by Ridgefielder
We have threads on this forum on lines that should never have been abandoned and lines that should never have been built in the first place. That got me to thinking-- what would everyone consider to be the least-likely mileage to have *survived* from the high-water mark of New England railroading ca. 1910?
My personal nomination is the P&W's Groton Wharf Branch. This is the original New York, Providence & Boston-- a/k/a the Stonington Road-- main line to the Groton steamboat docks and the slips for the Thames River carferry. It became redundant as a main line when the Thames River bridge opened for service in 1889. It still serves industries along the Groton waterfront, including Electric Boat.
It is also probably the only active railroad line in the country that is "in play" on a public golf course!
My personal nomination is the P&W's Groton Wharf Branch. This is the original New York, Providence & Boston-- a/k/a the Stonington Road-- main line to the Groton steamboat docks and the slips for the Thames River carferry. It became redundant as a main line when the Thames River bridge opened for service in 1889. It still serves industries along the Groton waterfront, including Electric Boat.
It is also probably the only active railroad line in the country that is "in play" on a public golf course!