Back in the mid-late 1960s, I had an opportunity to ride on what was still the Boston Elevated line, aka the Mainline of the BEry, later MTA, and finally what was to become the Orange Line of the MBTA "T".
During this time, my dad would bring me to work during school vacations for a day. I think it was a combination of giving me something else to do besides aggravating mom or teasing my brother, or perhaps a bit of both, and to give me a day out of the house. The trip as usual started as a commuter train ride from Bradford depot located across the bridge in the Bradford-portion of Haverhill. Bradford was once a separate town and is still an autonomous section of the "big" city.
This is a much-changed view of the Bradford depot. The depot itself just on the right is now a restaurant and the commuter platforms are across and away from the station its self. Located right in front of the station was once a crossover from the Georgetown branch, located to the left of the camera, with a third track closer to the station that split to the Bradford freight yard. This was a 4 or 5-track yard that had a dispatcher office located at the far end of the station. During that time, a local switcher stationed there that would be used to switch the various industries and paperboard plant located on what was left of the Georgetown branch. Apparently, back then there was enough traffic to warrant a small yard and switcher to keep operating 3 or 4 days a week. To the right in this picture would also have been Wilson Cement, just behind the station. Wilson was a local cement and concrete dealer that had a siding to receive hoppers and an overhead silo to fill the trucks. They had a number of these setups right up until the 1980s when they closed.
It was a cold morning and I was shivering as we waited for the train to arrive. Finally, we boarded the customary B&M "Budd Liner" train. This I remember was a multi-car lash-up probably having come down from Portland Maine as was still common back then and not the usual 4-car train. This one also had a baggage car or mail car so this was definitely not the normal commuter train.
We made the usual commuter stops in North Andover which is no longer a stop, Lawrence at the old station, then Shawsheen, Andover, and so on on it's trip to Boston. What was different about this trip was there were diesels parked at the old Lawrence roundhouse located just outside Lawrence yard that I never noticed before perhaps because it was February this time and frigidly cold so the diesels were steaming as they were sitting idling in the terminal. Located near the Union Street bridge was the roundhouse which was leveled for a skating rink and is now replaced by a trucking company shortly after this trip.
We eventually pulled into North Station in Boston. The big yard at North Station still existed and there were switchers moving about humping freight cars. We came in on the Lowell line, the former Boston and Lowell line, instead of the Reading line as is done today. The Lowell line ran up above the Fitchburg line, the yard leads, turn loops, and all the tracks so I could see the operations. This line also passed by the old Boston Engine Terminal, or BET. The original BET was recently replaced but back then it too had a huge roundhouse and turntable with the classic brick buildings. Sadly, today the buildings are those modern ones like those found in industrial parks.
After a short walk outdoors, under the overhead trolley line that goes to Lechmere, we crossed the street where we took the trolley, as in the classic PCC trolleys to Boylston Street where my dad worked. I spent the day mostly looking out the window with a telescope at the city below. Little did I know I would be doing that over 50 years later virtually. At the time, I would draw on scrap paper various trains and cities as I pictured them. My dad being graphic artist had a load of scrap paper, markers and anything else I wanted to paint, draw, or color on.
That day seemed odd because my dad acted as if he wanted to tell me something but instead kept it to himself. I could sense it, but was too young, being probably 6 or 7 at the time to really understand what was up, let alone having the gumption to ask. Well, we left early instead of the normal time at 5:00. The trip home was the usual part on the trolley, but instead of getting off at North Station, we got off at Park Street and walked the connector between Park Street and Washington Street where we picked up the Orange line. This part wasn't unusual because my grandfather worked down near Chinatown on Kneeland Street so I though we were going to visit him and take the train home with him instead.
==== Continued ====
During this time, my dad would bring me to work during school vacations for a day. I think it was a combination of giving me something else to do besides aggravating mom or teasing my brother, or perhaps a bit of both, and to give me a day out of the house. The trip as usual started as a commuter train ride from Bradford depot located across the bridge in the Bradford-portion of Haverhill. Bradford was once a separate town and is still an autonomous section of the "big" city.
This is a much-changed view of the Bradford depot. The depot itself just on the right is now a restaurant and the commuter platforms are across and away from the station its self. Located right in front of the station was once a crossover from the Georgetown branch, located to the left of the camera, with a third track closer to the station that split to the Bradford freight yard. This was a 4 or 5-track yard that had a dispatcher office located at the far end of the station. During that time, a local switcher stationed there that would be used to switch the various industries and paperboard plant located on what was left of the Georgetown branch. Apparently, back then there was enough traffic to warrant a small yard and switcher to keep operating 3 or 4 days a week. To the right in this picture would also have been Wilson Cement, just behind the station. Wilson was a local cement and concrete dealer that had a siding to receive hoppers and an overhead silo to fill the trucks. They had a number of these setups right up until the 1980s when they closed.
It was a cold morning and I was shivering as we waited for the train to arrive. Finally, we boarded the customary B&M "Budd Liner" train. This I remember was a multi-car lash-up probably having come down from Portland Maine as was still common back then and not the usual 4-car train. This one also had a baggage car or mail car so this was definitely not the normal commuter train.
We made the usual commuter stops in North Andover which is no longer a stop, Lawrence at the old station, then Shawsheen, Andover, and so on on it's trip to Boston. What was different about this trip was there were diesels parked at the old Lawrence roundhouse located just outside Lawrence yard that I never noticed before perhaps because it was February this time and frigidly cold so the diesels were steaming as they were sitting idling in the terminal. Located near the Union Street bridge was the roundhouse which was leveled for a skating rink and is now replaced by a trucking company shortly after this trip.
We eventually pulled into North Station in Boston. The big yard at North Station still existed and there were switchers moving about humping freight cars. We came in on the Lowell line, the former Boston and Lowell line, instead of the Reading line as is done today. The Lowell line ran up above the Fitchburg line, the yard leads, turn loops, and all the tracks so I could see the operations. This line also passed by the old Boston Engine Terminal, or BET. The original BET was recently replaced but back then it too had a huge roundhouse and turntable with the classic brick buildings. Sadly, today the buildings are those modern ones like those found in industrial parks.
After a short walk outdoors, under the overhead trolley line that goes to Lechmere, we crossed the street where we took the trolley, as in the classic PCC trolleys to Boylston Street where my dad worked. I spent the day mostly looking out the window with a telescope at the city below. Little did I know I would be doing that over 50 years later virtually. At the time, I would draw on scrap paper various trains and cities as I pictured them. My dad being graphic artist had a load of scrap paper, markers and anything else I wanted to paint, draw, or color on.
That day seemed odd because my dad acted as if he wanted to tell me something but instead kept it to himself. I could sense it, but was too young, being probably 6 or 7 at the time to really understand what was up, let alone having the gumption to ask. Well, we left early instead of the normal time at 5:00. The trip home was the usual part on the trolley, but instead of getting off at North Station, we got off at Park Street and walked the connector between Park Street and Washington Street where we picked up the Orange line. This part wasn't unusual because my grandfather worked down near Chinatown on Kneeland Street so I though we were going to visit him and take the train home with him instead.
==== Continued ====
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