Nashua and Lowell Railroad
 A stock certificate of the Nashua and Lowell Railroad. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1838–1880 (independent operations) 1880–1943 (as a corporate entity) |
| Successors | Boston and Lowell Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Length | 14 miles |
The Nashua and Lowell Railroad was a 14-mile-long (23 km) railroad built to connect Nashua, New Hampshire with the city of Lowell, Massachusetts. Chartered in June 1835,[1] construction began in 1837; the first train ran the next year. The Nashua and Lowell was the first railroad built in the state of New Hampshire.[2]
Independent operations ended in 1880, when the Boston and Lowell Railroad leased the entire line.[2] Though the company no longer exists, its line is part of Pan Am Railways as of 2021.[3]
History
Formation and construction
Starting in early 1835, serious talk of constructing a railroad to Nashua began. The textile industry in Nashua was rapidly growing, fueling demand for a railroad to be built.[2] At the time, the Boston and Lowell had recently begun operations to Lowell, 14 miles away from Nashua. In June of that year, several citizens of Nashua were able to obtain a charter from the state of New Hampshire authorizing construction of a railroad from Nashua to the Massachusetts border, a distance of 5 miles (8 km).[1] A corresponding charter from the state of Massachusetts for the rest of the distance to Lowell was first requested from that state's legislature in September 1835, but was not granted at that time. The railroad's backers convinced the Massachusetts legislature to grant a charter for the remaining 9 miles (14 km) to Lowell in April 1836.[1]
Construction was greatly aided by uniquely level terrain: the steepest slope on the entire route was a change in elevation of 20 feet (6 m) over a mile.[1] Railroad proponents said of the route that "nature seems to have prepared us a bed for our Rail Road already graded."[2]
Operating history
The railroad was completed in December 1838, with the first train running on December 23.[4] The company was immediately successful, and in the early 1840s built a branch westward to Greenfield, where it met the Concord Railroad.[2] In 1848, a second track was added between Nashua and Lowell to accommodate heavy traffic.[2]
The Nashua and Lowell soon expanded by taking control of several other companies. In 1848, the company agreed to operate the Stony Brook Railroad, which was approaching completion of construction between North Chelmsford and Ayer.[2]
Starting in 1857, the Nashua and Lowell operated jointly with the Boston and Lowell, allowing for a single railroad to connect Nashua to Boston. The two companies agreed to pool both revenue and expenses, with 69% allocated to the Boston and Lowell, while the remaining 31% went to the Nashua and Lowell.[5] During this joint operation, the combined railroad was known unofficially as the Boston, Lowell & Nashua.[2] This arrangement ended in late 1877, when the two railroads each resumed independent operation of their respective lines.[2]
In 1869, the Nashua and Lowell obtained a 20-year lease of the Manchester and Keene Railroad, which planned to build between Keene and Hancock, in exchange for agreeing to ensure the railroad was built and paying a 6% dividend annually.[6]
Lease by the Boston and Lowell
Independent operations ended in 1880, when the Boston and Lowell leased the entirety of the Nashua and Lowell.[2] Despite being the lessor of the Boston and Lowell, the Nashua and Lowell filed a bill of equity in circuit court against its parent in January 1884, alleging that it had violated the pooling agreement between the two companies, "in making independent contracts with other roads, in the building of terminal facilities in Boston, and in failing to pay the share due the Lowell & Nashua Railroad since July 1, 1872, the total claim being $208,086."[5]
Boston and Maine era
The Boston and Lowell was itself leased by the Boston and Maine Corporation in 1887, though the Boston and Lowell continued to hold the lease for the Nashua and Lowell.[7] Under the Boston and Maine, the line was reduced to single track.[2] The Nashua and Lowell continued to exist as a company until 1943, when the Boston and Maine formally purchased it.[8] While the line remained important for freight transportation, passenger service declined before being eliminated entirely in 1967.[2] A return of passenger service was briefly attempted in 1980, but soon suspended due to low ridership.[2]
Guilford
After going bankrupt in the 1970s, the Boston and Maine was purchased by Guilford Transportation Industries in 1983, which became the new tenant of the former Nashua and Lowell trackage. As of 2021, Guilford (known since 2003 as Pan Am Railways) continues to operate freight service on the line between Lowell and Wilton, New Hampshire, while the former Nashua and Lowell tracks between Wilton and Greenfield are operated by the Milford-Bennington Railroad.[3][9] The city of Nashua states that 75% of freight entering New Hampshire travels along the former Nashua and Lowell line.[10]
Station listing
| Miles (km) from Boston[11] |
City | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25.6 (41.2) | Lowell | Lowell | Junction with Boston and Lowell Railroad |
| 27.3 (43.9) | Middlesex | ||
| 28.6 (46.0) | Chelmsford | North Chelmsford | Junction with Stony Brook Railroad |
| 30.5 (49.1) | Tyngsborough, MA | Vesper Club | Footbridge across the Merrimack River to Vesper Country Club |
| 32.1 (51.7) | Tyngsboro (Tyngsboro and Dunstable) | ||
| 35.2 (56.6) | Nashua, NH | South Nashua | |
| 39.0 (62.8) | Nashua Union Station | Junction with Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad, Concord Railroad, and Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad | |
| 39.7 (63.9) | Nashua City Station | Junction with Wilton Railroad |
References
- ^ a b c d "The First Railroad in Nashua". The Telegraph. March 25, 1905. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2nd ed.). Pepperell, Massachusetts: Branch Line Press. pp. 260–262, 271–273. ISBN 978-0-942147-12-4.
- ^ a b "Maps and Routing Guide". Pan Am Railways. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
- ^ "Railroads Have Been Great Aid to Development of Nashua". The Telegraph. February 21, 1906. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Contested Railroad Contract". Boston Evening Transcript. January 16, 1884. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Important Railroad Movement". Nashua Daily Telegraph. October 8, 1869. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Lease of the Boston & Lowell". Boston Evening Transcript. April 29, 1887. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ Associated Press (August 30, 1943). "B and M Granted Authority to Buy Nashua-Lowell RR". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ New Hampshire Department of Transportation (November 2015). "Rail Operator Map" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Railroads | Nashua, NH". www.nashuanh.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
- ^ Local Train Service. Boston and Maine Railroad. September 30, 1917. p. 35 – via Wikimedia Commons.