BUTTONWOODS

 THE RHODE ISLAND CENTRAL RAILROAD CO.

     The line was built in 1875 to Oakland Beach and  extended to Buttonwoods in 1881.  It was built under the charter of the Warwick Railroad Company but became the The Rhode Island Central Railroad Company in 1879.  It was purchased by the New York, Providence & Boston in 1881 and became the Warwick & Oakland Beach RR.  The NYP&B was leased by the New Haven in 1892 and in 1899 the branch was sold by the New Haven to its trolley subsidiary the Rhode Island Suburban Railway Company which in 1902 was leased to the Rhode Island Company another New Haven trolley subsidiary.  The line closed on October 16, 1935.

NEW YORK, PROVIDENCE & BOSTON TIMETABLE - 1889

(Pawtuxet was renamed Lakewood and Bay Side became Longmeadow)

The "William E. Rutter" was one of the Forney type steam locomotives the NY,P&B used on its Buttonwoods branch.  Number 35 was built by Rhode Island in 1883 and became New Haven S- 6  Class Number 2130 and was scrapped in 1913.

The ability of Forney type locomotives to operate equally well forward or in reverse was an advantage on the Buttonwoods branch.  New York, Providence & Boston Number 45 was built by Rhode Island in 1889 and became New Haven S- 6 Class Number 2128 and was scrapped in 1908.

UNITED ELECTRIC CO.

THE RHODE ISLAND SUBUBAN RAILWAY COMPANY ELECTRIFIED THE BUTTONWOODS BRANCH, ALSO KNOWN AS THE WARWICK BRANCH OR OAKLAND BEACH BRANCH, IN 1900.  ITS SUCCESSOR, THE RHODE ISLAND COMPANY, WAS REORGANIZED AS UNITED ELECTRIC CO. IN 1919.  AFTER 1900 THE BRANCH OPERATED AS A TROLLEY LINE ON A PRIVATE RIGHT OF WAY.

THE JUNCTION AT DUBY'S GROVE

The trolley is arriving from Providence on the route that connected to United Electric's Warwick Avenue line.  The original connection with the NYP&B at Auburn is about a mile away to the left.  RICO/UER electric freight motors interchanged freight cars with the New Haven at Auburn.

BELLEFONT WAS THE FIRST DEPOT AFTER THE MAIN LINE AT AUBURN JUNCTION

 SILVER HOOK WAS ABOUT SIX MILES FROM PROVIDENCE BY TROLLEY

The car body on the right once provided trolley freight service.  Plans for the depot can be found on the next page.

 SPRING GREEN WAS ABOUT 7 1/2 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE BY TROLLEY

HOXSIE WAS BETWEEN SPRING GREEN AND COLE

COLE DEPOT WAS ABOUT 8 1/2 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE BY TROLLEY

CONIMICUT

Probably photographed before electrification.  Depot was a 0.6 miles south of Cole depot.

DEPOT WAS 0.6 MILES SOUTH OF CONIMICUT DEPOT

RIVERVIEW WAS BETWEEN SHAWOMET AND LONGMEADOW

An Earlier Postcard View of Riverview

LONGMEADOW WAS 0.7 MILES SOUTH OF SHAWOMET

Another View Of Longmeadow, probably before the line was electrified.

 ROCKY POINT JUNCTION

The amusement park at Rocky Point was on a short spur about eleven miles from Providence by trolley.

WARWICK DEPOT WAS TWO MILES FROM BUTTONWOODS

 OAKLAND BEACH WAS NEARLY 13 MILES FROM PROVIDENCE BY TROLLEY

WARWICK COVE AT OAKLAND BEACH WAS CROSSED ON A SWING BRIDGE

The bridge to Buttonwoods at Warwick Cove

The Swing Bridge At Warwick Cove

BUTTONWOODS WAS REACHED BY A TRESTLE ACROSS A SALT WATER COVE

UNITED ELECTRIC NUMBER 678

The combination baggage-coach trolley car was one of three built by Jones in 1899. 

Number 678 operated on the Buttonwoods line from 1900 until the line closed on October 16, 1935.

The car is shown at Buttonwoods in a tinted photograph. 

 THE END OF THE LINE AT BUTTONWOODS WAS ABOUT 13 1/2 MILES FROM

PROVIDENCE BY TROLLEY