Boston and Worcester Street Railway
Encyclopedia
Boston and Worcester Electric Companies (B&W) was a holding company
for several streetcar companies between Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts
. The main line, built by the Boston and Worcester Street Railway, was an interurban streetcar line partly on the old Boston and Worcester Turnpike (now Route 9) and partly on private right-of-way
. Long after the line was converted to buses, Boston and Worcester Lines took over operations, and sold the franchise
s to various other bus
companies.
In Newton, the B&W was granted a franchise in exchange for constructing a 90-foot (27 m) wide boulevard, of which it ran down the median.
The B&W also carried freight.
Boston and Worcester Electric Companies was incorporated December 29, 1902 to serve as a holding company
for these railroads.
Streetcars last operated on June 10, 1932, after which buses ran, due to reconstruction of Route 9 as a major route, a predecessor to today's freeways.
The main line ran along the old Boston and Worcester Turnpike except in the following places:
The section in Worcester was on trackage rights
from the Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (on their "City Hall and Lake" line http://www.sidis.net/Trans13.htm), and in Boston it used the tracks of the Boston Elevated Railway
.
At Framingham Junction, the crossing with current Route 126 in Framingham, many cars from Boston turned south to end at downtown Framingham ("South Framingham"). This junction was at the crossing of the older Framingham Union Street Railway line to Saxonville
.
The other lines were as follows:
Other local routes may have existed.
The following interchange points with other companies were provided:
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
for several streetcar companies between Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester 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....
. The main line, built by the Boston and Worcester Street Railway, was an interurban streetcar line partly on the old Boston and Worcester Turnpike (now Route 9) and partly on private right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
. Long after the line was converted to buses, Boston and Worcester Lines took over operations, and sold the franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
s to various other bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
companies.
In Newton, the B&W was granted a franchise in exchange for constructing a 90-foot (27 m) wide boulevard, of which it ran down the median.
The B&W also carried freight.
History
The B&W Street Railway was chartered November 16, 1901, and the first section, from the Newton/Brookline line at Chestnut Hill to Framingham Junction, opened May 12, 1903. The remainder to Worcester opened June 30, 1903. The Framingham Union Street Railway, providing service within Framingham and intersecting the B&W at Framingham Junction and Framingham Center, was bought December 21, 1903. On February 1, 1904, the B&W bought the Framingham, Southboro and Marlborough Street Railway, which the B&W used between Framingham Center and Fayville.Boston and Worcester Electric Companies was incorporated December 29, 1902 to serve as a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
for these railroads.
Streetcars last operated on June 10, 1932, after which buses ran, due to reconstruction of Route 9 as a major route, a predecessor to today's freeways.
Lines
- In Worcester, the tracks used Shrewsbury Street to get downtown.
- Just east of the bridge over Lake QuinsigamondLake QuinsigamondLake Quinsigamond is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. It is 4 miles long, between 50 and 85 feet deep, and has a surface area of approximately 772 acres . Lake Quinsigamond hosts 8 islands with the...
, the tracks split to the south along a private right-of-way. They crossed the turnpike at South Shrewsbury and continued on the north side to a merge with the turnpike on the Northborough/Westborough border. - North of Westborough center, at the crossing with current Route 135, the tracks split to the south, rejoining the turnpike at Breakneck Hill Road (just east of Route 85) in Southborough. Breakneck Hill Road is where the older tracks of the Framingham, Southboro and Marlborough Street Railway split to head north to Marlborough and Hudson.
- At the Boston end, the line ran to the end of Huntington AvenueHuntington Avenue (Boston)Huntington Avenue is a secondary thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts beginning at Copley Square, and continuing west through the Back Bay, Fenway, Longwood, and Mission Hill neighborhoods...
, the old turnpike, and continued on to Park SquarePark Square (Boston)Park Square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts is bounded by Stuart, Charles, Boylston, and Arlington Streets. It is the home of the Boston Four Seasons Hotel and the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers. Across Boylston Street is the Boston Public Garden...
.
The section in Worcester was on trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
from the Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (on their "City Hall and Lake" line http://www.sidis.net/Trans13.htm), and in Boston it used the tracks of the Boston Elevated Railway
Boston Elevated Railway
The Boston Elevated Railway was a precursor first to the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Massachusetts, now the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, operating rapid transit, streetcars and buses in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It was formerly known as the West End Street Railway.The...
.
At Framingham Junction, the crossing with current Route 126 in Framingham, many cars from Boston turned south to end at downtown Framingham ("South Framingham"). This junction was at the crossing of the older Framingham Union Street Railway line to Saxonville
Saxonville, Massachusetts
Saxonville is a historic mill village located in the north end of the town of Framingham, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 01701.- Geography :Saxonville is located at 42.3203 degrees latitude, 71.4404 longitude....
.
The other lines were as follows:
- Splitting from the main line at Fayville (Breakneck Hill Road) and heading north via Southborough and Marlborough to Hudson, originally owned by the Framingham, Southboro and Marlborough Street Railway (along with the main line east to Framingham Center).
- Downtown Framingham northeast to SaxonvilleSaxonville, MassachusettsSaxonville is a historic mill village located in the north end of the town of Framingham, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 01701.- Geography :Saxonville is located at 42.3203 degrees latitude, 71.4404 longitude....
, roughly if not fully via current Route 126. This was originally owned by the Framingham Union Street Railway, and crossed the main line at Framingham Junction. - Downtown Framingham northwest to Framingham Center via Union Avenue, originally part of the Framingham Union Street Railway. Before the consolidation into the B&W, an interchange with the Framingham, Southboro and Marlborough Street Railway existed at Framingham Center.
Other local routes may have existed.
The following interchange points with other companies were provided:
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway in Worcester
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (originally Worcester and Marlborough Street Railway) just east of Worcester
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (originally Worcester and Marlborough Street Railway) at Wessonville (current Route 135)
- Marlborough and Westborough Street Railway east of Wessonville
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (originally Clinton and Hudson Street Railway) at Hudson
- Concord, Maynard and Hudson Street Railway at Hudson
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (originally Worcester and Marlborough Street Railway) at Marlborough
- Marlborough and Westborough Street Railway at Marlborough
- Middlesex and Boston Street RailwayMiddlesex and Boston Street RailwayThe Middlesex and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in the area west of Boston, Massachusetts. Streetcars last ran in 1930, and in 1972 the company's operations were merged into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority .-History:The company was first chartered as...
(originally South Middlesex Street Railway) at downtown Framingham - Middlesex and Uxbridge Street Railway (originally Milford, Holliston and Framingham Street Railway) at downtown Framingham
- Middlesex and Boston Street RailwayMiddlesex and Boston Street RailwayThe Middlesex and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in the area west of Boston, Massachusetts. Streetcars last ran in 1930, and in 1972 the company's operations were merged into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority .-History:The company was first chartered as...
(originally Natick and Cochituate Street Railway) at SaxonvilleSaxonville, MassachusettsSaxonville is a historic mill village located in the north end of the town of Framingham, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 01701.- Geography :Saxonville is located at 42.3203 degrees latitude, 71.4404 longitude.... - Middlesex and Boston Street RailwayMiddlesex and Boston Street RailwayThe Middlesex and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in the area west of Boston, Massachusetts. Streetcars last ran in 1930, and in 1972 the company's operations were merged into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority .-History:The company was first chartered as...
(originally Natick and Cochituate Street Railway) at Felchville - Middlesex and Boston Street RailwayMiddlesex and Boston Street RailwayThe Middlesex and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in the area west of Boston, Massachusetts. Streetcars last ran in 1930, and in 1972 the company's operations were merged into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority .-History:The company was first chartered as...
(originally Natick and Cochituate Street Railway) at Wellesley Hills - Middlesex and Boston Street RailwayMiddlesex and Boston Street RailwayThe Middlesex and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in the area west of Boston, Massachusetts. Streetcars last ran in 1930, and in 1972 the company's operations were merged into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority .-History:The company was first chartered as...
(originally Newton and Boston Street RailwayNewton and Boston Street RailwayThe Newton and Boston Street Railway was a streetcar company in the Boston, Massachusetts area, eventually bought by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Its line is now the 59 Needham Junction - Watertown Square via Newtonville bus.-History:...
) at Newton Upper FallsNewton Upper Falls, MassachusettsNewton Upper Falls is a village situated on the east bank of the Charles River in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, in the United States.The area borders Needham, Massachusetts to the south/southwest, Wellesley, Massachusetts to the west, the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston to the extreme... - Boston Elevated RailwayBoston Elevated RailwayThe Boston Elevated Railway was a precursor first to the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Massachusetts, now the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, operating rapid transit, streetcars and buses in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It was formerly known as the West End Street Railway.The...
in Brookline and Boston