This half of this website is all about real railroading history, focused on the New England roads. The pages within this section are always updating as research is done and locations are found. Check back for new photos, maps, and details!

★ = John is a member or participant
🟣 = Written by John

If you have something you think would be interesting to add here, please send an email! Research is being done non-stop and the hunt for artifacts and ephemera is never-ending. All help is greatly appreciated.

Locations by State

Locations are sorted by state (New England first) then by town or category within each state. Some states only have a main page, for now.

Connecticut

• Museums to be visited....

Maine

• Seashore Trolley Museum ~ Kennybunkport

Massachusetts

Western Massachusetts

• Adams
• Amherst
• ​Easthampton
• Hadley
• Northampton​​
• Ludlow Depot​
• Palmer
• Westfield​

​​

• Trains in the Valley
• ​​​Inclined Railways of Massachusetts

Eastern Massachusetts

• Lowell
• Medfield

​
General

• Mass Central Rail Trail
  • MCRT Valuation Maps (Mass Central RR)
• ​Street Railways of Massachusetts​
  
• The Hampden Railroad: The Greatest Railroad that Never Was (Philip Johnson) [video]​

New Hampshire

• Raymond & Northfield

Rhode Island

• Rhode Island

Vermont

• Lake Champlain

California

• San Francisco, CA
• California State Railroad Museum

New York

• New York City, Owego, & Binghamton​
• Lake Champlain

Other Resources

Museums and Heritage Rail​​ (beyond New England)

• ​New York Transit Museum : Brooklyn, NY
• San Francisco Cable Car Museum : San Francisco, CA
• ​​San Francisco Railway Museum : San Francisco, CA
• California State Railroad Museum : Sacramento, CA
• National Railway Museum : York, England

​Websites​

• Trains in the Valley : A website for a rail advocacy group in the Pioneer Valley
• r/rustyrails : A Reddit thread for abandoned railroad photos
• Operation Lifesaver : Please stay safe when near train tracks
• Merci Train : A website about France's thank-you gift to the US after WWII
• MCRT Alliance : Dedicated to the re-use of the former Mass Central Railroad RoW, this group focuses on building rail trails in communities which the railroad used to run through

​Maps

• Abandoned & Out-of-Service Railroad Lines : Abandoned rail lines
• ​Historical Topographic Maps : This website has maps from as early as 1884
• Open Railway Map : A map of current and old railroads
• Railroad History of New England : New England & New York Locations, Railroads, and Street Railways🟣
• NYNHH Valuation Maps at UConn Archives & Special Collections

​Articles

• ​"Brief History of New York City Transportation" : An article that was shared with me
• "Railroad Collection 1813-1939" : An old document about the New Haven Railroad
• "A Brief History of the Texas Railroads" : Another article shared with me
• "A History of Trolleys, Light-Rails, Streetcars, and Subways" : This page was shared with me; it includes tons of links to other museums.
• "Industrial History: Carrying Grain in Boxcars" 
• "The Famous Ghost Train of the New York & New England Railroad" 

​Historic Groups (which don't have museums)

• Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society ★
• Old Colony and Newport Railway
• Historic Beverley

Books​

• American Narrow Gauge Railroads by George W. Hilton (recommended to me)
• The Hamden Railroad: The Greatest Railroad that Never Ran by Philip Johnson
• see Sources below for more suggestions

Other Resources

• Boston & Maine Railroad Groups.io : A message board for discussing the B&M, also a variety of resources (accessible via the left-side toolbar)
• Railroad Family Tree : coming soon (hopefully)🟣 
• Leeds Hill Railroad Documents Folder : maps, timetables, other ephemera 🟣 
• Leeds Hill Railroad Photos Album : postcards, photographs (antique and modern), and other rail-related images 🟣 

Prototype Railroad Information

• How to Fire Up a Steam Locomotive​
• Railroad Terminology by CSX​

Parts of the Railroad

• parts of the railroad
  • Rail Bed (or Right of Way)
  • Railroad Switches
  • Why Are Rails Shaped like That?
  • Every Type of Rail Car
  • How Railroad Crossings Work​

​
Railroad Safety
Railroad safety is a major topic that I need to at least touch on. For details on anything regarding rail safety, please see Operation Lifesaver. Most of the videos instill an element of fear, but they are important, nonetheless.
A few key points:

1. Trains move much faster than you'd think.
2. Trains almost always overhang the rails. You are not safe from an on coming train just by standing a few inches beyond the rails. 
3. Train tracks are private property. Walking on them is trespassing. Never take photos or videos while standing on a railroad's right-of-way.
4. Stay off railroad bridges and out of tunnels. There is only ever room for the train.

Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

Please, if you are going to explore or spend time near any train tracks that are or may be active lines, read the safety information that Operation Lifesaver has on their website. Remember that railroads are private property and being on them is trespassing!

None of the LHRR-owned photos posted to this website have been taken while trespassing on a railroad right-of-way. Nothing about the contents of this site should be understood as encouragement to ever trespass onto train tracks.

Sources

This list is incomplete, and needs much more work.

1. Boston & Main Railroad Historical Society Inc. "The Central Mass". 2nd ed., Marker Press, 2008.
2. Daily Hampshire Gazette. “Articles in Town Warrent.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, 26 Feb. 1914, p. 13. Newspapers.Com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1061803215/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025. 
3. Daily Hampshire Gazette.“Charged with Breaking Into School-House.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, 5 Feb. 1919, p. 5. Newspapers.Com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1062087937/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025. 
4. Holyoke Transcript. “Notice.” Holyoke Transcript, 4 Oct. 1921, p. 12. Newspapers.Com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/837204873/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025. 
5. Karr, Ronald Dale. "Lost Railroads of New England". Branch Line Press, 2010.
6. Karr, Ronald Dale. The Rail Lines of Southern New England: A Handbook of Railroad History. Branch Line Press, 2017.
7. Lindsell, Robert M., and Ronald Dale Karr. The Rail Lines of Northern New England: A Handbook of Railroad History. Branch Line Press, 2000.
8. Roy, John H. "A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses". Branch Line Press, 2007.

Header: North Hatfield Station (Hatfield, MA) c. 1921 (source: Hatfield Historical Museum)