Forgotten Railroad Lines
Middleboro & Lakeville, Massachusetts
Do you ever drive by a trail or a building that looks like an old railroad building? There are thousands of miles of abandoned railways, making these sightings common. During the fall and winter months, these trails become exposed as the trees shed their foliage. Some of these right-of-ways are easier to spot while others would take some research first As a teenager I became fascinated with railroad history and abandoned railroad lines.
As you may have read in past blog entries, I grew up in Middleboro, MA. You wouldn’t know it today, but Middleboro was once a railroad junction point for connecting to all points in Southeast Massachusetts.
Plymouth to Middleboro Line
Opened 1892 – Abandoned 1939
At one point, you could go from Middleboro to Plymouth by rail; the 15 miles route would run thru Plympton and Carver (running parallel to the current Route 44). When you cross over the Nemasket River in Middleboro on Route 44 you can see the old railroad bridge’s substructure. This may be the largest remnants of this line, since most of the right of way is overgrown now. You can see it with Bing’s bird’s eye view to the left of Route 44. – View here – http://binged.it/1Hf2CSD
Middleboro to Myricks
Opened 1846 – Abandoned 1937
Middleboro also had a direct connection to Myricks Junction (Berkley, MA) which is where trains can go to New Bedford or Fall River. You can see some of the right-of-way over its 5 miles. The Lakeville Train Depot is still standing and is located on Route 18 (162 Bedford Street Lakeville, MA). You can see a good stretch of the right-of-way across the street near the old depot.
Lakeville, MA Train Depot
Middleboro to Myricks Right of Way in Lakeville, MA
