hole’s debut album, Pretty on the Inside, which was released by independent label Caroline in 1991. While Entertainment Weekly contributor David Browne found Pretty on the Inside “mostly an excuse for Love to throw a musical temper tantrum,” David Fricke, writing in Rolling Stone, deemed the album “a classic of sex-mad self-laceration, hypershred guitars and full-moon brawling.”
After Pretty on the Inside, Hole re-formed, adding drummer Patty Schemel and bass player Kristen Pfaff to original members Love and Erlandson. (Pfaff would die of a heroine overdose in June of 1994.) The band’s second full-length effort, Live Through This, came out in April of 1994, just days after a stunned rock world learned of Cobain’s suicide. Only a few months after its release, the album had sold four times as many copies as Pretty on the Inside, according to Entertainment Weekly
A few critics missed the rawness of Pretty on the Inside when confronted with the more conventional accomplishments of Live Through This. Melody Maker’s Everett True mourned—even while he appreciated—the change. “Hole 1993 are (whisper it) a polished, accomplished rock band, brimming with carefully fashioned hooks and choruses,” he wrote ruefully. Fricke, however, saw progress and noted that Live Through This is “prettier on the outside, with a greater emphasis on crushed-velvet guitar distortions and liquid poppish strumming…. Love and Hole [have] managed to harness the ugliness that drove Pretty on the Inside to a more controlled but still cutting extreme.”
Love seems to spend considerable time honing her image and defending herself against that image. Her self-proclaimed “Kinder-whore look”—”white skin, red lips, blond hair with black roots,” and “either ripped dresses from the thirties or one-size-too-small velvet dresses from the sixties,” as described by Vanity Fair’s Lynn Hirschberg—has proven to be a big hit on the West Coast. In fact, the singer’s unusual style and wild exploits have been sparking frenzied media coverage since the early 1990s. But Love’s background as a stripper, rumors of her alleged heroin use while pregnant with her daughter, coverage of her sometimes stormy marriage to Cobain and their well-publicized trips to detoxification facilities, and finally Cobain’s suicide have all detracted from Hole as a group.
Indeed, with the press so sharply focused on Love, Hole has had a hard time establishing its own identity as a musical unit. Appreciation for the band’s dynamics notwithstanding, it is Love who continues to draw the most attention—for her unabashed sexuality, her distinctive sound, and her reputation as a creative powerhouse. Entertainment Weekly’s Browne characterized Love’s voice as “a thick, reedy instrument that makes her sound like the younger, brattier sister of Johnny Rotten,” and added, “She has charisma and attitude to burn.” Fricke commented: “The sheer force of Love’s corrosive, lunatic wail—not to mention the guitar-drum wrath unleashed in its wake—is impressive stuff.”
Love’s complex personality comes through in her lyrics. Her aspirations are far from casual: the singer-songwriter told Kim Neely of Rolling Stone that she aims “to have some sort of emotional impact that transcends time.” Love has been praised by a number of critics for her honest, insightful, and intelligent lyrics—many autobiographical, and nearly all astute commentary. On “Asking for It” from Live Through This, for instance, she comments on the place of women in today’s culture, stating: “Every time that I sell myself to you / I feel a little bit cheaper than I need to.” Charles Aaron noted in Spin that Love “constantly plays patty-cake with the idea that she deserves everything she gets, good or bad.”
For Fricke and many others, Courtney Love serves as the notorious queen of the perilous world of rock, representing both strength and anger alongside vulnerability. She claims that the influences of female rock pioneers Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde “saved my life,” according to an article by Lorraine Ali in Entertainment Weekly. Fricke stated that even before gaining fame via Cobain, “Love was the scarred beauty … of underground-rock society, a fearless confessor and feedback addict,… part ravaged baby doll, part avenging kamikaze angel. “Newsweek’s Karen Schoemer, however, wrote that Love is “no feminist,” adding, “her rabid quest for attention in any form fulfills too many archaic female stereotypes.”
Schoemer also noted, “There’s only one band that can be credited with turning around the listless course of rock music in the ’90s, and it’s not Hole—it’s Nirvana.” Still, Hole is getting plenty of MTV airplay and Live Through This has gone gold. Furthermore, Spin’s Craig Marks mentioned thatthe band is talking about performing at the 1995 version of the annual alternative rockfest Lollapalooza. To attest to the group’s popularity, Marks also reported on the variety of celebrities that showed up at Hole’s sold-out gig at the Hollywood Palladium, including actress Juliette Lewis and former Beatle Rin-go Starr.
Courtney Love’s still-young biography is disturbingly typical in the world of rock. Her story will forever be written with Kurt Cobain’s. In response to suggestions that she thrives on music-world publicity, Love rhetorically asked Tom Sheehan of Melody Maker, “I saw something I wanted, and I got it…. What is so f—ing bad about getting what you want?” One suspects that she—and Hole, if they can hold on—will continue to get what they want.
Selected discography
Rat Bastard (EP), Sympathy for the Record Industry, 1990.
“Dicknail” (single), Sub Pop, 1991.
Pretty on the Inside, Caroline, 1991.
“Beautiful Son” (single), City Slang, 1993.
Live Through This, DGC, 1994.
Sources
Boston Phoenix, April 8, 1994.
Entertainment Weekly, April 15, 1994; July 8, 1994; August 12, 1994.
Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1994.
Melody Maker, April 3, 1993; July 24, 1993; December 4, 1993; January 29, 1994; February 19, 1994.
Metro Times (Detroit), April 4, 1994.
Newsweek, April 11, 1994; February 6, 1995.
People, May 2, 1994; May 23, 1994; July 4, 1994.
Request, May 1994.
Rolling Stone, December 23, 1993-January 6, 1994; April 21, 1994; June 2, 1994; August 11, 1994; November 3, 1994; November 17, 1994; December 15, 1994.
Spin, May 1994; February 1995.
Vanity Fair, September 1992.
Additional information for this profile was obtained from David Geffen Company publicity materials, 1994.
—Diane Moroff
HOLE
Formed: 1989, Los Angeles, California; Disbanded 2002
Members: Melisssa Auf Der Maur, bass (born Montreal, 17 March 1972); Eric Erlandson, guitar (born Los Angeles, California, 9 January 1963); Courtney Love, vocals, guitar (Love Michelle Harrison, born San Francisco, California, 9 July 1965); Samantha Maloney, drums (born New York, 11 December 1975). Former members: Jill Emery, bass (born Covina, California, late 1960s); Kristen Pfaff, bass (born Amherst, New York, 26 May 1967; died 16 June 1994); Caroline Rue, drums (born San Pedro, California, late 1960s); Patty Schemel, drums (born Seattle, Washington, 28 April 1967).
Genre: Rock
Best-selling album since 1990: Live through This (1994)
Hit songs since 1990: "Doll Parts," "Violet," "Malibu"
Hole, the alternative punk rock band, was largely the vehicle of its lead singer and principal songwriter Courtney Love, one of the most difficult and troubled popular musicians to emerge in the 1990s. Hole gained success with their angry but melodic rock music and with lyrics that vacillated between feminist manifesto and self-destructive melodrama. The band grabbed the spotlight a few weeks after the suicide of Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, the enigmatic lead singer of Nirvana, in April 1994.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1989, Hole's signature sound revolves around Eric Erlandson's distinct raucous guitar playing style, tight rhythms, and Love's emotionally charged singing. By the time of their debut on Caroline Records, Pretty on the Inside (1991), produced by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Hole had developed a following in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. They also gained attention internationally as a riot grrl band known for wedding punk rock's do-it-yourself ethos with the polemics and power of political feminism. Hole, however, did not really make their mark until their major label debut on Geffen Records, mere weeks after Cobain's death.
Hole gained platinum sales with Live through This (1994). In this album Love's lyrics are often aggressive, shouted, and hollered rather than sung. She confronts controversial topics like rape in "Asking for It." She presents a swaggering disturbed bravado in "Miss World," in which she sings "I'm Miss World / Somebody kill me." Another single, "Violet," adapts the sonic structure popularized by Nirvana, with quieter and tension-filled verses building to a furiously loud paroxysm in the chorus. Through her no-holds-barred vocal style, Love did much to legitimize the expression of female anger. Live through This struck a chord with frustrated youth and female fans who empathized with Love's complexity and saw her as a real personality unapologetically capable of expressing the range of female experience.
In between Live through This and their follow-up, Hole toured. Love managed to undergo a Hollywood makeover and appeared in the movie The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996). In 1998, the band released the eagerly awaited Celebrity Skin, a mainstream, slickly produced album of pop tune craft that is markedly less depressing and confrontational than their previous recordings. Despite the polished sheen, or perhaps because of it, Celebrity Skin sold more than 1 million copies and it eventually went platinum. Through their short tenure as a band, Hole endured more than their fair share of drug problems and personality clashes. The band went through several personnel changes, and lost bassist Kristen Pfaff to a heroin overdose in 1996. After Celebrity Skin 's release, their replacement bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur departed to join grunge band Smashing Pumpkins.
When Love and Erlandson mutually agreed to dissolve Hole in 2002, they were the sole remaining original members, mostly because Love dictated the terms of the band's creativity and direction, and Erlandson was agreeable to her whims. In early 2001 Love filed a lawsuit against her label, Universal Music Group, seeking for release from what she termed an unfair recording contract. From 2001 to 2002, Love spent a good portion of her time in court, in a legal wrangling with former Nirvana members over rights to unreleased Nirvana material.
Hole made their mark as an outlet for Love's powerful demons. By promoting unabashed, aggressive guitar playing, the group created a new paradigm for female bands, but not without leaving a succession of lawsuits, controversy, and notoriety behind them.
Spot Light: "Doll Parts"
The hard-rocking, aggression of Live through This (1994) includes a song with which Courtney Love and the riot grrl phenomena came to be associated. Her lyrics are usually straightforward and leave little to the imagination, and in "Doll Parts" Love clearly plays with the ideas of femininity. It is up for debate whether or not she is being ironic when she declares that she is made of doll parts—in essence, that she is not real. Or perhaps she is pointing the finger of blame at a pop culture that focuses so exclusively and reverentially on women's body parts through repeated exposure on television, in films, and in music videos. Either way, "Doll Parts" offers a window into Love's tortured soul. The song marked a turning point; Love sings, "I want to be the girl with the most cake / I love him so much it just turns to hate / I fake it so real I am beyond fake / And someday you will ache like I ache," repeating the lyrics several times until they build to a scream. The song depicts a woman torn between what she wants to be, who she is, and what society expects from her.
SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:
Pretty on the Inside (Caroline, 1991); Live through This (Geffen, 1994); Celebrity Skin (Geffen, 1998).
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
P. Z. Brite, Courtney Love: The Real Story (New York, 1997).
carrie havranek | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 34 | http://www.justarocknrolljunkie.com/ace-von-johnson | en | Faster Pussycat's Ace Von Johnson — Just A Rock N Roll Junkie | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5569c830e4b0e584575755c1/t/55763d8fe4b09e05ac6c6fad/1433812368332/RNJJ_Logo.png?format=1500w | http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5569c830e4b0e584575755c1/t/55763d8fe4b09e05ac6c6fad/1433812368332/RNJJ_Logo.png?format=1500w | [
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] | null | [] | null | Interview | 11/5/16 | en | https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5569c830e4b0e584575755c1/1433812364809-2X4Z2OBWTCUNZPNZADWC/favicon.ico?format=100w | Just A Rock N Roll Junkie | http://www.justarocknrolljunkie.com/ace-von-johnson | Yeah, I get asked about that a lot. Remember that band Jetboy?
Yeah.
Billy Rowe, the guitar player for Jetboy, that is his brand. It's called Rock N Roll Relics and Billy's been "relic-ing" if you will, relic-ing guitars for people for over twenty years. He's done stuff for, fucking name somebody, Joe Perry, Billy Joe from Green Day and he makes his own guitars and a couple years ago he started branding them and he makes really cool shit. It's a deviation of the Gilby Clarke model because it's a singular design but his is a Telecaster-type model. I asked him if he'd done this as a Les Paul and he said he hadn't yet. I said I'd like to commission him to do it as a Les Paul-type guitar for me and sure enough, here we are. He made me that roughly a year ago and it's my favorite guitar. It plays great, it's got David Allen pickups in it, it sounds amazing and the cool thing is it's the coolest guitar I've ever seen and it's mine so fuck it, I'm stoked. It's, more-or-less, one-of-a-kind. He's done the junior version, if you will, the Les Paul junior-type guitar with the double cutaway with no binding as the flag. It's great, it's a great guitar, it plays great and looks killer.
Your red Dean guitar that you were tweeking with earlier but it looked like you got everything in check for the set, are you with Dean?
I am with Dean. Dean's a great company and I'm a really big Pantera and Dimebag (Darrell Abbott) fan and a couple of the other guys that play Dean. I was at an event, I think it was a Monsters Of Rock event and I met Michael Angelo Batio, who may be one of the nicest people I've ever met and he's super sweet and he introduced me to his Dean rep, a guy named John Palumbo and he was also a very sweet guy, super cool, down to earth and we went to this event and John was basically like, "Hey, you're a cool guy and I saw you play with Pussycat, do you want some guitars?" It was that fucking simple. I was like, "Well, I'm not really a pointy guitar guy but...! I've been a fan of the Cadillac model for ten years so, if you could get me one that'd be great." and he was like, "Oh, you only want one?" I was like, "Well, how many do you want to give me?" Long story short, he shipped me two of them within the month, I played them for a while, they're great guitars. I had some issues transporting them because they're so pointy in the headstock, they have that signature V headstock, so he gave me that red Les Paul-style guitar which, I believe, is a Thoroughbred model just so it would fit in my travel cases and it's a great guitar, plays great. I've had some wiring issues as of recent but besides that it's a great guitar. The feel, even the pickups, the tone's pretty good, it's a great guitar. Dean's a great company. I've been with a couple guitar companies over the years and I'm happy to be with Dean for the moment.
What were you playing back in your punk days with Murphy's Law and Cheap Sex?
Always, a Gibson Les Paul. My mom bought me a Gibson junior for my seventeenth birthday which is December 27th and January 1st, five days later, I started my first legitimate band. Actually, four days later, it was a New Years Eve party and within six months I was playing with The Misfits and UK Subs and off I went. I was seventeen and by nineteen I had a record deal and toured the country four times over. So, I've been a Les Paul guy since I was a kid. I think, currently, I own six Gibson Les Pauls, six or seven. I have a storage unit that looks like a Guitar Center threw up. I'm not really sure what I have at this point. Gibsons combined with Epiphones combined with my years with Schecter combined with the several Dean guitars I have and combined with a myriad of other things. I would say, I have thirty-plus guitars in my collection.
A few Ace Von Johnson questions, what are some of your favorite horror movies?
My favorite horror movies?...wow. I will say this and this may make me sound like an asshole but I feel like a lot of people like horror movies or the imagery I should say because it's "cool" and my earliest memories with my old man are watching black and whites. I remember being four years old and watching Creature Walks Among Us and Bride Of Frankenstein and Abbott And Costello Meet The Wolfman and whatever the fuck. House On Haunted Hill which was my Dad's favorite movie when he was a kid. He actually saw that before it was released, at William Castle, the director's, house. He lived down the street from him when he was a kid and the same thing for The Tingler. That shit, to me, is very embedded in my DNA as who I am as a person and on a side note, the fact that I get to do these horror conventions and that some of my friends are people of these movies. I could text Doug Bradley (Hellraiser's Pinhead) right now. That's weird to me but that's cool. That's a benefit of what I do and without sounding like a name dropper, one of my dear, dear closest friends is a guy named Derek Mears. He's a character actor, he's in the show Sleepy Hollow, if you haven't seen it, check it out, it's amazing, he's been a predator in the movies.
The man's been Jason.
Yeah, exactly he was Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13th) in the remakes and he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. He helped me fucking move! That's the kind of friend he is. And, the people I'm a fan of who in turn will come around a say, "Hey, I don't want to be weird but I saw you're playing a show and maybe I could get on the guest list?" and I'm like, "Dude! Yes, whatever you want! Not only are you family but you're like this fucking icon." So, it's a really cool give and take and I'm really grateful for that.
The same thing with music. I got way off topic but where I'm going with this I love horror movies. I'll never not be a fan of horror movies. Newer stuff that I thing was great The Babadook, I think it's the greatest horror movie to come out in the last five years. Scared the shit out of me, I didn't sleep for like two days. I think the last movie to do that to me and kept me awake was The Exorcist when I saw it when I was like eight and The Shining. I've only seen less then a dozen movies that have fucked with me in the last five years. I thought It Follows was really well done and Don't Breathe, I thought was well done You can argue that it's not really a horror movie because it doesn't have a monster or a demon or a ghost but but you can say that about a lot of movies. Like, Cujo is a horror movie but it's about a dog so it just depends on how you spin it.
I'm a classics guy. When people ask me stuff like this I usually ask what genre or what time frame. When we talk about classics, Creature From The Black Lagoon has always been my number one. I was always like, "Man, I can empathize. He just wanted some poontang. [Laughs] He just wanted some chicks, bro." I'm kidding but he was, sort of, misunderstood and then you start fucking with him and he's going to rage. I like obscure Bela Lugosi movies like Black Cat was great, White Zombie, Plan 9 From Outer Space. I did a book report on Ed Wood's biography when I was in eighth grade, it's called Nightmare Of Ecstasy and my teacher, Mrs. McKibben, told me, "I don't believe you, you made this up." and I brought the book in which ironically, I just mentioned the other day to a friend of mine, still had the receipt from like Borders and it's from like '96, as a bookmark in the book. Plan 9 From Outer Space, which is where my obsession with Vampira came from. Even my dog is named after Maila Nurmi, hence her name Maila, which most people don't pick up.
The 70s; Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gunnar Hansen, one of the sweetest people I've ever met. I wouldn't call him a friend but I would call him a really good acquaintance. We talked about dogs a lot, he was a big dog guy, as am I. Couldn't have been a sweeter guy, I'm sorry he passed away, to soon in my opinion and he was great as Leatherface. In The 70s you've got The Exorcist, there's so many cult movies from that time, even though it was technically 60s, you've got Night Of The Living Dead but Dawn Of The Dead is 70s.
Getting into 80s, Poltergeist. 80s is my genre so I'm going to name a list but Monster Club with Vincent Price, who's actually my favorite horror actor, 1981 with Donald Pleasence in it, Britt Ekland, that's one of my favorites especially because no one's ever seen it. Creep Show, another one of my favorites, anything I have tattooed on me and I have a Monster Club tattoo and a Creep Show tattoo. The Shining is technically 80s, Return Of The Living FUCKING Dead. By the way, Clu Gulager who played Burt lives about a mile from me and I see him all the fucking time. I almost hit him with my car, on my mother's grave. I almost hit him with my car about two or three weeks ago because he was jay-walking on Santa Monica Boulevard and I was yielding to this old man, walking slowly just jay-walking, then he raises his hand and I'm like, "That's Clu Fucking Gulager! Holy Shit!" And People Under The Stairs, that's one of my favorite movies.
And, besides horror movies because I can talk that all night, that you're into and so am I is Ouija boards, planchettes so what's the connection and what do you dig about them?
I can tell you a true story. I was born in Los Angeles but I went to high school in San Diego, when I was in ninth grade, my freshman year of high school my best friend and I drove downtown because that's where all the good record stores were and he parked his car at a meter, I'll never forget this and it sounds like one of those bullshit stories but it's true, we came back from the record store and I remember the ninety-nine cents bag from, I think it was called Record City in San Diego and Hanoi Rocks was in this bag, Michael Monroe, you rule!, and I walked up to his car and on the street was a smooshed, like the old time board games box, smooshed Ouija board box. I picked it up and I had never had one before but I always thought they were cool because of Witchboard which I saw as a kid in the 80s. I was like, "Whoa!" and my friend, who will remain nameless because he's a dick for fucking my girlfriend, he was freaked out. He was like, "I don't want that in my car! It's bad juju!" and I was like, "Dude, let me take it home!" He made me put it in his trunk because he fucking freaked out. I took it home and I didn't know that you're not supposed to play it alone so I remember sitting in my room asking it questions like, "Am I gonna do the girl in my math class?" It was like whatever, nothing really happened, it wasn't worth a shit but I just thought it was cool.
As I got into, maybe, my twenties I collected a couple, I have probably four or five Ouija boards at home and I just thought they looked cool. I didn't think there was any "marketing" value or whatever. Over the last five years I feel like I see it on everything but when I started doing merchandising and stuff like that, that was what I went to, it was my go to thing. I have a plaque at the Rainbow in Hollywood and it's the arts Ouija font and it's got the moon and the sun in the corners and it's a nice little nod. It's sort of horror-related, if you will, in that universe and I used to go ghost hunting with my friends when I was a kid and I've always had an affinity for that and that's what I like and that's never going to change. I have a planchette tattooed on my neck and I like it, that's what I like. Here's what I like; Horror movies, whisky, pit bulls, Ouija boards, redheads, I like what I like. [Laughs]
Ace, thanks so much, man. It's always a pleasure.
Thanks again for having me, I appreciate it. Great seeing you.
I'm here with Ace Von Johnson from Faster Pussycat and you just got done being on stage with Faster, how did the set go?
I thought it was great! I thought it was great, it was way to early for me to be onstage. It was a great set, I had a blast. For 11:20 in the morning there was a fuck ton of people there and it was good. I had fun.
And, you guys have a show tonight, correct?
Yeah, we do. It's...you tell me.
It's Pittsburgh, I believe.
Yeah, Pittsburgh. This will be our third set in one twenty-four hour window in three different states, so I've got that going for me on next to no sleep and a lot of cocktails. So, I'm looking forward to it because that puts me that much closer to Monday's day-off. Nah, I'm being facetious but yeah, I had a blast today and the hard part's over so now I'm going to take a nap and do tonight's show and tomorrow's show. We're kind of on the last half of this tour.
And, you were just onstage for a moment with Adler.
Yes, sir.
What's your relationship with that? How did that come about?
That's been like a flirty thing where if I'm around and they're around I get up and I play with them. We did a mini-set at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood for about a half an hour a couple months ago and Steven, Jacob and I have talked and I've gone over and jammed with them a couple of times. I think I'm like a casual, I don't want to say the fifth Beatle, but you know. The next gig is the Monsters of Rock cruise in October so it's a minute from now but I think I'm going to get up and perform with them too. Tonight was just one song because it was kind of last minute but hopefully there will be other shows in the future and if my schedule's clear I'm absolutely down. Steven's one of the nicest people I've ever met, not to mention he's a fucking legend and Jacob's probably the best front man I've ever seen and the same thing about him. He's a brother, we go out and hang out in Hollywood all the time.
With you joining Faster Pussycat, how did that come about?
The story, truth be told, is that I was playing in a punk rock band called the U.S. Bombs and our booking agent was a guy named Charlie Overbey. Charlie, you're a bastard and I love ya. And, he has his roots deep in this, sort of, rock genre. He was in a band called the Big Bang Babies in the 80s which is where Keri Kelli started from. It was his first band, Keri of Alice Cooper, Slash's Snakepit and Night Ranger fame. Keri, if you're also listening, I love you and you're a bastard. So, yeah, Charlie saw me play with the Bombs and was like, "Hey, you've got a lot of energy and you're fun to watch. Are you trying to get out of this punk rock thing?" I said, I was because I'd done Murphy's Law and a bunch of other punk rock bands. He was like, "I've got this band with this guy from L.A. Guns, this guy from Faster Pussycat, this guy from Danzig and Brian Forsythe was in the band at one point from Kix.
There was this band called Charlie and the Valentine Killers, it was Americana, kind of Social Distortion meets Bruce Springsteen thing and I joined as guitar player. We did about two years worth of work, year and a half, we did a record, we toured with David Allan Coe and that's how I got my foot in the door with a lot of people. The Michael Jackson track ("Hollywood Tonight") I did came out of that. That's how I met Taime (Downe, Faster Pussycat's singer) initially, he was back stage in my dressing room, drinking my booze and I was like, "Who the fuck is this guy?!" and that's how I met him. So, I was doing Charlie and the Valentine Killers and I met Taime and about a year later there was an opening in 2009 and they had me go over to Taime's house and that was my first of two starts in Faster Pussycat. I sat down in his living room and played guitar for a minute and he said, "You can play, you look cool, don't suck Bubba." He gave me a CD and that was the end of it and I was in, I think I did a rehearsal or three and then they did some more dates with Michael (Thomas) and they brought me back in, initially in the beginning of 2010. That was it, that's how I joined the band.
Where was your first gig?
It was actually Universal Studios Los Angeles with Gilby Clarke and it was, like a family rock show in the park at Universal so, every song had to have edits. It was like, "With a slip of the tongue, I'm in deep..." [Laughs] So yeah, "deep stuff" but that was my first gig. Gilby Clarke took me aside that day and had a lot of really nice things to say, "Welcome to the family. Don't take any shit." and etc, etc.
What do you have coming up? Do you have any new recorded Faster stuff with you as a member?
Finally, something came out. It's that cover of Eagles of Death Metal's "I Love You All The Time" it's a single. It came out it's all for the Play It Forward campaign. All the proceeds go to the families of the victims of the Paris attack. It's for a good cause so go on iTunes or Amazon, any sort of digital music outlet. You can download it, just Faster Pussycat "I Love You All The Time." It turned out great, Gilby produced that, it's awesome and so we'll have some new stuff probably out within the year, original material but, ya know, as far as stuff that I'm on, that's it. Finally, after six years, I've got one fucking song out. Go figure. [Laughs]
Awesome. Ace, thank you so much, man.
Yeah, man. | ||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 95 | https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-03-25/weezer-blue-album-oral-history-30th-anniversary-rivers-cuomo | en | Weezer’s Blue Album at 30: The inside story of the debut that launched L.A.’s nerdiest band | https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/23361d3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3900x2048+0+0/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2F12%2F8210f3c644fbb0d757fd908bd1a4%2Fgettyimages-1289254834.jpg | https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/23361d3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3900x2048+0+0/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2F12%2F8210f3c644fbb0d757fd908bd1a4%2Fgettyimages-1289254834.jpg | [
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] | 2024-03-25T00:00:00 | Thirty years after the release of their debut LP, the members of Weezer reveal how the Blue Album came to be. | en | /apple-touch-icon.png | Los Angeles Times | https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2024-03-25/weezer-blue-album-oral-history-30th-anniversary-rivers-cuomo | Thirty years ago, Weezer embarked on one of the more improbable careers in pop history with the release of the band’s self-titled debut album.
Self-consciously nerdy in an era of scuzzy post-grunge bluster, 1994’s crisp and witty “Weezer” — soon to be known as the Blue Album because of its cover (and the fact that the band kept naming additional albums “Weezer”) — wasn’t immediately hailed as charting a new direction for alternative rock. But over the decades to come, the 10-track LP would end up shaping successive generations of emo and pop-punk acts on its way to triple-platinum certification and a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Now, Weezer is set to mark the Blue Album’s 30th anniversary with a tour starting in September on which the Los Angeles-based band will perform the record from beginning to end, including hit singles such as “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain’t So” and “Undone — The Sweater Song.” (Combined stream count for those three songs on Spotify: more than 1 billion.)
To hear the inside story of how Weezer’s debut came to be, The Times spoke with the four members of the band at that time — Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Matt Sharp and Brian Bell — as well as a half-dozen of the artists and record-industry types who played a part in the beginning of the group’s success.
This is the oral history of the Blue Album.
I. ‘I’m never gonna be in this band’
Rivers Cuomo (singer and guitarist): If you really want to understand the Blue Album — not just the illusion of the Blue Album that we sold — you have to take it in the context of what happened right before it, which is that I moved to L.A. from Connecticut after high school with the intention of making it with my heavy metal band.
Patrick Wilson (drummer): When I first met Rivers, he still had super-long hair.
Cuomo: You can see a Judas Priest poster and a Quiet Riot poster on the inside of the Blue Album booklet — these obvious clues to where we’d come from.
Wilson: My friend Pat Finn and I had a band called Bush. This was before the other Bush. Kind of a Primus-y vibe with a skate component to it. We used to rehearse in Vernon over by the Farmer John’s slaughterhouse.
Cuomo: I got a job working with Pat Finn at Tower Records on Sunset [Boulevard]. He had a shaved head and he was cool and punk, and I was trying to get him into my band, which was called Avant Garde. He listened to our tape and said, “This is terrible — I’m never gonna be in this band.”
Finn introduced Cuomo to Wilson — and pushed the burgeoning songwriter to move beyond hair metal to check out bands like Nirvana, the Pixies and Sonic Youth.
Wilson: This was a time of changing into something else. It was a period for all of us to be like, “That’s not cool — this is cool.”
Cuomo: I wasn’t the singer in Avant Garde. I thought of myself as an inferior singer to the people who were singing in my bands before me — they had bigger ranges and more nimble voices. But Pat [Finn] was like, “Go write your own songs and sing them yourself.” This was during a big walk up to the top of the hill at Griffith Park. He said, “I don’t care if you think you’re not a singer. That’s gonna be a much better version of what you can do.”
Wilson: Rivers and I formed a band called Fuzz.
Matt Sharp (former bassist): I’d say it was kind of Soundgarden-ish.
Wilson: We actually had some pretty cool jams. I was so impressed with Rivers’ guitar playing. But it just kind of fell apart.
Fuzz morphed into a short-lived group called 60 Wrong Sausages, which featured Finn on bass and another friend of Finn’s, Jason Cropper, on guitar. The band played a single gig in November 1991 before it too broke up.
Wilson: Rivers lived in Santa Monica in an apartment behind Pico [Boulevard] on Urban Avenue. He had an eight-track cassette recorder, and we’d go over there and try and get ideas down.
Cuomo: I wanted to create a body of work before I put my next band together. There was so much anxiety about authenticity at the time, and we’d all just made this radical transformation from being metalheads to being alternative. You didn’t want anyone to find out what you looked like 12 months ago.
Anna Waronker (singer and guitarist, That Dog): It was clear that Rivers had some serious chops, which nobody cared about in our little world. I mean, I was doing the only thing I knew how to do. So I found it interesting that someone who knew how to do other things was choosing to … not dumb it down but, like, weird it up.
Cuomo: It seemed like you could kind of fabricate an image for yourself and it would feel real.
Wilson: Rivers said we wouldn’t rehearse until we had 50 songs. We got pretty close, but then we didn’t have anyone else to play with. I’m like, “I know a guy who plays bass.” Matt and I had worked at California Tan on the 12th floor of the Monty’s building in Westwood. They sold products to tanning salons, and Matt was singularly focused on getting clients to buy a poster that explained the California Tan system.
Sharp: I think I sold 101 when nobody else could sell five.
Wilson: By this point, Matt had moved up to the Bay Area, but I told him he should come back down and play with us. Rivers was like, “It’s not that simple,” and I was like, “Everything’s that simple.”
To entice his friend, Wilson sent Sharp a tape of Cuomo’s new songs that included future Blue Album cuts such as “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” and “Undone — The Sweater Song.”
Cuomo: When Matt heard it, it was like a light bulb went on.
Sharp: It was the first time someone I knew created something where I thought, my God — this is something I’d listen to even if I didn’t know them.
Cuomo: He saw that this could actually work, so he moved down and was very, very aggressive about joining the band and getting the ball rolling. He found a house with a garage we could set up as a rehearsal space. At first they rejected us, but Matt talked the owners into it with his sales talent. We all got our dads to co-sign the lease.
Rounded out by Jason Cropper, the foursome practiced for the first time on Valentine’s Day of 1992 and debuted as Weezer a month later at the now-defunct Raji’s on Hollywood Boulevard. (The band’s name was drawn from a childhood nickname Cuomo’s dad had given him.) Also on the bill that night: actor Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar.
Sharp: You could feel the energy around Keanu. The bar was packed to the hilt, line out the door. We’re thinking we’re just gonna ride this to the moon.
Cuomo: We were booked to play after Dogstar.
Sharp: When they get offstage it’s probably 1 in the morning. We’re scrambling to get our equipment onstage, but by the time we start, everybody from their crowd has left. There’s like five people in the room.
Wilson: We covered “M.E.” by Gary Numan, and it was amazing. Probably nobody would think that now.
Weezer gigged regularly over the next few months — at Club Lingerie, at the Coconut Teaszer, at the Central (now known as the Viper Room) — to more or less the same five people. A deflated Cuomo, who’d begun to ponder the value of a college degree, gave Sharp an ultimatum.
Sharp: It was very cut anddried. He said, “You get us a record deal in nine months or I’m going to school.”
Wilson: That’s when I think we got a little more serious.
Cuomo: I remember sitting in the Weezer house one day playing an Avant Garde song called “Renaissance.” I still loved the chords — they were so emotional. So I wrote some new lyrics over it, and that was “Say It Ain’t So.”
Brian Bell (guitarist): Ironically, Jason Cropper gave me a Weezer flier at Club Lingerie. So my girlfriend at the time and I went to see them at the Coconut Teaszer. I wasn’t super-impressed, but when they got to “Say It Ain’t So,” I was like, this is a cover, right? There’s no way a local band could write a song this good.
II. ‘We needed to swing for the fences’
In November 1992, Weezer recorded a four-song demo that included “Say It Ain’t So” and “Undone — The Sweater Song.” The tape made its way to Todd Sullivan, a junior A&R executive at Geffen Records’ alt-rock DGC subsidiary that was home to Nirvana and Sonic Youth. Intrigued, Sullivan checked out Weezer’s next show.
Todd Sullivan: They weren’t a tremendous live band by any means. But there was this feeling that they had their blinders on and they knew what they were going for. And the songs — I mean, “Say It Ain’t So” was incredible. I could kind of connect the dots.
Cuomo: By that December, we had a meeting with a very small indie label.
Wilson: They offered us 15 grand to make a record. Then Slash Records offered us 80 grand. I couldn’t fathom saying no to that. But Matt and Rivers said we needed to swing for the fences.
Sullivan: They were sort of playing me: “Hey, you know so-and-so’s also interested…”
Sharp: The skills I used at California Tan were the same ones that got us a record deal.
Wilson: Next thing I knew, I had $2,500 on an ATM card, which I’d never had in my life.
Cuomo: I met David Geffen years later. I’d read this book, “The Operator” by Tom King, which was a biography — kind of an exposé — that I guess Geffen found very unflattering. But I thought it was amazing. This was 2001, in a period when I was managing the band, so I was very interested in the music business and all the tricks he pulled. So I said, “Can I meet you?” and he invited me over for lunch. I told him how we’d just come back from this sophomore slump with “Pinkerton,” and I said something like, “But it’s turned into a real cult phenomenon.” He goes, “ ‘Cult phenomenon’ is a euphemism for failure.”
After signing to DGC in June 1993, Weezer started making plans to record the band’s debut album, for which Cuomo had no interest in working with a producer.
Cuomo: Any time anyone had been in a room with us — not just in Weezer but in my earlier bands — they’d just turned the dials in a way that made things sound worse.
Waronker: I understood not wanting to ease up on the reins. We were all very pure about our music.
Sullivan: They wanted to do it by themselves at their house, but that just left too much room for disaster.
Cuomo: The record company was very insistent: “First record, you need a producer. Second record, we can talk.” So I had that in my mind, and then I was in the grocery store and I heard “Just What I Needed” come on over the PA. I was like, That sounds like Weezer — let’s get that guy. I didn’t know who that guy was.
It was Ric Ocasek of the Cars. In addition to scoring a string of indelible new wave hits in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the frontman had previously worked in the studio with Bad Brains and Suicide, among other acts.
Wilson: To this day, the Cars’ first record is unimpeachable in every way.
Sullivan: I thought Ric would be a great idea because he’d produced some edgier bands that were coming out of left field. I sent Ric the demo and he responded immediately, kind of freaking out about the songs.
III. ‘A dark room by myself’
Ocasek, who died in 2019, had only one condition for taking the job, which was that Weezer come to him in his home base of New York because his wife, model Paulina Porizkova, was pregnant with the couple’s first son. They set up at the historic Electric Lady Studios in August 1993.
Cuomo: I was beside myself because I knew KISS had recorded there. I remember going to the bathroom for the first time thinking, Ace Frehley sat on this toilet that I’m about to sit on.
Sullivan: Ric was a real gentle guiding hand.
Cuomo: He’d sit in the chair with his knees folded up to his chest, like a giant stork. And he was constantly doodling these amazing psychedelic doodles.
Sharp: Paulina was there too. This is one of the most spectacular women in the world, and she’s not cheerleading us or anything. But by going about her business, it made you feel like it wasn’t crazy for you to be there — like, yeah, let’s get to work.
Among the songs Cuomo wrote after Ocasek agreed to produce Weezer’s debut were “In the Garage” and “Buddy Holly,” the latter of which Cuomo intended to save for the band’s second LP but which he included on the Blue Album at Ocasek’s urging.
Cuomo: For “In the Garage,” I definitely had the Beach Boys and “In My Room” in mind. At one point while I was writing, I wanted some new inspiration, so I went to Record Surplus on Santa Monica and went through all these classic LPs. I narrowed it down to “Led Zeppelin II” and the Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds,” but I only had enough money for one. It was basically a coin toss, and I walked out with “Pet Sounds.” Then I went on a deep dive and got all their other albums. It’s funny that Weezer could’ve gone in a totally different direction.
In New York, the band’s members stayed at the rock-star-friendly Gramercy Park Hotel. Yet they hardly availed themselves of the city’s busy night life.
Wilson: I didn’t party between the ages of 20 and 30. So Matt and I stayed in. We were roommates, and I distinctly remember watching the first episode of Conan O’Brien’s show together. At the end, we were like, he just has to work on his s— a little bit and he’ll be great.
Cuomo: I was in the studio at least 12 hours a day — mostly in a dark room by myself.
Meanwhile, a fault line was deepening between Cropper and the rest of Weezer. (Cropper didn’t respond to The Times’ interview request.)
Wilson: Jason had a girlfriend and knocked her up, and she came to the sessions and the vibe was weird. It just wasn’t gonna work out. I remember sitting down and having the conversation with him. He was bummed, but I don’t think he was fully surprised.
Sharp: What it really boiled down to was that whatever it is we were setting out to do, it felt like it was gonna be much more difficult if he stayed. There’s a bunch of reasons for that, but they’re so boring that they’re not important.
Cuomo: We were pretty much done with the record.
Sharp: His departure happened the day we completed the first mix.
Cuomo: In our minds — these were mainly conversations between me and Matt — we felt like if this was gonna happen eventually, we wanted it to happen before the band was presented to the public. That way the fans would never have to deal with any kind of breakup. We all came from broken homes, and we wanted things to be very stable for the audience.
Wilson: It was strangely anticlimactic. Really, we could have just been a trio at that point.
Sullivan: I think it was Rivers who called me, which was maybe a little odd, because normally it would’ve been Matt. He said, “We want to make a change on guitar.” For me, it was a panic, because I’m still a young A&R guy. How do I let the label know about this? Are we gonna have to re-record the whole record?
In fact, Cuomo rerecorded Cropper’s guitar parts in a single day.
Cuomo: Maybe I had to stop and fix an error or something. But I knew how the songs went. There are spots on the album where even now I really miss having him play those parts. The beginning of “My Name Is Jonas,” that’s pure Jason — he’s just like a hippie good ol’ boy. Or the finger-picking in “The World Has Turned.” I still sweat if I have to do those at an acoustic show.
Beyond the recording of the album, of course, Weezer would need to find a new second guitar player.
Sharp: We had one choice to replace Jason, and that was Brian Bell — which was ironic because we’d never seen or heard him play guitar. We’d only seen him play bass in a band called Carnival Art, and I thought, that is one debonair son of a bitch.
Wilson: I think Matt and Rivers just thought Brian looked great.
Bell: When they called, I had an instinct this is what was gonna happen. Matt was like, “Hey, what are you up to?” — just small talk. Then Rivers grabbed the phone: “Do you want to be in our band?”
Weezer overnighted a tape to Bell, who overdubbed himself playing on the band’s songs as a kind of audition, then sent the tape back to New York.
Bell: The very next day, someone from the record label brought me a plane ticket — this is back when they were a tangible thing on a thick-stock piece of paper — that said L.A. to New York. It was a red-eye, and when I landed there was a little man with a chauffeur hat and a long limousine with a phone in it. It felt so Led Zeppelin. We went straight to the hotel, and they told me I was gonna sleep in Pat’s room.
Wilson: Brian claims that when I met him, I dropped my pants. I don’t have a strong recollection of that, but I’m not ruling it out. It sounds like something I’d do.
At Electric Lady, Weezer played the almost-completed Blue Album for Bell, who’d arrived in time to contribute background vocals.
Bell: The first song they put on was “In the Garage.” It was incredible — like a lot of the indie stuff I was listening to, like Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement, but polished. I looked at them and said, “Guys, we’re gonna be f—ing huge.”
IV. ‘The right shade of blue’
With the group’s debut in the can, Weezer returned to L.A. in October 1993 determined to break in Bell as a full-fledged member of the band. Sharp leveraged his relationships with promoters around town to book what Weezer called the Self-Punishment Tour: a dozen shows in two weeks at venues including the Roxy, the Blue Saloon, Raji’s and the Alligator Lounge.
Sullivan: I sent a memo to the record company titled “Weezer Tours the Bowels of L.A.”
Sharp: Trial by fire, jump in the deep end — it was whatever cliché you want to use. But the thing is, I didn’t actually want anybody to see us yet, so I told the promoters, “Give me your worst slot — the 1 a.m. or the 6 p.m. or whatever. We’re just there to make mistakes.”
Sullivan: The gigs were very rough.
Bell: My first show was at Club Lingerie, and I thought we were great. My parents came — it was a big moment. Afterwards, Rivers and I hugged for the first and last time. It was the most awkward thing in the world. I think I told him, “Don’t worry, that’ll never happen again.”
The band continued to hone its live attack in early 1994, though Cuomo also used the last of his money from Geffen’s advance to enroll in several music classes at Los Angeles Valley College, not far from the epicenter of January’s disastrous Northridge earthquake.
Cuomo: I remember feeling aftershocks in wind ensemble.
Bell: I had three jobs while we were waiting for the record to come out. I worked at Jet Rag, the clothing store on La Brea [Avenue]. I worked at Caioti, an Italian restaurant in Laurel Canyon — their claim to fame was they had this salad dressing that made pregnant women go into labor. And I delivered flowers.
While making a delivery one day to an office building, Bell was scouted by a casting agent working on a Nike commercial. She put him in the spot alongside a young Norman Reedus (later of “The Walking Dead”).
Bell: I told him about Weezer, and he goes, “Oh, sounds like kind of a Beck thing — like ‘Getting crazy with the Cheez Whiz’!”
Sharp: The album was pushed back so many times. I’d imagine we had the least amount of priority in Geffen Records history.
Yet the label hired the esteemed pin-up photographer Peter Gowland, who died in 2010, to shoot the Blue Album’s cover: Cuomo, Sharp, Bell and Wilson standing against a blue background.
Bell: We went to his house in the Palisades. I’d never even heard of the Palisades.
Cuomo: The night before, I went to some random salon and said, “Give me a haircut,” and that’s what they gave me. It totally sucks. But now that’s me for eternity in every meme.
Bell: I wore my favorite vintage bowling shirt. Pat came with his head shaved for some reason.
Cuomo: The original conception for the cover was that we’d be in these matching striped shirts like the Beach Boys.
Wilson: We played a show at Al’s Bar with Walt Mink and we wore the striped shirts. It bummed all the hipster bands out so hard.
Cuomo: I don’t know who suggested we do some shots in our regular clothes, but when we looked back at them, we all liked those the best.
Wilson: Coming out of hair bands into grunge, it just hit perfectly — like, oh, we’re normcore.
Spike Jonze (film and music video director): They looked like people I would’ve hung out with in high school.
Bell: We spent maybe two days searching for the right shade of blue.
Album cover in place, Weezer’s debut was almost ready for release.
Sharp: Right before it came out, Rivers and I sat on a couch with a yellow legal pad and calculated how many of our relatives would buy the record. I was like, “Put my dad down for one — actually, he’ll probably buy a few to give to people at his office.” I think we got up to 340 copies.
V. ‘We were trying to break this band’
The Blue Album finally dropped on May 10, 1994 — a month after the death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and just weeks after DGC released “Live Through This” by Cobain widow Courtney Love’s band Hole.
Bell: We all wondered whether Kurt would’ve liked Weezer. That felt important.
Sullivan: There wasn’t a lot of love from the press. Because things didn’t happen in the normal quote-unquote alternative way — two indie records, tours all over — the reaction was that this was a manufactured band.
Cuomo: You could easily be fooled: “Oh, these kids just picked up their instruments.” Somebody called us Stone Temple Pixies, which touched a nerve. To us, the music sounded amazing, so to have it dismissed like that was painful.
Sharp: I remember being in a record store not long after the album came out and seeing all the promo copies in the 99-cent bin.
Soon, though, “Undone — The Sweater Song” began to take off, first on college radio, then on trendsetting modern-rock stations like L.A.’s KROQ-FM and Seattle’s 107.7 The End.
Kevin Weatherly (program director, KROQ): It cut through because it was so different from everything else at the time. This was the height of grunge, and then along comes Weezer with this nerdy little pop-punk ditty.
Jonze: Matt called me and said the label really wanted to do a music video. But Rivers didn’t like the idea — he felt it was contrived. So we talked, and I told him, “Look, a music video can be anything. It doesn’t have to be what you think it is. It could be as perfect and simple as your album cover — just you guys playing against a blue wall, singing or half-singing or not singing at all.” He goes, “But then what happens?” And I’m like, “I don’t know — a bunch of dogs run through at the end?” I wasn’t pitching an idea as much as I was just saying that he could make anything out of it.
Sharp: We’d received video treatments from other directors and it’d be, like, the band enveloped in a giant sweater.
Jonze: That same day after our meeting, Matt called me again and said, “OK, Rivers wants to do the video you pitched.” I was like, “Wait, what video?”
With Jonze directing, Weezer shot the “Undone” clip in a studio in Silver Lake — dogs, blue wall, half-singing and all.
Jonze: We did a couple takes where they lip-synched all the way through. But I think we were more interested in just f—ing around. I was surprised by how compelling Rivers was. Even though I’d seen them live, I didn’t know he’d be so aware of the camera and how to play with it.
Bell: I’m not sure I was told the dogs were gonna come out.
“Undone” quickly found a home on MTV, which gave the video its coveted Buzz Clip status.
Patti Galluzzi (former vice president of programming, MTV): That was our way of saying that we were trying to break this band. And this was a textbook way to break a band: You start with a really catchy song, but it’s not necessarily what you think will be your massive hit. You do a video that shows a band in the way they want to portray themselves — that shows who they really are. That’s what comes across in the “Undone” video, so then you understand them before they come out in costume.
The costumes came in Jonze’s video for “Buddy Holly,” which depicted Weezer performing in a meticulous re-creation of Arnold’s Drive-In from the ’70s sitcom “Happy Days.”
Jonze: The way I come up with ideas for videos is I listen to a song over and over again and write down every idea I have — bad, good, stupid, whatever. With “Buddy Holly,” I just wrote “Happy Days” at some point. I was the right age where it was in reruns all the time, and I could just see the band playing in the diner. It also felt appropriate because they were referencing a lot of childhood things in their lyrics, and for the people that made “Happy Days,” the show was nostalgic for them.
Cuomo: Spike pitched it, and we were like, “Oh my God, the Fonz is gonna be dancing in our video.” It just blew our minds.
Bell: I walked onto the set and just thought, Are you f—ing kidding me?
In the video, Weezer’s performance is carefully intercut with clips from the original series, including Henry Winkler’s Fonzie doing his “Aaayyy” catchphrase. There’s also a newly shot cameo by actor Al Molinaro, who played the drive-in’s owner on “Happy Days” and who introduces “Kenosha, Wisconsin’s own Weezer.”
Jonze: It was 20 years later and he was very gray, so we put dye in his hair. A very simple trick, but it kind of blurred the lines even more. You’re like, Wait a second…
Wilson: I remember CNN doing a bit on it in the context of “Forrest Gump” and CGI. But even they missed it — there was no CGI in that video. It was all clever blocking and clever editing.
Jonze: Eric Zumbrunnen, the editor I worked with for almost 25 years — he passed away a few years ago — he and I sat and went through hours and hours and hours of “Happy Days” and assembled a skeleton that we were gonna drop all the shots of Weezer into.
Unlike “Undone,” “Buddy Holly” — which went on to win the prize for breakthrough video at the MTV Video Music Awards — featured Cuomo without the thick-framed glasses that had quickly become part of the frontman’s signature look.
Cuomo: That was very intentional, because I didn’t want to look too much like Kurt Cobain in Nirvana’s “In Bloom” video. I loved him so much, and I was so mad that I didn’t do that before he did it.
Wilson: I don’t know why Rivers’ glasses became a thing. I’m the guy who wears glasses — I’ve worn them since second grade! Later on, we’d go on some late-night show and Jordan Schur, the president of Geffen at the time, would be like, “Nah, man, you gotta wear the glasses.” Why did he have to wear the glasses?
“Buddy Holly” peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s alternative rock radio chart in mid-December.
Galluzzi: We played the hell out of that video.
Weatherly: It all culminated with Weezer playing KROQ Acoustic Christmas at the end of ’94. We had Henry Winkler bring them onstage. That was great: Weezer and the Fonz hanging out at the Universal Amphitheatre.
Cuomo: I was so stressed out and scared.
VI. ‘I feel like I’m gonna pass out’
For all they did to boost Weezer’s profile, the band’s first two videos caused some to view the band as a bunch of ironic jokesters — a perception that Cuomo felt undercut the real emotional turmoil in his music.
Cuomo: That was quite a shock for me to discover that. It didn’t verify the great vision I wanted to have of us.
Bell: We were being called wisenheimers. I had to look that word up.
Toward the end of 1994, Weezer toured as an opening act for Live, the Pennsylvania alt-rock band then riding high with its album “Throwing Copper.”
Ed Kowalczyk (singer and guitarist, Live): After the shows we’d be running around drinking Jack Daniel’s and smoking cigarettes, and one night I walked onto Weezer’s bus and went to the back lounge. I’ll never forget it: There’s Rivers studying French and doing scales on his keyboard. I was like, this is a totally different band.
Weatherly: I don’t know if I’d say they were apologetic rock stars. But part of the charm was that they didn’t seem super-comfortable in the limelight.
At the same time, Weezer was happily toying with the kind of rock iconography Cuomo had grown up admiring in the likes of his beloved KISS.
Kowalczyk: No matter what size the venue was, they’d put this massive light-up W on stage behind them. This thing was probably 6½ feet tall, must have weighed 500 pounds. Three or four guys had to roll it in. Rivers and I are getting along great, and he’s like, “Come up and sing ‘Buddy Holly’ with me.” So I get up there one night — really small stage in a rock club somewhere — and those lights are so freakin’ hot I feel like I’m gonna pass out. This was the early ’90s — these weren’t LEDs, they were 200-watt fry bulbs like at McDonald’s. It turned the entire stage into an oven.
Weezer toured Europe for the first time in February 1995 as the Blue Album reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200. The LP’s third and final single, “Say It Ain’t So,” was accompanied by a video shot by director Sophie Muller in the garage at Weezer’s house on Amherst Avenue — the place Sharp had convinced the landlords to rent to the band three years before.
Cuomo: Looking back at it, it was this tiny little trashed guesthouse. But it was so huge for us. It’s gone now — they demolished it.
“Say It Ain’t So” draws on an incident from Cuomo’s adolescence when the sight of a beer in his family’s refrigerator led him to believe that his stepfather had become an alcoholic just as he thought his father had been. After the song came out, Cuomo heard from his dad.
Cuomo: I hadn’t spoken to him in years. I mean, I hardly spoke to him at all growing up. He only had a fax machine at the time, and out of the blue I got this fax from him: “Weezer, give me a call — we need to talk.” So I got in touch and explained where I was coming from in the song. But I’m kind of mortified that a lot of “Say It Ain’t So” — as powerful as it is and as true as it is — it’s based on a misunderstanding. The root of it is this photograph I have of my dad and my mom where he’s wearing a [sleeveless undershirt] and smoking a cigar and holding a Heineken. He looks so intimidating. My brother and I grew up looking at this photo, and somehow we got the idea in our head that he was an alcoholic and a violent guy and that’s why he left us. Years later, I was talking to my mom about it and she said, “He wasn’t an alcoholic. He didn’t even drink or smoke — he was like a Zen Buddhist guy. We were just goofing around in that picture. Those were just props.”
VII. ‘The guy loves to rock’
By the end of the summer of 1995, after a year and a half on the road, Cuomo had seriously burned out on touring and decided to leave music and enroll at Harvard. He also underwent a complicated medical procedure to lengthen one of his legs, which for much of his life had been shorter than the other.
Waronker: Going back to college and having an invasive leg surgery — that’s a weird reaction to success. But things were different, you know? Weezer was huge, and all of a sudden there were stakes and there was money and there were responsibilities. It wasn’t about going to the show and then hanging out after at a coffee shop anymore.
Sharp: Honestly, I was relieved. I had stuff I wanted to do outside the group — the Rentals and some other small collaborations with other people — and it had always been a scramble to wedge that stuff in whenever there was a break. There just weren’t that many breaks.
Weatherly: You didn’t know, when he went off to Harvard, was he gonna come back? Was Weezer still gonna be a band?
Bell: I never worried that it was done. Rivers was too motivated. It’s been proven that the guy loves to rock.
Indeed, Weezer returned just a year later with 1996’s “Pinkerton.” And a few years after that? | ||
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The Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services department offers a variety of community facilities throughout the City of Fresno. These centers offer a range of activities, programs, and community services to support all ages.
Dickey Youth Development Center
1515 E. Divisadero Street
(At the corner of Divisadero and Glenn in downtown Fresno)
Einstein Neighborhood Center
3566 E. Dakota Avenue
(At Millbrook and Dakota in Central Fresno)
El Dorado Neighborhood Center
1343 E. Barstow Avenue
(Adjacent to Wesley United Methodist Church in Northeast Fresno at Fourth and Barstow)
Fink-White Neighborhood Center
535 S. Trinity Street
(Near Amador and Whitesbridge in Southwest Fresno)
Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center
760 Mayor Avenue
(Near Inyo and A Street in Southwest Fresno)
Highway City Neighborhood Center
5140 N. State Street
(North of Shaw and East of Highway 99 in the Highway City Community)
Holmes Neighborhood Center
212 S. First Street
(West of First and South of Tulare near the historic Huntington Blvd.)
Inspiration Park
5770 W Gettysburg Avenue
(South of Shaw and West of Highway 99 near Teague Elementary)
Lafayette Neighborhood Center
1516 E. Princeton Avenue
(West of Blackstone and South of Shields at Princeton and Glenn)
Mary Ella Brown Community Center
1350 E. Annadale Avenue
(South of Jensen and West of Elm in Southwest Fresno)
Maxie L. Parks Community Center
1802 E California Avenue
(At the corner of Elm and California in Southwest Fresno)
Melody Neighborhood Center
5935 E. Shields Avenue
(At the corner of Fowler and Shields in East Central Fresno)
Mosqueda Community Center
4670 E. Butler Avenue
(Southeast corner of Maple & Butler in Southeast Fresno)
Paul “CAP” Caprioglio Community Center
5191 N 6th St, Fresno, CA 93710
(Southwest corner of N 6th St and E Bulldog Lane)
Center will be closed starting July 17, 2024 through Fall 2024 for repairs.
Pinedale Community Center
7170 N. San Pablo Avenue
(Next to Pinedale Elementary, North of Herndon and West of Blackstone)
Quigley Neighborhood Center
808 W. Dakota Avenue
(South of Ashlan at Northwest corner of Fruit and Dakota)
Romain Neighborhood Center
745 N. First Street
(Between Belmont and Olive in Southeast Fresno)
Sunset Neighborhood Center
1345 W. Eden Avenue
(Next to Sunset Elementary, West of West Ave. and South of Kearney in West Fresno)
Ted C. Wills Community Center
770 N. San Pablo Avenue
(Between Olive and Belmont in the Tower District in Central Fresno)
Dog Parks & Licensing
The City of Fresno offers eleven dog parks that are free to use for all dog handlers and their dogs. No food (human or pet) is allowed and all owners must pick up after their dogs. Dogs may run off-leash provided they are well behaved; aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. A full listing of Dog Park Rules is posted at each site.
Dog parks are accessible during park operating hours. Our current operating hours as of June 30, 2020, are shown below.
To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, new regulations are in place. For a list of COVID regulations, please click the following link: Dog Park Modifications
All other dog park rules remain in effect and as posted.
Al Radka Dog Park
5897 E. Belmont Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Basin AH1 Dog Park
4257 W. Alamos Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (May through November)
Belcher Dog Park
2158 E. Alluvial Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Figarden Dog Park
4265 W. Figarden Drive
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Inspiration Dog Park
5770 W. Gettysburg Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Jaswant Singh Khalra Dog Park
3861 W. Clinton Ave.
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Koligian Dog Park
5165 W. Alluvial Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Puppy Love Dog Park at Roeding Park
890 W. Belmont Avenue
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This dog park features separate small and big dog areas. A parking fee of $5 per vehicle will be collected (see “Entrance Fee” section for accommodations)
Stallion Dog Park
6245 N. Polk Avenue
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Todd Beamer Dog Park
1890 E. Plymouth Way
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Woodward Dog Park
7775 N. Friant Road
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Located in the northeast corner of Woodward Park, this dog park features separate small and big dog areas. A parking fee of $5 per vehicle will be collected (see “Entrance Fee” section for accommodations)
DOG LICENSING
Fresno Municipal Code 10-318(d) states that you must provide a dog license for any dog in your care that is over the age of four months.
1. Your dog must first get a rabies shot to protect against the rabies disease. Rabies shots can only be given by a veterinarian at a pet hospital/clinic.
2. Obtain a dog license application form at the SPCA, City Hall or download one now.
Please follow the instructions on the dog license application. To pick up an application in person, visit:
CCSPCA – 103 S. Hughes, Fresno, (559) 233-7722
Fresno City Hall – 2600 Fresno St. Room 2162, Fresno, (559) 621-6880
Take advantage of the SPCA’s one-stop shop to have your dog rabies vaccinated and licensed. Visit the CCSPCA Website.
Golf Courses
Riverside Municipal Golf Course
7492 N. Bryan Avenue
Fresno, CA 93722
(559) 275-5900
(559) 275-0492 FAX
From Highway 99, take the Herndon Avenue exit and go east. Turn left on Weber Road and follow the directional signs to the golf course.
Riverside Municipal Golf Course is one of two golf courses owned by the City of Fresno. It offers 18 holes, a driving range, practice putting green, Coffee Shop, Pro Shop and parking. The course is designed to present a challenge to the beginner as well as the advanced golfer with three sets of tees at 5,900 yards, 6,400 yards and 6,630 yards. Hours are dawn to dusk; open year round. For more information visit the Riverside Municipal Golf Course website.
Airways Municipal Golf Course
5442 E. Shields
Fresno 93727
(559) 291-6254
Located just North of Fresno Yosemite Air Terminal and West of Clovis Avenue.
Airways Golf Course offers 18 holes, 5,286 yards, a driving range, practice putting green, coffee shop and a Pro Shop. The course is designed to present a challenge to the beginner as well as the advanced golfer. Hours are dawn to dusk; open year round.
Public Golf Courses
Eagle Springs Golf and Country Club
21722 Fairway Oaks Lane
Friant, California
(559) 325-8900
Just 20 miles North of Fresno.
Enjoy a breathtaking view of the San Joaquin Valley while playing on this course designed by Johnny Miller. Rated among the Top10 Courses in California, this semi-private club welcomes outside and tournament play.
For green fees, scorecard, and other information visit the Eagle Springs Golf and Country Club website.
Fresno West Golf Course & Country Club
23986 W. Whitesbridge Road
Kerman, California 93650
(559) 846-8655
This 18-hole golf course is located approximately 15 miles Southwest of Fresno County.
Green Fees & Cart vary from $10 to $23. All day and senior’s fees $16 to $17.50.
Riverbend Golf Course
43369 Avenue 12
Madera, California
(559) 432-3020
Follow the natural contours of the San Joaquin River as you play 18 holes on this links-style golf course.
Sherwood Forest Golf Course
79 N. Frankwood
Sanger, California 93657
(559) 787-2611
This family owned golf course is just 20 minutes East of Fresno in Sanger and offers great views of the Kings River. Par is 71, 6,247 yards.
Parks with Action Sports Facilities
We are in the process of re-opening our Action Sports Facilities. We appreciate your patience as we prepare each site for a safe re-opening.
The City of Fresno takes pride in providing the finest action sports facilities for the community – creating a destination for enthusiasts to participate in a sport where nobody rides the bench. The hours for each facility are listed below or call (559) 621-PLAY (7529) for more information.
Lions, Todd Beamer and Mosqueda
Monday thru Friday: 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Ramp Parks
Sun Up to Sundown 7 days a week
Woodward Park Bike Complex
Mountain Bike Trail/Dirt Jump Park: Open Sun Up to Sundown 7 days a week.
Woodward Park BMX Race Program
New to the sport? Sign up for a free 1 – day
USA BMX Membership Trial (Valid once a year)
Local Race Days:
Thursdays – Registration 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays – Practice 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sundays – Registration 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
USA BMX Membership – $60
Local Race – $10
FREE for First Time Racers
Join our NEW STRIDER PROGRAM for ages 2 to 5
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram:
Facebook: Woodward Park BMX
Instagram: @FRESNO_ACTION_SPORTS
Last Race: Sunday, November 24th
Staffed Parks
Todd Beamer Skatepark – 1890 E. Plymouth Way, Fresno, CA 93720
Lions Skatepark – 4650 N. Marks Ave, Fresno, CA 93705
Mosqueda BMX Park – 4670 E. Butler Ave, Fresno, CA 93702
Unstaffed Parks
Cary Skatepark – 4716 N. Fresno St, Fresno, CA 93726
Melody Skatepark – 5935 E. Shields Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
Kaiser Skatepark – 425 E. Alluvial Ave, Fresno, CA 93720
Inspiration Park – 5770 W. Gettysburg Ave, Fresno, CA 93722
The Ark Half-Pipe – 1707 W. Jensen Ave, Fresno, CA 93706
Romain Skatepark – 745 N. 1st St, Fresno, CA 93702
Mary Ella Brown Bike Park – 1350 E. Annadale Ave, Fresno, CA 93706
2019 Bicycle & Pedestrian OTS Grant Calendar – COMING SOON
Parks with Pools
Notice: City of Fresno pools are closed for the 2023 season. Please check back in may/June 2024 for opening dates and operational hours. Thank you.
The City of Fresno Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department offers two types of pools for public use:
Standard Pools
Depth ranges from 4 to 10 ft. Participants must be a minimum of 3 years of age; at least 3 feet tall and potty trained. NO FLOTATION DEVICES, POOL TOYS and/or SWIM DIAPERS.
Standard Pool Locations:
Frank H. Ball Pool
760 Mayor St. (Ventura & A St)
Recreation swimming open to the public
Monday through Sunday
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Bus Route: 32
Mary Ella Brown Pool
1350 E. Annadale (Elm & Annadale)
Recreation swimming open to the public
Bus Route: 32
Mosqueda Pool
4670 E. Butler (Maple & Butler)
Recreation swimming open to the public
Bus Route: 26 & 28
Learner Pools
Depth ranges from 2 ½ to 5 ft. and participants must be 5 years old, but not older than 12 years old, and at least 3 feet tall. NO FLOTATION DEVICES, POOL TOYS and/or SWIM DIAPERS.
Learner Pool Locations:
Einstein Park – 3566 E. Dakota Ave. (On Dakota, between Millbrook & First)
Fink White Park – 535 S. Trinity (Hwy 180 & Trinity)
Pinedale Community Center – 7170 N. San Pablo (Herndon & San Pablo)
Quigley Neighborhood Park – 808 W. Dakota (Fruit & Dakota)
Romain Neighborhood Park – 745 N. First (First & Belmont)
Rotary Amphitheater at Woodward Park
The Rotary Amphitheater is Fresno’s premier amphitheater in a unique and intimate outdoor setting. The theater is situated in Woodward Park, a 300-acre facility located on the south bank of the San Joaquin River between Highway 41 and Friant Road. It is nestled within lakes, streams, trees and trails and comfortably seats 3,500 people in orchestral, plaza and terraced lawn areas in continuation of the Greek open amphitheater tradition. Many patrons are surprised by the intimacy of the theater and how close all of the seats are to the stage.
Plenty of parking is reserved for Rotary Amphitheater patrons next to the venue. No outside food and beverages may be brought into the venue and all shows are produced rain or shine. The amphitheater now features a beautiful shade structure that reduces the ambient temperature in the seating area about twenty or more degrees and shelters patrons from about 70% of any rain drops!
The amphitheater has hosted such nationally renown stars of contemporary jazz as Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Richard Elliot, Boney James, Michale Lington, The Philippe Saisse Trio, The Jeanette Harris Band and the Pete Escovedo Orchestra. In addition, the amphitheater has hosted several country music stars and even comedy great Paul Rodriguez.
For Booking Information call (559) 621-2926
2016 Concert Schedule
Address:
Woodward Park
7775 Friant Road
Fresno CA 93720
Trails
The City of Fresno, Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services Department offers several trails for the community to enjoy at their leisure. Check them out below and visit one for your next walk!
Lewis S. Eaton Trail
This trail begins on the Northwest corner of Woodward Park (Friant Road and Audubon Drive) and runs parallel to Friant Road. The trail is currently 4 miles long and provides convenient access to walking, running, cycling, horseback riding, wheelchair access, and nature observation along the San Joaquin River.
Parking: Woodward Park, North Gate Parking Lot
Bus Service: Route #30 (equipped with bike racks) stops at Audubon
Facilities: Drinking fountains and restrooms are located inside the park and 2 miles North on the trail.
Amenities: Benches, bridges, trees and beautiful scenery of the San Joaquin River, foothills and the Sierra Mountains.
Sugar Pine Trail
This trail begins at Fresno Street and Nees Avenue and runs along Friant Road to Shepherd, then East to Willow. The trail then continues South along Willow and runs Southeast in the City of Clovis. The trail is paved and includes over 4,400 trees planted by 3,000 volunteers setting a Guinness World Record! The trail offers a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees so there will always be something to see for the many joggers, bikers, and families just strolling along.
Access: The trail is accessible for cycling, running, walking, rollerblading, horseback riding, and wheel chairs.
Amenities: Paved trail, benches and a large variety of trees.
Other Trails Around Fresno
Camp Pashayan Nature Trail
Wandering along the banks of the river, this trail takes you on a full loop of the park and adjacent ecological reserve.
Access: Camp Pashayan entrance gate ($2.00 entrance fee – open Saturday and Sunday, April through October).
Amenities: picnicking, fishing, boating and public restrooms are available. Also offered are canoe and kayak rentals.
Jensen Loop Trail
This trail ventures off the Lewis S. Eaton Trail onto the newly acquired Jensen River Ranch and down to the banks of the river. Parking and access to the trail can be found on the Northeast side of Woodward Park.
Blossom Trail
This 62 mile self-guided motor or bicycle tour through California’s heartland was created by the Fresno Chamber Blossom Trail Committee to celebrate and feature the natural beauty of Fresno County’s agriculture and historical points of interest. Panoramas of orchards full of fruit trees alive with fragrance and bursting with blossoms awaits you. Enjoy the peak period for visiting the Blossom Trail in late February through March. Beyond March, tourists can still view the many beautiful wildflowers that bloom into June.
Barbecues are available.
Directions – Lions Den (Neighborhood) Park, 4650 N. Marks, Fresno 93705
Located in Northwest Fresno on the corner of Marks and Emerson Avenues next to Slater Elementary School between Shaw and Ashlan Avenues.
Woodward Park
Reservations
Fee Schedule
The late Ralph Woodward, a long-time Fresno resident, bequeathed the major portion of his estate in 1968 to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Northeast Fresno on the South bank of the San Joaquin River between Highway 41 and Friant Road. The initial 235 acres, combined with additional acres acquired later by the City brings the park to an amazing 300 acres. Now packed with amenities, Woodward Park is the only Regional Park of its size in the Central Valley.
Park Hours and Entrance Fees:
The park is open April through October, 7am to 10pm and November through March, 7am to 7pm. Daily park entry fees are $5 per vehicle or $3 per vehicle in which a senior citizen (age 65 or older) is a passenger or driver. Due to higher demand, entry fees on holidays will be $7 per vehicle.
**Holiday rate applies to the following holidays: Easter, Cinco de Mayo (closest weekend), Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.**
Park entrance fee shall be waived for motor vehicles displaying a valid disabled person placard.
Features:
The Southeast corner of the park harbors numerous bird species offering bird enthusiasts an excellent opportunity for viewing. The park has a multi-use amphitheatre that seats up to 2,500 people (to reserve, call (559) 621-2900), authentic Japanese Garden, fenced dog park, exercise par course, three children’s playgrounds, a lake, 3 small ponds, 7 picnic areas (with barbecues, electricity and water fountains) and five miles of multipurpose trails that are part of the San Joaquin River Parkway’s Lewis S. Eaton Trail. When complete, the Lewis S. Eaton trail system will cover 22 miles between Highway 99 and Friant Dam. The park also has many uncovered picnic tables that are available on a first come, first-served basis!
There are six large shelters throughout the park, each with 7 tables seating 25-30 people per table accommodating a maximum of 210 people for the entire shelter. These tables may be reserved for the entire day (7am to 10pm) for $30 each.
Additionally, a seventh shelter, the Gazebo, has 6 tables accommodating a maximum 60 people for the entire shelter. The Gazebo may be reserved for the entire day at $90.
Wedding Reservations at Woodward Park:
Reservations are available for weddings and/or photos in the Redwood Glen Area, south of the Japanese Garden parking lot. This is a small open grass area bordered by redwoods. A permit is required for use. This area may be reserved for 6 hours per day, per customer and costs $50 for a permit. Times available for use are 7am-1pm, or 1pm to 7pm. Reservations can be made online at PARCS Online or by calling (559) 621-2900.
Weddings are also held within the beautiful Shinzen Japanese Garden. Please contact (559) 840-1264 Ext. 2 for reservations or more information.
Photographers may take photos in the Shinzen Japanese Gardens for weddings, or other events such as graduations, family pictures, Quinceaneras, etc. Please call (559) 840-1264 Ext. 2 to schedule your photo shoot.
Woodward Park Map
Address:
Woodward Park
7775 Friant Road
Fresno CA 93720 | |||||||
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] | null | [] | null | <p>SciSat-1/ACE is a mission designed to make observations on the Earth’s atmosphere. SciSat-1 measures over sixty atmospheric species at one of the world’s highest vertical resolutions.</p> | en | /favicon.ico | null | SciSat-1/ACE (Science Satellite/Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment)
Spacecraft Launch Mission Status Sensor Complement Ground Segment References
SciSat-1/ACE is a Canadian atmospheric science mission. In the time frame 1996/97, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) initiated the SciSat program with the objective to provide opportunities for Canadian scientists to define and conduct space experiments in the following fields:
Earth sciences,
space astronomy,
solar-terrestrial relations.
Mission selection procedures in the program were conducted via an AO (Announcement of Opportunity) process and peer reviews.
In addition, the SciSat program is also part of a CSA/NASA collaboration program, consisting of two missions. Under the terms of the cooperative agreement, each agency provides a spacecraft and instrumentation, to be co-launched on an expendable vehicle. The AO for the Canadian elements of the first SciSat (SciSat-1) was released in 1997. The ACE mission was selected for flight in November 1998.
The SciSat/ACE mission is based at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario (Mission Scientist: Peter Bernath).
The overall objective is to monitor and analyze the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. In particular, ACE is focussing on one important and serious aspect of the atmospheric ozone problem - the decline of stratospheric ozone at northern mid-latitudes and in the Arctic. A comprehensive set of simultaneous measurements of trace gases, thin clouds, aerosols and temperature are being collected by solar occultation from low earth orbit.
More than 30 molecules have been detected including: O3, N2O, CH4, HNO3, H2O, HCl, HF, NO, NO2, ClNO3, CO, CO2, CCl3F, CCl2F2, and N2O5.
Spacecraft
The SciSat/ACE minisatellite structure, designed, built and integrated by Canadian industry (prime contractor: Bristol Aerospace Ltd. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, a division of Magellan Aerospace Corporation), uses a circular instrument/component aluminium mounting plate (1.12 m in diameter) as the main structure of the platform.
The spacecraft is 3-axis stabilized. Attitude control is based on a bias momentum stabilization approach. The subsystem consists of a momentum wheel, torque rods (MTR-30 of SSTL) along all three body-fixed axes, one fine sun sensor, a magnetometer and a set of six coarse sun sensors. All sensors and actuators are off-the-shelf components with flight heritage. Pointing control provides ±1º in pitch and yaw axis (3σ) and ±2º in the roll axis (3σ). The CALTRAC™ star trackers were manufactured by CAL Corp, Canada (now COM DEV International).
In addition, the GyroWheelTM (developed at Bristol AeroSpace) is flown for technology validation. The GyroWheel has the ability to provide the S/C simultaneously with stored angular momentum, to function as a 3-axis torque actuator, and to measure the S/C angular rates in two axes. The GyroWheel is a CMG (Control Moment Gyroscope) device and as such an actuator/sensor demonstration experiment. The design is based on a spinning flex-gimbal system as opposed to the conventional non-spinning motor-driven gimbals. This innovation allows for maintaining the same three-axis momentum steering capability as a CMG.
The primary benefit of the CMG design is that it allows for substantial savings in mass (eliminating the need for multiple momentum wheels and gyros), power, and cost of the attitude control system.
- Flight testing of GyroWheel was carried out mainly during periods when science is not being conducted. After its validation, the GyroWheel is expected to operate as the primary wheel and will be used during science operations. The performance of the GyroWheel is now validated and it functions as a back-up system. The GyroWheel is functionally redundant with the momentum wheel.
Table 1: Characteristics of the GyroWheel
The spacecraft is always in a sun-pointing configuration. S/C power (75 W orbital average, triple junction solar cells, GaIn/GaIn/Ge, one of them is a Si cell) is generated by a single body-mounted solar panel. In addition, there are Lithium-Ion batteries (13.6 Ah capacity) for the orbital eclipse phase operations.
On-board source data recording of up to 1.5 GByte is provided. The C&DH (Command & Data Handling) unit was developed for small satellites. It is responsible for all onboard data handling, monitoring and recording. The unit features low-power (≤ 10 W), low-mass (≤ 4 kg) and a radiation-tolerant core in a single string architecture (a UTMC 80C196 16-bit processor is used to perform all S/C operations). The instruments are connected to C&DH via a synchronous RS-422 interface. The S/C mass is 152 kg (payload mass = 47 kg), and the design life is two years with a goal of five years.
Launch
A NASA-sponsored launch of SciSat/ACE took place on Aug. 13, 2003 (UTC) on a Pegasus-XL vehicle (air launch) from VAFB (Vandenberg Air Force Base), CA.
RF communications are provided in S-band using the CCSDS protocol suite. Variable-rate telemetry downlinks can be supported (4, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.04 Mbit/s). The downlink uses OQPSK (Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) modulation, and the uplink is compatible with NASA's STDN (Satellite Tracking and Data Network) standards. The maximum data rate (occurring during an occultation) is about 9.6 Mbit/s, and almost all of it comes from the ACE-FTS instrument. The uplink data rate is 4 kbit/s. Reed Solomon (RS) encoding is used on the downlink to achieve a 1 x 10-9 bit error rate. Spacecraft tracking and orbit determination are done using coherent Doppler tracking. The ACE-FTS raw data volume is about 2 GByte/day.
Orbit: Circular high-inclination orbit, altitude = 650 km, inclination = 73.9º, period = 97.7 minutes. No onboard propulsion is available for orbit maintenance. The ACE orbit was selected so that the latitude coverage repeats annually (Figure 5).
Mission Status
• February 8, 2021: SciSat is still operating nominally in its 18th year on orbit. CSA awarded the SciSat project at the University of Waterloo an extension contract for 3 more years starting on April 1, 2021.
- The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite measures infrared transmission spectra of the atmosphere with a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) using the Sun as a light source. ACE provides a global view of atmospheric composition from altitude profiles of volume mixing ratios of 44 molecules starting in February 2004. The current version of ACE-FTS processing is 4.1 released in July 2020. Compared to v.4.0, the trends and altitude-latitude distributions have changed only slightly.
Quarterly altitude-latitude distributions have been computed to highlight seasonal effects. Generally, the tropospheric volume mixing ratios of v.4.1 agree well with surface measurements made by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) flask network and the AG AGE network. The revised ACE trends provide a quantitative state-of-the-atmosphere report.
- The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment is a satellite-based mission that has been probing the Earth’s atmosphere via solar occultation since February 2004. Instruments on board include a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and a pair of filtered imagers. A new processing version (version 4, with version 4.1 representing the most recent update) has been implemented for these instruments.
Analysis for the ACE-FTS instrument makes use of the latest spectroscopic information and features improved accuracy in forward model calculations, including a new instrumental line shape and employing a 100 m altitude sub-grid within the tangent layer of the 1 km altitude grid employed in previous processing versions. Changes were made in the handling of solar and deep space calibration spectra to avoid systematic errors that impacted previous processing versions. Emphasis was placed on improving software robustness, as well as minimizing occurrences of unphysical oscillation in retrieved profiles. Seven new molecules and three new isotopologues were added to the list of atmospheric constituents retrieved from the previous processing version (version 3.5/3.6) for a total of 44 molecules and 24 isotopologues. For the imagers, forward model calculations were changed to a 100 m altitude grid (rather than a 1 km grid) in version 4 processing.
• August 2020: Satellite remote sensing of the Earth’s atmosphere offers a global perspective that is not available from ground-based or airborne instruments. The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite (a.k.a. SCISAT) measures the composition of the atmosphere by recording the absorption of 44 molecules plus 24 isotopologues by using the solar occultation method. During sunrise and sunset, the centre of the solar radiance is tracked, and its attenuation is measured with a high-resolution infrared spectrometer as well as with a visible near-infrared spectrophotometer.
- These solar occultation spectra are processed on the ground and yield altitude profiles of volume mixing ratios (VMRs or mole fractions) with a typical vertical resolution of about 3 km from an altitude of 5 km (or the cloud tops) in the troposphere up to about 120 km in the lower thermosphere for CO2. The long horizontal pathlength associated with the limb-viewing geometry of ACE improves the detection limits compared to nadir-viewing satellites.
Although nadir-viewing satellite instruments such as IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) on MetOp-A offer exceptional global coverage and relatively high horizontal resolution (e.g., 12 km at nadir), they lack the vertical resolution of limb sounders and typically provide total column densities for trace gases rather than profiles.
- The Canadian ACE satellite was launched by NASA in August 2003 and was designed for a two-year operational lifetime. Now in its 17th year, ACE still works well and has a time series of data starting in February 2004. ACE’s longevity provides an opportunity to measure the change in the atmospheric composition of 44 gases as a function of latitude, longitude and altitude for more than 16 years. Anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related gases are responsible for the destruction of stratospheric ozone which protects us from deleterious ultraviolet radiation.
ACE monitors the progress of the Montreal Protocol, which controls the production of these long-lived halogen-containing gases. Non-condensable greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 and N2O are the “control knob governing Earth’s temperature”. Air quality is affected by the oxidation of organic molecules such as C2H6 (ethane), CH3OH (methanol) and CH3C(O)CH3 (acetone) catalyzed by nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). ACE has a global data set for 16 + years for H2O, O3, N2O, NO, NO2, HNO3, N2O5, H2O2, HO2NO2, O2, N2, SO2, HCl, HF, ClO, ClONO2, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, COF2, COCl2, COFCl, CF4, SF6, CH3Cl, CCl4, HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC- 142b, HFC-134a, HFC-23, CO, CH4, CH3OH, H2CO, HCOOH, C2H2, C2H6, OCS, HCN, CH3C(O)CH3, CH3CN, PAN (CH3C(O)OONO2), high and low altitude CO2 as well as pressure and temperature, http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/molecules.php.
• February 3, 2020: The SciSat/ACE mission is still working well without problems (Ref. 22). The current version of ACE-FTS processing is 4.0. Version 4.0 looks good and we now have 44 routine molecules and 24 isotopologues (http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/molecules.php). Perhaps the most interesting new molecule (in view of climate change) is low-altitude CO2.
- A Special Issue of JQSRT (Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer) entitled the Golden Age of Satellite Remote Sensing: Honoring the 15th anniversary of ACE on orbit has been published in Nov. 2019 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-quantitative-spectroscopy-and-radiative-transfer/vol/238/suppl/C) with 9 ACE-related papers.
- Another feature is the near-real time (3-day delay) availability of ACE-FTS data, with some sample plots posted daily to the website (http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/), tabs on the left.
- The best overview of the ACE mission is still the paper: P. F. Bernath, ”The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE),” JQSRT, Volume 186, January 2017, pp.3-16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2016.04.006
• January 30, 2019: The SciSat/ACE mission is still working well with no major technical issues in spite of more than 15 years on orbit. The project at Waterloo University has a contract from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) for another 2 years of mission operations and their strong support for continued funding (Ref. 22).
• September 4, 2018: Launched by NASA on board the Canadian satellite SciSat in 2003, the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) was intended for a two-year mission. Fifteen years later, ACE is still providing excellent spectra that provide vital chemical and physical data about our atmosphere, particularly the ozone layer.
- “ACE monitors the global distribution of more than 35 different species including CFCs, hydrochloric acid, and ozone - in other words, nearly all molecules specified by the Montreal Protocol and associated with the Antarctic ozone hole,” says Peter Bernath, ACE Mission Scientist and team lead for ACE’s Science Operations Center headquartered in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. “ACE represents quite an achievement in terms of return on investment, both for science and policy.”
- The 1987 Montreal Protocol has been hailed as the world’s most successful international environmental treaty. It phases out the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other substances shown to deplete Earth’s protective ozone layer. ACE is monitoring the decline of these banned source gases in the lower atmosphere and of product gases such as hydrochloric acid in the stratosphere.
- “We’re the only ones in orbit doing this, and in real time as a function of altitude,” says Bernath. “You can actually watch the ozone hole forming on our website where we post near-real time data every day.”
- ACE is not only known for monitoring the ozone hole; scientists worldwide have published more than 430 papers using ACE data sets. For example, ACE data were used to show how the Asian monsoon directly injects combustion-generated pollution into the upper atmosphere by tracking hydrogen cyanide gas produced mainly by fires.
- ACE data were also used to prove solar activity acts as an additional source of atmospheric nitrous oxide in the upper atmosphere. Previously, the only known natural source of nitrous oxide was denitrifying bacteria living in soils at the Earth’s surface. Nitrous oxide is not only an important greenhouse gas; it’s also a powerful ozone-depleting molecule.
- Meanwhile, this science mission continues to evolve and improve. The high-resolution spectroscopic data gathered by ACE allows the Waterloo ACE team to forensically identify new species and then quantify their global concentration trends going back the entire 15 years of the project.
- “We recently received a request to provide data on two hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are being regulated as part of the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” says Bernath. “We were able to isolate the signal in the spectra and within a month provide an entirely new data product. The unique algorithms the Waterloo team continue to develop are only possible with this project’s longevity.”
• July 27, 2018: Canada's SciSat satellite has detected pollutants in the atmosphere that have never been identified before from space while conducting the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE). One of these is HCFC-142b, a refrigerant gas that is being used to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. Although the radiation force of HCFCs is 10 times weaker than that of CFCs, they still contribute to the greenhouse effect. SCISAT is the only space-based instrument that can measure these pollutants to assess their effects on the environment.
- The satellite has also analyzed the pollutants in the atmosphere caused by the burning of biomass, such as forest fires, and many other constituents, such as methanol. This toxic pollutant is present in very low concentrations throughout the atmosphere. "The data can help us refine global air pollution models," says Dr Peter Bernath, principal investigator for the mission.
- The ACE confirmed the models used to study and make projections of ozone depletion. "We knew ozone was being depleted, and we had an idea how, but the data to prove our theories was limited," says Professor Jack McConnell of York University, a project participant. "ACE observations have given us a better understanding of why and how ozone depletion is occurring. Now it's easier to make predictions."
- SCISAT continues to operate well after 15 years and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) extended its mission until 2021.
• The SciSat/ACE mission is fully operational in February 2018. Now in its 15th year since launch (Aug. 13, 2003), the satellite is still working well and the project anticipates many more years of science operations. The longevity of SciSat/ACE makes the data particularly valuable for monitoring changes in atmospheric composition as a function of altitude on a global scale. For example, ACE measures the halogenated gases associated with stratospheric ozone depletion and thus monitors the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol. Long-lived halogenated gases are also important climate change gases because of their large global warming potentials.
- Indeed SciSat/ACE measures all major greenhouse gases and aerosols that drive climate change and provides data to test and validate climate prediction models. The mission also measures the major organic molecules and nitrogen oxides responsible for air pollution in the troposphere. As “chemical weather forecasting” becomes increasingly sophisticated, SciSat/ACE provides an extensive data set to test the chemical transport models used to make air pollution predictions.
• December 5, 2017: From February 23 to April 1, 2017, a group of eight researchers was collecting data on atmospheric conditions from the PEARL (Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory) facilities in Nunavut. These measurements, taken with state-of-the-art instruments installed on the ground and aboard balloons, are used to validate data from Canadian instruments on the SCISAT/ACE and Odin satellites. The 2017 validation campaign is supported by CSA (Canadian Space Agency), Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Northern Scientific Training Program.
• In January 2017, the SciSat/ACE mission continues to operate nominally according to Peter F. Bernath, who heads the SciSat science team. The project at the University of Waterloo has a contract with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) until 2018 (but this will very likely be extended). The SciSat mission provides data to academia, space agencies, and governmental and scientific organizations around the world.
- The ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment) on SciSat measures chemical molecules that influence the distribution of stratospheric ozone, particularly in the Arctic. These data are making an important contribution to international environmental policy-making aimed at protecting the ozone layer, such as the Montreal Protocol that bans certain CFCs. ACE measures the absorption of solar light by the atmosphere at sunrise and sunset. Different atmospheric constituents absorb different wavelengths of light in characteristic ways—a signature by which they can be identified. This technique is what allows ACE to make extremely accurate measurements.
- With its instrument performing so well, SCISAT is now moving beyond its original mandate and providing excellent data related not only to ozone depletion, but also to climate change, and air quality and pollution. "There are many things we're doing now that we really didn't know we could do," Bernath said.
- ACE observations are also useful in climate studies. For example, they've shown that previously observed increases in the amount of water vapour being injected into the stratosphere have stopped. Water vapour is the most powerful natural greenhouse gas and plays a key role in the Earth's climate. "No one knew why it was increasing and we don't know why it stopped, so there are quite a few mysteries left," said Bernath.
• In October 2015, Canada's SciSat mission is 12 years on orbit with its 2 instruments, ACE-FTS and MAESTRO. The high-resolution ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment -Fourier Transform Spectrometer) is operating in the solar occultation mode in Earth orbit. ACE-FTS retrieves vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and volume mixing ratio of 38 molecular species, and relies on international cooperation to validate its data products. Data availability from international Earth-observing missions is vital to interpreting domestic results, and ACE-FTS validation uses data products from 12 instruments and 7 space agencies.
- The data of the Taiwan/US FormoSat-3/COSMIC constellation mission are being used and incorporated into the ACE-FTS data validation campaign. The FormoSat-3/COSMIC mission of six small satellites uses signals from GPS satellites to measure water vapour pressure and temperature via radio occultation. These data are compared to those retrieved by the ACE-FTS instrument on SciSat along with a newly developed algorithm applied to ACE-FTS spectra. The new algorithm to retrieve vertical profiles of temperature and pressure from high-resolution solar transmission spectra was developed in support of a partnership between the CSA and NASA/JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) to place an FTS in orbit around Mars as part of the ESA and NASA's joint ExoMars mission (NASA since withdrew).
— This algorithm exploits the temperature dependence of individual absorption lines in an infrared vibration-rotation band. ACE-FTS makes multiple measurements during an occultation, separated by 1.5-5 km, and the project analyzes 10 CO2 vibration-rotation bands at each altitude, each with a different usable altitude range. The retrieved profiles have no seasonal or zonal biases but do have a warm bias in the stratosphere and a cold bias in the mesosphere, with mean differences less than 5 K when compared to ACE-FTS. The FormoSat-3/COSMIC comparisons are done below 40 km where the best agreement prevails with FTS-ACE data and the mean differences are less than 3 K. The H2O comparisons between ACE-FTS and FormoSat-3/COSMIC show good agreement in the stratosphere, and higher concentrations retrieved by COSMIC in the troposphere.
- Over its lifetime of 12 years in orbit, ACE-FTS has been well validated by satellite, ground-based, and balloon-borne instruments to establish the accuracy and reliability of the ACE-FTS data products. Published temperature validation results used three satellite instruments, nine ground-based instruments, one balloon instrument and sondes launched from several sites. The satellite instruments were: SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) instrument on the TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) spacecraft, MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) on Envisat, and the HALOE (Halogen Occultation Experiment) on UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite). TIMED and HALOE are NASA instruments, while MIPAS was developed by ESA (European Space Agency).
Legend to Figure 10: Shown are: the number of coincidences, correlation coefficient, mean relative differences, and the standard deviation of the mean relative differences. Instruments used in the validation are HALOE, MAESTRO, MIPAS, MLS, POAM III, SAGE III, SMR, and COSMIC. MIPAS has data products from two retrieval software versions by ESA and IMK (Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research), formerly the Karlsruhe Research Center, Karlsruhe, Germany.
• Nov. 6, 2014: Thanks to Canada’s SciSat mission, an international team of scientists has discovered a recent and unexpected increase in stratospheric hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Information from SciSat along with other satellite data and ground-based measurements showed the scientific team that the increase in stratospheric HCl is due to a slowdown in the atmospheric circulation of the Northern Hemisphere. This discovery could impact how scientists will analyze the evolution of the stratospheric ozone layer going forward.
- Since 1989, the implementation of the UN’s Montreal Protocol has led to a reduction in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) around the globe. These CFCs are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. CFCs break-up in the stratosphere and release chlorine atoms that then form HCl. Under certain conditions, HCl can be transformed into other chlorine-containing molecules that destroy ozone.
- The SciSat data was essential in identifying the altitudes at which this change was taking place. Without reliable HCl measurements in the lower stratosphere provided by the Canadian instrument, we could not have reached this conclusion. No other single instrument has provided such a wide range of data products for such a long time.
• Oct. 2014: SciSat has been operating more than 5 times its design lifetime. The mission has been highly successful and its scientific return far exceeded initial hopes. Starting from a dedicated ozone characterization experiment, the SciSat data are now used worldwide to monitor many chemical species in the atmosphere impossible to observe with any other instruments. Hence, there is a strong interest and value in assuring the continuity of the measurements made with SciSat.
- The ACE-FTS was designed for a 2-year mission. The parts selection & qualification level, the redundancy scheme, the shielding, and the life testing of critical elements have all been done with a 2-year mindset and a scientific mission risk profile. After more than 11 years on orbit, the SNR performance still exceeds the original requirement (100) by a factor of up to 4x in certain spectral regions. No anomaly was observed to date despite the fact that early during its mission life, the SciSat-1 spacecraft had to face a violent and severe solar storm. SciSat remains the only sensor in orbit providing long-term trending of low-concentration molecules within the atmosphere. This is a key contribution to the assessment of climate change.
- Various studies have been conducted for potential SciSat follow-on. One of these missions is the CASS (Chemical and Aerosol Sounding Satellite) mission. The goals of the CASS mission are to further expand our understanding of:
1) How the Earth’s atmospheric composition is evolving and responding to both natural and anthropogenic changes.
2) The coupling between the recovery of the ozone layer from the effect of ozone-depleting substances and climate change.
3) The processes and dynamics that control the role of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) region and the links with the surface climate.
CASS also has objectives to fill a potential data gap between the current limb-sounding mission and future limb-sounding missions. To achieve these goals, CASS is planned to carry an improved version of the ACE-FTS with enhanced capabilities.
Phase 0 of CASS was completed in the Spring of 2012 and experimental demonstration of the critical subsystem was completed in the summer of 2014. - The CSA (Canadian Space Agency) has also been considering many other missions involving FTS technology in the past years. None of these missions is currently funded but preliminary studies have been conducted for them and discussions for international collaboration have been taking place (Ref. 29).
• January 2014: The SciSat/ACE spacecraft and its payload continue to operate nominally. The current extension of the mission is to July 2014. However, ACE is currently undergoing a major review, and a further extension of the mission may be the outcome (Ref. 32).
• In August 2013, the SciSat/ACE spacecraft was completing 10 years on orbit. The project team and CSA are proud of the unique measurement capabilities of this small Canadian satellite and of the large role that this space mission plays in monitoring stratospheric ozone and its associated chemistry. SciSat helps a team of Canadian and international scientists improve their understanding of the depletion of the ozone layer, with a special emphasis on the changes occurring over Canada and in the Arctic.
- SciSat has surpassed expectations by lasting 10 years to date. It delivers valuable data on climate change, air quality and pollution in support of international environmental policy aimed at protecting the ozone layer. The tenth anniversary of the first science data downloaded from SCISAT will be marked by a scientific workshop held at York University in Toronto from October 23 to 25, 2013.
- Originally planned as a two-year mission, SciSat’s instruments continue to provide information about more than 30 different molecular species, which is more than has ever been thoroughly measured from space. SciSat delivers excellent data related not only to ozone depletion but also to climate change, air quality and pollution. Undoubtedly, SciSat’s mission is a great Canadian success story.
- On October 22, 2013, at the University of Toronto, scientists, government representatives and industry partners participated in a media event to celebrate a decade of success for Canada's SciSat/ACE satellite mission. The tenth anniversary of the first science data observations from SciSat/ACE will also be marked by a scientific workshop at York University in Toronto from October 23-25, 2013.
• In April 2013, the SciSat/ACE spacecraft and its payload are operating nominally.
• On August 13, 2012, the SCISAT/ACE project marked the 9th anniversary of the mission in orbit (2-year design life). Since launch, the satellite and instrument operations are nominal.
- On 8 June 2012, SCISAT completed its 47,500th orbit!
- Profiles available for ~29,000 occultations
- ~50% of occultations occur in polar regions (> 60 degrees)
- Operation of ACE mission approved until the end of March 2014.
• In 2012, the SCISAT/ACE instruments and satellite are continuing to function nominally and produce excellent results (deriving altitude profiles of over 30 different atmospheric trace-gas species, temperature and pressure) after more than 8 years on orbit (Ref. 35).
• The SciSat-1 spacecraft and its payload are operating nominally in 2011.
• In the early part of 2010 (February 20 -April 1), the “Canadian ACE Arctic Validation Campaign” was conducted with a suite of ground-based instruments which were deployed to make measurements of trace gases to assess the measurements of ACE-FTS on SciSat. The campaign took place at the PEARL (Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory) facility located in Eureka, Nunavut (Canada).
• The SciSat-1 spacecraft and its payload are operating nominally in 2010 (in its 7th year of operations, 2 years of nominal design life). CSA intends to keep the very successful mission operating.
• In 2009 the spacecraft is operating nominally, there is no degradation in the performance of the FTS or of the satellite bus. The only issue is for the wavelength limits of the MAESTRO instrument: they are now decreased to 450-1000 nm. Fortunately, this does not have much impact on the primary MAESTRO science (NO2 and O3 profiles plus atmospheric extinction). - CSA has committed to supporting the mission at least until March 31, 2010.
• SciSat provides high-precision information on the condition of the ozone layer and atmospheric changes. In 2006, data collected by SciSat played a key role in helping scientists better understand the loss of ozone over the Northern hemisphere.
• As of mid-April 2006, the ACE satellite instruments had made more than 10,000 occultation measurements. No degradation of ACE-FTS instrument performance or functionality was observed since launch.
• In August 2005, SciSat-1 met its mission life requirements of 2 years. CSA decided to extend the funding for SciSat-1/ACE mission operations (mission life) for two more years.
• After 6 months of commissioning and test phase the spacecraft was declared fully operational on February 27, 2004 (the start of the science mission).
• On October 22, 2003, the first data observations from SciSat/ACE were acquired.
Sensor Complement
ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer)
ACE-FTS is the prime instrument of the SciSat mission. ACE has been built by ABB Bomem Inc. of Quebec City, Quebec. The objective is to measure the vertical distribution of atmospheric trace gases, in particular of the regional polar O3 budget, as well as pressure and temperature (derived from CO2 lines). The instrument is an adapted version of the classical sweeping Michelson interferometer, using an optimized optical layout (Figure 13).
ACE consists of the following components: the FTS, a VNIR (Visible Near Infrared) imager, a sun tracker, instrument electronics, and a power supply. An SNR > 100 is achieved; IFOV (FTS) = 1.25 mrad; a telescope aperture diameter of 100 mm and a measurement period of 2 s. The instrument includes a suntracker, which provides fine pointing toward the radiometric centre of the sun with a stability better than 15 µrad, to both the infrared spectrometer and the imager during solar occultation of the Earth's atmosphere (there are about 30 sun occultation periods per day). Measurements can be made in the altitude range 5-150 km. The FTS is coupled with an auxiliary 2-channel VNIR imager.
The operation of the ACE-FTS in solar occultation provides a reproducible evaluation of the temperature profile. In fact, since the radiance of the sun is used as the radiometric reference for the instrument, the temperature sounding is much less sensitive to manufacturing variability from one unit to the other or to the ageing of the hardware. This is a key advantage for global climatology where trends over decades must be accurately measured.
• The FTS spectrometer looks at the sun through the atmosphere (occultation or limb-viewing geometry) at different tangent heights, providing a series of spectra that are used to deduce the vertical distribution of trace gases and temperature.
The spectral range of the instrument is from 2-13 µm (750 - 4100 cm-1) in two bands, and the maximum resolution is 0.025 cm-1. InSb (1800-4100 cm-1) and HgCdTe (750-1800 cm-1) detectors are used. Both detectors are cooled below 110 K. The spectrometer transforms the spectra into a modulated signal, the interferogram, in which all of the IR bands are present simultaneously. The spectrometer output consists of such interferograms for each observed scene. The interferograms are Fourier-transformed into spectra on the ground to provide vertical profiles of atmospheric constituents at vertical resolutions of 3-4 km.
• VNIRI (Visible Near Infrared Imager). Objective: monitoring of aerosols using the method of extinction of solar radiation.
Two filtered detectors at 1.02 and 0.525 µm are employed. VNIRI provides sun images in two spectral bands at 0.525 µm and at 1.02 µm. Refractive index distortion of the solar image for low altitude measurements is monitored with a large CMOS photodetector array of 128 x 128 effective elements covering 30 mrad with a pixel separation of 0.25 mrad (the IFOV is more than four times smaller than the IFOV of the FTS). These measurements have an SNR>100 for all sun-illuminated pixels in a two-second observation time. The sun tracker keeps the instruments (FTS and VNIRI) automatically pointed at the sun's radiometric center.
Table 2: Characteristics of the ACE-FTS instrument
The main design drivers of the ACE-FTS instrument are sensitivity (SNR), spectral resolution and large spectral coverage. The spectrometer is an adapted version of the classical Michelson interferometer using an optimized optical layout. The instrument optics are based on a highly folded design and result in a very compact high performance instrument as shown in Figure 13.
The first optical component is the suntracker module that tracks the radiometric centre of the sun. The infrared and visible signals are then directed to a 5X magnification telescope primary mirror. A small bandpass filter, mounted on the primary telescope mirror, transmits the 1.52 µm to 1.59 µm spectral range to a quad cell (used as the feedback source for the suntracker module) and reflects the remaining spectrum to the VIS/NIR imager. The primary mirror reflects the signals through the aperture and the field stops at the secondary collimation mirror. Then, the collimated beam is directed towards the interferometer. A filter is installed between the input optics and the interferometer to minimize the thermal load on the interferometer. The output of the interferometer is then condensed to the InSb/MCT detector assembly using an off-axis parabola. The ACE-FTS instrument has a mass of about 35 kg, a power 40 W operating, and 15 W on standby.
Note: The ACE-FTS mission is based on ATMOS (Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectrometer), a JPL instrument which flew four times on the Space Shuttle (1985, 1992, 1993, and 1994). However, the ACE-FTS instrument has been miniaturized by nearly a factor of 10 in terms of mass, power and volume as compared to ATMOS.
MAESTRO (Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation)
MAESTRO was designed and built in a partnership between MSC (Meteorological Service of Canada), EMS Technologies of Ottawa, and the University of Toronto. The design of MAESTRO is of CPFM (Composition and Photodissociative Flux) heritage, an airborne instrument developed at the Meteorological Service of Canada, which has flown on numerous ER-2 aircraft missions.
MAESTRO is a dual-channel optical spectrometer in the spectral region of 285-1030 nm. The objective is to measure ozone, nitrogen dioxide and aerosol/cloud extinction (solar occultation measurements of atmospheric attenuation during satellite sunrise and sunset with the primary objective of assessing the stratospheric ozone budget). Solar occultation spectra are being used for retrieving vertical profiles of temperature and pressure, aerosols, and trace gases (O3, NO2, H2O) involved in middle atmosphere ozone distribution.
- The use of two overlapping spectrometers (280 - 550 nm, 500 - 1030 nm) improves the stray-light performance. The spectral resolution is about 1-2 nm.
The detectors are linear EG&G Reticon photodiode arrays with 1024 elements. The instrument design is based on a simple concave grating with no moving parts. The entrance slit is held horizontal to the horizon during sunrise and sunset by controlling the spacecraft roll with a startracker and a momentum wheel on the satellite bus.
The vertical resolution of the MAESTRO data is about 1 km; the SNR is >1000. The high vertical resolution may help to distinguish between various atmospheric layers. The oxygen A-band at 762 nm (as well as the B-band and gamma-band) will be used to make an independent determination of atmospheric temperature and pressure. MAESTRO is also able to make some near-nadir solar backscatter measurements with a separate backscatter port. The mass of the instrument is about 8 kg, power = 15 W (operating), 7 W (standby), the data rate = 3 Mbit/s.
The measurements obtained by the ACE-FTS and MAESTRO instruments are being combined with data gathered by ground-based, balloon-based and other space-based projects to obtain the best possible information to predict future trends relating to the ozone layer and its depletion.
Ground Segment
The SciSat ground segment consists of a SOC (Science Operations Centre), based at the University of Waterloo, and a MOC (Mission Operations Centre) at CSA in Saint-Hubert (along with a ground station), Quebec, and a second ground station in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In addition, there is an ESA ground station at Kiruna, Sweden, and a NASA ground station at Fairbanks, AK.
At the SOC the data is archived and transformed into data products for distribution to the science team members. The data analysis of SciSat is based on the cooperation of many national and international partners. The science team includes researchers from Canada, USA, Belgium, Japan, France, and Sweden.
Raw data is transformed first into reflectance spectra as function of altitude (Level 1) and then into vertical profiles of concentration for various atmospheric constituents (Level 2). Data processing is conducted by the ACE Science Team based at the University of Waterloo. The following paragraph gives a list of the molecules retrieved routinely by the ACE-FTS Level 2 processing (version 3.0):
H2O, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, NO, NO2, HNO3, HF, HCl, N2O5, ClONO2, CFC-12 (CCl2F2), CFC-11 (CCl3F), COF2, HCFC-22 (CHClF2), HDO, SF6, OCS, HCN, CF4, CH3Cl, C2H2, C2H6, N2, CO2, H2CO, H2O2, O2, HO2NO2, HCOOH, CH3OH, COCl2, CCl4, COClF, HCFC-142b (ClF2C-CH3), CFC-113 (Cl2FC-CClF2), HCFC-141b (Cl2FC-CH3), as well as isotopologues for some of these molecules.
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Frank Hase, Lloyd Wallace, Sean D.McLeod, JeremyJ.Harrison, Peter F. Bernath, “The ACE-FTS atlas of the infrared solar spectrum,” Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy& Radiative Transfer, Vol. 111, 2010, pp. 521–528
P. F. Bernath, “Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): Mission Status,” Proceedings of the Atmospheric Science Conference 2006, ESA/ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, May 8-12, 2006
K. A. Walker, C. Boone, R. Skelton, S. D. McLeod, P. F. Bernath, C. E. Randall, C. R. Trepte, K. Strong, C. T. McElroy, “Recent Validation Results for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE),” Proceedings of the Atmospheric Science Conference 2006, ESA/ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, May 8-12, 2006
F. Châteauneuf, M.-A. Soucy, S. Fortin, “ACE-FTS instrument: after two years on-orbit,” SPIE Conference on Optics & Photonics 2005, Vol. 5883, San Diego, CA, July 31-Aug. 4, 2005
“Canada's SCISAT Satellite in Full Operation,” URL: http://www.spaceref.com
/news/viewpr.html?pid=13831
D. Kotelko, Ian Walkty, W. Czyrnyj, S. McLeod, “SCISAT-1 Mission Experience,” Proceedings of the 13th Canadian Astronautics Conference, ASTRO 2006, Montreal, QC, Canada, organized by CASI (Canadian Astronautics and Space Institute), April 25-27, 2006
SCISAT Mission status update,” CSA, Feb. 2004
M.-A. Soucy, F Châteauneuf, R. Skelton, S Fortin, “ACE-FTS Instrument:: After two and a half years in orbit,” Proceedings of the 13th Canadian Astronautics Conference, ASTRO 2006, Montreal, QC, Canada, organized by CASI (Canadian Astronautics and Space Institute), April 25-27, 2006
P. F. Bernath, “Atmospheric Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy from Orbit,” Proceedings of the 13th Canadian Astronautics Conference, ASTRO 2006, Montreal, QC, Canada, organized by CASI (Canadian Astronautics and Space Institute), April 25-27, 2006
M.-A. Soucy, C. Deutsch, F. Châteauneuf, “Status of the ACE-FTS Instrument,” Proceedings of IGARSS 2002, Toronto, Canada, June 24-28, 2002
P. Bernath, “Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): An Overview,” Proceedings of SPIE, Vol 4814, SPIE Annual Meeting 2002: Remote Sensing and Space Technology, July 7-11, 2002, Seattle, WA
M.-A. Soucy, F. Chateauneuf, C. Deutsch, N. Etienne, “ACE-FTS Instrument Detailed Design,” Proceedings of SPIE, Vol 4814, SPIE Annual Meeting 2002: Remote Sensing and Space Technology, July 7-11, 2002, Seattle, WA
F. Chateauneuf, M.-A. Soucy, S. Fortin, “ACE-FTS instrument: after two years on-orbit,” Proceedings of Optics & Photonics 2005, San Diego, CA, USA, July 31-Aug. 4, 2005, SPIE Vol. 5883-15
P. Bernath, C. Boone, K. Walker, R. Skelton, R. Nassar, S. McLeod, “The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): An Overview,” 12th ASSFTS (Atmospheric Science from Space using Fourier Transform Spectrometry) Workshop, May 18-20, 2005, Quebec City, Canada
C. R. Nowlan, J. R. Drummond, K. Strong, C. T. McElroy, C. Midwinter, D. S. Turner, “Temperature and Pressure Retrievals from the MAESTRO Space Instrument,” Proceedings of IGARSS, Toronto, Canada, Jun. 24-28, 2002
C. T. McElroy, “First data from the MAESTRO instrument on the Canadian satellite SciSat-1,” Proceedings of SPIE, Earth Observing Systems VIII, Vol. 5151, Aug. 3-6, 2003, San Diego, CA
https://web.archive.org/web/20161008172721/http://www.ace.uwaterloo.ca/data.html
The information compiled and edited in this article was provided by Herbert J. Kramer from his documentation of: ”Observation of the Earth and Its Environment: Survey of Missions and Sensors” (Springer Verlag) as well as many other sources after the publication of the 4th edition in 2002. - Comments and corrections to this article are always welcome for further updates (eoportal@symbios.space). | |||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 35 | https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/george-strait-net-worth/ | en | George Strait Net Worth | [
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] | 2020-08-15T04:23:46+00:00 | George Strait is an American country music singer, music producer, and actor who has a net worth of $300 million. Celebrated as the "King of Country," he is considered one of the most popular recording artists of all time. | en | Celebrity Net Worth | https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/george-strait-net-worth/ | What Is George Strait's Net Worth?
George Strait is an American country music singer, music producer, and actor who has a net worth of $300 million. Celebrated as the "King of Country," George Strait is considered one of the most popular recording artists of all time. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Strait made sure to stick to the traditional elements of country music and inspired others to move away from the pop-infused sounds that became popular during the '80s.
Strait is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 120 million records worldwide. Of all his albums, 13 have reached multi-platinum status (including the eight-time platinum "Pure Country"), while 33 have achieved platinum status. Overall, Strait is the 12th-best-selling artist in US history. In the 2000s, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Early Life
George Harvey Strait was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas. Raised alongside two siblings on a 2,000-acre cattle ranch owned by his father in Pearsall, George was working with animals and doing farmhand work from a very early age. When he was in grade four, his parents divorced. Strait first became interested in music during his high school days and joined a rock 'n roll band with other students. Although he was initially drawn in by bands like the Beatles, he quickly fell in love with country artists such as Hank Thompson, Lefty Frizzell, and Merle Haggard. He regularly attended live performances by country artists across Texas.
After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Hawaii. Once there, he joined an Army-sanctioned country band and welcomed his first child into the world with his wife, Norma. He spent a total of four years in the Army and reached the rank of Corporal. After his honorable discharge, he pursued post-secondary education at Southwest Texas State University, eventually graduating with a degree in Agriculture.
Career
While in college, Strait joined a band called Stoney Ridge, eventually becoming the lead and renaming the group The Ace in the Hole Band. They quickly gained a following in Texas and began opening for high-profile artists such as the Texas Playboys during live performances. Eventually, they were given the opportunity to record several singles. However, the group never really took off, and George earned a living by working on his family's ranch.
He was very close to quitting after being rejected by every major record label he approached, but his wife convinced him to stick with it. In 1981, he was finally offered a recording contract by MCA. That year, he released his first single, "Unwound." It proved to be a massive hit, climbing to number six on the country charts and prompting George to release a debut album called "Strait Country." The album was impactful for many reasons, primarily because it proved that traditional country sounds could still be popular in a modern era. Previously, the genre was shifting heavily towards pop music.
In 1982, George followed up with a second album called "Strait From the Heart," which featured his first #1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory." During this period, he started to perform at live shows for the first time. Following the tragic death of his 13-year-old daughter, Strait severed ties with the media and stopped doing interviews, although he continued to crank out numerous hits.
He finished the '80s with a number of well-received albums before branching out with different sounds in the critically acclaimed 1990 album "Livin' It Up." After releasing the album "Holding My Own," he starred in the box office bomb "Pure Country." While the film was a failure, the soundtrack (which Strait released) proved to be his most commercially successful album of all time.
After releasing many more high-performing albums, Strait founded the George Strait Country Music Festival in 1997. The festival would repeat for the next four years, and George performed alongside some of the biggest names in country music. During this period, he released the album "Always Never the Same" in 1999. The year 2000 marked a bit of a decline for Strait, as his self-titled album did not reach platinum status. Over the next few years, George would continue to release fairly successful albums with his tried-and-true country music formula.
By 2009, Strait broke Conway Twitty's record (40) for most #1 hits on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart. Today, George has amassed 60 #1 hits, the most on all charts by an artist in any genre of music. In 2010, "Billboard" ranked Straight the top country artist of the past 25 years. In 2013, "Billboard" presented George with its Legend of Live honor for the concert industry's top artist based on their Boxscore chart and box-office performance. In 2012, Straight announced his final tour, "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour." The final show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, drew 104,793 people, setting a new record for the largest indoor concert in North America.
Personal Life
Strait married his high school sweetheart Norma in 1971. Together, they had two children. Their daughter was killed in a car accident in 1986, prompting George to start the Jenifer Lynn Strait Foundation, a children's charity. George became a grandfather in February 2012 when George Strait Jr. and his wife, Tamara, had a son.
In 2018, George listed his hilltop Texas estate for $10 million before reducing it to $8.9 million in 2019. He slashed the asking price again in January 2021 to $7.5 million and then to $6.9 million that October. It was reported as being sold in December 2021. He owns several other properties in the Lone Star state, including a ranch in Pearsall, Texas, that has been in the family for more than 100 years.
Brand Endorsements
George is a spokesperson for Wrangler Jeans, partnering with them to raise awareness for their National Patriot program. The initiative aims to raise money for American veterans and their families, focusing on the fallen or those who have been wounded in action. Strait has also partnered with Justin Boots, Resistol (a brand that makes cowboy hats), Garia (a Danish manufacturer of luxury golf cars), and Codigo Tequila.
Touring
George was quite innovative when it came to his tours. He created a 360-degree "theater in the round" approach to concerts that allowed more viewers to attend. This "festival approach" was also commercially successful, and he raked in $99 million in just three years during the Strait Tours. George often earns significant amounts of money despite relatively few tour dates. For example, he earned $15 million in 2005 with a tour that had only 18 shows.
In 2012, he announced that his "Cowboy Rides Away" tour would be his last. The tour was extremely successful, and he set a new record for the highest-grossing single-show concert with earnings of over $18 million after a single performance in Arlington. It was also George's last concert for a decade, and it drew in more than 100,000 fans. This broke the previous record held by the Rolling Stones for the highest attendance for an indoor concert. On March 20, 2022, George played RodeoHouston to a crowd of nearly 80,000. | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 3 | 3 | https://www.malmstrom.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/346869/341st-missile-wing/ | en | 341st Missile Wing | [
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] | null | [] | null | The 341st Missile Wing, headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, is one of three U.S. Air Force Bases that operates, maintains and secures the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic | en | /Portals/43/favicon (2).ico?ver=NKAAdf3Ctyfh3EdSzoAw6g%3d%3d | Malmstrom Air Force Base | https://www.malmstrom.af.mil/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.malmstrom.af.mil%2FAbout-Us%2FFact-Sheets%2FDisplay%2FArticle%2F346869%2F341st-missile-wing%2F | The 341st Missile Wing, headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, is one of three U.S. Air Force Bases that operates, maintains and secures the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The 341st Missile Wing reports directly to 20th Air Force, at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and is part of Air Force Global Strike Command, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
Mission
Defend America with combat-ready Airmen and ICBM forces.
People
Approximately 4,000 people, including more than 3,300 active-duty and 600 civilians, comprise the 341st Missile Wing.
Organizations
The 341st Missile Wing is made up of a wing staff and five groups - the 341st Operations Group, 341st Maintenance Group, 341st Mission Support Group, 341st Security Forces Group and 341st Medical Group. The base is also host to two tenant squadrons, the 819th RED HORSE Squadron and the 40th Helicopter Squadron, as well as multiple other tenant units.
The 341st Operations Group provides lethal combat capability by delivering long-range precision nuclear strikes within a moment's notice. It consists of more than 400 operators, administrators and facility managers, and is composed of three missile squadrons, an operations support squadron, and a standardization and evaluation element. Each of the operations group’s three missile squadrons are responsible for five missile alert facilities and 50 launch facilities. The units of the 341st Operations Group include the 10th Missile Squadron, 12th Missile Squadron, 490th Missile Squadron and 341st Operations Support Squadron.
The 341st Maintenance Group maximizes ICBM readiness and lethality by ensuring assigned launch facilities, launch control centers, and support equipment are safe, serviceable, and properly configured to meet mission needs. The Air Force has made significant commitments to extend the service life of the Minuteman force through 2030 and those commitments have worked their way down to the 341st Maintenance Group's level, resulting in tangible improvements to the combat capability of Malmstrom's Minuteman IIIs. The units of the 341st Maintenance Group include the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron, 741st Maintenance Squadron and 341st Munitions Squadron.
The 341st Mission Support Group provides world-class support to enable the warfighter mission of the 341st Missile Wing on Malmstrom Air Force Base and across the 13,800 square mile complex. The support group provides the war-fighting and peacetime support to the 341st Missile Wing. This includes resource protection, engineering and construction, disaster preparedness, personnel administration, communication services, recreation facilities, dining and lodging services and worldwide contingency mobility forces. The units of the 341st Mission Support Group include the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron, 341st Communications Squadron, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron, 341st Contracting Squadron and 341st Force Support Squadron.
The 341st Security Forces Group, the largest security forces group in the Air Force, secures and defends the 341st Missile Wing's combat capability. It ensures the most stringent security forces' support to the largest ICBM complex in the world through effective management of all war-fighting and peacetime security taskings assigned to the 341st Missile Wing. The units of the 341st Security Forces Group include the 341st Security Forces Squadron, 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron, 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron, 841st Missile Security Forces Squadron and 341st Missile Security Operations Squadron.
The 341st Medical Group is responsible for all medical and dental care for nearly 15,000 beneficiaries throughout north-central Montana. The group's mission is to maximize nuclear surety by optimizing 341st Missile Wing personnel health, wellness and readiness through comprehensive managed health care systems emphasizing health promotion and preventive medicine. The units of the 341st Medical Group include the 341st Healthcare Operations Squadron and 341st Medical Operations Readiness Squadron.
Resources
The 341st Missile Wing operates Minuteman III missiles which provide the critical component of America's on-alert strategic forces. The wing also hosts a mission partner, the 40th Helicopter Squadron that operates 8 UH-1N "Huey" helicopters throughout a 13,800 square-mile missile complex. The helicopters are used as a force-multiplier in day-to-day security of the missile complex.
Malmstrom AFB is also host to the 819th RED HORSE Squadron. This squadron is the first "associate" RED HORSE squadron in the Air Force, approximately two-thirds active-duty and one-third Air National Guard (the Montana Air National Guard 219th RED HORSE Squadron). The 819th RED HORSE squadron was reactivated at Malmstrom AFB Aug. 8, 1997.
History
The 341st Missile Wing's history dates back to Sept. 15, 1942, when it was activated as the 341st Bombardment Group. Following a period of re-designation and inactivation, the unit activated as the 341st Strategic Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, under Strategic Air Command.
The wing's first Minuteman I missiles, assigned to the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS), became alert-ready Oct. 27, 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Two more strategic missile squadrons, the 12th and the 490th, became operational by July 1963, bringing the wing up to a full strength of 15 flights consisting of 150 missiles.
In August 1964, the Air Force announced the wing would replace its Minuteman I missiles with the
Minuteman II. This replacement program included the creation of a fourth SMS at Malmstrom, the 564th SMS. Construction on the 564th SMS began in March 1965. The fourth squadron gave the 341st Missile Wing a total strength of 200 missiles spread throughout a 13,800-square mile complex, making it the largest missile complex in the world. It covered nine Montana counties (Cascade, Choteau, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Pondera, Teton, Toole and Wheatland). The upgrade of the wing's Minuteman IIs began in August 1967 and ended in May 1969.
In January 1975, the 564th SMS began replacing its 50 Minuteman IIs with the newer Minuteman III missiles, which were declared operational in July 1975. For years, Malmstrom had the unique distinction of being the only base to operate Minuteman II and III systems simultaneously.
On July 31, 1991, George H.W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, concluding almost ten years of strategic disarmament talks between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Bush announced a force drawdown in September 1991, and for the first time since 1962, all of the 341st Missile Wing’s 150 Minuteman II missiles stood down. Only the 564th Missile Squadron and its 50 Minuteman III missiles remained on alert.
The wing began removing the Minuteman IIs following the drawdown announcement, replacing the systems with the newer Minuteman III. The program was put on hold during the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), and Malmstrom had only 80 missiles on alert. The BRAC called for the closure of the missile field at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the transfer of Minuteman IIIs from Grand Forks to Malmstrom. The 341st Missile Wing's last Minuteman II missile was removed in August 1995, and since then the wing has operated only the Minuteman III.
With the conclusion of the Cold War came the eventual transfer of all missile wings, including the 341st Missile Wing, from Air Combat Command to Air Force Space Command in 1993 and the re-designation of the wing to the 341st Space Wing on Oct. 1, 1997.
On July 1, 2008, the wing returned to its previous designation as the 341st Missile Wing and in August 2008, officially inactivated the 564th Missile Squadron bringing the number of missile squadrons down to three.
On Dec. 1, 2009, the 341st Missile Wing, along with all the other missile wings, was transferred from Air Force Space Command to Air Force Global Strike Command.
The 341st Missile Wing currently operates, maintains and secures Minuteman III missiles, providing strategic deterrence for the nation as the wing has continuously done since 1962 - remaining America's "Ace in the Hole."
(Current as of March 2023) | ||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 23 | https://www.bartleby.com/essay/George-Strait-Childhood-Influences-F014167F1417A748 | en | George Strait: Childhood Influences - 1438 Words | [
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] | null | [] | null | Free Essay: George Strait Introduction “I want to reach the point where people hear my name and immediately think of real country music (“George Strait... | https://www.bartleby.com/essay/George-Strait-Childhood-Influences-F014167F1417A748 | George Strait Introduction “I want to reach the point where people hear my name and immediately think of real country music (“George Strait Quotes,” 2018).” George Strait made this happen too, with hard work and persistence. Being turned down by multiple record companies was very hard on Strait. He kept working though, and it paid off. George won many awards, was inducted in the Hall of Fame, and kept old country alive when the “urban country” era started, making him one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Childhood Influences George Strait had many things that happened in his youth that influenced his future career. George was raised by his father on a 2,000-acre farm with his older brother Buddy. At a young age, his …show more content…
George Strait had to work for his big break, but the final outcome was rewarding. After being in the army, Strait joined the Ace in the Hole band. One day, Erv Woolsey, a Texas club owner, had the Ace in the Hole band playing at his club. One of the singers caught his attention. It was George Strait. Woolsey was Strait's big break (George Strait, 2012). Ron Chancey, the vice president at MCA Records , went to Erv Woolsey’s club to see Strait sing with his band because Woolsey had asked him to. Chancey liked him, but did not think that he had what it took to be an artist at MCA Records (Bego, 1997). Erv Woolsey helped Strait when he was upset about not being able to sign with MCA Records. "Too country" is what they called his singing. Woolsey made him keep trying though until he got a record deal (Teutsch, 2010). In the year 1981, Strait had a chance to prove to MCA Records to sign him. MCA let him make one song. If people liked it and bought it at stores, then he would get to make a whole album (Bego, 1997). George’s song was a success. MCA Records signed him giving Strait his first record deal. That was the beginning of it though, because nobody knew the real cowboy George Strait. Contribution to the Music Business George Strait was and still is an influential artist. From the lyrics and sound of his music to his cowboy look, many other musicians were influenced …show more content…
13 year old Jenifer Strait died in a car crash on June 25, 1986. This was one of the most tragic days of George's life (Bego, 1997). Strait closed himself off about the topic for a long time. He was not able to talk about the tragedy for several years. George had to withdraw himself from the public to avoid any conversations about his daughter (Bego, 1997). Strait has never been the one to seek the spotlight on his private life, and the death of his daughter was no exception. All of the reporters gave him privacy out of courtesy (Bego, 1997). Strait loved his daughter and did not want her memory to be ruined by the reporters. That same year, he won the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award. The award was taken in Jenifer’s honor (George Strait, 2012). Sadly, this was not the only terrible event that would happen to Strait. George's best friend and older brother died in a hotel in April of 2009. Buddy and George were very close and had done everything together (Teutsch, 2010). Strait would remember Jenifer and Buddy for the rest of his life, but he would move on as he remembers and mourns them. Currently Doing George Strait had a long, successful career. But in 2013, Strait went on tour for the last time. He had been touring for 30 years (West, 2013). George enjoyed making music for all those years, but sometimes it gets tiring. After "The Cowboy Rides Away" tour, George Strait planned to spend time with his wife, | |||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 8 | https://www.biography.com/musicians/george-strait | en | George Strait: Biography, Country Singer, Background | [
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Who Is George Strait?
Country singer George Strait began performing in a band while serving in the U.S. Army. He landed a recording contract in the 1980s with MCA records and produced numerous hit albums throughout the next three decades. Known for staying true to traditional country sound, he has won multiple awards and has the biggest-selling boxed set in country music history.
Early Life
George Strait was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas. He was raised on a family-owned farm in nearby Pearsall, Texas, where he studied agriculture at Southwest Texas State University. Strait eloped with his high school sweetheart, Norma, before joining the army. While stationed in Hawaii, he began singing in the Army-sponsored band called Rambling Country. After returning to Texas, he put together his own band, Ace in the Hole, which gained a rather impressive local following.
Commercial Breakthrough
After years of futile attempts at a record contract, Strait signed a solo contract with MCA Records in 1981. Featuring the hit single "Unwound," his first album, Strait Country (1981), was influential in increasing the radio play of more traditional, less pop-influenced country music. Strait went on to produce a series of No. 1 albums over the course of the next decade, including Strait From the Heart (1982), Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984), Something Special (1985), Ocean Front Property (1987) and Beyond the Blue Neon (1989), all of which were certified platinum or multi-platinum. In 1989, Strait was named the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year, a feat he repeated in 1990.
Acting Debut
In 1992, Strait made his motion picture acting debut in the film Pure Country, and recorded a slew of hit songs for the film's soundtrack , "I Cross My Heart," "Heartland," "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "The King of Broken Hearts." In 1995, Strait released the four-disc career retrospective titled Strait Out of the Box, which had phenomenal sales that exceeded five million copies. To date, Strait Out of the Box holds the notable distinction of being the biggest-selling boxed set in country music history.
In the late 1990s, Strait released a handful of noteworthy albums, including Blue Clear Sky (1996), Carrying Your Love With Me (1997) and One Step At a Time (1998). Released in September 2000, his album, titled George Strait, yielded the hit singles "Go On," "If It's Gonna Rain" and "She Took the Wind From His Sails."
Later Albums
As the new millennium began, Strait remained a strong draw for country music fans. Two tracks from The Road Less Traveled (2001)—"She'll Leave You with a Smile" and "Living and Living Well"—reached the number one spot on the country charts and the entire album went platinum. 2003's Honkytonkville featured such hits as "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa" and "Cowboys Like Us." That same year, Strait received the National Medal of the Arts from President George W. Bush.
Somewhere Down in Texas (2005) was another big seller driven in part by the success of such singles as "You'll Be There" and "She Let Herself Go." "Good News, Bad News," a duet with Lee Ann Womack also featured on the album, won the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year in 2005.
It Just Comes Natural (2006) included several chart toppers, including the title track and "Give It Away." Strait won two CMA Awards for that album and was inducted into the CMA's Hall of Fame.
Awards and Accolades
Strait continues to be a popular force in country music today. Released in 2008, Troubadour debuted at the top of the country album charts. The recording's first single, "I Saw God Today," also became number one on the country charts. In September 2008, Strait was honored with two CMA awards, one for Album of the Year, and Single of the Year. In 2009, he earned a Grammy award for Troubadour, and also landed the Artist of the Decade award from the Academy of Country Music. He has also been named Entertainer of the Year at CMA Awards three times, most recently in 2013. In 2014, Straight won Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
That same year, Strait went on his last tour called "The Cowboy Rides Away." He gave his final concert performance in Dallas, Texas in June. More than 100, 000 fans crowded AT&T Stadium for the show. While he may have stepped away from the stage, Strait has five more albums on his contract with MCA Records.
Personal Life and Wife
Outside of his music career, Strait has several interests, including steer-roping, golf and skiing. He and his wife Norma have one son named George, Jr., who is pursuing a career as a professional rodeo competitor. His daughter, Jennifer, died in a car accident in 1986. In honor of her life, the family founded The Jennifer Lynn Strait Foundation, which raises money for children's charities.
QUICK FACTS
Name: George Strait
Birth Year: 1952
Birth date: May 18, 1952
Birth State: Texas
Birth City: Poteet
Birth Country: United States
Gender: Male
Best Known For: George Strait is an award-winning singer and country music icon known for his traditional country sound.
Industries
Country
Astrological Sign: Taurus
Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!
QUOTES | ||||
8911 | dbpedia | 1 | 43 | https://www.pinterest.com/eagleflys51/mike-kennedy-ace-in-hole/ | en | [] | [] | [] | [
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] | null | [] | 2019-01-23T05:14:02+00:00 | Jan 23, 2019 - Explore Sharon Hite's board "Mike Kennedy - Ace in Hole" on Pinterest. See more ideas about george strait, george, kennedy. | en | Pinterest | https://www.pinterest.com/eagleflys51/mike-kennedy-ace-in-hole/ | |||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 16 | https://musicrow.com/2024/05/tom-foote-longtime-road-manager-for-george-strait-passes/ | en | Tom Foote, Longtime Road Manager For George Strait, Passes | [
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"Lorie Hollabaugh",
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] | 2024-05-01T16:39:46+00:00 | Longtime road manager for George Strait, Tom Foote, has passed away. His passing tragically [...] | en | MusicRow.com | https://musicrow.com/2024/05/tom-foote-longtime-road-manager-for-george-strait-passes/ | Longtime road manager for George Strait, Tom Foote, has passed away. His passing tragically comes a little over a month after Strait and his band suffered two losses on the same day when his longtime manager Erv Woolsey and his fiddle and mandolin player Gene Elders both died.
Foote first met Strait back in 1975 when his band posted a flyer looking for a singer at Southwest Texas State University. Strait, an agriculture major just back from a stint serving in the Army, auditioned, and the rest is history. The band became Strait’s Ace In The Hole Band and he and Foote became lifelong friends and business partners. As former drummer for the band, Foote transitioned to Strait’s tour manager in 1983.
“We were a bunch of kids back then,” Foote told the Lexington Herald Leader in 2010. “I was 23 and I think George was 24, maybe. We were playing local beer joints and dance halls and really did that for the better part of six years until he got his record deal with MCA. In fact, until George had his record deal, we had never played outside of Texas. It was a really great time. Some of my favorite memories were when we first started.”
Foote had other ties to the music business as well. His uncle was writer Horton Foote, best known for his screenplays for To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies.
“We lost another one of our good friends and a huge part of our musical journey yesterday,” Strait wrote on Instagram about the loss of his dear friend. “Tom Foote, our one-time drummer and long-time road manager for around 48 years, suddenly passed away at his home after our rehearsal. The band and I were with him most of the afternoon and he was great. Just doing what he loved to do which was making sure we were taken care of. 2024 is taking its toll on the Ace in the Hole group. We’re all heartbroken to say the least. Rest in peace brother Tom. You will be hugely missed. I’ll see you down the road amigo.”
Funeral arrangements for Foote have not yet been announced. | |||||
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"Contributors to Military Wiki"
] | 2024-07-29T22:27:06+00:00 | George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. He is known as the "King of Country"[1] and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time.[2] He is known for his neotraditionalist country... | en | /skins-ucp/mw139/common/favicon.ico | Military Wiki | https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/George_Strait | George Harvey Strait (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. He is known as the "King of Country"[1] and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time.[2] He is known for his neotraditionalist country style, cowboy look, and being one of the first and main country artists to bring country music back to its roots and away from the pop country era in the 1980s.
Strait's success began when his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached number one on the country charts. In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist. By 2009, he broke Conway Twitty's previous record for the most number-one hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart when his 44 number one singles surpassed Twitty's 40.[3] Counting all music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 60 number-one hits, breaking a record also previously set by Twitty, and giving him more number one songs than any other artist in any genre of music.[4]
Strait is also known for his touring career when he designed a 360- degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. For example, the Strait Tours earned $99 million in three years.[5] His concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX in June 2014 drew 104,793 people, marking a new record for largest indoor concert in North America.[6] Strait was successful innovating country music and in numerous aspects of being a part of popular music.
Strait has sold more than 100 million records worldwide,[7] making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall.
Early life[]
George Harvey Strait was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas, to John Byron Strait, Sr. (January 11, 1922 – June 4, 2013),[9] and Doris Jean Couser (June 26, 1930 – January 30, 2010). He grew up in nearby Pearsall, in Frio County, where his father was a junior high school mathematics teacher and the owner of a 2,000-acre (810 ha) cattle ranch outside of Big Wells, Texas. The family worked at the ranch on the weekends and in the summers. When George was in the fourth grade, his father and mother were divorced, and his mother moved away with his sister, Pency. George and his brother John, Jr., or "Buddy" (1950–2009), were raised by their father.[10]
Strait began his musical interest while attending Pearsall High School, where he played in a rock and roll garage band. The Beatles were popular when Strait was in high school. "The Beatles were big", Strait confirmed. "I listened to them a lot and that whole bunch of groups that were popular then". His musical preference soon turned to country with singers Hank Thompson, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Frank Sinatra influencing his style. Strait did not tune to the country music radio often as a youth, usually listening to the news and the farmer's report. His introduction to country music came mostly by way of live performances, which, according to Strait, could be heard in every town in Texas.[11] He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Norma. The couple initially married in Mexico on December 4, 1971. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army. While stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii as a part of the 25th Infantry Division, Strait began performing with a U.S. Army-sponsored band, "Rambling Country", which played off-base under the name "Santee".[10] On October 6, 1972, while still in Hawaii, George and Norma had their first child, Jennifer.
After Strait was honorably discharged from the Army in 1975, he enrolled at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and graduated with a degree in agriculture.
Music career[]
1970s[]
During his college years, Strait joined the country band Stoney Ridge, answering a flyer the band posted around campus looking for a new vocalist. Strait renamed the group the Ace in the Hole Band and quickly became the lead; they began to perform at different honky-tonks and bars around south and central Texas, traveling as far east as Huntsville and Houston.[12] They gained a regional following and opened for national acts such as The Texas Playboys. Soon, his band was given the opportunity to record several Strait-penned singles including "That Don't Change The Way I Feel About You," and "I Can't Go On Dying Like This" for the Houston-based D label. However, the songs never achieved wide recognition, and Strait continued to manage his family cattle ranch during the day in order to make some extra cash.[12][13]
While he continued to play with his band, without any real connections to the recording industry, Strait became friends with Erv Woolsey, who operated one of the bars in which the Ace in the Hole band played, and who had previously worked for the major label MCA Records. Woolsey convinced some of his Music Row (Nashville, TN) connections to come to Texas and to listen to Strait and his band play. Impressed with the performance, but concerned that they couldn't market the Western Swing sound that the band featured, they left without a deal. After several unsuccessful trips to Nashville in search of a record deal in which Strait was turned down by every label in town, he considered giving up music altogether. He was offered a job designing cattle pens and decided to take it. He gave the band notice that he was leaving, but after a discussion with his wife, she convinced him to give music one more year. Not long afterward, MCA signed Strait to a recording contract in February 1981. The initial deal was for one song. If the single did well, the label would then consider doing an album.[14] The Ace in the Hole band remained with Strait, performing as the backup and touring band for the now solo act.[13]
1980s[]
In the spring of 1981, Strait released his first single for MCA Records, entitled "Unwound", which climbed to #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart that year, and was included on his debut album Strait Country. The record featured two more singles including "Down and Out", a No. 16 hit for Strait, and "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)", which reached number three early in 1982, sparking a string of Top Ten hits that ran well into the 1990s.[15] Strait Country was hailed by critics as a traditionalist breakthrough that broke the trend of pop-influenced country prevalent at the time.[15] The year 1982 also saw the release of Strait's second album, the critically acclaimed Strait from the Heart, which featured the first number one single of his career, "Fool Hearted Memory", and the top five "Amarillo by Morning", regarded by many as one of the greatest country songs of all-time.[citation needed] In 1983, Strait made his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo when the headlining star, Eddie Rabbitt, came down sick with the flu. Performing at that rodeo has since become a mainstay throughout his career, making more than twenty appearances at the Rodeo, and playing to a total of more than one million fans.
Strait recorded 17 subsequent No. 1's in the decade, including a string of five that lasted from 1983–84[16] from his next two albums Right or Wrong, his first number one album and the CMA award-winning Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. The next year, he won the CMA award for top male vocalist, and released his first Greatest hits compilation, which featured songs from his first three albums. Also in 1985, Strait released Something Special, the third straight number-one album of his career, featuring the number-one single "The Chair".[15] In 1986, Strait repeated as the CMA vocalist of the year and released his fourth No. 1 album #7.
Strait and his family were struck with tragedy when his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a one-car non-alcohol-related accident. She was riding in a Ford Mustang driven by Gregory Wilson Allen, 18, of Staples, Texas. He was subsequently charged with a Class A misdemeanor for vehicular homicide. Mike Cox, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, said "The responding trooper determined the cause of accident to be excessive speed and that the car did not negotiate the turn properly. Jenifer was riding in the front passengers seat and none of the four occupants were wearing seat belts at the time.[17] When the vehicle flipped over onto its passenger's side, Jenifer was partially ejected, causing her to be dead upon impact.[17][18] The incident caused Strait to greatly limit his contact with the media. He stopped doing interviews for many years after the accident as he and his family did not wish to discuss Jenifer's death.
His grief did not hinder his performance, however, or his output, as he went on to release 11 straight No. 1 hits, starting with "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" in 1986 and ending with "Ace in the Hole" in 1989.[16] The singles spanned four albums, including #7, Ocean Front Property in 1987, If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' in 1988 and 1989's Beyond the Blue Neon, all of which reached the number one spot on country album charts. Ocean Front Property was the first country album to ever debut at No. 1 on the charts by any artist. The streak included such songs as "Ocean Front Property", "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Famous Last Words of a Fool" and "Baby Blue". Strait finished the decade by winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1989. A year later, he won the award again.[15]
1990s[]
Strait began the decade with the release of his tenth studio album, Livin' It Up, which featured two No. 1 hits including "Love Without End, Amen", his first multi-week hit, and "I've Come to Expect It From You". Both songs remained No. 1 for five weeks in 1990. Chill of an Early Fall shortly followed in 1991, and received positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly noted that the album marked a shift for Strait from "repeating himself" in his previous works to producing different material.[19] It produced the No. 1's "If I Know Me" and "You Know Me Better Than That", but ended his streak of 31 straight top ten hits with the cover of "Lovesick Blues", which peaked at No. 24. The record blocked his run of eight top charting albums with its peak of No. 4. In the spring of 1992, Holding My Own was released. It did not produce any No. 1s but did include two top five songs including "So Much Like My Dad".
Later in 1992, Strait played the main character in the movie Pure Country, and released the film's soundtrack. It was his most successful studio album, producing such hits as "Heartland", "I Cross My Heart", and "When Did You Stop Loving Me", and peaked at No. 1 and No. 6 respectively on the Country and Billboard 200 album charts. The success continued with his next album, Easy Come, Easy Go in 1993, which reached the top five on the Billboard 200 and featured the hits "I'd Like to Have That One Back", "The Man in Love with You", and the No. 1 title track. His next four albums, including Lead On in 1994, Blue Clear Sky in 1996, Carrying Your Love with Me in 1997, and 1998's One Step at a Time, all charted at No. 1, with Blue Clear Sky claiming the spot on its debut week, and Carrying Your Love with Me peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time in Strait's career. This series of albums produced eight number one singles for Strait, including "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody", "Carried Away", "One Night at a Time", and "I Just Want to Dance with You".[15]
During this period, Strait also released a four-disc box set career retrospective, Strait Out of the Box, in 1995, which became the second-best-selling box set ever with shipments of 8 million in the United States. He also was named as the CMA's Top Male Vocalist in 1997 and 1998.[15] Starting in '97, and continuing until the first year of the 21st century, Strait headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival, which included artists such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and others. In an effort to introduce these acts to as many fans as possible, the festival promised not to visit any market more than twice. It played only a small number of dates, usually no more than twenty a year, but still managed to be the ninth-biggest-grossing tour of 1998. In 2009, the George Strait Country Music Festival was voted the most important tour in the history of country music and the best selling country music tour in the 90s.
Strait completed the decade with the album Always Never the Same in 1999, which peaked at No. 2 on country charts and matched the cross-over success of Pure Country by reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The record produced the hits "What Do You Say to That", "Meanwhile", and the No. 1 "Write This Down". Reviews of the album's material were generally moderate, but Entertainment Weekly observed that at this point in his career, Strait could record the "most lightweight" material and "make it soar" on the radio with his "grace".[19] All in all, Strait scored 17 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country airplay charts in the decade, and carried his successes into the next century.[10]
2000–present[]
Strait released a self-named album in 2000, which despite a No. 1 and No. 7 showing on the country and Billboard 200 album charts, produced no No. 1 singles, and was the first studio album of his career to not be certified platinum. The singles "Go On" and "If You Can Do Anything Else" were released from the record, with both peaking in the top five. In May 2001, The Road Less Traveled was released. Reviews for the album were mostly positive, Rolling Stone described it as sticking to the formula "but adds a few twists that make it superior to his last few releases."[20] It featured "vocal processing", and was considered by some critics as an experimental album.[13]
Three singles were released from it, two of which reached No. 1, including "She'll Leave You with a Smile", his 50th on combined charts and "Living and Living Well", both of which reached the top 30 of Billboard Hot 100, with the former peaking at No. 23, Strait's highest rank on the chart. The single "Run" peaked at No. 2 and reached No. 34 on the Billboard 100. Strait released two records in 2003. For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome was a recording of the last Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to take place in the Astrodome. The performance itself, set the record for paid attendance at the venue, with 68,266 people, breaking Latin superstar Selena's previous record of approximately 67,000 in 1995.
His next album, Honkytonkville was described as "a fiery set of hard country", and was praised "for its mixture of the old Strait with his modern, superstar self."[13] It didn't produce any No. 1's for Strait but included the hits "Cowboys Like Us" and a cover of Bruce Robison's "Desperately". His 2004 performance at Reliant Stadium set a new Rodeo attendance record, with 68,679 spectators. That year he issued a Greatest Hits package billed as 50 Number Ones, chronicling the No. 1 hits of his career from all charts, starting with "Fool Hearted Memory" and ending with "She'll Leave You With a Smile." A new track, "I Hate Everything", was also included, and became his 51st overall Number One in 2004. The next year, Somewhere Down in Texas arrived, which produced the hit "You'll Be There," marking Strait's first appearance on the Adult Contemporary chart. The next year, he embarked on a tour that included only 18 performances but grossed over $15 million. He attributed this success to the fact that he and his band are "musically very tight," have a large pool of songs to draw from, and perform those songs very similarly to how they sound on their albums.[21]
On October 3, 2006, Strait marked his 30th year in the music industry with the release of a new album titled It Just Comes Natural. The album was recorded in Key West, Fla. in Jimmy Buffett's Shrimp Boat Sound Studio (said to be a better recording location due to lack of allergy flare ups during recording process), which was also the recording location of "Troubadour". It featured fifteen new songs. Strait's long-time friend and songwriter, Dean Dillon co-wrote two of the songs on the album. It received generally positive reviews from critics. People, in their four-star review, remarked that "If ever there was a natural in country music, it's Strait," while USA Today raved that "he continues to make such consistent quality look easy". The first single from the album, "Give It Away" reached No. 1, making one of its co-writers, country legend "Whispering Bill" Anderson, the first songwriter to have a #1 hit in five different decades. The title track, "It Just Comes Natural" became his 42nd Billboard No. 1.
In 2007, "Wrapped" reached No. 1 on the Mediabase 24/7 country music charts, giving Strait his 55th overall number-one single. From January through April of that year, Strait headlined a 23-date arena tour with country music legend Ronnie Milsap and then newcomer Taylor Swift. He released a new album titled Troubadour on April 1, 2008. The CD contained 12 tracks, including a duet with Patty Loveless and another with long-time songwriter Dean Dillon. The lead single from the album, "I Saw God Today", debuted at No. 19 on the Radio and Records and Billboard charts. It is the highest debut ever for a single from Strait and the fourth highest debut for a song in country music history. Troubadour debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts, selling over 160,000 copies in its first week of release. "River of Love" the 3rd single from the album became his 57th number-one song in 2009.[22]
In April 2009, Strait was honored by the Academy of Country Music with the Artist of the Decade Award, which was presented to Strait by the previous ACM Artist of the Decade, Garth Brooks. In June of that year he headlined the first event at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Strait's single "Living for the Night" was released on May 28, 2009, and was written by Strait, his son Bubba, and Dean Dillon. The song was the lead single from his album Twang, released on August 11, 2009. Twang was certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies. In 2010, Billboard ranked Strait No. 1 in the top 25 country artists of the past 25 years.[23]
On September 6, 2011, Strait released the album, Here for a Good Time, which yielded two No. 1 singles—"Here for a Good Time" and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright"—bringing Strait's No. 1 singles total to 59. The album's third single, "Drinkin' Man", was less successful, peaking at No. 37.
In October 2012, Strait released the single "Give It All We Got Tonight",[24] which was included on his album Love Is Everything, released on May 14, 2013. The song initiated a "60 for 60" movement by Strait's label, to make the song his sixtieth number-one single on all country charts while he was still 60 years old.[25] The song reached the top of the Mediabase charts in May 2013. The album's next single "I Believe" reached No. 50 on The U.S. Country Airplay chart, making it Strait's first single to miss the Top 40. Strait won the 2013 CMA Entertainer of the Year award.
In November 2013, Billboard presented Strait with its Legend of Live honor during the 10th annual Billboard Touring Awards ceremony.[26] The award honors the concert industry's top artist based on Billboard's Boxscore chart and box office performance.[27] Strait is the first country artist to receive Billboard's highest touring accolade.[28] On April 19, 2015, Strait made a guest appearance at the 2015 ACM Awards, he performed "All My Ex's Lives In Texas" and his new single "Let it Go".[29]
In 2016, Strait was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of Take Me Home, Country Roads, On the Road Again and I Will Always Love You which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.[30]
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour[]
Main article: The Cowboy Rides Away Tour
On September 26, 2012, Strait announced that he was retiring from touring, and that his Cowboy Rides Away Tour would be his last.[31][32] Tickets for both arenas and stadiums on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour sold out in a matter of hours. The tour started on January 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas and was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 26 concerts in 2014, for a total of 47 concerts. The tour ended in Arlington, Texas on June 7, 2014. Strait was supported on the tour by his longtime eleven-member touring group, the Ace in the Hole Band. For the 2013 leg, Martina McBride was the opening performer.[31] On January 9, 2014, Strait initiated the second leg of the tour, which featured the opening performers Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Lee Ann Womack, Merle Haggard, Chris Young, Ronnie Dunn, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, and Asleep at the Wheel.[34] Many of these performers gathered together for the tour's final concert in Arlington, Texas, before 104,793 fans—the largest ticketed attendance at a single-show concert in the United States.[35] The concert also set a record for the largest gross at a single-show country concert, $18,194,374.[35]
A live album recorded from the final concert in Arlington titled The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium was released on September 16, 2014, with a DVD/CDs of the concert being released on November 10, 2014, with Wal-mart exclusively releasing a Deluxe edition including 2 cd's as well. This Deluxe DVD is the entire 3+ hour concert and the accompanying 2 cd's have 28 of the 40 songs sung that night.[36] On August 29, 2014, the Country Music Television channel broadcast a two-hour concert special of the event titled George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away.[36] This CMT concert special had 1-1/4 hours of music from the 3+ hour concert, and interviews.
Personal life[]
Strait eloped to Mexico with his high school sweetheart Norma in December 1971. Their first child, Jenifer, was born on October 6, 1972. Their son, George Strait Jr., known as "Bubba", was born in 1981.[37] Jenifer was killed in an automobile accident in San Marcos on June 25, 1986, at age 13. The family set up the Jenifer Lynn Strait Foundation, which donates money to children's charities in the San Antonio area.[38] Bubba, who is a graduate of Texas A&M in College Station, used to compete as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) team roping competitor.[39] Strait was able to watch his son compete at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2006 shortly before taking the stage for his own performance.
Strait enjoys fishing, skiing, and playing golf. Along with his son, he is a member of the PRCA and partners in team roping competitions. George and his elder brother John Jr., known as Buddy, hosted the annual George Strait Team Roping Classic, in which they competed against some of the best team ropers in the world. Strait has also said that he very seldom picks up a guitar when not in the studio or touring. He and his wife live in northwest San Antonio in a master-planned community known as The Dominion. He also owns a ranch near Cotulla in La Salle County between San Antonio and Laredo. Strait is a fan of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and can be seen court-side at many of the Spurs' home basketball games.
Since 2010, Strait has served as spokesman for the Wrangler National Patriot program, a campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for America's wounded and fallen military veterans and their families.[40] Strait says, "I've been a part of the Wrangler family for a long time... when they came to me with the idea for supporting fallen and wounded American veterans and their families, I knew I wanted to get involved."[40] In February 2012, Strait became a grandfather when George Strait, Jr. and his wife Tamara had their first child, a son. According to reports, he was named George H. Strait, III as a tribute to his famous grandfather.[41] The grandson is known as Harvey, from the middle name he shares with father and grandfather, but is also called "Bubba".
Strait owns a Bombardier Challenger 300 business jet and carries a personal registration N518GS.[42] His personal aircraft is housed at the Landmark Aviation facility in San Antonio.[citation needed] Strait was raised in the Baptist Church. He is believed to be a Republican but does not discuss political issues in public.[43]
Discography[]
Main articles: George Strait albums discography and George Strait singles discography
In more than 30 years of recording, all of which have been spent with MCA Records, George Strait has garnered 61 No. 1 songs on all country charts (including Mediabase 24/7, the former Radio & Records chart, and the now-defunct Gavin Report chart), and has more No. 1 hits than any other artist in any genre. His 45 Billboard country number 1 hits are a record, four more than Conway Twitty's total that includes several duets with Loretta Lynn.[44] Additionally, Strait is also the first artist in the history of Billboard to have at least one single enter the Top 10 of a Billboard chart for 30 consecutive years, starting in 1981 when his debut single "Unwound" peaked at No. 6 on the Hot Country Singles chart. All of his Top 10 singles have been on that chart.[45] Strait has sold more than 68 million records in the United States alone[46] and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.[47]
Filmography[]
Strait has acted in several films. He had a bit part in The Soldier (1982) and starred in Pure Country (1992). He also appeared as himself in Grand Champion (2002).
The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film saw little success at the box office, taking in only $15 million, but the soundtrack, also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait, and has become his best-selling album to date. Strait had a limited role in the sequel to Pure Country, Pure Country 2: The Gift.[48]
Year Title Role 1982 The Soldier Himself 1992 Pure Country Wyatt "Dusty" Chandler 2002 Grand Champion Himself 2003 King of the Hill Voice of Cornell 2011 Pure Country 2: The Gift Himself
Honors and awards[]
Strait holds the record for most number one albums and singles, gold albums, platinum albums, and multi-platinum in the history of country music, and is eleventh in the most number one albums in all other genres. Strait is third only to Elvis Presley and The Beatles with the most gold and platinum albums in the history of music.[49] Strait has been certified as the twelfth best selling artist in American history, with career record sales of 70 million.[50]
Strait has recorded the most number one songs and top five songs in the history of music of any kind, and is the only artist in the history of music of any kind to have a top ten hit every year for 30 years. He is also second all-time in top ten hits in the history of music, currently 5 away from breaking the all-time record held by Eddy Arnold who had 92 in his historic career. Strait has also won 22 CMA Awards, including consecutive Entertainer of the Year honors in 1989 and 1990, and also just recently won that same honor in 2013 (and is the only artist to win the top honor in three different decades) and holds the career record for CMA nominations (as a whole) and the most consecutively of all time. As of 2009 he holds the record for the most CMA awards. Strait also holds those same records for wins and nominations for the ACM Awards. Strait was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, performing his then-latest No. 1 hit "Give it Away" right before accepting his replica Hall of Fame plaque at the 40th CMA Awards. He was only the second artist (after Eddy Arnold in 1966) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while still actively recording and producing chart-topping hits and albums.
As of June 8, 2010, Strait was named the top country music artist of the past 25 years according to Billboard. In October 2008, the Academy of Country Music Awards named Strait their Artist of the Decade for the 2000s. He was presented the award by the previous winner Garth Brooks. Past winners of the award are Marty Robbins (1960s), Loretta Lynn (1970s), Alabama (1980s) and Garth Brooks (1990s).[51] And with the win of the entertainer of the year award in 2013 he is the only artist to ever win the entertainer of the year in three different decades and also was the oldest winner. The win is currently the longest span between wins for that award as well. Strait is also tied with Merle Haggard for the most male vocalist of the year awards.
On June 1, 2013, Strait appeared in The Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas, before seventy thousand fans in the last concert of the first half of his two-year farewell tour. Governor Rick Perry, who was in attendance with First Lady Anita Thigpen Perry, announced that henceforth May 18, Strait's birthday, would be "George Strait Day" in Texas.[52]
Year Award Category Work Ref 1985 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — [53] 1985 Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year — [54] 1985 Country Music Association Album of the Year Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind [54] 1986 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — [53] 1986 Academy of Country Music Album of the Year Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind [53] 1986 Music City News Country Male Artist of the Year — 1986 Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year — [54] 1986 Billboard Top Country Artist — 1987 Billboard Top Country Artist — 1988 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — [53] 1989 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year — [54] 1989 Special Connie B. Gay Award — 1989 Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year — [53] 1989 Special Presidential American Success Award — 1990 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year — [54] 1990 Radio & Records Country Performer Of The Year — 1991 American Music Awards Favorite Country Male Artist — 1993 Academy of Country Music Tex Ritter Movie Of The Year Pure Country [53] 1995 Academy of Country Music Single of the Year "Check Yes or No" [53] 1995 ASCAP Voice Of Music Award — 1996 TNN/Music City News Video of the Year "Check Yes or No" 1996 TNN/Music City News Single of the Year "Check Yes or No" 1996 TNN/Music City News Album of the Year Lead On 1996 Music City News Country Single of the Year "Check Yes or No" 1996 Country Music Association Single of the Year "Check Yes or No" [54] 1996 Country Music Association Album of the Year Blue Clear Sky [54] 1996 Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year — [54] 1996 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — [53] 1996 Academy of Country Music Album of the Year Blue Clear Sky [53] 1996 Radio & Records Best Single "Check Yes or No" [53] 1996 Radio & Records Best Male Vocalist — 1996 Radio & Records Most Valuable Performer — 1996 Billboard Top Country Artist — 1997 TNN/Music City News Album of the Year Blue Clear Sky 1997 Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year — [54] 1997 Country Music Association Album of the Year Carrying Your Love With Me [54] 1997 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album Blue Clear Sky 1997 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — [53] 1997 Academy of Country Music Album of the Year Carrying Your Love With Me [53] 1997 Radio & Records Best Album Blue Clear Sky 1997 Radio & Records Best Male Vocalist — 1996 Billboard Most Played Artist (All Genres of Music) — 1998 Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year — [54] 1998 American Music Awards Favorite Country Male Artist — 1998 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album Carrying Your Love With Me 1998 Radio & Records Best Male Vocalist — 1999 Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards Favorite Song "I Just Want to Dance with You" 1999 Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards Favorite Line Dance Song "I Just Want to Dance with You" 1999 Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards Favorite Video Entertainer — 1999 Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards Favorite Male Artist — 1999 Country Weekly Golden Pick Awards Favorite Entertainer — 1999 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Album of the Year One Step at a Time 2000 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Impact Artist of the Year — 2000 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Single of the Year "Write This Down" 2000 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Male Artist of the Year — 2000 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Entertainer of the Year — 2000 Country Weekly / TNN/CMT Music Awards Album of the Year Always Never The Same 2000 Country Music Association Vocal Event of the Year "Murder on Music Row" (with Alan Jackson) [54] 2001 Country Music Association Song of the Year "Murder On Music Row" (awarded to songwriters) [54] 2002 Country Weekly Favorite Collaborative Song "Designated Drinker" (with Alan Jackson) 2003 CMT 40 Greatest Men of Country Music Ranked No. 9[citation needed] — 2003 Academy of Country Music Special Achievement Award (in recognition of 50 No. 1 Songs) — [53] 2003 Special Award National Medal of Arts — 2005 Country Music Association Musical Event of the Year "Good News, Bad News" (with Lee Ann Womack) [54] 2006 Honorary Doctoral Degree Texas State University–San Marcos — 2006 Country Music Hall of Fame Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame — 2006 Academy of Country Music Single Record of the Year (artist) "Give It Away" [54] 2006 Academy of Country Music Single Record of the Year (producer) "Give It Away" [54] 2006 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year (artist) "Give It Away" [54] 2007 Country Music Association Song of the Year "Give It Away" (awarded to songwriter Jamey Johnson) [54] 2007 Country Music Association Album of the Year It Just Comes Natural (for artist and producer) [54] 2008 Country Music Association Single of the Year "I Saw God Today" [54] 2008 Country Music Association Album of the Year Troubadour [54] 2009 Grammy Awards Best Country Album Troubadour 2009 Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade — [53] 2010 Billboard Music Award Top Country Artist of the Past 25 Years — 2013 Country Radio Broadcasters Inc. Country Radio Broadcasters Career Achievement Award — 2013 ASCAP ASCAP Founders Award — 2013 Billboard Touring Awards Legend of Live Award — 2013 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year — [54] 2014 Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year — [53] 2015 Academy of Country Music 50th Anniversary Milestone Award Winner — [53] 2017 Academy of Country Music Cliffie Stone Icon Award — [53]
References[]
Citations[]
Sources[]
[] | ||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 98 | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2022/07/10/blurred-lines-when-a-legendary-band-has-just-one-or-two-original-members-is-it-legit-or-a-tribute-act/ | en | Blurred lines: When a legendary band has just one or two original members, is it legit or a tribute act? | [
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] | 2022-07-10T00:00:00 | When is a band not a band?No, that’s not a Zen Buddhist koan designed to perplex music fans and philosophers alike.But it is a question that perhaps can best be answered — at least in part — by posing two other questions.What is the difference between a legendary band and a tribute band that is […] | en | San Diego Union-Tribune | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/story/2022-07-10/blurred-lines-when-a-legendary-band-has-just-one-or-two-original-members-left-is-it-legit-or-a-tribute-act/ | When is a band not a band?
No, that’s not a Zen Buddhist koan designed to perplex music fans and philosophers alike.
But it is a question that perhaps can best be answered — at least in part — by posing two other questions.
What is the difference between a legendary band and a tribute band that is devoted to reverently performing the music of that legendary band?
And what do The Beach Boys and Motown music mainstays The Four Tops and The Temptations have in common with Steely Dan and pioneering German electronic group Kraftwerk?
Each of them has sold millions of records, has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and has performed in San Diego recently or soon will. (The Four Tops and Temptations will be at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay on July 17, while The Beach Boys perform Aug. 6 at The Shell with the San Diego Symphony.)
Each of these bands was launched 50 or more years ago (Kraftwerk, Steely Dan), or 60 or more years ago (The Beach Boys, Temptations and Four Tops).
And each has just one original member on board, be it Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen (who is 74), Kraftwerk’s Ralf Hutter (75), The Temptations’ Otis Williams (80), The Beach Boys’ Mike Love (81) or the Four Tops’ Duke Fakir (88).
Depending on your perspective, this could be a cause for applause.
Each of these pioneering bands is led by a tireless original member. Each is devoted to honoring rich musical legacies that have endured for half a century or more.
They are the keepers of the flame. This holds especially true for The Four Tops’ Fakir and The Temptations’ Williams, who have outlived all the other original members of their respective bands.
Crucially, all of them — like many other bands of a similar vintage — continue to draw sizable audiences, year after year, decade after decade, long after their commercial heydays as recording artists who scored hit singles and albums.
Many of their listeners are graying fans eager to experience, live in concert, the music that has been such an integral part of their lives for so long. Why wouldn’t these artists be happy to provide that experience, or as close an approximation to it as they can? And why wouldn’t their audiences — which often include some of the adult children or grandchildren of the band’s first generation of fans — welcome the opportunity?
Standing the test of time
That so many bands have endured longer — in one form or another — than many of their now-deceased founding members is undeniable.
Songs that have stood the test of time still resonate for a significant number of fans, no matter who is singing or playing them. Often, the name alone of a veteran band is what draws ticket-buyers, not how many original members are on stage.
For some listeners, however, this may be a cause for dismay.
Because, ultimately, each of these bands is just one member away from becoming a certified tribute act. And they are hardly alone.
The list of other bands that rose to fame in the 1960s or ’70s — and now only have one original member left — is formidable indeed.
It includes at least seven additional Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees — AC/DC, Deep Purple, Eagles, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Santana, whose current tour has had six concerts postponed after its namesake guitarist, Carlos Santana, 74, collapsed on stage from dehydration and heat exhaustion during a July 5 concert near Detroit.
The list also includes such veteran acts as Boston, Foreigner, Little Feat (who perform at Humphreys on Aug. 14), The 5th Dimension, King Crimson, War, Marshall Tucker Band, Wishbone Ash, The Yardbirds, REO Speedwagon, Thin Lizzy, The Hollies, the recently reactivated Jethro Tull, and dozens more.
Especially notable is the blues-rocking band Savoy Brown, which has had 48 different lineups since its inception in England in 1965. Guitarist-singer Kim Simmonds, a longtime American resident, is the only member to play in each iteration.
“I kept going,” Simmonds said in a 2015 Union-Tribune interview promoting his band’s 50th anniversary tour that year.
“I don’t think I ever thought: ‘I have a brand that’s pretty important.’ It just fell to me (because) I started the band. And if you start something, you end up with it, I guess. Subconsciously, I realized this was the right thing to do, and I’m glad I did. That’s the hardest thing to do — to continue, with a marriage or a band.”
Not to be outdone, Foghat — the band launched in 1972 by three former Savoy Brown members — has gone through 10 lineups. Two of its four co-founders are dead and drummer Roger Earl has been the sole original member since 2005. The latest edition of Foghat performs in San Diego Sept. 4 at Sycuan Casino Resort.
‘Most concertgoers are pretty aware’
How much does it matter if a band just has one original member performing at its concerts? That depends who you ask.
“When I was younger, I might have taken umbrage,” said San Diego-bred guitar wiz and band leader Mike Keneally, 60. His many collaborators have included Frank Zappa, Joe Satriani and XTC mastermind Andy Partridge.
“At this point,” Keneally continued, “I think most concertgoers are pretty aware the veteran bands they are seeing aren’t the bands they grew up with — even though the name is the same — and they don’t care. It comes down to: ‘How well is the music being played?’ If the audience doesn’t feel ripped off and feels they got their money’s worth, everyone should go home happy.”
Keneally’s sentiments are shared by Skid Row guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo, 57.
He and bassist Rachel Bolan are the two remaining original members in the five-man band, which formed in 1985, imploded in 1996, and regrouped in 1999. Skid Row, which performs July 24 at Pechanga Resort Casino, has thus far had six different lead singers and a similar number of drummers.
“The only reason we’re able to keep doing it after 37 years,” Sabo said, “is because people still come and want to see us play. Why? Because we have touched them emotionally on some level.
“Skid Row is legitimate because Rachel and I started the band, we wrote most of the songs and we own the name. If there are a couple of guys in the band that weren’t in the original lineup, that’s the way life goes. Divorces occur, but the family still moves on. I applaud anybody who can go out and continue to make a living making their music.”
Veteran San Diego singer-songwriters Happy Ron Hill, 57, and Cliff Keller, 67, see it differently.
“I only enjoy seeing one (original) band member in a band,” Hill said, “if their name is Paul or Ringo.”
“Unless the original singer and/or songwriter is there,” Keller said, “it seems like a cover band.”
For lifelong San Diego music fan Dick Botte, the number of original members in a band is paramount.
“It matters to me,” said Botte, an account executive at One Ring Networks.
“It does depend on the band, of course. The Stones can get away with just Mick and Keith as original members. But otherwise, just Mick coming out? Nope. That would be like Paul McCartney coming out as The Beatles. On a lesser level, Foreigner only has (guitarist) Mick Jones as the original member. Without (original lead singer) Lou Gramm, they’re not Foreigner.”
So, where should the line be drawn in determining a band’s legitimacy?
“If they aren’t at least, say, 70 percent original, I’d think of them as a tribute band,” said San Diego music fan Jean Walcher, a communications specialist. “I would still probably go to a concert and enjoy it but would expect a smaller venue and much smaller (ticket) price.”
Either way, one co-founder on stage is better than none, as evidenced by the array of veteran bands whose lineups do not include a single original member.
Their ranks include such Rock & Roll Hall of Famers as The Coasters, The Drifters and The Platters, virtually all of whose original members are deceased. The list of varied acts whose lineups no loner include any original members ranges from Blood, Sweat & Tears, Yes and Canned Heat to Jefferson Starship, Humble Pie and the San Diego-bred Iron Butterfly.
But the absence of any original members in Blood, Sweat & Tears does not concern Bobby Colomby, the jazz-rock group’s excellent first drummer and now its manager.
In the concert programs given to audience members at Blood, Sweat & Tears’ August 2021 concert at Sycuan Casino & Resort, Colomby wrote that the band’s current edition is superior to the original lineup, “man for man, pound for pound.”
He also likened Blood, Sweat & Tears to a storied Major League Baseball team, writing: “When you’re at a Yankee game you do not expect to see Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. They’re not going to be there. But what you will see is a top-notch brand, the pinstripes, and the best possible combination of players on the field to represent the Yankee legend.”
Perhaps, depending on the year and the team’s roster.
But even Colomby would be hard pressed to name the approximately 170 musicians — including former San Diego guitarist Jeff Richman — who have been in and out of Blood, Sweat & Tears since the band’s original lineup fractured in 1968.
That was only a year after Blood, Sweat & Tears was launched by its creative mastermind, Al Kooper, who was booted out after just one album. The band’s lead singer from 2013 to 2018 was “American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice, who was born in 1975. One of the songs he performed on “Idol” was Blood, Sweat & Tears’ 1968 hit, “Spinning Wheel.” It didn’t win “Idol” for him, but it may have helped him land the gig with the band.
Then there’s Little River Band, which was formed in Australia in 1975. Its most veteran members now are former San Diego bassist-singer Wayne Nelson, who joined in 1980 and keyboardist-singer Chris Marion, who joined in 2002.
Little River Band’s newest member, guitarist-singer Bruce Wallace, came on board this year. None of the current members are Australian and Nelson owns the rights to the band’s name.
There’s a slightly different scenario for War, the Long Beach band that has been nominated three times for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and scored such enduring hits as “Cisco Kid” and “Low Rider.”
The band’s name is owned by record producer Jerry Goldstein. Its co-founder, San Diego native Lonnie Johnson, has toured with a group of hired hands since 1996. Three other original members of War are legally prohibited from using the band’s name. For the past 26 years, they have appeared as The Lowrider Band.
The Johnson-led War will perform in San Diego Aug. 27 at The Shell. The concert is a triple-bill with George Benson and R&B favorites The Commodores, a 54-year-old band whose sole original member is multi-instrumentalist William King.
In and out
The reality of bands performing and touring with few or no original members is not a new phenomenon and it is not unique to rock or R&B music.
It started during the big-band era in jazz and dates back to at least 1946. That was when “the Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the direction of Tex Benecke,” debuted — two years after Miller perished during World War II while flying from England to France.
Other big bands have continued for years or decades after the death of their leaders, including what is now billed “The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra.” The 18-piece ensemble features two members, trombonist Clarence Banks and singer Carmen Bradford, whose tenure in the group pre-dated Basie’s 1994 death.
There are, of course, multiple reasons why veteran bands in any genre do not include all their original members.
Some quit. Some get fired. Some leave to start their own bands, sometimes fueled by intense personal or creative differences, or financial issues.
On a more sobering note, death has claimed a sizable number of baby-boomer musicians — and their fans. That leaves the surviving members, or member, the options of calling it a day or continuing with replacement members.
Witness The Temptations’ Otis Williams. He has been that fabled Motown vocal group’s only original member since 1994, when Melvin Franklin left. Franklin died a year later.
In a 2007 Union-Tribune interview, Williams said: “I had no indication I would still be here now, 46 years later, carrying on the legacy of The Temptations.”
Today, an additional 15 years later, Williams is still carrying on that legacy with an iteration of The Temptations whose latest additions, Tony Grant and Jawan M. Jackson, joined last year and this year, respectively. Jackson, 34, came on board after portraying Franklin in the Broadway jukebox musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.”
Pride keeps some veteran musicians going long after many of their concert-going fans have retired. So does ego and audience demand.
“It seems quite plausible to be a musician in your 70s or 80s now,” Jethro Tull co-founder Ian Anderson said in a 2019 Union-Tribune interview.
This year saw the release of the first new Jethro Tull album in 19 years, “The Zealot Gene.” Anderson has been the band’s sole original member since the 1970s.
“We can continue to be productive and die with our boots on,” Anderson continued, “which is a lot better than being spoon-fed in an old-folks home.”
Rock and roll, once a music of reckless abandon made for and by young people, counts senior citizens as perhaps its biggest demographic — on stage and off. The two biggest stadium tours of 2022 so far have been by Paul McCartney, 80, and the Rolling Stones, a band now celebrating its 60th anniversary.
The Stones have two original members, co-founders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The death last August of the band’s 80-year-old drummer, Charlie Watts, did not prevent the Stones from launching their U.S. stadium tour a month later with New York native Steve Jordan, 65, holding down the drum seat.
Jordan is also drumming with the fabled band on its ongoing European tour, which is scheduled to conclude in August. Several dates last month were postponed after Jagger, who turns 79 on July 27, contracted COVID-19. Bassist Darryl Jones, 60, has toured with the Stones since 1993, but has never been made an official member.
Keeping track of current and former members of bands is even more challenging when the best-known lineups of those bands are not actually the original ones.
The band Yes went through three lineup changes and made three albums before becoming a commercial success. Since 1968, there have been at least 18 different lineups of Yes.
Keyboardist Rick Wakeman, the band’s second keyboardist, joined in 1971. He quit in 1973, then re-joined and quit five more times. He was in one of the two bands billed as Yes — each featuring at least one original member — that toured in 2018 to mark the band’s 50th anniversary.
Those rival tours both took place three years after the death of band co-founder Chris Squire. He had been the only original member to tour and record with every edition of Yes.
Both editions of Yes performed in the San Diego area two months apart in 2018. By doing so, they were carrying on a tradition, of a sort.
“I remember in the 1960s, in England, there were always two to three versions of The Drifters performing at the same time. So, this has happened before,” recalled original Yes singer Jon Anderson in a 2018 Union-Tribune interview.
“Somebody asked (me): ‘What do you think about (the other Yes)? And I said: ‘Well, it’s not my cup of tea!’ But they are all nice people and everybody has to do what they have to do.”
Did you know?
The growing phenomenon of bands with just one original member extends far beyond classic-rock acts formed in the 1960s and ’70s. Some of the numerous more recent examples include Sublime, with Rome, The Shins, Opeth, Napalm Death, GWAR. San Diego’s Cattle Decapitation and the Poway-bred blink-182.
Your turn | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 20 | https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/george-strait-largest-concert-u-s/ | en | George Strait Breaks Record For Largest Concert Held In The U.S. | [
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] | 2024-06-17T19:23:01+00:00 | George Strait has set the record for the largest concert ever held in the United States, with 110,905 fans gathered at Kyle Field. | en | uDiscover Music | https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/george-strait-largest-concert-u-s/ | “What’s going on everybody?” country legend George Strait asked to a record crowd of 110,905 fans gathered at Kyle Field at Texas A&M in College Station on June 15.
The Texas native set an all-time attendance record for a ticketed concert in the United States, previously held by The Grateful Dead who had 107,019 fans in attendance at their 1977 show at Raceway Park in New Jersey.
Strait’s show also set a new record for Texas A&M Kyle Field for a single event (previously recorded on October 11, 2014, at 110,633, for a Texas A&M game against Ole Miss) with 110,905 fans in attendance for George Strait: The King at Kyle Field with special guests, fellow Lone Star natives, Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman.
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During the show he asked: “We got some Aggie’s out there? Oh yeah! I’m ashamed to say this, but this is my first time to ever be in Kyle Field… damn! Just invite me back, I’ll come!”
George Strait has set many records in his illustrious career: the most No.1 singles of any artist in any genre, the only artist to chart a Top 10 hit every year for 30 years, and the most No.1 albums, gold albums, and platinum albums in the history of country music including 20 of his massive 60 No.1 hits.
Prior to the show, Strait debuted two new songs, “MIA in MIA” and “The Little Things,” both off his forthcoming album, Cowboys And Dreamers, his 31st album for MCA Nashville, which will be released on September 6.
Written by Adam Craig and Dean Dillion, and produced by Strait with Chuck Ainlay, “MIA Down in MIA” features the Texas native’s Ace in the Hole Band, including longtime fiddle player Gene Elder.
“I’m dedicating this record to my longtime manager and friend Erv Woolsey and my longtime fiddle player and friend Gene Elders (a player on four of these tracks), who we lost on the same day, March 20, 2024, as well as my longtime friend and road manager Tom Foote, who we lost on April 29, 2024,” shares Strait. “I will never forget all of the good times we had together. May they rest in peace with our Lord Jesus Christ.” | |||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 39 | https://www.acehardware.com/store-directory | en | Store Listing by State - Ace Hardware | [
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8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 42 | https://www.facebook.com/ClassicCountryMusicStories/photos/the-story-behind-the-songace-in-the-holewritten-by-dennis-adkinsgeorge-strait-1-/3295270167265875/ | en | Facebook | https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/yb/r/hLRJ1GG_y0J.ico | https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/yb/r/hLRJ1GG_y0J.ico | [
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8911 | dbpedia | 2 | 6 | https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/8155982/George%2BStrait/Ace%2Bin%2Bthe%2BHole | en | George Strait - Ace in the Hole Lyrics | [
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] | null | [] | null | Ace in the Hole Lyrics by George Strait from the Greatest Collection [2005] album- including song video, artist biography, translations and more: You've got to have an ace in the hole.
A little secret that nobody knows.
Life is a gamble, a game we all play,
B… | en | null | PDF Playlist
Ace in the Hole
George Strait
Year:
2005
2:39
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The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
You've got to have an ace in the hole. A little secret that nobody knows. Life is a gamble, a game we all play, But you need to save something for a rainy day. You've got to learn to play your cards right if you expect to win in life. Don't put it all on the line for just one roll. You've got to have an ace in the hole. If you're headed down a one way street. And you're not sure it's the way you wanna go. In money or love, or all the above, Have a little more than what you show. When life deals out a surprise Have a few surprises of your own. No matter what you do, no matter where you go You've got to have an ace in the hole. You've got to have an ace in the hole. A little secret that nobody knows. Life is a gamble, a game we all play, But you need to save something for a rainy day. You've got to learn to play your cards right if you expect to win in life. Don't put it all on the line for just one roll. You've got to have an ace in the hole. Don't put it all on the line for just one roll You've got to have an ace in the hole. No matter what you do, no matter where you go You've got to have an ace in the hole.
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
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Sheet Music PDF Playlist
Written by: Dennis Adkins, Dennis Atkins
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind | ||||||
8911 | dbpedia | 1 | 59 | https://www.paulsimon.com/track/ace-in-the-hole-2/ | en | The Paul Simon Official Site | [
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] | null | [] | 2015-12-22T21:23:11+00:00 | Some people say Jesus, that’s the ace in the hole But I never met the man so I don’t really know Maybe some Christmas, if I’m sick and alone He will look up my number Call me on the phone, and say “Hey, boy, where... | en | https://www.paulsimon.com/wp-content/themes/paulsimon/assets/img/favicon.ico | The Paul Simon Official Site | https://www.paulsimon.com/track/ace-in-the-hole-2/ | Ace In The Hole « See All Songs
Lyrics:
Some people say Jesus, that’s the ace in the hole
But I never met the man so I don’t really know
Maybe some Christmas, if I’m sick and alone
He will look up my number
Call me on the phone, and say
“Hey, boy, where you been so long?
Don’t you know me?
I’m your ace in the hole”
Two hundred dollars, that’s my ace in the hole
When I’m down, dirty and desperate
That’s my emergency bankroll
I got two hundred dollars, that’s the price on the street
If you wanna get some quality
That’s the price you got to meet
And the man says
“Hey, Junior, where you been so long?”
Don’t you know me?
I’m your ace in the hole”
Talkin’ about ace in the hole
Once I was crazy and my ace in the hole
Was that I knew that I was crazy
So I never lost my self-control
I just walk in the middle of the road and
I sleep in the middle of the bed
I stop in the middle of a sentence
And the voice in the middle of my head said
Hey, Junior, where you been so long
Don’t you know me
I’m your ace in the hole (oh yeah)
Ace in the hole
Lean on me
Don’t you know me?
I’m your guarantee
Riding on this rolling bus
Beneath a stony sky
With a slow moon rising
And the smokestacks drifting by
In the hour when the heart is weakest
And the memory is strong
When time has stopped
And the bus just rolls along
Roll on, roll on
Roll on, roll on
Roll on, roll on
Some people say music, that’s their ace in the hole
Just your ordinary rhythm and blues
Your basic rock and roll
You can sit on the top of the beat
You can lean on the side of the beat
You can hang from the bottom of the beat
But you got to admit that the music is sweet
Where you been so long
Don’t you know me?
I’m your ace in the hole
Ace in the hole
Lean on me
Don’t you know me
I’m your guarantee
© 1980 Words and Music by Paul Simon | ||||
8911 | dbpedia | 3 | 40 | https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/References/US-Navy-Uniforms/Uniform-Regulations/Chapter-6/6801/ | en | 6806 Organizational Clothing | [
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8911 | dbpedia | 1 | 52 | https://texasjammband.com/the-band/ | en | Meet The Band – TEXAS JAMM BAND | https://texasjammband.com//wp-content/uploads/2019/04/favicon.ico | https://texasjammband.com//wp-content/uploads/2019/04/favicon.ico | [
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] | null | [] | 2019-04-01T14:33:14+00:00 | en | https://texasjammband.com//wp-content/uploads/2019/04/favicon.ico | https://texasjammband.com/the-band/ | Mike Daily (steel guitar)
Mike has been a member of the Texas Jamm Band since its inception and he is also one of the original founding members of the Ace in the Hole Band. Mike comes from a proud country music family tradition that originated in Houston. His grandfather – known as Pappy – discovered George Jones and recorded and produced Jones for his first years as an artist. Mike’s father Don and his uncle owned the legendary Cactus Records. Don was the first to record his son’s Ace in the Hole Band with George Strait as lead vocalist. Three of those original eight recordings can be found on the George Strait Box Set. Mike has performed with many other acts, including Rick Trevino, The Derailers, Aaron Watson, and Houston Marchman.
Ronnie Huckaby (piano)
Ronnie Huckaby was born and raised in Waco, Texas. He began playing music at the age of six and formed his first band at eleven playing country and rock music. After graduating high school, Ronnie moved to Austin, Texas to experience the exploding outlaw movement firsthand. He played locally around the Austin area until an audition with George Strait in 1983 led him to his current position as band leader and piano player for the Country music superstar. One of the highlights of Ronnie’s tenure with George Strait has been playing the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland for then President George H. W. Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, and prime minister Brian Mulroney of Canada. Ronnie feels fortunate to have been on the same bill with so many of his music heroes and to have worked with many talented musicians.
Benny McArthur (guitar, fiddle, vocals)
Benny McArthur began playing the guitar when he was 13 years old and he picked up the fiddle in his early 20s. He played all the honky tonks and beer joints around his home town of Fort Worth until he moved to Austin in the early 1970s where he joined the Country Music Revue, considered the premier country band in Austin at the time. Later, he joined Houstonian Mundo Earwood as his guitar and fiddle player and front-man. In 1983, Benny had the opportunity to join George Strait and he has been a member of Ace in the Hole ever since. His talents are many: guitar, fiddle, vocals, songwriting, producer and studio musician. He wrote George’s hit song When it’s Christmas Time in Texas. Benny is also co-founder of the Artist Exclusive Channel which is a new subscription web site designed for independent artists and their fans.
Rick McRae (guitar, fiddle, vocals)
Rick McRae has traveled extensively for over three decades as a guitarist for George Strait’s “Ace In The Hole Band”. A versatile player in several styles, Rick also sings and doubles on fiddle and Mandolin. Rick was elected to the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame in 2008 and has toured and recorded with many local and national acts including Don Walser, and Jason Roberts and Asleep at The Wheel. He can also be seen fronting his own groups around central Texas.
Tom Batts (bass guitar, vocals)
Tom Batts grew up in Port Lavaca, Texas, where he began in music by playing piano, saxophone, and guitar. He eventually found his niche, moving to bass guitar and singing while jamming in the rhythm section. An advocate of traditional country music, this 28-year veteran of the Texas honky-tonk circuit has played the world famous WSM Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, backed George Strait on two occasions, and recently toured with Dean Dillon on the Legends and Lyrics tour.
Jon Kemppainen (fiddle, vocals, guitar)
Jon is a fiddle player, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist originally from Chapel Hill, NC. He began playing violin at age 7 and branched out to playing a host of other instruments along the way. Jon has recorded and performed with nationally acclaimed bands such as the 90’s retro swing band, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, classic honky tonk revivalists, the Two Dollar Pistols and, more recently, Rick Trevino. He has had the great fortune to play with many of his heroes including Pete Mitchell, Bert Rivera, Red Volkaert, Cindy Cashdollar, and Johnny Cuviello who played drums with Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys. Aside from meeting Johnny Gimble for the first time, one of his greatest musical highlights was opening for Merle Haggard.
Bobby Jarzombek (drums)
Bobby was born and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He started playing drums when he was 10 years old, joining the school band and taking lessons on the drumset. Bobby’s first love was rock music but he also began playing country music when his high school music teacher asked him to join her band. It was also during this time that Bobby would frequent music venues in the SA area to watch the late, great Mike Kennedy play. Bobby’s appreciation of and dedication to musical diversity has served him well. More than three decades into his career as a professional musician, Bobby’s résumé includes over 30 major record label recordings and U.S. and worldwide tours with artists such as Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Gary Stewart, Fates Warning, and many more.
Bobby has recently been named George Strait’s latest and current drummer! | ||||
8911 | dbpedia | 0 | 49 | https://www.dewalt.com/ | en | DEWALT® Power Tools Official Site | [
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] | null | [] | null | DEWALT® designs and optimizes professional workhorse solutions – tools, accessories and service – to ensure confidence for the toughest jobsite conditions. | en | /sites/g/files/xnuzat961/files/favicon-96x96.jpeg | DEWALT | https://www.dewalt.com/ | This is Rodney's Story
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