THE LINE RELOCATION

THE COMET AT THE EAST END OF THE RELOCATION

The foreground track is the original alignment through Pawtucket and Central Fall.

The "Comet" was introduced in 1935 and was scheduled to cover the 44 miles between Providence and Boston in 44 minutes with stops at Pawtucket-Central Falls and Back Bay. Here it is in local service c.1950 near the end of its life. It was one of the first streamlined trains.

1913 MAP

Central Falls and Pawtucket When The Line Relocation Began In 1913.

Trolley lines are shown by dots and dashes. Notice the trolley detour at the Pawtucket depot.

DECISION

The Rhode Island Railroad Commissioner persistently complained that the number of accidents in Pawtucket and Central Falls "has been something appalling". The public and the railroad agreed that something had to be done but disagreed on what. Some bridges were built across the tracks during the 1870's but additional bridges were not desirable at the main crossings, nor was a raised roadbed on an unsightly chinese wall which would have conflicted with the existing overpasses. A line relocation was promising but there was disagreement over who should pay for the expensive project and neither Pawtucket or Central Falls wanted to surrender their own stations even though they were only half a mile apart.

After about two decades of debate and deadlock, in April 1912, the Rhode Island governor appointed a Pawtucket and Central Falls Grade Crossing Commission empowered by law to decide which of the various routes and schemes would eliminate the grade crossings at Pine, Dexter and Broad Streets in Pawtuket and Central and Foundry Streets in Central Falls. The legislation also determined that the cities would pay 35 percent of the cost of the project and the railroad 65 percent. The commission was composed of one representative from each city and one from the railroad. In September 1912, the commission approved a plan to relocate the railroad and provide both cities with a railroad station though they would have to share the building.

Dotted Lines Show The Old Line

The distance covered by the project was 7,200 feet. The four-tracked portion of the reconstruction was 5,700 feet or a little more than a mile.

THE PLAN

At Jenks Street in Central Falls the new route left the old by turning west on curves with radii of 1,745 feet and 3,490 feet ending with a tangent of 2,794 feet between Olive Street and a point on the Woodlawn curve 430 feet south of Conant Street. The new Dexter Street bridge was about 750 feet north of the old crossing while the distance between the old and new stations was about 1,300 feet measured along Broad Street. The grade was mainly level but dipped at a rate of 0.4 percent starting at Connant and Olive Streets reaching a low point at Dexter Street to ease the ramps up to the bridge. Since the old route was on a slight upgrade south of Boston Switch, leveling the grade from there resulted in depressing the tracks by 7.3 feet at Central Street. The high ground at the new station required a major excavation to maintain a level route which would be 25 to 27 below grade through the station cuves from Jenks to Olive Streets.

THE NEW LINE SEEN FROM CONANT STREET

The old route is on the right. The freight house built in 1882 will be moved a few hundred feet to the right because the relocation left its street side too close to the mainline tracks. Moving a large brick building was not an exceptional event at the time.

THE VIEW FROM CONANT STREET SHOWING BOTH THE OLD AND NEW ROUTES

The old route through the center of Pawtucket is still in service on the right while on the left the new route is close to being finished. On the far left is the ramp that will go to the new Barton Street team yard. The freight house has not yet been moved to the right.

THE OLD LINE SEEN FROM CONANT STREET

The tracks lead to downtown Pawtucket and the old station. This is the main line from Providence to Boston c.1913. Goff Avenue will replace the tracks in the distance.

Pawtucket Library Collection

EXCAVATION

Construction began in April 1913. Practically all steam shovel and track work was handled by railroad employees. Over 100 parcels of land were purchased and 110 buildings razed. The New Haven railroad used two 70-ton Bucyrus steam shovels and Rodger ballast cars to remove 437,000 cubic feet of sand, gravel and boulders from the new route. Some of the dirt was used to fill the old roadbed north of Broad Street, about 125,000 cubic feet was hauled eight miles to Olneyville to elevate the Pascoag branch tracks there, and the remainder was hauled two miles west to provide fill for the future Northup Avenue yard expansion. Eight highway bridges had to be constructed and 30,000 cubic yards of concrete laid. The work was complicated by the need to lower or reroute sewers and water mains and to keep four streets open during the excavation. Moreover, the rail line had to be kept open by a number of maneuvers which involved building temporary track in Central Falls while the grade and width of the route were changed. The new tracks, but not the station, were placed in operation in December 1914. Only a few days before Christmas, track gangs and steam shovels began work at 1 a.m. and by 6 a.m. had cut the old tracks and connected the new. Until the new station was opened about a year later, a temporary station 110 by 40 feet served at an adjoining location.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHS

One of two Bucyrus 70-ton steam shovels which excavated the new roadbed .

The excavating work was performed by the New York, New Haven & Hartford RR. Pawtucket Library Collection

THE START OF THE NEW LINE IN CENTRAL FALLS

The old line through downtown Pawtucket is on the left and still in use. The two new abutments are for the Clay Street bridge. The new station will be located to the south west of the bridge. Note the change in elevation.

SEE THE PHOTO BELOW FOR THE VIEW FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.

Pawtucket Library Collection

Barton St. bridge before construction began. The Clay St. and Jencks St. bridges can be seen in the distance.

This view toward Central Falls is what can be seen in the photo above but from the opposite direction.

PAWTUCKET LIBRARY COLLECTION

One of the two 70-ton Bucyrus steam shovels excavating near Broad Street.

Pawtucket Library Collection

EXCAVATION - MARCH 12, 1914

The junction of the old and new lines is approximately in the center of the picture but not visible. Broad Street has been cut and will soon be rejoined by a bridge. NHRHTA COLLECTION

BARTON AND BROAD STREETS WILL CROSS ON BRIDGES SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH OF THE STATION

NHRHTA COLLECTION

THE NEW AND OLD LINES WILL JOIN AROUND CLAY STREET

NHRHTA COLLECTION

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NEW STATION

The old line can be seen in the distance. NHRHTA COLLECTION

The new line joined the old on the far side of Clay Street.

NHRHTA COLLECTION

NEW STATION SITE

The old line to the center of Pawtucket can be seen clearly under the new Clay Street Bridge.

Pawtucket Library Collection

Boston Bridge Works derrick car erecting Broad Street bridge work, June 15, 1914.

View is toward downtown. Pawtucket Library Collection.

Close-up view of the Broad St. bridge work looking toward Central Falls. The girder on the left will protrude above the street and be encased in concrete forming a "fence" along the street.

PAWTUCKET LIBRARY COLLECTION

DEXTER STREET BRIDGE LOOKING TOWARD THE NEW STATION - OCTOBER 22, 1914.

NHRHTA COLLECTION

Dexter Street bridge with tracks in place. New station site in the distance. The "tell tails" alert men on cars to an approaching bridge.

Pawtucket Library Collection

DEXTER STREET BRIDGE SEEN FROM BROAD STREET

The photo was taken on the same day as the photo above but from the north east. The Bucyrus steam shovel is excavating the area near Broad Street which is where the curve through the new station will begin. Pawtucket Library Collection

THE BROAD STREET BRIDGE BEFORE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATION BETWEEN BARTON AND CLAY STREETS

NHRHTA COLLECTION

The new station under construction c.1915 with the temporary station on the left as seen from Barton St.

Note the PAWTUCKET and CENTRAL FALLS sign and the walkway to the tracks.

Copied from the internet

The Temporary Station on the Left -- The Nearly Completed New Station on the Right -- July 10, 1915

Collection of Bob Belletzkie

THE NOW CLOSED PAWTUCKET STATION

Notice that the tracks have been removed but, otherwise, little has changed c.1915.

THE COMPLETED NEW LINE IN 1914 SHOWING BROAD STREET, BARTON STREET AND THE STATION STAIRS

NHRHTA COLLECTION

VIEW FROM FRONT OF TRAIN FROM PROVIDENCE ENTERING THE STATION c.1930s

Photo by John W. Barriger, III.

A New Haven local to Boston is descending the 0.4 percent grade to Dexter Street c.1956. Conant Street bridge is on right.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

Construction view from Conant Street toward Dexter Street showing start of downgrade. Freight house on right will be moved away from the new line. Track on left on retaining wall leads to new Barton Street team yard. Pawtucket Library Collection.

DEXTER STREET BRIDGE SEEN FROM NEAR CONANT STREET DURING CONSTRUCTION c.1914.

The photo above was taken from about the same spot as my photo of the DL109 but looking in the other direction. In this photo the Barton Street team yard is under construction on the left. The Pawtucket freight house roof is on the right; the freight house will soon be moved away from new main line tracks. PAWTUCKET LIBRARY COLLECTION

RESULTS

The relocation cost $2,500,000. The New Haven gained a four-track line around the former bottleneck, eliminated 68 degrees of curvature, reduced the route by 600 feet and combined two station stops. The two cities were spared five grade crossings and gained eight new or rebuilt bridges. Six were plate girder spans with cantilever supports for the sidewalks. Those at Broad and Barton Streets were built with girders encased in concrete in harmony with the retaining walls of the station. All the bridges had reinforced concrete floors and a minimum clearance of 18 feet above the rails. The American Bridge Company, New York, erected the Conant and Dexter Street bridges. All other bridges were built by the Boston Bridge Works A five foot steel picket fence enclosed the entire new route

The west end of the relocation viewed from the old line across from Woodlawn Tower c. 1956. The Conant Street bridge is seen and in the far distance is the Dexter Street bridge, the low point on the new line. Photo by Edward J. Ozog

View from approximately the same place during construction c.1914. The tracks on the right are the main line tracks through downtown Pawtucket while on the left excavation of the new route can be seen. The track on the left is the freight house lead. Note the new concrete abutment for the lengthened Conant St. bridge. Pawtucket Library Collection

SIDINGS

Between the 1882 freight house and the old Pawtucket depot there were a number of sidings which served enterprises such as J.S.White Co.,J.N.Polsey & Co., Armour & Co., Swift & Co., The Narragansett Milling Co. and the Pawtucket Grocery Co. The grade crossing commission recommended that the tracks remain to serve the businesses but a four-year legal battle ensued and in the end the sidings were removed and replaced by Goff Avenue. However, a siding between Goff Avenue and the new line served a meat dealer located on Dexter Street into the 1950's. There was also an industrial siding along the lead to the Barton Street team yard, one near Central Street in Central Falls and along the Providence & Worcester just north of Boston Switch.

View from Pine Street with Dexter Street in the center rear after abandonment of the old route.

The old roadbed with its industrial sidings became Goff Avenue. PAWTUCKET LIBRARY COLLECTION

The New York to Boston express was photographed from Broad Street with Dexter Street at the end of the train. The tracks diverge to make space for the platforms of the Pawtucket-Central Falls Station which is about 500 feet ahead. The deep cut permitted constructing the station above the four-track mainline. Several streets had to be partially or fully closed because of the cut. The locomotive is one of the I-4 Pacifics delivered the year the station was opened in 1916.

BLUEPRINT PREPARED BY THE GRADE CROSSING COMMISSION

The blueprint shows the point just north of Clay Street at which the new line diverged from the original route of the Providence & Worcester. It also shows that the floor area of the station is about equally divided between the two cities.

ANOTHER PLAN OF THE NEW STATION LOCATION

PAWTUCKET LIBRARY COLLECTION

The old route once curved to the left. This is a c.1955 view looking south toward the Pawtucket-Central Falls station above the tracks. The "Senator" to Washington is passing under Cross Street, one of the streets that had originally been an overpass. The new four-track roadbed is about seven feet lower than the old double-track roadbed. The extension of Railroad Street on the right passed over the site of the Central Falls depot. The concrete retaining walls followed the curvature of the curves through the station

Photo by Edward J. Ozog

The east end of the relocation is seen at completion from the new Ashley Street bridge (now Sacred Heart Avenue). The outside tracks and the Tower (SS 156) are new. The Foundry Street crossing in front of U.S. Cotton Co. is gone and the tracks through Boston Switch have been lowered by several feet. Because of the topography, it was advantageous to replace the crossing at Foundry Street and Central Street by extending Ashley Street over the tracks and building new connecting roads. The Worcester route is the tangent while the Boston route curves to the right. Tracks were laid with 100-lb. rail on untreated oak and chestnut ties over rock ballst. On the new line, Number 20 track switches were used on high speed routes, Number 15 crossovers were installed for freight movements and Number 10 track switches were used for very slow movements.