stoneham branch extension into medford?

[tom18287]

has anyone heard about the stoneham branch extending into medford? i found on this site here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=U6xAA ... on&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it was apparently going to connect with the medford branch at some location. pretty interesting. i wonder how close it came to actually happening?

[ferroequinarchaeologist]

The Stoneham Branch that is familiar to us is not the Stoneham Branch Railroad described in the legislative digest. The branch, when it existed, did a 180 turn east from today's Lowell line, curving up a steep hill to end facing south at a location near the town center, several feet higher in elevation. It must have been the steepest grade on the B&M when it was in operation. I believe the terminal station still exists as an office for some business.

The line proposed in the legislation (but never built) departed Stoneham and headed south generally following today's Route 28 (or I-93) into Medford. As the Boston & Lowell moved north in the mid 1800s, there would have been no reason to build this line - not that that ever stopped anybody from building a railroad.

PBM

[Aerie]

The Stoneham station is at the corner of Pine Street and Franklin Street, and holds a credit union's offices

[tom18287]

The Stoneham Branch that is familiar to us is not the Stoneham Branch Railroad described in the legislative digest. The branch, when it existed, did a 180 turn east from today's Lowell line, curving up a steep hill to end facing south at a location near the town center, several feet higher in elevation. It must have been the steepest grade on the B&M when it was in operation. I believe the terminal station still exists as an office for some business.

The line proposed in the legislation (but never built) departed Stoneham and headed south generally following today's Route 28 (or I-93) into Medford. As the Boston & Lowell moved north in the mid 1800s, there would have been no reason to build this line - not that that ever stopped anybody from building a railroad.

PBM

wow that's pretty cool. where did it branch off from the lowell line? same location?

[ferroequinarchaeologist]

The real Stoneham Branch left the Lowell line at Montvale, 9.8 rail miles from Boston. Stops were at Oakland, Lindenwood, Farm Hill (Route 28), Pleasant Street, and the Stoneham terminal. Passenger service ended in 1958. I believe the Montvale name survived as a siding or control point of some kind after the branch was abandoned in stages between 1982 - 1994.

Operationally, the branch was distinctive in that the passenger trains were hauled by freight locomotives because of the steepness of the grade. I believe K-8 Consolidation 2403 was the regularly assigned steamer on the line.

Sources: B&M 1929 passenger timetables, and Ronald Karr's The Rail Lines of Southern New England

PBM

[tom18287]

that's pretty cool. too bad it's not still in use, but in reality the melrose highlands stop is right down franklin st.

[BostonUrbEx]

that's pretty cool. too bad it's not still in use, but in reality the melrose highlands stop is right down franklin st.

There really ought to be another one down Montvale Ave on the Lowell Line, too. Would be great for Stoneham and Woburn. In turn, close Wedgemere.

[The EGE]

It appears that the intention of the Medford & Stoneham was not to connect with the B&L's Stoneham Branch - but to steal Stoneham traffic from the B&L. Plans were drawn up in January 1851 (by which time the B&L's Stoneham Branch route was decided, although it was not incorporated until 1853 and opened until 1862) and the line was incorporated in May 1851. At this time the B&M and B&L were in a fierce rivalry over every town reachable by either, which resulted in some truly marginal branchlines being built. A substantial section of the ROW of the Medford & Stoneham was actually graded, but after the Panic of 1857 it was abandoned.

1851 map
History

The B&M actually tried again two decades later in 1876 - the Mystic Valley Railroad would have split from the B&M mainline near Sullivan Square, followed the Mystic, crossed the B&M just south of West Medford, paralleled the Woburn Branch Railroad somewhat to the west, crossed the B&L again, and finally rejoined the B&M near North Wilmington. The MVRR never got off the drawing board, and ceased to exist as a corporate identity after 1882. The B&L merged into the B&M in 1887, ending the rivalry.

[FatNoah]

Great map! You can see where someone penciled in the the Stoneham Branch that did get built.

[l008com]

I was just googling around and found this map, and a little more googling lead me to this thread. This kind of blows my mind, one of the two termini is right near my house, it goes right through my neighborhood. That's crazy, who knew!?

Someone mentioned that part of the line had been graded. Is any of that grading work still around? Much or most of this potential line goes right through what is currently residential neighborhoods, many of which are on hillsides.

There's also that fire road in the fells that looks suspiciously like an old RoW , going from Winthrop St, Medford to South Border Road. But that does not appear to be part of this.

[The EGE]

I don't believe any of the grading is still visible - even by 1938 aerial images the area is pretty developed.

Both Hillcrest Parkway (built around 1900) and "Whitmore Brook Entrance" (built later) have curvature that more resembles rail lines than roads. But both were definitely built too late to be mainline railroads, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence they were built for streetcar lines either.

[l008com]

I don't believe any of the grading is still visible - even by 1938 aerial images the area is pretty developed.

Both Hillcrest Parkway (built around 1900) and "Whitmore Brook Entrance" (built later) have curvature that more resembles rail lines than roads. But both were definitely built too late to be mainline railroads, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence they were built for streetcar lines either.

Hillcrest parkway looks plausible in 2 dimensions. But in person, it's wayyyyy too hilly to ever be anything rail related.

Whitemore brook entrance, on the other hand, has the right gentle curves and a super smooth mellow slope. If you ever walk down it or pedal down it, you'll definitely think "oh yeah this is a ROW for sure". But I've never seen any evidence of it at all. At the south border road end, there is a site of an old army gun site in the woods. In the other direction, playstead road goes right to west medford and the lowell line. So it's possible this was either a plan for rail access to that base, or a temporary one they set up for building it. That's just speculation though, who knows. But those woods are very rocky and hilly. There are many miles of fire roads and none of them are even remotely close to just happening to have the right curving and grading to pass as an old RoW.

[l008com]

So I just spend a few minutes lining up the proposed map with an actual google map to see exactly where this line (would have) went. I am fascinated by the fact that it would have cut right through my neighborhood in stoneham! Also extremely interesting is that the line lines up basically EXACTLY with the old jello factory 93 bridge and their siding, even the way it bends to the left. It must be a coincidence, because the way this line was routed, it would have had to have been built 30 or 40 feet higher up than the actual stoneham branch and the jello siding. It's still very interesting. I'm going to try to fix it up again so I can post the map hybrid.

Also interesting, looking at the 1850's map, you can see the line splits and takes two different but similar routes into stoneham. I'm thinking this is because one of those routes goes right through the middle of Winchester's North reservoir. The reservoir probably didn't exist at that point, but it may have been in the works.

Also, part of the 'real' Stoneham branch as it parallels Montvale in Woburn, is wrong. I wonder if they had a change of plan or if they just got it wrong on this map.

The route also seems to line up very well with Priscilla Ln in Medford. That seems less likely to be a coincidence.

Here is a very rough draft. I need to figure out a way to "capture" large areas of high resolution google map data :D Then I can spend some time and line it up perfectly.

medford-stoneham-merge.jpg (941.42 KiB) Viewed 2489 times

[l008com]

Sooo anyone seen the map attachment I posted above?

[Backshophoss]

Get an info screen that the attachment no longer exisits