Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad
The Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad was a railroad line between the towns of Middleborough and Plymouth, Massachusetts. It was in service from 1882 to 1939.
History
Incorporated in 1890, the 15-mile (24 km) line opened on November 30, 1892. The next day, it was leased to the Old Colony Railroad for 99 years.[1] In 1893, it became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad as part of the lease of the entire Old Colony Railroad network.[2]
Passenger service, never more than a few trips per day, was often operated as Providence–Plymouth or Taunton–Plymouth trains[3][4] After a competing bus line opened in 1925, passenger service ended in 1927.[5][6] Beginning in early 1928, freight service was suspended for the winter after the end of the October–December cranberry season.[7]
Freight service between North Carver and Plymouth was discontinued in 1934, and that section of the line was abandoned in 1937.[5] The remainder of the line was abandoned in early 1939 with no objections from shippers.[5]
Stations
Municipality | Station | Miles (km) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Middleborough | Middleborough | 0 (0) | Junction with Middleborough Main Line, Middleborough–Taunton line, and Middleborough–Fall River line |
Namasket (Putnams) | 3.1 (5.0) | ||
East Middleborough (Mt. Carmel) | 5.4 (8.7) | ||
Carver | North Carver | 7.5 (12.1) | |
Plymouth | Darby | 10.8 (17.4) | Next to Darby Pond in West Plymouth[8] |
Plymouth | 15.7 (25.3) | Junction with Old Colony Railroad main line |
References
- Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, Feb 15, 1911, page 437
- Weston, Thomas (1906). History of the Town of Middleboro, Vol. 1. Cambridge: Riverside Press. p. 512. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- "New Haven Announces New Cuts in Train Service". Boston Globe. August 12, 1919. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- "New Train Schedules on Railroads Sunday". Boston Globe. April 23, 1925. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. pp. 406, 407. ISBN 9780942147124.
- "Plymouth Branch Line Discontinued". Boston Globe. December 31, 1927. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Darby Branch Not Being Abandoned". Boston Globe. December 31, 1927. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- Baker, James W. (2005). "Plymouth Labor and Leisure". Arcadia Publishing (Images of America series). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
External links
- Plymouth & Middleboro Railroad October 3, 2009, Retrieved May 16, 2020. Detailed history of the railroad with photos and sources.