PW&B ROUTE
PROVIDENCE, WARREN & BRISTOL
FALL RIVER, WARREN & PROVIDENCE
On July 12, 1855 a rail line was opened from East Providence to Warren and Bristol and on April 3, 1865 a rail line was opened from Warren to Fall River. The two lines were related to the Boston & Providence and Old Colony, their connections at East Providence and Fall River, respectively. Full ownership of each was acquired in 1872 by the Boston & Providence which sold the Fall River, Warren & Providence to the Old Colony the next year. In 1888 the Old Colony leased the B&P and thereby put the two "Warren" lines under one management. In 1893 the New Haven leased the Old Colony. PW&B trains reached a Providence depot near Fox Point using the B&P's India Point bridge. The line to Bristol and Fall River was electrified in 1900 and in 1908 a tunnel was built to bring PW& B trains to Union Station. Although the line was well patronized and service was frequent for many years, growing automobile ownership doomed the line. Electrified passenger service was cut-back in 1932 and ended in 1934. Gas-electric passenger cars were used until about 1938.
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LETTERHEAD OF SUPERINTENDENT WATERMAN STONE
FOX POINT DEPOT AT WASHINGTON PARK c. 1890
New Haven 4-4-0 Number 758 was Boston & Providence 5, "Providence" built by Rhode Island in 1871.
NEW AND OLD FOX POINT STATIONS OF THE PW&B
Built 1902 - 20' by 70'
FOX POINT STATION IN 1928
NOW A FREIGHT OFFICE SINCE PASSENGER TRAINS WERE ROUTED THROUGH THE TUNNEL
The PW&B Depot Was Close to the Steamer Piers
PROVIDENCE & STONINGTON STEAMSHIP CO. - PROVIDENCE LINE TO NEW YORK - FOX POINT
Fall River Line PILGRIM on the right - RHODE ISLAND on the left
A PW&B ELECTRIC TRAIN AT THE INDIA POINT BRIDGE
The train has just crossed the bridge into East Providence and is easing through the so-called "sharpest curve in the world". The bridge was replaced in 1902 and the curve was eliminated after PW&B trains were shifted to the tunnel route in 1908.
PW&B TRAIN ON EXCHANGE PLACE IN FRONT OF UNION STATION
For a time the electric trains were operated from East Providence to downtown Providence over trolley tracks.
However, the larger cars and deeper wheel flanges caused derailments and operations ceased until the tunnel
under college hill brought the cars into Union Station.
Vetical is elevation in feet, horizontal is miles
Numbers on the grade profile are rise per mile in feet.
The Shelter at Gulf was 1.3 Miles from East Providence.
Gulf was a relatively new stop built to service a new Gulf Oil facility. Second photo is August 9, 1930
KETTLE POINT - 1.93 Miles from East Providence.
The pipes to the right of the shelter are part of the oil receiving facilities which were built along the water.
The PW&B provided frequent service to closely spaced depots.
The shelter at Squantum was about 2 miles from the East Providence Station.
SILVER SPRING - 2.58 miIes from the East Providence station.
The Boyden Heights station served a large amusement park which operated from 1907 until destroyed by fire in 1912. The station was also known as Vanity Fair, the amusement park name, and Hauterive. Standard Oil purchased the land after the fire and erected storage tanks.
The station was three miles from the East Providence Depot.
A view of the same location as above but taken from Boyden Heights looking northwest.
Pomham was 3.32 miles from the East Providence Station
RIVERSIDE
Riverside Depot was 3.75 miles from the East Providence Station
RIVERSIDE - NOVEMBER 1933
The train consists of electric cars 3347 and 3323, 65 and 57 passenger cars built by Bradley in 1891 and Brill in 1889.
Bullocks Point was 4.33 miles from the East Providence Station.
CRESCENT PARK STATION
Crescent Park in 1909. The station was 5.09 miles from the East Providence Station.
The amusement park at Crescent Park, opened in 1886, became one of the most famous in the region.
West Barrington was 5.77 miles from the East Providence Station.
There were eight other stations between the two depots less than six miles apart.
ELECTRIC TRAIN
The combination baggage coach appears to be an unpowered trailer.
Barrington was 7.9 miles from the East Providence station. Note the trolley crossing.
Steven Ess Collection
BARRINGTON
Steven Ess Collection
Freight service on the electrified PW&B was provided by steam locomotives.
New Haven Number 950 pausing at Barrington is a G-3 class 4-6-0 built by Rhode Island in 1904.
Gas-electric cars provided the last passenger service. No.9112 was photographed by Richardson and Blount at West Barrington. About five minutes later the car hit a truck and is shown being towed back to Providence for repairs.
Nayatt was 6.53 miles from the East Providence Station.
HAMPDEN MEADOWS - 8.5 MILES FROM EAST PROVIDENCE.
North Warren was 9 miles from the East Providence Station
THE OLD STATION AT WARREN
Erected in 1854 when the railroad was being built. In 1896, the RI Railroad Commissioner wrote,
"The agent keeps it in as good condition as possible, but as there are no sanitary arrangements for men, and those for women are extremely undesirable, it follows of course that his efforts are of but little avail."
THE NEW STATION AT WARREN WHEN COMPLETED IN 1898 - 9.55 MILES FROM EAST PROVIDENCE.
THE JUNCTION OF THE BRISTOL AND FALL RIVER LINES -- 1910
TRACED BY A.A.LAWRENCE
AN ELECTRIC TRAIN FROM FALL RIVER PASSING THROUGH THE JUNCTION
The Warren depot appears to have been photographed before electrification which occurred only about two years after the station was built. The view is toward Providence with an interlocked junction switch in the foreground. The switch behind the car probably leads to the turntable for steam locomotives.
THE WARREN STATION REAR PROBABLY AFTER ELECTRIFICATION
WARREN MANUFACTURING CO.
South Warren was 10.2 miles from the East Providence Station.
Bristol Highlands was 11.84 miles from the East Providence Station.
POPPASQUASH ROAD
13.25 miles from the East Providence Station
The Station had been PAPPOOSESQUAW ROAD
BRISTOL -- 1870
The rail line would be extended from the Franklin Street Depot at the Steamboat Wharf to the Constitution Street Depot a half mile south. The end of the line at Constitution Street was 14 miles from East Providence.
BRISTOL LINE LOCOMOTIVE
Boston & Providence Number 26, "Judge Warren" was designed by Griggs and built by the B&P's Roxbury Shop in 1868. It is on the turntable at the Roxbury roundhouse erected in 1867.
The Bristol Line was a competitor with the Fall River Line for Boston-New York rail and steamer service.
Franklin Street Depot, Bristol was 13.68 miles from the East Providence Station.
Tracks originally ran into the depot at the left end when it was a terminal station.
Bristol Station around the time of electrification in 1900. View north.
Gas-Electric car 9110 on Thames St., Bristol, close to the Constitution St. depot. The car was built by Brill in 1927. Passenger service ended around 1938 but the 250 horsepower Brill cars operated elsewhere on the New Haven until 1952.
BRISTOL'S CONSTITUTION STREET DEPOT BUILT IN 1903
END OF THE LINE - CONSTITUTION STREET BRISTOL
The first car of the electric train is one of the standard coaches converted into a self-propelled car.
TERMINAL AT BRISTOL
GRADE PROFILE
