Hudson MA tracks

In the 70's how would trains have had access out to Hudson? Would they have come down from Acton on the Marlborough Branch and then switched over to whichever line they needed to run OR would they have come all the way on the old CMRR thru Sudbury and Wayland? In the 70's I was very fortunate to have been able to see a few trains come into Hudson, most of them riding on the southern track(FRR) and then stopping at the diner for lunch. But I was also able to catch one train riding on the northern track thru the downtown area, although I don't know just how much farther they may have gone. If I am correct the CMRR line was abandoned in 1980?, but don't know when all traffic stopped on the Marlborough branch. Would have loved to have seen hudson in the 20's when both lines were probably still pretty active.

B&M freight service into Hudson via the Central Mass branch lasted until 1980. The Hudson-Marlboro stub was abandoned at the same time as the Central Mass west of Waltham. At the end trains ran rather infrequently on a very weedy, very slow track. The branch from South Acton was gone south of Maynard long before that, having been abandoned in 1943.

So if they were coming along the CMRR then train traffic continued thru Sudbury and Wayland along Rte. 20 till around 1980?? Never had an opprtunity to see any of that action, but it must have been great to see if you were there to catch it. Any idea on why the trains although small, if I remember correctly just an engine, caboose, and maybe a boxcar, would come all the way out to Hudson, don't know what customers of the line may have still been using trains at that time? I have a listing of all B&M customers as of 1955, and many are listed in Hudson, but can't imagine who would have still used the trains in the 70's.

TomNelligan wrote:B&M freight service into Hudson via the Central Mass branch lasted until 1980. The Hudson-Marlboro stub was abandoned at the same time as the Central Mass west of Waltham. At the end trains ran rather infrequently on a very weedy, very slow track. The branch from South Acton was gone south of Maynard long before that, having been abandoned in 1943.

And the route shows it. I mountain biked the route from the site of the Maynard depot west to the point the railroad crossed the Assabet River. The bridges on this line are *long* gone and the abutments are in advanced state of decay.

Recently, I found the interchange track between the Central Mass and the B&M's Marlboro branch. As with most abandoned B&M routes I've investigated, the track is intact ... waiting for a train that will never come. I hope to get pictures of this spot in the near future.

The interchange is interesting because it's sited (shoehorned?) between the CM's overgrade crossing of Rte 62 and that of the Marlboro Branch itself. Both of these bridges are removed, yet isolated track remains.

Returning to Maynard ... I studied the bridge that carries Rte 117 over the canal that brings water to the former Assabet Mill. When the railroad was active, the road took a 90-deg right to cross the railroad. Since it's been abandoned, the upper half has been rebuilt to cross the right of way on a 45-deg angle.

Of note, most of the branch between Maynard and South Acton is intact. This includes a run-around between the route's crossings of Rte 62 (immediately west of Maynard depot) and 117. A switch can be see poking up through the pavement in the aptly-named "Railroad" parking lot for Clock Tower Place (the current name for the Assabet Woolen Mill).

East of there, I'd say at least 80% of the branch is still intact. All of the grade crossings are gone, as is the route's crossing of the Assabet in Maynard (and the fill and, bridge piers). Where the route tied into the main at South Acton is under Rte 27's rebuilt overgrade crossing of the MBTA Fitchburg Branch.

* JB *

I remember walking both Marlborough branches (NH from the south and B&M north) in the spring of 1977. Rails were gone south of Marlborough, but in place from Marlborough north (at least as far as Fort Meadow Reservoir, the limit of my walk). The line was obviously abandoned as there was debris on the ROW. I remember asking someone when service stopped, and they said there was a bridge washout south of Hudson that caused service to cease on the branch - I gather this took place around 1975 or so.

I'm looking forward to walking the trail (again) if I'm ever in the area.

EH