Mystery railroad station near Boston

[The EGE]

Here's another mystery location. Postmarks indicate it's near Boston and taken in or slightly before 1911. Double-track line so it's probably a main or major branch. Grade crossing at the station; bridge and right-hand curve in the distance.

The geometry matches Beaver Book, but I'm not convinced that it's correct - the pictures I've seen of Beaver Brook show a smaller shelter. It doesn't seen to match anywhere on the B&A, Highland Branch, Fitchburg, or Eastern Route.

The back of the postcard is here.

[CannaScrews]

It may be that the "5-20" from Boston refers to the arrival time at the station. Anybody has a 1911 system timetable to see what trains landed up where at 5:20? That'll be a start.

Attached are 3 images I have of Beaver Brook.

[CannaScrews]

Beaver Brook Sta rppc 1.jpg (274.31 KiB) Viewed 3288 times

View #2

[CannaScrews]

beaver brook 1932 ma pc.jpg (113.04 KiB) Viewed 3287 times

View #3

[The EGE]

That's definitely a no on Beaver Brook then, especially since further research showed the bridge wasn't built until 1936. Thanks for the images!

[Ridgefielder]

Couple thoughts:

The architecture of that depot is simplified Victorian Italianate: the ornate paired brackets under the eaves, pediments over the windows, and shallow pitch of the roof are all characteristic of that style. Italianate first became popular in the decade before the Civil War, peaked in the 1860's, and was on the way out by the mid-1870's. Was definitely out of fashion by 1880. If you put a gun to my head I'd say the building was built a couple years either side of 1865.

The crossing in the foreground is busy enough to need gates- you can see one on the left. That makes me think the bridge in the background carries either a trolley line or another railroad-- otherwise why the busy crossing?

[BostonUrbEx]

I don't believe it is a trolley line, as it looks like there's no trolley poles along the bridge or embankments. Also, the left embankment seems to come down a sharp grade, eliminating possibility of a railroad.

[YamaOfParadise]

Maybe the bridge was a fairly new construction to the photo date; 1911 is about on the hind-end of when the big push for grade separation was happening.

[trainsinmaine]

My hunch is this was on a branch rather than a main line, despite its being double-tracked. Note that the telegraph poles have only one tier.

[TomNelligan]

And there's no platform on the right-side track, suggesting that it might be a passing siding rather than a second main track.

[Ridgefielder]

And there's no platform on the right-side track, suggesting that it might be a passing siding rather than a second main track.

If it's a siding, why are there only tell-tales over the right hand track? Seems to me that would indicate a double-track line-- otherwise, trains would traverse the left-hand track in both directions. Could be that the platforms are offset, with the one for the right-hand track out of sight behind the photographer. Can think of a few NH stations built like that- East Norwalk and Southport come to mind.

Do you see a train-order signal anywhere? I can't make one out. Seems unusual for this time period.

I don't believe it is a trolley line, as it looks like there's no trolley poles along the bridge or embankments. Also, the left embankment seems to come down a sharp grade, eliminating possibility of a railroad.

I see one pole in line with the left-hand abutment of the bridge, but the resolution isn't good enough for me to tell if there are wires. And-- does that left embankment really go down a sharp grade, or does it curve away toward those trees? I can't tell.

[wally]

there is a pole, which could carry a telltale, next to the left track, beyond the bridge.

there is also a stairway leading up the left bank, to the grade of the bridge. would it be likely for a trolley line?

the name of the station appears to be on a sign above the entrace, but not clear enough to read in the photo.

[Ridgefielder]

The power on the approaching train looks elderly for 1911-- low boiler, tall shotgun stack, cab roof lower than that of the coaches. Don't think it's a New Haven Class A-1 4-4-0, F-1 4-4-2 or G-4 4-6-0.

[Ridgefielder]

One further thought. If you look closely at the depot, you can see the shadows cast by the sunlight. The wall facing the tracks is in full sun. The light is just hitting the gable end at an angle, as you can tell by the shadow thrown by the deep eaves and the window cornice. Judging by the leaves on the trees it's summer. Now, given that the sun sets in the northwest in New England in midsummer, and given that the angle of the light seems right for 5:30 p.m. at that time of year, the track in this picture runs pretty much due N-S, with the train coming from S and the station on the E side of the ROW.

So- we're looking for a stretch of N-S double-track, on a line built between 1850 and 1870, with a station on the E side of the line, between a grade crossing and an overpass of some kind. And, since we know from the caption that this train is coming from Boston, and we know from the sunlight that the train is heading north, that implies the location is most likely north of Boston-- unless it's on some anomalous stretch of track that deviates from an E-W alignment for a couple miles, or reverses completely from the overall direction of the line.

Anybody got some detailed maps?

[NRGeep]

Weston station on the Central Mass?