Lowell and Andover Railroad
Encyclopedia
The 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. The line opened in 1874 from the B&M's main line at Lowell Junction
in Andover
, just south of the village of Ballardvale
, west to Lowell through Tewksbury
.
The B&M organized this railroad in retaliation against the B&L in their long running rivalry which started when the B&M rented trackage rights on the B&L's main line to access Boston from Wilmington
. The traffic on the B&L main line was so heavy, the B&M was made to sit and wait hours at Wilmington before being given clearance to continue on to Boston.
This led the B&M to build its own main line from North Wilmington to Boston which angered the B&L's management. Trying to block the B&M from building its line, the B&L filed suit, but lost because its monopoly only covered service between Boston and Lowell.
After the new mail line was opened, the B&M removed its track that connected the main line between North Wilmington and Wilmington so the B&L could not use it. Years later, the B&L would put the track back in and call it the Wildcat Branch
.
The two railroads had been at odds with each other earlier when two new lines, the Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
along with the Salem and Lowell Railroad
began operation around 1849. The Salem & Lowell's tracks crossed over the B&Ms main line about a mile north of its North Wilmington station and the crossroads was called Wilmington Jct. In 1851, the L&L permitted the B&M to run passenger service over the S&L from Wilmington Jct to Tewksbury Jct and continue to Lowell on the main L&L track. This was in defiance of the B&L's monopoly on all rail service between Boston and Lowell. In 1855, the courts ordered the B&M to stop running their passenger service and by 1858, the B&L had full control over the two lines. They rebuild the Wildcat line and now the B&L was in a much stronger competitive position with the B&M now that they had access between Lowell, Lawrence
, and Salem
while the B&M did not.
The B&M, however, knew that the B&L's monopoly would end soon and would not be renewed. When it ended, the Lowell & Andover was put in motion. The line started on the B&M's main line just south of Ballardvale and went right through East Tewksbury and crossed over the Lowell & Lawrence tracks just north of Tewksbury Jct. From here it paralleled the L&L until it came to Wamesit. There the two lines met on either side of the Wamesit station house. As they entered Lowell, they were running about a half mile apart until they met the Concord River
in Wigginsville a small neighborhood in South Lowell. The Lowell & Andover followed the Concord River to Downtown Lowell and built a station on Central Street.
In 1895, the B&M built a bridge across the Concord River and followed the L&L line to the Bleachery section of Lowell. It re-routed it traffic over this line and they continued to Downtown Lowell via the B&L main line, which the B&M had taken over in 1887.
Today, almost the entire branch is still in operation. In the 1920s, the B&M abandoned the Lowell & Lawrence in favor of the Lowell & Andover. The only part of the L&L that kept in service was the first mile between the Concord River and the Bleachery. The B&M abandoned their 1895 extension, in 1936 and built a connection from its line on the west side of the river to the L&L line. The original route along the Concord River from Wigginsville to Downtown was abandoned in 1982.
Today, this line is part of Pan Am Railways
' main freight line through Massachusetts.
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
and was organized in 1873, after the Boston and Lowell Railroad
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The 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 to Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
service ended in 1865. The line opened in 1874 from the B&M's main line at Lowell Junction
Lowell Junction
Lowell 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
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover 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...
, just south of the village of Ballardvale
Ballardvale, Massachusetts
Ballardvale is a village located within the boundaries of the town of Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States...
, west to Lowell through Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
.
The B&M organized this railroad in retaliation against the B&L in their long running rivalry which started when the B&M rented trackage rights on the B&L's main line to access Boston from Wilmington
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington 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...
. The traffic on the B&L main line was so heavy, the B&M was made to sit and wait hours at Wilmington before being given clearance to continue on to Boston.
This led the B&M to build its own main line from North Wilmington to Boston which angered the B&L's management. Trying to block the B&M from building its line, the B&L filed suit, but lost because its monopoly only covered service between Boston and Lowell.
After the new mail line was opened, the B&M removed its track that connected the main line between North Wilmington and Wilmington so the B&L could not use it. Years later, the B&L would put the track back in and call it the Wildcat Branch
Wildcat Branch
The 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...
.
The two railroads had been at odds with each other earlier when two new lines, the Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
The Lowell and Lawrence Railroad was a small independent railroad that was chartered in 1846 to build a rail line linking the two giant Merrimack River Valley cities of Lowell, Massachusetts to Lawrence, Massachusetts....
along with the Salem and Lowell Railroad
Salem and Lowell Railroad
The Salem and Lowell Railroad was a branch line of the Boston and Lowell Railroad and ran off the Essex Railroad in Peabody, Massachusetts to Tewksbury, Massachusetts where it met the Lowell and Lawrence Railroad at Tewksbury Jct....
began operation around 1849. The Salem & Lowell's tracks crossed over the B&Ms main line about a mile north of its North Wilmington station and the crossroads was called Wilmington Jct. In 1851, the L&L permitted the B&M to run passenger service over the S&L from Wilmington Jct to Tewksbury Jct and continue to Lowell on the main L&L track. This was in defiance of the B&L's monopoly on all rail service between Boston and Lowell. In 1855, the courts ordered the B&M to stop running their passenger service and by 1858, the B&L had full control over the two lines. They rebuild the Wildcat line and now the B&L was in a much stronger competitive position with the B&M now that they had access between Lowell, Lawrence
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence 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...
, and Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
while the B&M did not.
The B&M, however, knew that the B&L's monopoly would end soon and would not be renewed. When it ended, the Lowell & Andover was put in motion. The line started on the B&M's main line just south of Ballardvale and went right through East Tewksbury and crossed over the Lowell & Lawrence tracks just north of Tewksbury Jct. From here it paralleled the L&L until it came to Wamesit. There the two lines met on either side of the Wamesit station house. As they entered Lowell, they were running about a half mile apart until they met the Concord River
Concord River
The Concord River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The river drains a small rural and suburban region northwest of Boston. One of the most famous small rivers in U.S...
in Wigginsville a small neighborhood in South Lowell. The Lowell & Andover followed the Concord River to Downtown Lowell and built a station on Central Street.
In 1895, the B&M built a bridge across the Concord River and followed the L&L line to the Bleachery section of Lowell. It re-routed it traffic over this line and they continued to Downtown Lowell via the B&L main line, which the B&M had taken over in 1887.
Today, almost the entire branch is still in operation. In the 1920s, the B&M abandoned the Lowell & Lawrence in favor of the Lowell & Andover. The only part of the L&L that kept in service was the first mile between the Concord River and the Bleachery. The B&M abandoned their 1895 extension, in 1936 and built a connection from its line on the west side of the river to the L&L line. The original route along the Concord River from Wigginsville to Downtown was abandoned in 1982.
Today, this line is part of Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan 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...
' main freight line through Massachusetts.