Salem and Lowell Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Salem and Lowell Railroad was a branch line of the Boston and Lowell Railroad
and ran off the Essex Railroad
in Peabody
, Massachusetts to Tewksbury
, Massachusetts where it met the Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
at Tewksbury Jct.
The line was chartered in 1848 and opened in 1850 and was run as part of the Lowell and Lawrence before the Boston and Lowell took over full operation of both lines in 1858. Like the South Reading Branch Railroad
, the S&L used trackage rights to access Salem
over the Essex.
The L&L was a small short line railroad when it opened in 1848 and linked the industrial cities of Lowell and Lawrence via Tewksbury and West Andover. It operated the S&L under contract and connected with the B&M's main line at Wilmington
Jct. This permitted the B&M to run passenger service from Boston to Lowell via Wilmington Jct on the S&L and then L&L.
The Boston and Lowell, which still had a monopoly on rail service between the two cities, sued and was given an injunction to stop the B&M from using the two lines. To keep them out of the B&Ms hands, the B&L took over control of both lines in 1858 and ran the two as branch lines.
These branch lines gave the B&L access from Lowell
to both Lawrence
and Salem to keep pace with its rivals the Eastern Railroad
and the Boston and Maine Railroad
.
During the 1870s, Salem became a major coal port and for the remainder of the 19th century, many coal trains ran along the Salem and Lowell to bring the product to Lowell, Lawrence and points beyond.
But things began to decline after 1900 as the B&M had gained control of all rail lines in Essex
County and most of Middlesex
County. All service was suspended between Tewksbury Jct and Wilmington Jct in 1924 and that segment abandoned by the end of 1925. Passenger service along the line was ended in September 1932 and freight service to North Reading ended in 1935. The line between Wilmington Jct and South Middleton was abandoned by 1939. Freight service continued between West Peabody and South Middleton until 1980 with the line between Peabody and West Peabody being abandoned in 1962. The remainder of the line was formally abandoned in 1987.
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
and ran off the Essex Railroad
Essex Railroad
The Essex Railroad was a small independent railroad in the United States that connected Salem, Massachusetts to North Andover, Massachusetts and was named for Essex County as the traversed the county....
in Peabody
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
, Massachusetts to Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
, Massachusetts where it met the Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
Lowell and Lawrence Railroad
The Lowell and Lawrence Railroad was a small independent railroad that was chartered in 1846 to build a rail line linking the two giant Merrimack River Valley cities of Lowell, Massachusetts to Lawrence, Massachusetts....
at Tewksbury Jct.
The line was chartered in 1848 and opened in 1850 and was run as part of the Lowell and Lawrence before the Boston and Lowell took over full operation of both lines in 1858. Like the South Reading Branch Railroad
South Reading Branch Railroad
The South Reading Branch Railroad or just South Reading Railroad, was a short line railroad that ran from Wakefield, Massachusetts to Peabody, Massachusetts and was named for town of South Reading, which changed its name to Wakefield in 1868....
, the S&L used trackage rights to access Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
over the Essex.
The L&L was a small short line railroad when it opened in 1848 and linked the industrial cities of Lowell and Lawrence via Tewksbury and West Andover. It operated the S&L under contract and connected with the B&M's main line at Wilmington
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
Jct. This permitted the B&M to run passenger service from Boston to Lowell via Wilmington Jct on the S&L and then L&L.
The Boston and Lowell, which still had a monopoly on rail service between the two cities, sued and was given an injunction to stop the B&M from using the two lines. To keep them out of the B&Ms hands, the B&L took over control of both lines in 1858 and ran the two as branch lines.
These branch lines gave the B&L access from Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
to both Lawrence
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
and Salem to keep pace with its rivals the Eastern Railroad
Eastern Railroad (Massachusetts)
The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between those two cities, until the Boston & Maine finally put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December...
and the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
.
During the 1870s, Salem became a major coal port and for the remainder of the 19th century, many coal trains ran along the Salem and Lowell to bring the product to Lowell, Lawrence and points beyond.
But things began to decline after 1900 as the B&M had gained control of all rail lines in Essex
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
County and most of Middlesex
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
County. All service was suspended between Tewksbury Jct and Wilmington Jct in 1924 and that segment abandoned by the end of 1925. Passenger service along the line was ended in September 1932 and freight service to North Reading ended in 1935. The line between Wilmington Jct and South Middleton was abandoned by 1939. Freight service continued between West Peabody and South Middleton until 1980 with the line between Peabody and West Peabody being abandoned in 1962. The remainder of the line was formally abandoned in 1987.