Dedham Branch RR Conductors

Wondering if there are any records of the conductors.

I have a silver plated RR lantern inscribed...
"Presented to Alfred M. Smith of the Dedham Branch Rail Road by the Smoking Car Passengers April 1870"

I grew up in Dedham and this lantern was given to my Dad some 50-60 yrs back. I know nothing of it but my guess is that Alfred was a retiring conductor.
My Dad's Dad worked for the New Haven? RR in the Readville yards as a carpenter.

Any thought out there?

William D. Edson's book Railroad Names, which is a pretty comprehensive all-time list of railroad companies, makes no mention of a Dedham Branch Railroad. The Travelers' Official Railway Guide of June 1868 shows the Boston & Providence operating a branch from the main line at Forest Hills to Dedham via West Roxbury, with the tables headed simply Boston to Dedham and Dedham to Boston. Since the lantern was evidently an unofficial presentation made by his "regulars," it may be that they referred to the line as the Dedham Branch Railroad and so had that inscribed on the lantern. If it's of interest, there were 11 trains daily in each direction, leaving Boston from 7.05 am to 11.00 pm, and leaving Dedham from 5.55 am to 10.00 pm. Trip time was 30-35 minutes, and the service appears to have run 7 days a week -- there's no indication to the contrary. (Based on working conditions at the time, this very likely meant that Mr. Smith worked a 7-day week, with no limit on hours of service.)

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ead/html ... 5153m.html

Take a look.