Vintage High Res Pictures Discussion

Note how the Saugus Branch also merged into today's Western Route at Edgeworth and not yet the Eastern Route at Everett Junction. Also no Stoneham Branch yet, nor a line to Newburyport via Wakefield Junction. Most other lines were built.

Neat map. Boston and Lowell, Boston and Worcester, Boston and Providence, Brookline Branch RR. Focus of the map being the canal! Nothing consolidated, the big fill areas not yet happened. Boston was so small!

Stoneham was served by the Western Route's Melrose Highlands stop (which was still part of Stoneham), and Montvale, which is labeled as Stoneham Depot, as Montvale Ave. was named Railroad St. in Woburn and Fulton St. in Stoneham (and would be until sometime around or just after 1900).

Another few fun things... the ice harvest branches to Spy Pond and Fresh Pond. Also the Lexington Branch is under Fitchburg ownership, prior to its transfer to the Boston & Lowell who built what's now known as the freight cutoff through Somerville to tie the branch into their own trackage. No Central Mass yet either.

Does anyone know WHY Melrose has 3 train stops? Seems excessive for a city of 30K.

Small, largely wooden trains accelerated a lot faster, so multiple stations wasn't a problem. All of the major trunk lines had a lot of stations close in - the Western Route served stops at East Somerville, Wellington, Edgeworth, Malden, Oak Grove, Fells, Wyoming, Melrose, Melrose Highlands, Wakefield Junction, Wakefield, Reading, and Reading Highlands (plus possibly a few others - Melrose Junction was a stop pre-Wellington, and there may have been stations near the modern Assembly and Community College sites as well) before getting to a wider spacing further out.

Additionally, it wasn't until towards the end of the 19th century that streetcars became fast and capacious enough to siphon away large numbers of riders from those inner stations, making them unprofitable to keep open.

The EGE wrote:Small, largely wooden trains accelerated a lot faster, so multiple stations wasn't a problem.

To add to this, the reason the stops STILL exist? Politics. Nobody wants to take the flak from even proposing to close a station. That's why Weston has three stops on the Fitchburg Line including Hastings (~44 passengers daily, boarding at a grade crossing) and Silver Hill (~15 passengers daily, boarding from a single dirt platform on the outbound track...inbound passengers have to cross the inbound track on the ballast and ties).

MBTA3247 wrote:Additionally, it wasn't until towards the end of the 19th century that streetcars became fast and capacious enough to siphon away large numbers of riders from those inner stations, making them unprofitable to keep open.

[OT]So, if a commuter rail line could match the number of boardings it had back in, say 1880, it would be profitable today?

BandA wrote:

MBTA3247 wrote:Additionally, it wasn't until towards the end of the 19th century that streetcars became fast and capacious enough to siphon away large numbers of riders from those inner stations, making them unprofitable to keep open.

[OT]So, if a commuter rail line could match the number of boardings it had back in, say 1880, it would be profitable today?

The rush hour trips would.

What makes public transit unprofitable though is all the mostly-empty trips that are necessary to provide essential mobility for people, but will never carry enough to turn a profit.

Day square East Boston.

Five alarm East Boston fire by Boston Public Library, on Flickr

Again, more from the Boston City Archives. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looking northwest in Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Northeasterly section of Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking easterly over new Geneva Avenue bridge by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

General view at Beale Street tower, Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Southerly view of tunnel from Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Northerly view of tunnel from Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Northerly entrance to tunnel from Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southerly in Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Southerly view of Ashmont station from Ashmont Street by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking along tunnel roof toward Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking northerly in Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Entrance and exit to easterly platform, Shawmut station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Trainmen's platform, Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southerly along track work, etc. from viaduct by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

General view Codman Street yard and fence by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Incline between Dorchester Avenue and viaduct, Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Grading and incline north of Ashmont station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking along Codman incline to Codman Street by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking westerly in Codman Street yard from Codman Street bridge by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Loading boulders on truck at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking westerly in Codman Street yard from right of way by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Removal of abutment at Geneva Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking easterly in Fields Corner busway by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Tree and tree stump near shanty, Fields Corner enclosed area by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Smoke stack at Fields Corner heating plant by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Columbia station, northeasterly exposure by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking northwesterly toward easterly side of Columbia station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southerly along right of way from Savin Hill station platform, showing underpass by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking toward underpass from Savin Hill station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southeasterly, Ashmont station construction from Ashmont Street by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Incline to Dorchester Avenue from Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southeasterly toward Ashmont station construction from Ashmont Street by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southeasterly toward Ashmont station from Ashmont Street by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking southeasterly in Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking northwesterly in Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking northeasterly in Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking westerly in Fields Corner station, southerly section by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking easterly in Fields Corner station, southerly section by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Northerly incline to Fields Corner station from Dorchester Avenue by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking easterly in Fields Corner busway by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Easterly view of northerly interior section of Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking westerly, northerly side interior of Fields Corner station by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Looking toward Freeman Street in busway by City of Boston Archives, on Flickr

Fire at North Station by Boston Public Library, on Flickr

Fire at North Station by Boston Public Library, on Flickr

I'm finding the date confusing. There appears to be a subway station (post-1975 for North Station), which made me think it was actually Haymarket and the B&M's old terminus at Haymarket. But that was demolished by 1893. The photo is dated 1917-1935.

EDIT: I just realized... the firefighters are fighting the fire FROM the elevated station! I thought they were on the street!