FREIGHT

FREIGHT FACILITIES

An improvement in the freight facilities in downtown Providence was an important objective of the construction of a new passenger station, The Cove lands were partly used for team yards for the delivery and shipment of bulk goods.

The next six postcard views provide a panoramic view of the Union Station and the adjoining freight facilities moving from west to east. The above map shows the locations of the freight houses and team yards in the following postcard views.

Freight Houses are mainly used for LCL - less than car load freight. The team tracks are mainly for car load freight customers without private sidings who load or unload cars using teams and wagons or motor trucks.

The New York, Providence & Boston freight house (right center) was expanded to 680 feet. The Union Station office building is on the right.

The West Exchange Street freight house yard had a capacity of 356 cars

The Gaspee Street - Kinsley Avenue Yard was built for bulk freight and had nine driveways between tracks used to load or unload freight directly to or from teams or trucks. It held 675 cars.

The east approach to Union Station had a team yard on the inside of the curve and the old P&W and B&P freight house yards on the outside. The postcard shows the station before the tunnel was built. The Woonasquatucket and Promenade Street bridges are evident. The Central Fire House stands on the right.

The new viaduct to the tunnel is at the bottom and its passage through the roof of the old P&W freight house can be seen. The P&W freight house was used for inward freight while the B&P freight house (right center) was used for outbound freight. The Promenade Street team yard (left) had a capacity of 439 cars. The driveways for loading or unloading freight were 35 feet wide.

The layout of the Promenade Street team yard is clear in this view. The center tracks were used to hold loaded or unloaded cars until needed..

The Promenade Street team yard is in the forground. The photograph was taken before the train shed was extended in 1908 or the tunnel viaduct built.

The 30-ton crane that can be seen in the colored postcard above c.1898. It was used to load or unload heavy items. The state house was built on the empty hillside on the right.

The State House under construction October 1, 1898.

Note the gantry crane seen in the picture above. Compare to the following photo.

Promenade Street Yard and the Tunnel Approach c.late 1920's or early 1930's.

All the passenger cars in the photograph have open platforms.

View North From Tunnel Viaduct

At the center is the old SS 151 interlocking tower which was replaced and repurposed when the new SS 151, Promenade Street, was opened in 1908. On the right are the two Tefft Freight Houses, the P&W house is on the right edge and connected to the B&P house by a covered platform. The few freight cars indicate the decline of less-than-carload traffic and the need for freight houses by the time of the photo in the early 1950's. The church is St. Patrick's on Smith Street which was torn down in 1979. A corner of the State House is on the left. In the left bottom corner is the Moshassuck River and Canal. Photo by Leo King

The Promenade St. Team Yard when new c.1898. The wall in the foreground is the Woonasquatucket River. The State House was built on the hill in the left background. The Providence & Boston Freight House is on the right.

Kinsley Avenue Team Yard c. 1898. Harris Ave. is on the left and Gaspee St. at the far end. The train shed at Union Station is on the right where the steam of a locomotive can be seen. The wide spacing of the yard tracks allowed wagons the reach the cars for loading or unloading

Freight Houses From West Exchange Street

In the distance is the west side of Union Station, Industrial National Bank and Biltmore Hotel.

Box cars on the center tracks were reached by placing metal plates between car doors - note that the cars and their doors are lined up.