VALLEY FALLS

Valley Falls was the junction of three routes: the mainline of the Providence & Worcester opened in 1846, the P&W branch to the Wilkesbarre Pier opened in 1874, and the Rhode Island & Massachusetts to Franklin opened in 1877. In addition, there was the connection the New Haven built from North Attleboro in 1903 to join the RI&M at nearby Adamsdale Junction with the Old Colony line through Wrentham.that was built in 1890.

THE PROVIDENCE & WORCESTER VALLEY FALLS STATION BUILT IN 1883

Located at the foot of Chapel Avenue.

NEW HAVEN 390 WAITS NEAR MILL STREET c. 1900

The 0-4-4T Forney Type Locomotive Was One Of Several Used On "Short" Trains Between Valley Falls And Providence Union Station. To The Left Is Where The Rhode Island & Massachusetts Branched Off To Franklin. The Forney Was Built As P&W 33, "W.E.C.Holbrook" By Rhode Island In 1882.

TOWER M-329 NEAR MILLS STREET

M-329 routed trains to East Providence and the Wilkebarre Pier over the branch behind the tower and to the Rhode Island & Massachusetts branch which can be seen curving to the right behind the water column. The latter branch ran to Franklin, Mass. and Boston and to nearby Adamsdale Junction where trains diverged to Boston via Wrentham. In front of the tower on the left is the mainline to Woonsocket and Worcester while behind the photographer is the mainline from Boston Switch and Providence.

VIEW FROM TRAIN ON WOONSOCKET ROUTE

The Providence &Worcester station is the steeple to the left of the signal on the left. The station on the curve on the right is the New York & New England line station serving the route to Franklin or Wrenthem. The road crossing is Titus Street.

Photo by John W. Barriger, III

FRANKLIN OR WRENTHAM BRANCH ?

When the Franklin branch was built there was no Wrentham branch at Valley Falls. The Old Colony built through Wrentham in 1890 but the line connected at Attleboro, not Valley Falls. In 1903 the New Haven sold the connection between North Attleboro and Attleboro and built a new connection between North Attleboro and Adamsdale Junction near Valley Falls. When most of the Franklin branch was closed the end of the branch in Valley Falls began to be called the Wrentham branch rather than the Franklin branch.

VALLEY FALLS ROUNDHOUSE

The line curving away is the Wilkesbarre Pier branch. The freight station on Mill Street is still used by the resurected P&W which still has an engine shed close to where this roundhouse stood..

NEW HAVEN 337 IN FRONT OF THE RI& M (NY&NE) STATION c. 1900

The 4-4-0 was built by Manchester in 1884 as New York, Providence & Boston 37.

The NYP&B leased the P&W in 1888

VALLEY FALLS CAR SHOPS

A Forney type locomotive standing between the car shop on the right and the machine shop on the left.

The tracks in the foreground carry a transfer table that moves equipment to the various shop tracks.

Passenger and freight cars were repaired in Valley Falls. It was one of a number of repair shops that were eventually consolidated

by the New Haven railroad at Readville near Boston..

The men are sitting on the edge of the pit for the transfer table used to move cars to repair bays.

The shops were located on the west side of Broad Street between Jones and Maple Streets.

The shops were used for a time to repair New Haven electric passenger cars.

VALLEY FALLS CAR SHOPS

The transfer table is in the center of the map. The transfer table serves ten tracks.

.Apparently an earlier map of the shops before the installation of a transfer table.

Note the depot at the end of Chapel Street.

A shop engine at the transfer table. The car shop is on the right and the machine shop on the left.

New Haven 819 was built by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1871 for use on the Providence wharves by Gay Manson & Co.and became Boston & Providence 219. Notice that it is rigged with six air compressors that fill a pressure tank in the tender apparently to provide a movable supply of air for various shop tasks.

A blurry view of shop engine 819 taken from the paint shop. Note the large number of box cars awaiting repair.

The Perkins Horse Shoe works are on the right behind the car shop.

Number 819 was scrapped in 1904.

* * * * * * * * *

VALLEY FALLS SWITCHER IN 1903

0-4-0 switcher Number 397 was P&W 38 and became X-6 Class 2814. It was built by Rogers in 1887 and scrapped in 1915.

Standing are from left: J Hart, D.Patt, F.Shea and W.Wyman. F.Marcil is in the cab but not engineer B.Chamberlin.

NEW HAVEN ROAD SWITCHER AT HIGH STREET

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

NEW HAVEM FM ROAD SWITCHER AT MILL STREET

The freight house is still used by the resurected P&W

Photo by Edward J. Ozog

MILL STREET CROSSING IN 1982.

The New Haven freight house is used as an office by the P&W. Photo by Edward J. Ozog.

Providence & Worcester 2002 Switching The Valley Falls Yard in June 1987.

View from Church Street. The smoke stacks in the background are in Central Falls across the Blackstone River.

Photo by Edward J. Ozog

PROVIDENCE & WORCESTER 2006 SWITCHING THE VALLEY FALLS YARD IN JUNE 1981.

Photo from the Church Street Bridge by Edward J. Ozog

The P&W train is leaving Valley Falls over the Blackstone River Bridge to Central Falls in 1987.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

RHODE ISLAND & MASSACHUSETTS

The RI&M was independently built between Valley Falls and Franklin, Mass. in 1877 but it contracted its operations to the New York & New England which used the line to operate into Providence through the Valley Falls interchange. The NY&NE attempted but failed to build a line between Valley Falls and Providence which would have connected with its route from Providence to the Hudson River. The RI&M was originally named the Rhode Island Mining Railroad because of its interest in hauling iron ore from Cumberland. The company was considered as a means of reaching East Providence but the P&W decided to build the branch on its own

In May 1892, J.P.Ray, president of the Rhode Island & Massachusetts, sold 2,000 of the 2,800 shares of the railroad's stock to J.P.Morgan and William Rockefeller, both director's of the New Haven railroad. By 1895, the New Haven had a controlling interest in the New York & New England, the last significant obstacle to New Haven control of transportation in southern New England.

RHODE ISLAND & MASSACHUSETTS VALLEY FALLS STATION (NEW YORK & NEW ENGLAND)

Located on Titus Street about 400 feet south of the P&W station.

The P&W tracks are on the left behind the depot.

This photo is the NY&NE station at Titus Street even though the station and background houses do not seem to match the buildings in several of the photos above. However, the photo angle differs from other pictures. The track layout clearly matches the junction in Valley Falls. The track to the right is the branch to Franklin and later the way to Wrentham. The tracks on the left are the Providence & Worcester. View is north.

Ball Signal At Titus Street

The ball signal on the P&W protected the junction with the branch to East Providence and the branch from Franklin, Mass., both of which are on the right edge of the photo. The high balls on the mast allow trains on the P&W to proceed. The balls would be lowered to stop trains. The station is the NY&NE depot for the RI&M route, which curves behind the station. Titus St. is on the left bottom corner.

Mill Street Crossing Looking Toward Titus Street in 1987.

The location of the NY&NE station in the previous picture was at the houses in front of the P&W locomotive.

The old freight house is on the left. Photo by Edward J. Ozog

Horizontal is miles. Vertical is elevation in feet. Numbers on grades are rise in feet per mile

RI&M-NY&NE CUMBERLAND MILLS DEPOT - BUILT 1907

0.8 Miles from Valley Falls.

RI&M-NY&NE ABBOTTS RUN DEPOT

4.6 Miles from Valley Falls

RI&M-NY&NE ARNOLDS MILLS DEPOT - View of Rear

5.9 Miles from Valley Falls.

DIAMOND HILL - 6.9 MILES FROM VALLEY FALLS

GRANTS MILLS - 8.1 MILES FROM VALLEY FALLS

PROVIDENCE & WORCESTER MAINLINE

VERTICAL- ELEVATION IN FEET, HORIZONTAL-MILES, NUMBERS ON GRADE ARE RISE PER MILE IN FEET

ANN & HOPE MILL AS SEEN FROM THE BROAD STREET BRIDGE

LONSDALE DEPOT AT ANN & HOPE MILLS

LONSDALE CO. MILL RAILROAD - A short branch led from the main line of the Providence & Worcester line to the mill.

A curved bridge was built over the Blackstone River in 1893-94 to reach the Lonsdale Bleachery seen in the left background. The bridge consisted of a Warren truss and six girder spans. It also was a dam with a twelve foot fall to supplement the mills water power, The spillway gate controls can be seen on the walkway on the right. The bridge piers now support the Blackstone River Bikeway.