Framingham, Ma streetcar line went to Edgell Grove Cem?

[stvigi]

I was in the Edgell Grove cemetery in Framingham, Ma. yeasterday and noticed a single track poking out of the dirt driveway up to the chapel? Can anyone tell me if the Framingham Union Street Railway or the B&W Street Railway went to Edgell Grove Cemetery?

Steve

[aline1969]

Where is the cemetary (streets?) The Middlesex & Boston Street Railway served Framigham and Boston & Worcester served what is route 9 today with a couple of small spur lines. Prior to the M & B Framingham was served by the South Middlsex Street Railway. I never heard of union st. ry in framingham...they covered Taunton, New Bedford, Fall River area.

I was in the Edgell Grove cemetery in Framingham, Ma. yeasterday and noticed a single track poking out of the dirt driveway up to the chapel? Can anyone tell me if the Framingham Union Street Railway or the B&W Street Railway went to Edgell Grove Cemetery?

Steve

[pennsy]

Before hearses, and horse drawn hearses faded, trolleys were used to bring caskets to the cemetery. At the Orange Empire RR museum such a trolley car is on display. It is essentially a hearse, in front, and in the back it is a trolley car to bring the family etc. of the departed to the funeral. So many cemeteries had, and still have, trolley tracks into the cemetery.

[aline1969]

I am certain the M & B had no such cars, I have the roster for the M & B.

[stvigi]

Edgell Grove Cemetery is on Grove Street off of Vernon Street in Framingham. I would guess that it may have come off of the B&W, since there trolley barn was only 1/2 mile away (Now called Trolley Square on Rt. 9 and Edgell Rd).



I got the Union Street Railway name from the following article:

http://framingham.iougs.com/?cat=3

Steve

[aline1969]

sometimes towns are a little confused on trolley history. I had Concord tell me once they never had streetcars... they had two railway co's serving their town... so they can have bad info...lol.

The M & B ran on the street going past the old train station in Framingham, there was a branch off that going to Holliston. There also was a line through Framingham from that statio going up to the industrial section, name slips my mind right now.

[BaltOhio]

For what it's worth, O. R. Cummings' book on the B&W ("Trolleys Along the Turnpike", BSRA Bulletin 12, 1975) includes a detailed 1904 track map of the B&W. This shows a branch running NE to Saxonville via Beacon St., but nothing to the NW as your map would indicate. The M&B is shown in S. Framingham, but no independent local lines are indicated.

[aline1969]

Thank you, the M&B also had a line to saxonville. The only area where the M&B had many little routes was waltham, they had a couple of lines in Framingha, but it went through south framingham and connected with the Worcester Consolidated in Westborough

[stvigi]

I found this on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_and ... et_Railway

On February 1, 1904, the B&W bought the Framingham, Southboro and Marlborough Street Railway, which the B&W used between Framingham Center and Fayville.

This may the the line which connected to the cemetery, i'll have to see if I can locate any pre 1920's topographical maps which may answer the question.

Thanks

Steve

[Leo Sullivan]

The line was called the "Framingham Union St. Ry." and, was the original
horsecar company in Framingham, became the two lines of the B&W connecting the Turnpike with So. Framingham. As for lines to the cemetery, there seems to have been nothing between the B&W Saxonville line and the B&W lines to Marlborough and Hudson. The M&B had a line to Saxonville also but, it came in from the Wayland side. So, no trolleys near the Edgehill Grove Cemetery. Sometimes other things look like track or, maybe they had an internal pushcart railway for moving things around. In Framingham, except for the short section into Saxonville the M&B in Framingham seems to have been all on the present Rte. 16. Because it inherited the Framingham Union, the B&W got there first. This information is from O.R.'s book and the 1904 M&B track chart. I don't think the M&B built anything after 1904.
LS

[aline1969]

If you want to learn a little more about the M & B railway that served Framingham you can purchase over the phone from Seashore a book called "Middlesex & Boston Street Railway" its a fundraiser book I put out to help restore the only trolley left from the M & B

[aline1969]

I have sent a message to the person who runs the Framingham Historical Society. I have dealt with her in the past. I will post her reply, thx

[bingdude]

Here's a link to the 1894 Topo map-- reprinted 1929.

http://docs.unh.edu/MA/fram94sw.jpg

Here is the 1943 survey--
http://docs.unh.edu/MA/frmh43sw.jpg

Nothing other than the steam RRs show.