Most futile railroads in New England

The branch between Collinsville and New Hartford wasn't part of the CNE. The CNE main line did run through Collinsville and New Hartford towards the west, but New Hartford industry was served by the New Haven branch. If this is confusing in 2012 think what it was like in 1912. When I lived in Collinsville thirty years ago both rows made interesting walks, although overgrown then.

Bad wording on my part, but I was trying to mention Collinsville-New Hartford in addition to the CNE for most futile lines, not part of the CNE.
C.J.V .

I'll add the Lancaster RR to this.

Yeah, the Lancaster gets my vote too. But, with a good map you can still trace the row.

A good deal of the Lancaster ROW is surprisingly visible if you know where to look. I went searching for it one day a few years ago when I was in the area, using photocopies of old USGS maps. It's not difficult to trace most of the roadbed.

Red Wing wrote:I'll add the Lancaster RR to this.

Not familiar with the Lancaster. Where was it, and when did it exist?

It went from Lancaster to Hudson, Massachusetts. It was built during 1872 and '73, was fully completed, and ran one inspection train before it was abandoned. The thread below entitled "Former Railroads in Bolton, MA?" will fill you in. IIRC, the Central Mass. and the Fitchburg were players in its unanticipated early retirement.

The Lancaster's ROW runs through Camp Resolute (Boy Scouts) in Bolton (off MA Rte 85). I saw it many moons ago when my son was in scouts.

How about the Manchester NH to South Acton? Somehow it manages to avoid anything resembling a city and had the Worcester Nashua and Portland to its west and the B&M to its east.

markffisch wrote:How about the Manchester NH to South Acton? Somehow it manages to avoid anything resembling a city and had the Worcester Nashua and Portland to its west and the B&M to its east.

Ah, yes, the Nashua, Acton, and Boston. It ran from North Acton (later from West Concord) to Nashua via such metropolises as Graniteville MA and Dunstable NH.

-John

I'm going to speak up for the Nashua, Acton & Boston. It provided the Concord RR an outlet to the south without the Boston & Lowell or B & M. I'll nominate the original Mass Central, which only passed through one town with a population over 3000 (Rutland…?) that didn't already have rail service. I think we can divide the duds into the never-operated and struggled-with-futility.

Also the 2' gauge incarnation of the Bedford & Billerica.

joshg1 wrote:I think we can divide the duds into the never-operated and struggled-with-futility.

Definitely. And in the struggled-with-futility category: how about the Shepaug, Litchfield & Northern? Bethel to Litchfield, Conn., via Hawleyville and Washington Depot. Forty-odd miles of incredibly slow and curvy track to avoid a 4.5 mile drive from Litchfield Center to the East Litchfield station the Naugy opened in 1849.

There is an interesting book that explains the reasons many of the lines were built. It's called Formation of New England Rail Systems, I forget the authors name but if you do a search on your library's electronic card catalog most likely your library or the consortium it belongs to has it.

It's worth getting a copy of, even if you have to borrow it from the library and scan it.

I just remembered....


Someone did a rather extensive book on the NAB, the Westford ma library has a copy of the book, I got it on interlibrary loan and read it. Good book.

While you search your online card catalog do a search on the Nashua Acton and Boston.

The B&B essentially brought the two foot gauge to New England. While it wasn't successful, the Maine two footers were, for a while.