OREGON STREET ROUNDHOUSE

The Old Colony Railroad, which leased the Boston & Providence in 1888, opened the Oregon Street Roundhouse in 1892 to replace the B&P's Gaspee Street enginehouse in preparation for the construction of the new Union Depot. Engines were apparently coaled from a raised dock originally but a self-propelled crane was used from around 1906. The stalls were 70 feet in length and never expanded and consequently the roundhouse was only suitable for smaller engines such as the 0-6-0, 2-6-0, 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 types which were plentiful on the New Haven. The original turntable was replaced in 1910 with a seventy foot bridge which was retained until the facility closed, probably in the late 1930's. Oregon Street was also closed in 1908 after an economic crisis reduced business but it was reopened in 1917 as war in Europe stimulated the economy and rail traffic.

Oregon Street about 1924. The high chimney drafts the power plant below it. The large two-story building in front of the smokestack held supplies and probably offices, lockers, washrooms, etc. An entry ramp for I 95 now runs through the site from the hill behind the roundhouse but a high stone retaining wall still marks the building location. This view is from the top of the new coaling tower at the Charles Street engine terminal.

Oregon Street c.1937. The crane track carrried a sel-propelled crane which loaded tenders directly from hopper cars or gondolas and also lifted ashes from the two pits into waiting cinder cars.

A new G-4-a 4-6-0 No. 807 built by Baldwin in 1904 on the Oregon Street Roundhouse turntable.

The home is on Bush Street near the corner of Dan Street.

The Oregon Street Roundhouse from Dan Street. The Charles Street Roundhouse is in the upper right corner on the other side of the passenger car yard that separated the two roundhouses. The mills are located on Oriental Street.

G-1 971 is fully coaled and is having her bell hanger oiled at the Oregon Street engine servicing tracks. The coaches are in the passenger storage yard that separated Oregon Street from the Charles Street engine yard. The 4-6-0 was built as a compound by Baldwin in 1892 and was scrapped in 1926. It had been New York & New England 187

New Haven T-2-a 2300 is switching at the passenger car storage yard along side the Oregon Street engine servicing tracks. The Charles Street Coaling tower is on the other side of the yard. The 0-6-0 was built by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1902 as a T-1 class compound cylindered locomotive.

New Haven N 3341 was a standard coach built by Wason in 1903 and converted into an electric car for use on the Providence Warren & Bristol line. The car is at the coach storage yard adjoining the Oregon Street engine yard. It could not reach here under its own power since the electric line ended at Union Station. The trolley pole is one of the few hints it is not an ordinary car.

The Comet at the Oregon Street engine facility in August 1937. The Comet's presence at Oregon Street is probably not an ordinary event but if the streamlined train needed special attention in Providence, Oregon Street was an uncrowded servicing area.

Photo by Otto Perry from the Collection of The Denver Public Library

OREGON STREET AS SEEN FROM ASHBURTON STREET

The smokestack of the powerhouse at the Oregon Street Roundhouse stands in the center of the photo. By the time of this photograph of Atlantic type1100 at the Charles Street coaling tower in the late 1930's, Oregon Street was probably closed. An entrance ramp to Interstate 95 and a stone retaining wall at the distant hill still mark the site of the roundhouse.

J-1 2-8-2 3024

The stone retaining wall on the right still stands near an entry ramp to I-95. It marks the location of the Oregon Street Roundhouse. I walked the area in the 1950's but could not find any remains.

Mikado 3023 and 3024 once had McClellan watertube fireboxes. The fireboxes were successful for a while but eventually design faults led to their removal. A watertube firebox permitted higher steam pressure than a staybolted firebox and potentially much greater power. The locomotive is stored in the old coach yard area on May 21, 1948 with the stack covered to keep out rain. Only two of the twenty-five J-1's were retired before 1950. Donald T Hayward, Sr. Photo