Midland Line
(Blackstone, MA - Franklin - Walpole - Norwood - Readville)

Shoreliner® Article Index

Volume 4 Issue 3 (Summer) 1973
  • "N.Y. & N.E. - Part 1" -- A brief history of the New York & New England, including its predecessor lines. 4 pages with photos.
Volume 4 Issue 4 (Fall) 1973
  • "N.Y. & N.E. - Part 2" -- A brief history of the New York & New England, including its predecessor lines. 1-1/2 pages with photos.
Volume 16 Issue 4 1985
  • "Commuter Lines with a Future?" -- Short story on plans to extend commuter rail service from Franklin, MA, to I-495 via the Milford branch, to North Easton, MA, via the Stoughton, and to restore service on the Rockville - Hartford, CT line. 1/2 page.
Volume 19 Issue 1 1988
  • "Old Colony Northern Division" -- History of the rail lines between Mansfield, Framingham, Marlboro, Fitchburg and Lowell. Includes photo features on Framingham, Medfield Junction and Walpole. 20 pages with photos (some color, including color centerspread at Clinton, MA) and maps.
Volume 21 Issue 3 1990
  • "Another Way to Boston -- The New York & New England in Northern Rhode Island -- Part 1" -- The history of the New York & New England Railroad and its predecessor lines in Rhode Island and nearby portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The article is focused on northern Rhode Island, but includes two photos of Norwood, MA. 11 pages with photos and maps.
Volume 21 Issue 4 1990
  • "Another Way to Boston -- The New York & New England in Northern Rhode Island -- Part 2" -- The history of the New York & New England Railroad and its predecessor lines in Rhode Island and nearby portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The article is focused on the Pascoag branch, but includes a photo from Blackstone, MA. 8 pages with photos and timetable.
Volume 22 Issue 1 1991
  • "Clear Block Camp -- Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaugagoggchaubunagungamaugg" -- The story of how an old New Haven combine bacame a summer camp along the old Webster branch. The car was moved from Readville via Blackstone, MA and East Thompson, CT. 1-1/2 pages with photo.
Volume 22 Issue 4 1991
  • "Swill Cars" -- Memories by Fran Donovan of the brief operation of garbage trains from Boston to the state farm in Pomfret, CT. 1 page.
Volume 27 Issue 1 1996
  • "Old Colony Commuter Service -- The New Haven's Problem Child -- Part 1" -- The history of The New Haven's Old Colony commuter service between Boston and Greenbush, Plymouth, Middleboro, Cape Cod, Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River. This 3-part series includes over 100 historic photos from the South Shore and southeastern Massachusetts. Part 1 includes the story of the 88 station case, in which the New Haven proposed abandonment of 88 stations in eastern Massachusetts, including selected stations on the Blackstone line. 30 pages plus cover photos.
Volume 29 Issue 3
  • "Readville Shops - Part 1" -- Detailed history of the Readville shops. Includes a brief discussion and map of the New York & New England Railroad's shops at Norwood, MA.  20 pages, including photos, maps and diagrams of the Readville complex.
Volume 35 Issue 2
  • "Toward Steam's Last Bow" -- Tom Curtin tells the story of the Railroad Enthusiasts' round trip steam excurion from Boston's South Station April 27, 1952, with I-4s #1372 and #1388. The two special trains operated South Station - Blackstone - Putnam, CT - Willimantic - Middletown - Cedar Hill - Groton - Plainfield - Providence - South Station. 23 pages with photos and map.
  • "Recollections of 27 April 1952, Sunday" -- Harry Chase recalls riding the April 27, 1952 RRE steam excursion. 4 pages with photos.
Volume 35 Issue 4
  • "A Night on the New Haven Railroad" -- Fran Donovan recalls filling in one night in November 1935 as 3rd trick operator at Walpole, MA. 4 pages with photos, map and drawings.
Volume 38 Issue 4
  • "Blackstone -- BE: Where the Midland Met the P&W" -- Richard K. Hurst provides a detailed history of the railroad and its operations in and around Blackstone, MA. 30 pages with photos, many in color, and maps.
  • "Providence - Worcester Local Passenger Service" -- A summary of local passenger operations on the P&W route via Blackstone through 1956, when service ended. The article makes particular note of the use of Mack FCD railbuses during the last years of operation. 4 pages with photos, including one color.
Volume 40 Issue 1
  • "Crash of Titans – The Collision at Readville, Easter Night, April 21, 1946" -- Ed Sweeney tells the story of the deadly crash involving I-4 #1344 and I-5 #1401. #1344 was leading train No. 134, a Hartford - Boston first-class train, while #1401 was leading the Sunday-only train No. 535, Boston - Providence. 7 pages, with photos and Readville track diagram mapping the accident.
Volume 40 Issue 2
  • "Yard Check – Photos and Memories" -- Richard K. Hurst shares his photos on unusual visitors to the Walpole, MA yard in the 1960s. 1 page with photos.

Books

New Haven Mechanical Department Facilities Maps -- Revised Edition

Includes:

  • Blackstone, MA (1941 map). 1 page.

  • Readville shops (photos, including aerial and panoramic, and maps). 4 pages.