Grape Street Station, Woburn, Mass.

Does anyone know anything about "Grape Street Station" in Woburn?

It is listed in 1950's timetables of the B&M Stoneham Branch, at 9.9 miles from Boston. In the diesel era of Stoneham passenger service (1954-1958) there was one revenue run in each direction to Stoneham station, and the equipment also deadheaded between Stoneham and the yards. However, the morning train was always 2 Budd RDC's and the evening train was normally 4 cars (sometimes RDC's, sometimes coaches hauled by an RS-3). I always wondered why the inbound and outbound commuter trains were not the same length. However, the timetables showed a second inbound train #300 from Grape Street, leaving at 7:54 AM with a stop in Winchester and arriving in Boston at 8:15 AM. As a kid I used to figure that another two cars originated at Grape Street on train 300. But I can't figure out why? The other mystery is that the regular Stoneham trains were numbered in the 3400 series (in 1956 3404 was inbound and 3413 was outbound).

According to Google Earth, Grape Street at the western end, ends at the right of way of the Stoneham Branch, so it appears likely to me that the station was where the row crosses Central Street at Grape, right on the curve from Montvale Junction. If so, it would have been on a hill. Now I suppose there were enough homes and businesses in the vicinity of Montvale Ave and Central to warrant a stop, but could there be enough to justify a separate train originating from that location?

The only other thing I can think of is maybe it was a train coming from the north and it backed onto the Stoneham branch to stop at Grape.

Would appreciate any enlightenment.

Thanks!

The Grape Street turn in the morning was probably set up so the crew could change ends off the New Hampshire Route Main Line. Grape St. is .15 mi. from the junction at Montvale. This would reduce the risk of tieing up or slowing down main line trains. A crossover move at Montvale would tie up both mains. As for the consists, the inbound morning train from Stoneham highballed from Winchester Highlands to Tufts, no Winchester or Wedgemere on this run. Evening outbound Stoneham train was all stops from North Somerville. Boston & Maine Timetable 65, October 27, 1957. When a private company ran trains, they tried to match the consist with the expected passenger load. When a public authority does it they drag lots of empty cars around most of the day.

Then I guess the purpose of the Grape Street turn was to provide service to Winchester, West Medford, etc.

Thanks!

Grape Street doesn't appear in the 9-July-1923 passenger timetable for the branch. Is it where Oakland is (see attached), or was it added between Montvale and Oakland?

Grape Street was added between Oakland and Montvale. It probably became a stop because Central Street crossing was a stop and protect crossing. So some commuters probably saw their train stop there every day and probably pushed the B & M to make it a station stop. I'll see if I can find a date.

Does anyone know what the "u", "f", and "k" notations are for on the timetable? Also, I am just curious but did they stop using that Iron Cross symbol prior to WWII (or was that timetable just for employees)?

f probably means flag stop...

KWF, here's a copy of the table along with the reference marks and equipment notes from the page. It was a public timetable, dated July 9, 1923. The document itself is in fair condition - the paper is rather brittle - so I dissected and scanned it. I further split it into these individual tables, which I'm not transferring into an Excel spreadsheet to eventually serve as the basis for my 1950s era "what-if" railroad (see another thread here).

Eventually, I'll be making the PTT available on my website.

Just realized that the equipment table applies to the other tables on the page, and that neither that page, nor the neighboring pages, list the equipment for that branch. Coaches, probably.

f - stops on signal or notice to conductor.

k - Saturday only.

u - No checked baggage

e - stops only to leave passengers.

v - stops only to take passengers.

w - workingmens' train (certain types of tickets were only valid on trains so noted)

These timetable symbols are universal for B & M issued timetables up until early 1960s when the style changed.

The Maltese Cross indicates does not run Holidays.

Piyer, Thanks for posting the timetable. The Stoneham Branch sparked my love of trains as I grew up less than a block from the line in the 1950's. The first trains I ever saw were steam and they left an incredible impression. The grade was steep and when the evening commuter trains would pull out of Lindenwood Station, I would always hear the wheels slipping, expecially in winter. My dad bought the house in 1948 when I was 1, because it was affordable and convenient to the train. At the beginning of the 50's there were two passenger roundtrips at least, but by the end of steam in July 1954 I think there was only a single roundtrip. The steam engines spent the night in Stoneham, but the diesels deadheaded out to a yard somewhere. I rode the line in regular service twice, in 1957 and 1958, and later a fan trip in 1969. My dad and I rode the next to the last outbound trip in May 1958. It was 4 RDC's then. The last night we went with our neighbors up to the crossing at Lindenwood and Cottage Streets to wave goodbye to the last run. When we moved out of the area in 1960, there was still a midday freight 6 days a week that averaged something like 7-8 cars.

Previously, I had never heard of the Oakland Station (referenced in the 1923 timetable) on the Stoneham Branch. That must have been about where the gelatin plant is now.

I'm not from the area, but an older employee timetable says Hill St. and Albany St are crossings at Oakland Sta

edbear wrote:I'm not from the area, but an older employee timetable says Hill St. and Albany St are crossings at Oakland Sta

Hill Street is the road leading into the entrance to Atlantic Gelatin, and Albany Street is to the west / south / toward Boston from there.