This is what remains of the spur of the New Haven Canal line to the VA Hospital in Leeds Mass. You can still see this from nearby Route 9 of you look to the right just before the entrance of the VA Hospital. The hospital used to receive loads of coal for their boilers back in the day.

Years ago I posted a picture of the local freight stopped by the Northampton station that is now called the "Notch 8" restaurant. In that photo the only car was ironically a 32 foot coal hopper. Someone told me at one point the line was cut back to this point during the slow process of abandoning this line.

What is really sad is that had Penn Central not thrown away business like they did back then, there are businesses along this right of way that is now a rail trail that could have and most likely would be active rail customers today.

Photographed by Shaun Murphy, October 26, 2026.
Added to the photo archive by Shaun Murphy, October 27, 2026.
Railroad: New Haven.

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