Guilfords South Reading Branch

Besides Eastman Gelatine, Bicknell and Fuller and S.S. Pierce what other customers were on the branch? I know Bicknell and Fuller closed a few years back and S.S. Pierce (now US Foodservice) hasn't received rail since the early/mid 80's.

Hi CSRRfan86.

Honestly i couldnt tell you. I live right on the tracks basically, they Newburyport Branch portion of it crosses my street. I know that there are still portions of the track that remain. In some areas you can even see where the ROW used to be. Part of it is now a street. Here is a link to an awsome site that has way too much information and a ton about the South Reading Branch.

http://www.oldrr.com/ This site has almost every RR line you can think of (except the Conway Branch ) Btw, how do you know of the South Reading Line?

Here are some pics that I took of the line (Newburyport Branch/South Reading Line)

In thinking about old users/customers...start at Peabody Square. My time span goes back to the 1960's when the line was pretty active. I can remember a few of the businesses

1. There was a grain company near the square before the bowling alley. The building and siding is still there
2. Up a bit there was a siding into some leather shops...can't remember the name.
3. Eastman gelatine
4. just past summit stree was a siding to a warehouse..JJ Newbury was the company. There was another customer there too
5. Almost at Corwin Street: Remis leathers had 2 sidings, one into a building and the other at a loading platform
6. Across from Remis was a chemical place
7. Across Corwin Street was a box company...Bayco?

The track ended just after Corwin Street for many years. In the late 60's, when the industrial park opened, the line was extended. New customers included SS pierce, A can company, and Bicknell Fuller.

If I can think of others I will post again.

Steve

Hi #7470,

I live in Lynn and have watched trains on the branch for years. It was sad to see Liberty Carton go. When I was a kid we were always getting stopped on Summit St or in Peabody Square as SA-1 crossed. There would always be extra cars at the Liberty Carton run-around and some in the Bridge St. Yard. Ironically my Dad works at US Foods and started there when it was SS Pierce. They used to get 6/10 cans of fruit and tomato sauce and produce reefers. However they didnt use rail service for long. Its an awesome branch to me and I am modeling it in HO. The HO layout is basically a "what if" present day scenario so more customers besides Eastman can get rail.

Check out my BO-1 pics from the last few weeks: http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=by ... =csrrfan86

Highrail,

Thanks for all the customers! Is JJ Newbury where Bay State Pallet currently is (outside dock) ?

My hunch is that dock is the same location where JJ Newbury warehouse was. It is on the siding where the large chimney is, just beyond Summit Street, just after the break in the rails where they repaired the washout, but did not re-connect the track. I could usually count on them to get a least a couple cars per day. I rode a bike the length of the track a few weeks ago, and it is pretty sad to see the condition even though it has been out of service for just a couple years.

Oh, the name of the can comany in the indistrial park I think was Stern Can

I know theres 2 tracks at Crowin St (one to an open dock) but was there a run-around there before the tracks were extended? And what was the other siding at Liberty Carton for? It just disappears into trees and brush.

On a side note, this branch never went beyond Liberty Carton did it?

On a side note, this branch never went beyond Liberty Carton did it?

The "South Reading" branch originally connected South Reading, now known as Wakefield, to Peabody. After abandonment of the RR, Route 128 was built in 1940 on the South Reading RoW between Route 1 and the curve near Audubon Road. The branch as we know it in Peabody is the remnant of this once longer branch line.

Here are some pics of one of the last runs to Wakefield on the South Reading.

Guilford #301 stopped on side track for lunch at Water Street. Ex Wakefield Center Depot on left. 4/17/01 12:30pm

Guilford #301 pushing freight cars across New Salem Street. Ready mix in backround. 4/17/01 1:20pm

3 cars plus Guilford 301 pass switch just after 128 in Wakefield. 4/17/01 1:40pm

great pics, but thats the newburyport branch, not the south reading. south reading branched off somewhere by the concrete company.

NICE PICS! Thanks for the info Alex! I also remember watching those locals go to those box companies on 128 and Merrimack Valley Distributors in Danvers. It was nice to do local railfanning.

Yea sorry about it being the Newburyport. The only picture where the locomotive is on the South Reading is the one where #301 is stopped at Wakefield Junction. Just ahead of the locomotive directly after the crossing on the track where #301 is sitting is where the South Reading began. It branches off to the right.

precisely

got any more pics? those are GREAT.

#7470 wrote:Yea sorry about it being the Newburyport. The only picture where the locomotive is on the South Reading is the one where #301 is stopped at Wakefield Junction. Just ahead of the locomotive directly after the crossing on the track where #301 is sitting is where the South Reading began. It branches off to the right.

The last two pictures on this site can show where the South Reading began. http://www.oldrr.com/sreading/wakefield/wake.html

tom18287 wrote:precisely

got any more pics? those are GREAT.

Sorry tom, just those three.