Central Massachusetts Railroad Bridge
This bridge was built by the Central Massachusetts Railroad (by that time a part of the Boston & Maine) so trains could run over the Connecticut River between Northampton and Hadley. The bridge opened in 1887 and was used until 1980. It sat unused for nearly a decade. In 1993, the bridge reopened as a portion of the Norwottuck Rail Trail and is open to this day. Through the years, the bridge has had many names. It was frequently called the 'Hadley railroad bridge' by newspapers in the early 1900s. It is now known as the Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge.
Below, the first image is from around 1900. It shows the three bridges which connected Hadley and Northampton. The left-most bridge was for trolleys, the center, for public use (often called a "highway" bridge), and the right most is the railroad bridge. Only the CM bridge still stands. In the second photo, one can see the same bridge on the left and the Calvin Colliage Memorial Bridge on the right. That is the same whistle post in each photo. Below these two are a few more photos of the bridge: the first two being from the great hurricane of 1936, and the final being the bridge as rail trail use in 2025.
Below, the first image is from around 1900. It shows the three bridges which connected Hadley and Northampton. The left-most bridge was for trolleys, the center, for public use (often called a "highway" bridge), and the right most is the railroad bridge. Only the CM bridge still stands. In the second photo, one can see the same bridge on the left and the Calvin Colliage Memorial Bridge on the right. That is the same whistle post in each photo. Below these two are a few more photos of the bridge: the first two being from the great hurricane of 1936, and the final being the bridge as rail trail use in 2025.
c. 1900 source: Forbes Library
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2025
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Northampton's Stations
Northampton used to be a hub of railroad activity back in the late 1800s and through most of the 1900s. A map of downtown Northampton (1895) shows the two big railroad companies that traveled through the city: The Boston & Maine Railroad (BM) and the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). All of Northampton's historical maps can be found on the city's historic website.
New Haven & Northampton Railroad Station circa 1890 ~ source: Forbes Library
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Connecticut River Railroad Station circa 1890 ~ source: Forbes Library
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Northampton was a terminus for three railroads in the early days: The New Haven & Northampton (later part of the NYNH&H), the Connecticut River RR, and the Central Massachusetts Railroad (both became part of the Boston & Maine). Before 1897, the NH&N and CR had their own stations on Strong Ave in the city. The NH&N's station was at the intersection of Main and Strong, while the CR was just north of the current Union Station. The two were connected by a long platform. Details can be seen in the map at above link. Also note, the tracks for the NH line were reconfigured with the construction of the new station. This was necessary because the whole line was raised. The construction of Union Station was part of a larger project to eliminate grade crossings downtown. Strong Ave is the original grade and the station, tracks, and (now) rail trail are all on built-up land. This map (below) shows every grade crossing that was eliminated as part of this project, along with the two existing stations. This map is also a good depiction of just how central Northampton was at the time. Not only are there multiple railroads heading north - south, there is also a branch that runs east to Hadley, west to Williamsburg, and south-west to Easthampton. At this point, every town adjacent to Northampton was served by the railroads.
The Central Mass RR joined the others at Northampton in 1887. It is unknown what station was used before Union Station was built. Though, given proximity, it seems logical that using the Conn. River station was easier for CM trains.
Union Station was used from 1897 to the 1960s, when passenger service was ended by Boston & Maine. The station was sold to a machine shop. It was then sold to a restaurant developer in the 1980s. A newspaper article in 1986 shows the building being cleaned and renovated for the new restaurant. The building since has played host to a number of different restaurants and an event space.
Passenger service began anew in Northampton in 1972 when Amtrak's Vermonter came to town. A plexiglass shelter was built for waiting passengers along the tracks adjacent to the parking lot. In 1987, due to poor track conditions, Amtrak rerouted the Vermonter through Amherst. Service was returned to Northampton in 2014 with the construction of a new, larger, station platform, rail upgrades, and construction of a passing siding through town.
Union Station was used from 1897 to the 1960s, when passenger service was ended by Boston & Maine. The station was sold to a machine shop. It was then sold to a restaurant developer in the 1980s. A newspaper article in 1986 shows the building being cleaned and renovated for the new restaurant. The building since has played host to a number of different restaurants and an event space.
Passenger service began anew in Northampton in 1972 when Amtrak's Vermonter came to town. A plexiglass shelter was built for waiting passengers along the tracks adjacent to the parking lot. In 1987, due to poor track conditions, Amtrak rerouted the Vermonter through Amherst. Service was returned to Northampton in 2014 with the construction of a new, larger, station platform, rail upgrades, and construction of a passing siding through town.
circa 1900s ~ source: Historic Northampton
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2025
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This shot is the interior of Union Station, after it had been a machine shop, in 1986. This would be the beginning of the building being used as a restaurant and event space. The Station is now in possession of this perticular clipping, which my wife and I gifted to them after having our wedding in their event space "The Roosevelt Room". The caption isn't clearly worded, but this is the Northampton Station.
The fireplace hasn't changed at all. The ticket windows (alcove on left) are now mirrored because they look into the building's kitchen, the door on the left goes into the kitchen, and the archway in rear leads to the front of the space, which is now used as a cocktail lounge. My wife and I got married in front of the fireplace. Other newspaper clippings about Union Station have been collected here. |
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Florence
The Mass Central Rail Trail took the place of most of the railroad right-of-way (RoW) in Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. However, when the state planned the rail trail through northern Northampton they re-routed the path and avoided a section of original NYNHH railbed, which is still in place today. The remaining stretch is likely about 1/4 of a mile. (All photos were taken in 2018.) This portion of the NYNHH was known as the Williamsburg Branch, which opened in Feb 1868 and was abandoned in 1969, according to Karr (Rail Lines of Southern New England).
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The first two photos are of the section where the rail was pulled up. There was nothing left there, not even ballast. Then, you can see that they'd pulled up some ties and thrown them to the side just before the rails begun. The farther I walked, the more ballast, in-tact ties, and other debris from the time period (like the brick) I found.
It was suggested to me that an independent agency or individual pulled up the section that is gone as opposed to the railroad company or state having done it. I will have to see if I can find ownership records. Town maps list the electric company as current land owner. |
The Train @ Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park
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There has been a train running at Look Park since August, 1948.
The original train, a desiel-powered engine named the "Streamliner" was a miniature version of a ... . Most likely, the Streamliner was a quarter-scale train. Throughout news reports, the length of the track has varied from 1/4 mile to 7/8 mile. But, we know for sure that the current run of the Look Park train is about a full mile. So, it's likely that the 1/4 mi was a mistake. The Streamliner was retired in 1986 and a new train arrived at the park from Kansas City in 1987. It required a wider gauge track (it is now operating on 2ft gauge). The park also took the opportunity to replace the track ties and the tunnel. The current train at the park is a scale replica of the C.P Huntington; #1 for the Southern Pacific Railroad back in 1863. (The prototype engine is on static display at the California State Railroad Museum.) In 2016, a call went out from the park to raise money so the train could be replaced. In 1985, a ride cost 50 cents. In 2025, a ride costs $5. |
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Leeds
I took a walk farther down the ex-ROW between Leeds & Williamsburg. Along the whole route I only found one artifact from the old railroad: a lone rotting railroad tie. However, the village of Leeds has recently put up signs around the center of town which explain the history of the area, focusing around the time of the Mill River Flood.
Header: Abandoned tracks in Northampton, MA ~ 2018
