A few years back I stumbled across this hidden railroad structure in the town of Plainville, MA.
If you look closely, you can see concrete from the turntable, which was filled in. There is a small green sign on West Bacon Street which states “Old Roundhouse”. “The roundhouse was used to store locomotives from February 1892 to July 1938.” This sign is very easy to miss and the building sits pretty far back from the road. The roundhouse seems to be in great shape and is now used as a garage for a business.
Wrentham Branch
Many people wouldn’t know it today, but the “Wrentham Branch” cut right through Wrentham, Plainville, and North Attleboro, running parallel to Route 1A. This 12.8-mile route from Walpole Junction to North Attleboro, MA opened in December of 1890. This line was a part of the Old Colony Railroad that provided passenger services until 1938. Like many railroads during the time, the Great Depression hit the Old Colony Railroad hard, ending passenger service along this route and severing those connections to big cities such as Boston and Providence. Freight service continued to serve this line for nearly 30 years afterward.
Adamsdale Branch
Shortly after the Wrentham Branch was built, the line was extended 9.6 miles to Rhode lsland in 1903. This provided passengers a link to both Boston and Providence. This branch also has a railroad structure that was quite hidden. The Adamsdale Frighthouse is located in the southwest corner of North Attleboro. The structure was moved away from the right of way and used as a storage building by one of the residents of Depot Street.
Abandonment
In 1965, the Adamsdale Branch became history when the tracks were removed. The railroad also removed a good portion of the Wrentham Branch between the North Attleboro and Plainville gravel pit. In 1976, the rest of the line was abandoned from Plainville to Walpole. Today, most of the right of way is still visible while the tracks and the roadbed are totally gone. In North Attleboro, most of the right of way is elevated so the bridge abutments are still in place where it crosses streets.
