Can you indentify just where this trolley is? At one time the trolley service ran from Southbridge to Springfield. The old right of ways, remains of the bridges and trestles are still visible in town. If you drive along Route 20 on the way into Brimfield, look over to your left out over the East Brimfield Lake to the other shore you will see the remains of the old railbed jutting out into the lake and disappearing. Further west, take your left a the Holland East Brimfield Road. A short ways down the road, look to your left at the lake. There are a few old concrete trestle supports still standing in the water.
Friday, December 14, 2007
"Marge, the Town Needs One of These"
Can you indentify just where this trolley is? At one time the trolley service ran from Southbridge to Springfield. The old right of ways, remains of the bridges and trestles are still visible in town. If you drive along Route 20 on the way into Brimfield, look over to your left out over the East Brimfield Lake to the other shore you will see the remains of the old railbed jutting out into the lake and disappearing. Further west, take your left a the Holland East Brimfield Road. A short ways down the road, look to your left at the lake. There are a few old concrete trestle supports still standing in the water.
I was just reading your post, the trestles that you see in the E. Brimfield lake are from the Grand Trunk railroad. They stopped construction of course when the Titanic went down. At one point in time the trolley service convened at the Fairgrounds. The current location of the Host hotel, Mcdonalds, Burger king and Picadilly pub. If I recall they had an entrance similiar to the on in the photograph.
ReplyDeleteYou are right! The photo was taken on what is now Route 20, in front of the area where McDonalds is and the Host Hotel. Old maps show the trolley line going down Main Street, and a railroad right of way going on the south side of the Quinebaug River and joing up to where the "Old Trolley Path" is on Holland Road. The same old maps show the trolley trail following this path to the bridge in the photo and then straight across what is now East Brimfield Lake. The trestles could have been from the Grand Trunk RR, but look too small to have been for a full size railroad.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has more information, please pas it along to aroundsturbridge@gmail.com.