The South Shore Railroad was a railroad in
. It was incorporated in 1846 to provide rail service between
Quincy and
Duxbury, Massachusetts
Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to t ...
through the towns of
Hingham,
Cohasset,
Scituate and
Marshfield.
History
The 11.5 mile line opened for service from
Braintree to
Cohasset, on January 1, 1849. However, the 17.5 mile portion between
Cohasset and
Duxbury, Massachusetts
Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to t ...
, was not built until 1871 when a new company, the Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad completed the line to
South Duxbury and
Kingston where it connected to the old 1844
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, ...
line to
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
.
One of the early promoters and presidents of the South Shore Railroad was
Caleb Stetson
Caleb Stetson (January 6, 1801 – January 1885) was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Democrat, in 1852 he was elected to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In the legislatur ...
, a successful shoe manufacturer from
Braintree.
The 1849 section of the South Shore Railroad was acquired by the Old Colony Railroad in 1877, while the section between Cohasset and Duxbury became part of the Old Colony network in 1904.
By this time, the entire Old Colony Railroad network was operated under lease agreement by the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
. The New Haven ceased passenger service on the South Shore Line and much of the rest of the Old Colony system in 1959.
On October 31, 2007, commuter rail passenger service on the line was restored from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
to Greenbush with the opening of the
MBTA
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which serves the South Shore region of Massachusetts. The line runs from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, an ...
.
Nantasket Beach Railroad
The Nantasket Beach Railroad opened in 1880 as a branch off the South Shore but closed in 1886. It was reopened in 1886 and electrified, running until 1932. Winter service was replaced by buses beginning in 1926. Portions of the former railroad bed were converted to paved roads, including Fitzpatrick Way, in 1937.
[ ]
See also
*
Old Colony Lines (MBTA)
The Old Colony Lines are a pair of branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, connecting downtown Boston, Massachusetts with the South Shore and cranberry-farming country to the south and southeast. The two branches operate concurrently for via ...
*
Fore River Railroad
References
{{Reflist
Defunct Massachusetts railroads
Old Colony Railroad lines