Tag Archives: Barre & Gardner

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Providence & Worcester on the Boston, Barre & Gardner—February 11, 2016.

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The old Boston, Barre & Gardner Railroad was a 19th century line that ran from Worcester, Massachusetts to Peterboro, New Hampshire.

Today, the bottom portion of the line serves Providence & Worcester’s through connection with Pan Am Railways at Gardner.

Last fall I explored this line between Holden and Gardner looking for locations.

On Thursday, February 11, 2016, Mike Gardner and I arrived at Gardner in time to find Pan Am’s ED-8 making a drop for the P&W. Earlier, another train, probably symbol 28N had dropped autoracks, so the yard was nearly full of cars.

Based on past experience, I quickly surmised that the P&W hadn’t arrived from Worcester yet. So after a quick lunch, we started working our way south against the train.

Looking toward Worcester at Old Colony Road in Princeton, Massachusetts. Exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
Looking toward Worcester at Old Colony Road in Princeton, Massachusetts. Exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.

North of Princeton, Massachusetts there are several grade crossing with nicely curving track. The snow covered ground made for Christmas card scene.

Mike and I didn’t have to wait long before P&W’s symbol freight WOGR (Worcester to Gardner) came charging northward. We were impressed by the length of the train. One unit was at the head-end with a second locomotive at the back of the train.

P&W's northward WOGR blasts for the rural crossing. This was an impressive freight carrying mixed freight and auto racks for interchange with Pan Am.
P&W’s northward WOGR blasts for the rural crossing. This was an impressive freight carrying mixed freight and auto racks for interchange with Pan Am.

P&W_WOGR_w_4005_at_Old_Colony_Road_north_of_Princeton_MA_DSCF1182

Old Colony Road. FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
Old Colony Road. FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
Trailing view of the General Electric B39-8 at the back of the train. FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
P&W works at Gardner to put together its southward freight. FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.
P&W works at Gardner to put together its southward freight. FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.

Southbound the train was even more impressive, but it required about 3 hours of switching to put it all together.

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Historic Relic; old Railway Station at Holden, Massachusetts.

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One hundred and thirty five years ago, the railway station was key to many communities commerce and communications. It offered the connection to the world.

My 1880 Official Guide is a window on the past. The Boston, Barre & Gardner Railroad (among the companies later melded into the Boston & Maine network) schedule lists three trains a day in each direction stopping at Holden, Massachusetts.

Trains ran from Worcester to Winchendon stopping at Holden at 8:28 am, 4:15 pm, and 7 pm, and Winchendon to Worcester  at 9:06 am, 1:22 pm, and 7 pm.

Obviously based on this schedule, there was a planned meet between northward and southward trains at the station.

In its heyday, back in 1880 Holden was an important station. It served as a telegraph office and as a transfer point for stagecoaches to Rutland (Massachusetts).

Today the old station is but a relic, the vestige of another time. Its train order signal is no longer part of the rules of operation; and the last passenger train passed in 1953. Yet the railroad remains active.

The old Boston & Maine station at Holden is a reminder of earlier times. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
The old Boston & Maine station at Holden is a reminder of earlier times. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

Providence & Worcester’s freights connect with Pan Am Railways/Pan Am Southern at Gardner and this has developed as a route for the movement of new automobiles and ethanol moving via the port of Providence, Rhode Island.

Providence & Worcester's southward freight symbol GRWO shakes the walls of the old station. Don't wait here for a 4-4-0 with combine coach on the 4:15 pm train to Winchendon. (It doesn't run any more).
Providence & Worcester’s southward freight symbol GRWO shakes the walls of the old station. Don’t wait here for a 4-4-0 with combine coach on the 4:15 pm train to Winchendon. (It doesn’t run any more).

My book, Railway Depots, Stations & Terminals features a variety of railway stations in New England, across America and around the world. It was published by Voyageur Press this year and is available from Amazon and other outlets.

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In all these Years, We’d Never seen this before!

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It is always a delight to stumble upon something relatively unusual and have the foresight and knowledge to make the most of the opportunity.

The old Boston, Barre & Gardner was among the railroads gobbled up by the growing Boston & Maine during the golden years of American railroads. The line primarily extended from Worcester to Gardner and beyond to Peterboro, New Hampshire.

Historically, the route crossed B&M’s Fitchburg line on a set of diamonds in front of the Gardner station. Back in 1880, three passenger trains a day served the 27 miles between Worcester and Gardner.

By the 1950s, one lonely train covered the run, and this made its final journey on March 7, 1953. Check out Robert Willoughby Jones’ book Boston & Maine: Forest, River and Mountain for photos.

These days, the line between Worcester and Gardner is operated by Providence & Worcester, and I’ve featured it on several occasions on Tracking the Light, while a short vestige of the north end of the route extends from a connection with Pan Am Southern in Gardner to a shipper a short distance away.

A vestige of the old Boston, Barre & Gardner makes for a little bit of living history.
A vestige of the old Boston, Barre & Gardner makes for a little bit of living history.
Pan Am Railway's F1-1 is a local based out of Fitchburg and works this rarely used section of line as required.
Pan Am Railway’s F1-1 is a local based out of Fitchburg and works this rarely used section of line as required.

Last week, Bob Arnold, Paul Goewey and I were photographing in Gardner when we noticed the flange ways were clear on this rarely used stub branch. ‘There’s got to be an engine up the line,’ I said, and we went to investigate.

We found our quarry, and waited for the locomotive to return.

A lone GP40 eases its way down the branch passed a furniture store.
A lone GP40 eases its way down the branch passed a furniture store.
The locomotive crosses Main Street in Gardner, near the corner of Chestnut.
The locomotive crosses Main Street in Gardner, near the corner of Chestnut.
The Furniture Center is among the buildings that feature in old photos of the branch crossing B&M's Fitchburg Division mainline. This image required a bit of post processing contrast adjustment to retain detail in the deep shadows of the charcoal painted locomotive and the bright highlights of the building beyond.
The Furniture Center is among the buildings that feature in old photos of the branch crossing B&M’s Fitchburg Division mainline. This image required a bit of post processing contrast adjustment to retain detail in the deep shadows of the charcoal painted locomotive and the bright highlights of the building beyond.

As I explained to a friend later: this operation might happen every Monday, or only on odd number days following a full moon in months ending in the letter ‘R’, but in more than 30 years of photography in the area, none of us had ever seen it before.

Hooray for fortuity!

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Providence & Worcester’s former Santa Fe DASH8-40BW catches the Autumn Sun.

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Common on the Class 1 carriers, but still relatively rare on regional and short line roads; North American Safety Cab diesels.

On October 30, 2015, I exposed these images of Providence & Worcester’s symbol freight GRWO (Gardner to Worcester) working south at Union Street in Gardner on the old Boston, Barre & Gardner line.

P&W GRWO approaches Union Street in Gardner, Massachusetts.
P&W GRWO approaches Union Street in Gardner, Massachusetts.
P&W_GRWO_Union_St_Gardner_vert_DSCF6040
Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 mirrorless digital camera with 18-135mm Fujinon lens.

Cross lighting favored the ‘widenose’ cab, which is brightly lit against a backdrop of late season autumn color. The dark shadow of the train makes for stark contrast and helps draw attention to the main subject.

Since the train was moving relatively slowly, I had ample time to compose several views of it, working both in the horizontal and vertical formats.

Would views from this angle have the same impact with the older styles of locomotive cabs?

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