The
Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the
Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern
New EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
region of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a century. It is now part of the
Pan Am RailwaysPan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
network.
History
The
Andover and Wilmington Railroad was incorporated March 15, 1833, to build a branch from the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
at
Wilmington, MassachusettsWilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
, north to
Andover, MassachusettsAndover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
. The line opened to Andover on August 8, 1836. The name was changed to the
Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, reflecting plans to build further to
Haverhill, MassachusettsHaverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
(opened later that year), and yet further to
PortlandPortland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
,
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, with the renaming to the
Boston and Portland Railroad on April 3, 1839, opening to the New Hampshire state line in 1840.
The
Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
on June 27, 1835, and the
Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839, in
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, both companies continuing the proposed line to
South BerwickSouth Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,220 at the 2010 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791...
, Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to
ExeterExeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
,
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and on January 1, 1842, the two companies merged with the Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad.
On February 23, 1843, the B&M opened to Agamenticus, on the line of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad in South Berwick. On January 28 of that year the B&M and
Eastern RailroadThe Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
came to an agreement to both lease the PS&P as a joint line to Portland.
The
Boston and Maine Railroad Extension was incorporated March 16, 1844, due to a dispute with the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
over
trackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
rates between Wilmington and Boston. That company was merged into the main B&M on March 19, 1845, and opened July 1, leading to the abandonment of the old connection to the B&L (later reused by the B&L for their
Wildcat BranchThe Wildcat Branch is a single track railroad branch line which connects the MBTA Lowell Line in Wilmington, Massachusetts to the MBTA Haverhill/Reading Line at Wilmington Junction...
). In 1848 another original section was abandoned, as a new alignment was built from Wilmington north to
North Andover, MassachusettsNorth Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. North Andover is the home of Merrimack College, a private, Catholic four-year institution ....
, in order to better serve
Lawrence, MassachusettsLawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
.
A new alignment to Portland opened in 1873, splitting from the old route at
South Berwick, MaineSouth Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,220 at the 2010 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791...
. The old route was later abandoned. This completed the B&M "main line" which would become known as the
Western Route to distinguish it from the Eastern Route (described below) which also connected Boston and Portland.
Eastern
The
Eastern RailroadThe Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
was leased by the B&M on December 23, 1884. This provided a second route to Maine, as well as many local branches, ending competition along the immediate route between Boston and Portland.
Worcester, Nashua and Portland
The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was organized in 1845 (opened 1848) and the Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1847, forming a line between
WorcesterWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and
RochesterRochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
,
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, via Nashua. The W&N leased the N&R in 1874, and the two companies merged into the
Worcester, Nashua and Rochester RailroadThe Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad was a railroad line that was to link the city of Worcester, Massachusetts to the city of Portland, Maine via the New Hampshire cities of Nashua and Rochester, by merging several small railroads together....
in 1883. The B&M leased the line on January 1, 1886. This acquisition also included the continuation from Rochester to
PortlandPortland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
,
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, incorporated in 1846 as the York and Cumberland Railroad. It opened partially in 1851 and 1853, was reorganized as the Portland and Rochester Railroad in 1867, and opened the rest of the way in 1871. It was again reorganized in 1881 and then operated in conjunction with the line to Worcester.
Boston and Lowell
On April 1, 1887 the B&M leased the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
, adding not only trackage in the Boston area, but also the
Central Massachusetts RailroadThe Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad running west from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a parallel competitor to the Boston and Albany Railroad and Fitchburg Railroad...
west to Northampton, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad into northern
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad to northwestern
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad from White River Junction into
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. However, the BC&M was separated in 1889 and merged with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad, which the B&M leased on April 1, 1895, gaining the Concord Railroad's direct line between Nashua and Concord. Additionally, the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad, owned by the B&M through stock, was leased to the
Maine Central RailroadThe Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
by 1912. The
Central Massachusetts RailroadThe Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad running west from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a parallel competitor to the Boston and Albany Railroad and Fitchburg Railroad...
stayed a part of the B&M, as did the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (as the Passumpsic Division).
Northern
The Northern Railroad was leased to the Boston and Lowell in 1884, but that lease was cancelled and the Northern was on its own until 1890, when it was released to the B&L, then part of the B&M. The Northern owned a number of lines running west from Concord.
Connecticut River
On January 1, 1893, the B&M leased the
Connecticut River RailroadThe Connecticut River Railroad was formed in 1845 by the merger of the Northampton and Springfield Railroad with the unbuilt Greenfield and Northampton Railroad....
, with a main line from
Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
north along the
Connecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
to
White River Junction, VermontWhite River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
, where the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (acquired in 1887) continued north. Along with this railroad came the Ashuelot Railroad which had been acquired in 1877.
Concord and Montreal
As discussed above, the B&M acquired the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1887, but gave it up in 1889, allowing it to merge with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad. That company did poorly on its own, and was leased by the B&M on April 1, 1895, giving the B&M the majority of lines in
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Fitchburg
The B&M leased the
Fitchburg RailroadThe Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
on July 1, 1900. This was primarily a main line from Boston west via the
Hoosac TunnelThe Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
to the
Albany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, area, with various branches. On December 1, 1919, the B&M purchased the Fitchburg Railroad.
At one point, the B&M also owned a majority of stock of the
Maine Central RailroadThe Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
, stretching from
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
via northern
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to southern and eastern
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
20th century
The B&M flourished with the growth of New England's mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but still faced financial struggles. It came under the control of
J. P. MorganJohn Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
and his
New York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadThe New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
around 1910, but anti-trust forces wrested control back. Later it faced heavy debt problems from track construction and from the cost of acquiring the
Fitchburg RailroadThe Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
, causing a reorganization in 1919.
Beginning in the 1930s, freight business was hurt by the leveling off of New England manufacturing growth and by new competition from trucking.
The B&M's most traveled and well known passenger trains included the
Alouette,
Ambassador,
Cheshire,
Day White Mountains,
East WindThe East Wind was a summer passenger train between large cities of the northeastern United States and resorts along the southern Maine coast. Travel time was approximately 14 hours over a 700-mile route similar to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Travel was over the Pennsylvania Railroad from...
,
Green Mountain Flyer,
GullThe Gull was an international passenger train between Boston and Halifax. Travel time was approximately 24 hours. Westbound trains left Halifax shortly after breakfast and crossed the Canada – United States border in the late evening, as eastbound trains were leaving Boston's North Station to...
,
Kennebec,
Minute Man,
Montrealer/
Washingtonian,
Mountaineer,
Pine Tree,
Red Wing, and
State of MaineThe State of Maine was an overnight passenger train between New York City and Portland, Maine. Connections were available at Portland for Maine Central Railroad trains to most Maine locations, and at Grand Central Terminal for trains to the western and southern United States...
but the popularization of the
automobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
doomed B&M as a passenger carrier. It cut its
Troy, New YorkTroy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, to Boston passenger service back to
Williamstown, MassachusettsWilliamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, in January 1958 and gave up on long distance passenger service completely by 1965. It was able to continue Boston commuter service only by the aid of subsidies from the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
.
The B&M filed for bankruptcy in December 1970. During bankruptcy the B&M reorganized. It rebuilt its existing fleet of locomotives, it leased new locomotives and rolling stock, and it secured funds for upgrading its track and signal systems.
For much of the 1970s the Boston and Maine limped along. In 1973 the MBTA bought the
rolling stockRolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
and tracks near
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
from the ailing B&M used in its commuter operations. In 1973 and 1974 the B&M was on the brink of liquidation. The B&M was offered to merge its properties into the new Conrail but opted out.
By 1980, though still a sick company, the B&M started turning around thanks to aggressive marketing and its purchase of a cluster of branch lines in Connecticut. The addition of coal traffic and piggyback service also helped. In 1983 the B&M emerged from bankruptcy when it was purchased by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries for $24 million. This was the beginning of the end of the Boston & Maine corporate image, and the start of major changes, such as the labor issues which caused the strikes of 1986 and 1987, and drastic cost cutting such as the 1990 closure of B&M's
Mechanicville, New YorkMechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population is 5,196 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early residents....
, site, the largest rail yard and shop facilities on the B&M system.
21st century
Guilford Rail System changed its name to
Pan Am RailwaysPan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
in 2006. Technically, Boston & Maine Corporation still exists today but only as a non-operating ward of PAR. Boston & Maine owns the property (and also employs its own railroad police), while Springfield Terminal Railway, a B&M subsidiary, operates the trains and performs maintenance. This complicated operation is mainly due to more favorable labor agreements under Springfield Terminal's rules.
In April 2009, Pan Am entered a joint venture with Norfolk Southern Railroad to form Pan Am Southern. PAR transferred to the joint venture its 155-mile main line track that runs between Mechanicville (Albany), New York, and
Ayer, MassachusettsAyer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
. This route includes the B&M's
Hoosac TunnelThe Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
and Fitchburg line as far as Willows, Massachusetts. Also included are 281 miles of secondary and branch lines, including trackage rights, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. NS transferred cash and other property valued at $140 million to the joint venture, $87.5 million of which was expected to be invested within a three-year period in capital improvements on the Patriot Corridor, such as terminal expansions, track and signal upgrades. Springfield Terminal provides all railroad services for the joint venture.
Under Pan Am Southern, the old Boston & Maine yards at Mechanicville will be rebuilt.
Branches
In addition to the major systems described above, the B&M also built or leased many shorter lines.
Medford
The Medford Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed by the B&M in 1846, opening in 1847. It provided a short connection from Medford Junction to Medford center, which the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
had bypassed.
Saugus
The Saugus Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1848, opening in 1853 as a branch from the B&M at Edgeworth to
LynnLynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
via Saugus. The
Eastern RailroadThe Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
bought the line soon after and cut the connection to the B&M in 1855, connecting it instead to their new main line (the
Grand Junction RailroadThe Grand Junction Railroad is an 8.55-mile long railroad in the Boston, Massachusetts area, connecting the railroads heading west and north from Boston...
) at Everett Junction.
Newburyport
The
Newburyport RailroadThe Newburyport Railroad was a railroad that came about from the merger of three small rail companies into one large company to compete with the Eastern Railroad....
was incorporated in 1846. It opened from
NewburyportNewburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
on the
Eastern RailroadThe Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
to
GeorgetownGeorgetown is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,183 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley.-History:...
in 1849 and 1850, and west to the B&M at
BradfordBradford is a former town in Essex County, Massachusetts. The name currently refers to the area on the south side of the Merrimack River in Haverhill, Massachusetts that was once Bradford...
in 1851. The Danvers and Georgetown Railroad was organized in 1851 and opened in 1853, running from the Newburyport Railroad at Georgetown south to
DanversDanvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
on the
Essex RailroadThe Essex Railroad was a small independent railroad in the United States that connected Salem, Massachusetts to North Andover, Massachusetts and was named for Essex County as the traversed the county....
. Finally, the Danvers Railroad was incorporated in 1852 and opened in 1855, continuing the line from Danvers southwest to the B&M in
Wakefield-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
. The first two companies merged in 1855 to form a new
Newburyport RailroadThe Newburyport Railroad was a railroad that came about from the merger of three small rail companies into one large company to compete with the Eastern Railroad....
. The B&M leased the Danvers Railroad in 1853, and the combined Newburyport Railroad in 1860, making the line from Wakefield to Newburyport the main line and the old line to Bradford a branch.
Lowell
The
Lowell and Andover RailroadThe Lowell and Andover Railroad was a branch line of the Boston and Maine Railroad and was organized in 1873, after the Boston and Lowell Railroad's monopoly on Boston to Lowell service ended in 1865...
was organized in 1873, after the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
's monopoly on Boston-Lowell service ended, and the line opened in 1874 from the B&M at
Lowell JunctionLowell Junction is a railroad junction located in Andover, Massachusetts about one mile south of the village of Ballardvale.The junction was created by the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1874, when they ran a branch line off their main line to connect with the city of Lowell in order to compete with...
in Andover west to Lowell, immediately being leased to the B&M.
Methuen/Manchester
The Methuen Branch from the B&M in Lawrence through Methuen to the
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
state line opened in 1849. Concurrently, the
Manchester and Lawrence RailroadThe Manchester and Lawrence Railroad was a railroad company that was chartered in New Hampshire by businessmen from Manchester, to build a rail line from that city to the Massachusetts state line....
was chartered in 1847 and opened in 1849, continuing the line in New Hampshire to Manchester. The company leased the Methuen Branch, and leased itself to the Concord Railroad in 1850. That contract was terminated, and the B&M leased the line in 1887.
Merrimac
The West Amesbury Branch Railroad was organized in 1868 and opened in 1873, branching from the B&M at Newton Junction in
New HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to
Merrimac, MassachusettsMerrimac is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, and on the southeastern border of New Hampshire, approximately northeast of Boston and west of the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated along the north bank of the Merrimack River in the Merrimack Valley. The population was 6,504 in 2008...
(originally West Amesbury). The B&M immediately leased it.
Alton Bay
The Cocheco Railroad was chartered in 1847 and opened in 1849 and 1851, running from the B&M in
DoverDover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
to
Alton Bay, New HampshireAlton Bay is an unincorporated village in the town of Alton, New Hampshire, located on Alton Bay, a cove of Lake Winnipesaukee which forms the southeasternmost point on the lake. The village is part of the Lakes Region, a popular resort area of New Hampshire....
. It was reorganized in 1863 as the Dover and Winnipiseogee Railroad and leased to the B&M. When the B&M leased the Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1895, it acquired the Lake Shore Railroad, a continuation past Alton Bay to the old Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad mainline at
LakeportLakeport is a village in the city of Laconia in Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. The village is centered around a power dam on the short river channel between Paugus Bay to the north, and Opechee Bay to the south...
.
Somersworth
The Somersworth Branch, originally the Great Falls Branch, connected the main line at
Rollinsford, New HampshireRollinsford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,527 at the 2010 census. Rollinsford includes Salmon Falls Village.-History:...
to Somersworth, where the Great Falls and Conway Railroad (later part of the
Eastern RailroadThe Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
system) continued north.
Kennebunkport
The Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Railroad was organized in 1882 and opened in 1883 as a branch of the B&M at
Kennebunk, MaineKennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
to Kennebunkport. It was immediately leased by the B&M.
Orchard Beach
The Orchard Beach Railroad was incorporated in 1876 as a branch from the B&M in Old Orchard Beach to Camp Ellis on the
Saco RiverThe Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...
. It opened in 1880 and the B&M bought it in 1893.
See also
- FM P-12-42
The P-12-42, also known as the Speed Merchant, was a streamlined, locomotive built between 1957–1958 by Fairbanks-Morse, specifically to operate on each end of the Talgo train produced by American Car and Foundry...
- MBTA Commuter Railroad
- Speed Merchant
thumbThe Speed Merchant was a named train of the Boston and Maine Railroad, between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine. The Speed Merchant was purchased by the Patrick B...
- Fitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
External links