Old Colony Main Line
(Boston, MA - Quincy - Braintree - Plymouth)

Shoreliner® Article Index

Volume 5 Issue 1 (Winter) 1974
  • "Recollections of the Old Colony" -- Warren Smith shares his memories of the Old Colony, starting in the 1930s. 6 pages with photos.
Volume 10 Issue 2 (Spring) 1979
  • "Historical Competition?" -- Discusses the Granite Railway's claim as America's "oldest" railway, versus the Thomas Leiper Railroad of southeastern Pennsylvania claim as the "earliest." 1 page with photos.
Volume 14 Issue 2 1983
  • "The Hanover Branch Railroad" -- Presents a brief history of the Hanover, MA branch (North Abington - Hanover). 2 pages with tables and photos.
Volume 16 Issue 1 1985
  • "On the New Haven...Today -- Old Colony Restoration" -- Discusses the recently-released 'Old Colony Feasibility Study', which lays the groundwork for restoration of commuter rail service to Greenbush, Plymouth/Kingston and Middleborough. 2 pages with tables and photos.
  • Rear cover photo of I-2 #1321 highballing out of Braintree for Boston with an Old Colony commuter train.
Volume 16 Issue 4 1985
  • Front cover photo of RDC-1 Shoreliner #34 leading a southbound Old Colony train through Quincy in the late 1950s.
Volume 17 Issue 1 1986
  • "The Bay Colony Railroad" -- The story of this freight short line company, which operates freight service on Cape Cod, to Plymouth, Watuppa, Dean Street in Taunton, a short portion of the Greenbush line, and Newton Highlands. 6 pages with photos, map and motive power roster.
Volume 18 Issue 4 1987
  • Two inside cover photos of RS-1s at South Braintree, MA, June 19, 1958 and November 1, 1962.
  • "Chocolate -- La Belle Chocolattiere" -- The story of William Baker & Company of Milton, MA, producer of chocolate products, as reprinted from the August 1944 edition of "Along the Line." 3 pages with photos.
  • "On the New Haven...Today -- Reviving the Old Colony" -- Massachusetts' plans for reviving Old Colony commuter service to Greenbush, Plymouth and Middleborough. 3/4 page.
Volume 19 Issue 1 1988
  • "Trolley Stop: Trolley Freight and Express in Southern New England -- Eastern Massachusetts" -- Discusses the Bay State Street Railway Company, which served the area south of Boston, including Quincy, Hingham, Rockland, Brockton, Middleboro, New Bedford, Taunton, Fall River, Newport and Providence. 4 pages with photos, map and roster.
Volume 19 Issue 3 1988
  • "Trolley Stop: Trolley Freight and Express in Southern New England -- Eastern Massachusetts" -- Includes service on the Brockton & Plymouth Street Railway, the New Bedford & Onset Street Railway, and the Cape Cod Short Lines. 6 pages with photos.
Volume 22 Issue 2 1991
  • "What's the Story?" -- Photo of X-6 2819, which appears to have been renumbered back to her pre-1904 designation as number 906. Photo location believed to be Plymouth, MA. 2/3 page.
Volume 23 Issue 2 1992
  • Inside cover photo of G-4-a #829 ready to depart Plymouth station in the early 1930s.
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. 30 pages plus cover photos.
Volume 27 Issue 2 1996
  • "Old Colony Commuter Service -- The New Haven's Problem Child -- Part 2" -- 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. 24 pages plus cover photos.
Volume 27 Issue 3 1996
  • "Old Colony Commuter Service -- The New Haven's Problem Child -- Conclusion" -- 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. 34 pages plus cover photos.
Volume 27 Issue 4 1996
  • "The New Old Colony" -- Photos of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's grand reopening of Old Colony commuter service to Kingston and Middleborough/Lakeville on 26 September 1997 and the opening of the new Plymouth station on 29 November 1997. 1 page.
  • "Old Colony Recollections -- of Herb Clark and Don Constantineau" -- Two former New Haven railroaders share their memories of working in Old Colony commuter and freight service in the 1940s and '50s. 18 pages.
  • "Notes on Some Old Colony Railroad Stations" -- Fran Donovan shares some historical notes on many of the Old Colony's stations. 4 pages.
Volume 29 Issue 3
  • "Readville Shops - Part 1" -- Detailed history of the Readville shops. Includes a brief discussion of the Old Colony Railroad's shops at South Braintree, MA.  20 pages, including photos, maps and diagrams of the Readville complex.
Volume 36 Issue 4
  • "Braintree on the New Haven Railroad" -- Detailed history of the railroad in Braintree, MA, an important junction of several branches south of Boston.  38 pages, including photos, many in color, and maps.
Volume 37 Issue 1
  • "The Destruction of the Neponset River Bridge" -- Marc Frattasio discusses the cause of the fire that destroyed this bridge on June 22, 1960. 1/2 page with color photo.

Books

New Haven Mechanical Department Facilities Maps -- Revised Edition

Includes:

  • South Station tracks (aerial photo). 1 page.

  • South Boston passenger yards and engine terminal/South Bay - Southampton Street - Dover Street (maps). 3 pages.

  • Plymouth, MA (1956 map).