Visitor Comments about this Photo:

Those car carriers come over from Framingham or going to Framingham? They didn't come up the corridor, right? They are facing south so where are they going? Was there an auto unloading ramp around Readville at the time?

Posted by Richard Andre on 2023-11-29 14:10:46

Not 100% about this, but.... Yes, the New Haven RR did definitely have an unloading facility for Fords at Readville, in what I believe was called 5 Yard - over the bridge and to the right. November 1967 was still long before the Penn Central takeover, so the NH would hardly allowed itself to be short-hauled by the NYC RR . thus I would bet not coming from Framingham, and certainly not loaded cards going back there! My guess is that in 1967 they came off the Erie RR at Maybrook, and thus came up the Shore LIne main. Later, when the PC had to take over the NH on Jan 1 1969 ( perhaps a little earlier ) they did route them over Selkirk to dry up Maybrook traffic and the NYC harbor car floats as well. The B&A trains then dropped them at Framingham to come down the former NH via Walpole. Whatever, shortly after that the Ford Co. wanted PC to pave the facility over to cut down on dust and mud that was making a mess of the new cars. PC was of course too cheap so Ford took their business to the Boston & Maine at Ayer, where it is, as far as I know still there today. Hope this helps.
Bob Waters

Posted by Robert Waters on 2023-11-29 14:36:31

Automobiles once went to Yard 5 in Dedham, which is sandwiched between the Corridor and Franklin Branch. It was basically to the way right of this photo, if the photographer turned.

Posted by Wayne Johnson on 2023-11-29 15:29:28

During the sixties, the new haven ran a high and wide train from Maybrook down to Turkey brook yard in Derby. Then they when up to Waterbury and over the Highland to Willimantic. From there they went over the Providence secondary to Plainfield, north to Putnam and east over the Midland to Readville. That lasted until the PC takeover.

Posted by Mike LaCasse on 2023-11-29 16:37:40

Lots of good information here. Those look like Fords on the top of the auto carriers. The route from Turkey Brook to Readville must have been torturous for a big train. I wonder, even back then, how many of these cars were damaged by human vandalism, rock throwing, etc.

Posted by Henry Brown on 2023-11-30 05:38:35

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