The Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad
was an 8.8 mile (14.2 km) 3 ft (914 mm) gauge narrow gauge
passenger-carrying railroad that ran from Lynn, Massachusetts through
Revere, Massachusetts to the East Boston, Massachusetts area. It was
chartered May 5, 1874, opened July 29, 1875, and abandoned January
27, 1940. A ferry connection from the railroad’s southern terminus at
East Boston connected to Rowe’s Wharf in the city of Boston proper,
with a connection to the Atlantic Avenue Elevated (from 1901 to
1938). The railroad followed the coastline north-eastwards through
the resort of Revere Beach to the far terminus at Lynn. A branch
split to a loop through Winthrop.
The rail laid was light, 30-pound (per yard)
rail being installed at first, increased to 50-pound in 1885 and
60-pound in 1904. It was, however, laid from the beginning on
standard gauge-sized ties. Given the lightweight rail, the
locomotives were small and of standard narrow-gauge dimensions. The
vast majority of them were Mason Bogies, 11 from the Mason Machine
Works and 21 from other builders after Mason closed. Cars were of
standard gauge dimensions, however, seating four across.
Between 1896 and 1900, the part along Revere
Beach, formerly running right along the beach, was relocated inland
to lie next to the Eastern Railroad’s Chelsea Beach Branch. The
stations were relocated and a new one (Bath House) was built. Revere
Street was built later.
The railroad was highly successful, carrying
commuters into Boston and the Boston urban population to the seaside
resorts. By 1914 over seven million passengers were carried annually,
making it one of the most heavily travelled stretches of railroad in
North America. With such a traffic density, the expense of
electrification could be recouped easily by savings, and in 1928 this
happened, the existing cars being fitted with electric motors,
trolley poles and control stands and the steam locomotives disposed
of. However, the Great Depression, contracting local industry, and
increasing automobile use soon saw ridership declining.
After attempts to find a buyer fell through,
the BRB&L filed for bankruptcy in 1937. Further losses of
ridership followed, and in 1939 the management petitioned for
abandonment. This was granted, and the railroad ceased operations on
January 27, 1940.
The right of way from East Boston to Revere, a
length of 4.3 miles, was utilised in 1952–1954 to build part of
the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Blue Line rapid
transit line. The remainder of the right-of-way is owned by the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and may be used for further expansion
of the Blue Line in future. South of the Blue Line’s section, the
line passed through where Logan Airport is now, and through a
now-abandoned tunnel under a hill.
A number of the passenger cars were purchased
by the East Broad Top Railroad in Pennsylvania, where they survive today.
Now the Blue Line station (Wood Island)
Now the Blue Line station (Orient Heights)
Now the Blue Line station (Suffolk Downs)
Now the Blue Line station (Beachmont)
Now the Blue Line station (Revere Beach)
Now the Blue Line station (Wonderland)
References:
Hilton, George W. (1990) American Narrow Gauge
Railroads. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN
0-8047-2369-9
Ronald Dale Karr (1994) The Rail Lines of
Southern New England: A Handbook of Railroad History. Branch Line
Press. ISBN 0-942147-02-2
Railroad History Database