MAIN LINE

THE MAIN LINE FROM PROVIDENCE TO DAVISVILLE

In 1837 the New York, Providence & Boston opened a railroad between Providence and the steamboat landing at Stonington. The route became a key component of the "Shore Line" between Boston and New York. The New Haven leased the NYP&B in 1892 and it was merged the next year. The line remains one of the best in the country and is now used by Amtrak for high speed service.

THE MAINLINE NORTH OF THE UNION STATION IS DEPICTED IN DETAIL IN MY SITES: PAWTUCKET-CENTRAL FALLS, NORTHUP AVENUE YARD, THE ROUNDHOUSES AND THE PROVIDENCE STATIONS (SEE THE HOME PAGE FOR LINKS). THIS PAGE COVERS THE LINE SOUTH OF THE PROVIDENCE UNION STATION.

HORIZONTAL IS MILES, VERTICAL IS ELEVATION IN FEET, NUMBERS ON GRADES ARE RISE IN FEET PER MILE

The view toward Union Station of the team yard and Brayton Avenue Tower interlocking c.1910's.

The H.P. Cornell Co. building became First National Stores.

Brayton Avenue Interlocking c.1898. The Brayton Avenue tower is on the right. Union Station is in the distance. The Kinsley Avenue team yard and Harris Avenue is on the left.

The Brayton Avenue interlocking controlling the west (south) approach to Union Station c. 1940's.

The previous photo is from the bridge in the background. The Hood's Milk plant is on Harris Avenue.

0-6-0 2383 working the team yard at Brayton Avenue Tower near the Hood's Milk plant.

ARTHUR AVENUE, PROVIDENCE - GRADE CROSSING ELIMINATION 1905.

The Dean Street bridge replaced this bridge which has had other names over the years such as Balbo Avenue.

The first and next photo were taken from this bridge.

A 1960's view of the team yard, Harris Avenue and Union Station in the distance. The old Hood's building is on the left edge and the site of the Brayton Avenue Tower on the right side of the photo. Given the snowstorm, an unusual seven diesel units lead the freight.

In the summer of 1990, the Providence & Worcester crosses Harris Avenue to deliver newsprint.

The buildings can be seen in previous photos. The old H.P.Hood plant is on the left edge.

Photo by Edward J. Ozog

Newsprint being delivered to the Providence Journal in the summer of 1990. The sidings once served the H.P. Hood's Milk plant and warehouses. The siding on the right had been Merchants Cold Storage & Warehouse.

Photo by Edward J. Ozog

Westbound for New York City in June 1956.

The rear of the train is at the site of the Brayton Avenue Tower. Harris Avenue is left and Federal Hill is right.

THE SENATOR for Washington,D.C. from Atwell Avenue

ATWELL AVENUE STATION -1.08 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

View is north toward Union Station. Preceeding photo was from the right side of the bridge.

WESTMINSTER STREET DEPOT - 0.67 MILES SOUTH OF ATWELL AVENUE DEPOT

DIKE STREET STATION AND THE WATERMAN-WEYBOSSET MILL

Dike Street Station was the start of the lines to Willimantic/Hartford and Pascoag/Southbridge and only served those two lines. The photograph is probably from the Westminster Street Depot.

Olneyville Team Yard with Alco HH660 No. 930 on April 12, 1957 by Bill Clynes

St. Mary R.C. Church on Broadway is the landmark. The Route 6 - 10 freeway can be seen. The New Haven's mainline is hidden by the boxcars on the right.

An I-5 Class Hudson is approaching Providence at Milepost 2 with a 13 car train from New York.

Hudson Street is on the left and the Olneyville Team Yard is on the right.

I-4 Class 4-6-2 westbound at Olneyville. View from rear right side of previous photo.

ELMWOOD DEPOT WAS 3 1/2 MILES SOUTH OF UNION STATION

ELMWOOD DEPOT

View is to Providence. Colored postcard view above was taken from the background bridge to Gorham Mfg. Co. Notice signal tower E.O 82 which became SS 142.

Gorham Manufacturing Co. A full view of the photograph detail above.

GORHAM MANUFACTURING CO. at Elmwood Depot

ADELAIDE AVENUE BRIDGE WHEN NEW IN 1903

GORHAM MANUFACTURING CO., ELMWOOD, PROVIDENCE

CRANSTON TOWER

The interlocking tower was at the junction of the original route of the NYP&B to its first Providence station at a ferry terminal on the Providence River and the belt line it built in 1848 to Providence's Union Station.

PHOTO BY HOWARD D. WHITE

INTERLOCKING DIAGRAM (MODEL BOARD) AT CRANSTON TOWER

PHOTO BY HOWARD D. WHITE

SS-141 CRANSTON - The main line is in the foreground, the Alco switcher is on the branch to South Providence which was the original NYP&B line into Providence. The rods in the foreground are moved by the levers in the tower and control interlocked switches and signals.

PHOTO BY JAMES VAITKUNAS c. mid 1960's

CRANSTON INTERLOCKING TOWER - SS-141

DRAWN BY A.A. LAWRENCE FOR NHRHTA

THE BRANCH SERVED THE WEST SIDE OF THE PROVIDENCE HARBOR AND WAS

THE ORIGINAL ROUTE OF THE NEW YORK, PROVIDENCE & BOSTON.

AUBURN WAS RENAMED CRANSTON

HARBOR JUNCTION FROM ROGER WILLIAMS AVENUE

The waterfront is to the left. The mainline tracks are the belt line the

NYP&B built in 1848 to reach the Union Station.

ROGER WILLIAMS PARK DEPOT

The depot was at the far right side of the previous photo.

View from Eddy Street toward Allens Avenue and the Harbor.

New Haven Alco switcher No. 0991 on tracks leading to Allens Ave. Street Trackage. Interstate 95 on left.

Loris J. Bass Photo

FIELDS POINT APRIL 1953

On the Harbor Junction Branch To South Providence. The view is toward the river and Providence. Note the coal piles.

New Haven Alco 660 hp S-1 0992 on Allens Avenue at Public Street looking toward downtown.

Photographed by James Vaitkunas

Coal hoppers removed from Sprague Coal are moving south on Allens Avenue. Photo by James Vaitkunas

Moving south on Allens Ave. toward Harbor Jct. at Public St. Photo by James Vaitkunas

SOUTH PROVIDENCE

The freight station at South Providence was located at the waterfront close to the original terminal of the New York, Providence & Boston.

AUBURN WAS FIVE MILE FROM UNION STATION

Auburn was the junction of two branches of the New York, Providence & Boston. To the east was the line to Buttonwoods and to the west was the line to Hope. The view is south, probably from Park Avenue. Note the engine house behind the depot. Auburn was renamed Cranston when Cranston was renamed Print Works.

AUBURN DEPOT

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLECTION

PARK AVENUE BRIDGE WHEN NEW - 1906

The view is north toward SS-140. The tower was known as South Auburn to distinguish it from SS-141 which was slightly to the north and called Auburn and later called Cranston. The station named South Auburn was on the Pawtuxet Valley Branch which diverges behind the photographer's back. The photograph was probably taken close to the Auburn/Cranston Depot.

WORK TRAIN AT AUBURN

New Haven K-1-b Class 2-6-0 268 leads a train which includes a Jordan spreader and a steam shovel probably being used for ditching along the right of way. The United Electric trolley has been sold.

NORWOOD - 6.62 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

HILLSGROVE

HILLS GROVE - 8.33 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

T.F.Greene Airport was originally the Hillsgrove Airport. This station was located a few hundred feet north of the present airport station.

HILLSGROVE - SS-139

New Haven Alco FA Units about 8 miles from Providence.

PHOTO BY MIKE USENIA

Greenwood was 9.7 miles from Providence between Hillsgrove and Apponaug.

Typical of shelters provided where a depot with an agent was not warranted.

APPONAUG - 10.62 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

Apponaug Tower 212 was renamed SS 138.

Passenger depot is right, freight house on left. View toward Providence

BRIDGE AT APPONAUG ERECTED 1904

CHEPIWANOXET - 12.31 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

The East Greenwich station was 13.34 miles from Providence.

The depot was photographed in 1889 when it was on the New York, Providence & Boston which became part of the NYNH&H in 1893. The locomotive is 4-4-0 No.33 which was built by the Rhode Island L.W. in 1882.

East Greenwich

NEW HAVEN ATLANTIC TYPE BUILT BY SCHENECTADY IN 1907 AT EAST GREENWICH

A New Haven 2-6-0 Mogul Type Crossing Another Of the Narrow Arch Bridges That Were Once Common.

DAVISVILLE - 16.88 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE

New Haven I-4 Class 4-6-2 Number 1364 leads an express on August 18, 1928.

DAVISVILLE c.1916.

SS 136 Davisville November 11, 1960

A two car Budd RDC New London-Providence local is led by a cab unit from the "Roger Williams" train once composed of modified RDC's..

SEAVIEW RAILROAD

Created in 1978, it serves the 3,000 plus acres of the Quanset Business Park in Davisville.

Quanset Point was once home to the Navy Seabees. Vincent Columbo Photo