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Wood River Branch Railroad

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Wood River Branch Railroad
Map
A steam locomotive with a tender parked on a railroad track. Three railroad workers pose in front of it, along with a fourth in the locomotive's cab.
Wincheck, the second locomotive of the Wood River Branch Railroad
Overview
Dates of operation1874–1927
1928–1947
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length5.6 miles (9.0 km)

The Wood River Branch Railroad was a shortline railroad in Rhode Island, United States. Chartered in 1872 and opened on July 1, 1874, the 5.6-mile (9.0 km) line connected Hope Valley, Rhode Island to the national rail network at Wood River Junction. Though always nominally independent, the company was closely affiliated with the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad and its successor, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (the New Haven), which held significant portions of its stock.

The Wood River Branch carried both passengers and freight for local mills and other industries. It maintained a small fleet of locomotives, only one or two at any given time. Rhode Island citizen Ralph C. Watrous purchased the railroad in 1897, and remained involved in its operation for the next 40 years. He defended the railroad from several attempts at abandonment. A major flood in November 1927 severed the line and suspended all operations. The company considered abandonment, but ultimately local citizens and the New Haven agreed to rebuild the damaged segments and return the line to service for freight only, using a gasoline locomotive.

Abandonment was considered again in 1937, but the New Haven instead agreed to sell the line for $301 to businessman Roy Rawlings, owner of a grain mill that was the line's biggest customer. He ran the company with one employee until 1947. That year, both his mill and another Hope Valley industry were destroyed by fire. With not enough business left to justify operating expenses, the railroad ceased operations and was abandoned in its entirety in August 1947. Little of the line remains today.

History

Formation and construction

The Wood River Branch Railroad was chartered in 1872.[1] It had a total length of 5.6 miles (9.0 km) between Hope Valley, Rhode Island and a connection with the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad (NYP&B) at Wood River Junction (originally known as Richmond Switch).[2] The NYP&B held a significant amount of the Wood River Branch's shares, but the shortline railroad operated independently of it.[1]

Construction of the line began on September 20, 1873, with a $95,500 contract awarded to J.B. Dacey & Co. to build the entire line. After delays caused by winter weather, construction was completed between Wood River Junction and Woodville by April 1874.[3] The line opened for business on July 1, 1874.[1]

Operations

The railroad's engine house in Hope Valley

Train operations were initially run with a single locomotive (The Gardner Nichols, a 4-4-0 steam locomotive) and three cars for passengers and mail. The NYP&B was purchased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1892, which continued its hands-off approach.[1]

The company was purchased in 1897 by Rhode Island resident Ralph C. Watrous (though the New Haven retained significant interest in the company), "so his mother wouldn't feel lonely or isolated in her Hope Valley home".[4] Watrous would serve as the Wood River Branch's president for the next 40 years, and steadfastly defeated several attempts at abandonment. He recalled one instance when he gave a New Haven Railroad executive intent on abandoning the line "some doughnuts, a glass of milk, and let him talk to my mother ... we decided not to abandon it".[4]

The Wood River Branch Railroad was temporarily placed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration with the rest of the nation's railroads in 1917. It returned to independence on March 1, 1920, though the Hope Valley Advertiser noted that the company was too reliant on the New Haven to truly be considered an independent operation.[5]

A fire destroyed the Wood River Branch Railroad engine house on April 16, 1920, along with the company's sole remaining steam locomotive. The New Haven dispatched a replacement, which was rushed to Hope Valley and arrived quickly enough to allow service to resume the next day.[6]

For several months in 1924, the Wood River Branch experienced "one of its biggest freight booms in its history" when state highway construction near Hope Valley demanded large shipments of trap rock and cement along the railroad. In a span of eight days, 110 cars of construction materials were handled, exceeding normal traffic levels by a significant margin.[7] Also in 1924, the Wood River Branch defaulted on a more than $50,000 debt payment it owed the New Haven, which the larger company turned a blind eye to. Busy with its own money problems, the New Haven let the Wood River Branch continue operating rather than foreclose and assume its junior partner's financial issues as well.[1][8]

End of passenger operations

Otis A. Larkin, the Wood River Branch Railroad's sole employee, poses with the company's locomotive in 1937

A major flood in November 1927 shut down the Wood River Branch Railroad entirely. Faced with major expenses to make repairs, Watrous and the board of directors debated abandoning the entire line, also noting the company had consistently lost approximately $10,000 each year in the past decade.[9] Ultimately, the New Haven Railroad (holder of the vast majority of the Wood River Branch's stock) and interested citizens along the line came to an agreement to reopen the railroad in April 1928 for freight service only; a gasoline powered locomotive was provided by the New Haven for this purpose.[10] This time, the New Haven was officially the operator, but much as before it left day-to-day operations to Watrous.[1][4] The Wood River Branch became a one-man operation, with Hope Valley resident Otis A. Larkin responsible for operating the train, handling cargo, and maintaining the line and stations.[11]

It's been fun being a railroad president, even if I did own only six miles. I've traveled all over the country on railroads and I've always been received as a fellow railroad president.

Ralph C. Watrous, quoted in The Lewiston Daily Sun, April 14, 1937[4]

On April 15, 1937, the New Haven Railroad's bankruptcy trustees voted at the Wood River Branch's annual stockholders' meeting to abandon the line (the only stockholders being the New Haven and Watrous).[Note 1] Aged 73, and with his mother no longer alive, Watrous was largely consigned to the impending abandonment of the railroad. However, he also pledged his support should local citizens launch an effort to save the line.[11]

The line was saved when Hope Valley resident (and past Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives) Roy Rawlings personally purchased it on June 18, 1937, for $301.[Note 2][13][14] Happy to be free of dealing with the unprofitable line for good, the New Haven's trustees agreed to the sale, though the New Haven continued to lease the 20-ton gas locomotive to the Wood River Branch.[12]

It may not be as long as other railroads, but it's just as wide.

Roy Rawlings, quoted in The Day, April 13, 1938[14]

The company's new president unveiled the "President's Special", a unique train made up of a handcar powered by a small gasoline engine and a custom-built trailer with wheels taken from a handcar and several rows of seats attached.[14] On its inaugural run, it traveled the entire length of the line in 18 minutes.[14] While Rawlings' own grain mill generated the majority of traffic, the railroad also transported less-than-carload (not enough to fill an entire railroad car) traffic for locals, particularly farmers. In October 1938, the company reported handling approximately 10,000 tons of freight per year.[12]

Demise and legacy

The company finally came to an end in August 1947, when it received permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon its entire railroad and liquidate itself, following the destruction by fire of Rawlings' grain mill, which singlehandedly accounted for 85 percent of the Wood River Branch Railroad's traffic.[2] The Bitgood Box factory, one of the other rail-served customers on the line, was also destroyed by a fire shortly after the grain mill. The Howard C. Woodmansee Coal and Oil Company was left as the only user of the line; with the overwhelming majority of its traffic lost, the Wood River Branch had no choice but to close.[2] The line was dismantled for scrap and for the reuse of its rails on other railroads, with Rawlings telling a Connecticut newspaper that "Practically every junk dealer in the country wants to buy it".[2]

The former right-of-way of the Wood River Branch Railroad in Wood River Junction, seen in 2017

Little of the Wood River Branch Railroad remains. Portions of its right-of-way remain extant as of 2017, and a pier from a Wood River Branch Railroad bridge remains in the Wood River. A handful of preserved mill buildings that were once railroad customers survive.[1]

Passenger service

The Wood River Branch ran passenger trains Monday through Saturday for much of its history, with no trains on Sundays. This changed July 29, 1903, when the company first offered passenger train service on Sundays.[15] Four trips were then provided on Sundays, with two round trips in the middle of the morning and two more in the late afternoon.[16] A typical schedule in 1903 had four round trips each day, each timed to connect with New Haven Railroad trains to Providence.[17] Despite being considered a success, the last Sunday trains ran on September 11, 1904.[18]

The small line was at the mercy of the New Haven's scheduling, and had to adjust its timetables when the New Haven changed its train service to Wood River Junction.[19] Passenger service was terminated in 1927 following a major flood.[1]

Accidents and incidents

A man was accused of attempting to derail a Wood River Branch train on April 14, 1897. It was alleged William H. Baton had placed a railroad tie over the tracks, which was later struck by a train; the train was not derailed as the tie was caught in the locomotive's cowcatcher. A jury found Baton not guilty of placing a tie on the tracks.[20]

A fatal accident, the first in the company's history, occurred on May 25, 1914. A local resident was traveling across the bridge over the Wood River on foot, despite being warned a train was due. A southbound train from Hope Valley rounded a curve near the bridge, and could not stop in time to avoid a collision. The man, Ernest Peter Palmer, was struck and thrown into the river. Though the train's crew dove into the river after him and recovered his body, a coroner later determined he was killed instantly upon impact with the train.[21]

Locomotives

The Wood River Branch Railroad's first locomotive was the Gardner Nichols, named after a local citizen of importance. It was a 4-4-0 locomotive built new by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works for the line.[8] It ran on the Wood River Branch until 1906, when it was sold to a lumber company in the Southern United States.[22]

Locomotive number 2, named Wincheck, was the second locomotive purchased, joining the Gardner Nichols in 1883 after being bought from the Narragansett Pier Railroad.[8] Originally built in 1872, by 1898 Wincheck was irreparable.[8][23]

Locomotive number 5, unofficially named Polly by the Wood River Branch's employees, was purchased used from the Long Island Rail Road in April 1896.[24] Acquired to replace Wincheck, Polly developed a reputation for frequently breaking down and having accidents.[18][23] This locomotive was sold for scrap in November 1906.[25]

Cinderella, a second locomotive of a similar design to Polly was acquired used from the New Haven in 1904, and noted for being equipped with air brakes.[26][27]

Station listing

Miles (km) (measured from

Wood River Junction)[1]

Station[1] Comments
0 (0) Wood River Junction Southern terminus, connection with the New York, Providence and Boston/New York, New Haven and Hartford[1]
2 (3.2) Woodville Flag stop from July 1910 onward[28]
4 (6.4) Canonchet Flag stop[17]
5 (8) Crossing Flag stop[17]
6 (9.7) Hope Valley Northern terminus[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Watrous did not attend the meeting, but suspected the New Haven wished to abandon the line so it could shut down its depot at Wood River Junction; this depot effectively existed solely to connect with the Wood River Branch.[11]
  2. ^ The New Haven asked for $300 for the railroad; the extra dollar was for $57,000 worth of bonds that hadn't had interest payments made for nearly two decades and effectively held no value.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2nd ed.). Pepperell, Massachusetts: Branch Line Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN 978-0-942147-12-4. OCLC 1038017689. Retrieved October 22, 2021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d "Wood River R.R To Cease at Last". The Day. August 18, 1947. p. 14. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  3. ^ "The New Railroad". The Providence Evening Press. April 18, 1874. p. 3. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Abandon Rhode Island's One-Man Six-Mile Railroad". The Lewiston Daily Sun. April 14, 1937. p. 11. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. March 4, 1920. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "Locomotive and House Burned". Hope Valley Advertiser. April 22, 1920. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  7. ^ "Freight Boom Reporded". Providence News. May 16, 1924. p. 8. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Heppner, Frank H. (2012). Railroads of Rhode Island : shaping the Ocean State's railways. Charleston, SC: History Press. pp. 120–125. ISBN 978-1-60949-333-2. OCLC 769289631.
  9. ^ "Wood River Branch Ry. Directors Meet To-Day". Evening Tribune. November 15, 1927. p. 14. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  10. ^ "Wood River Branch Ry. to Resume Operations". Evening Tribune. March 24, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Hope Valley Likely to Lose Its One-Man Railroad of Six Miles Length Soon Unless Business Men Can Convince New Haven Road of Value of Its Retention". The Day. April 17, 1937. p. 13. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Rail Line And Bonds Cost $301". The Windsor Daily Star. October 17, 1938. p. 1. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "Five-Mile Railroad Sold For $301". Popular Science. December 1938. p. 92. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d Stewart, A. Morgan (April 13, 1938). "Wood River Branch Railroad Unveils Screamline Special". The Day. p. 10. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. July 30, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. July 23, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  17. ^ a b c "Wood River Branch Railroad Timetable No. 76". Hope Valley Advertiser. December 31, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. September 8, 1904. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "New Railroad Schedule". Hope Valley Advertiser. June 24, 1897. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "Not Guilty. William H. Baton Tried for Placing Tie on Railroad Track". Hope Valley Advertiser. June 24, 1897. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "Killed On Railroad". Hope Valley Advertiser. May 28, 1914. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  22. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. March 1, 1906. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Railroad Mishaps". Hope Valley Advertiser. January 13, 1898. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  24. ^ "A New Locomotive". Hope Valley Advertiser. April 9, 1896. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  25. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. November 4, 1915. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  26. ^ "New Locomotive". Hope Valley Advertiser. November 17, 1904. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  27. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. November 24, 1904. p. 3. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  28. ^ "Here and There". Hope Valley Advertiser. July 14, 1910. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2022.

Historic Photos: The Wood River Branch Railroad

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