Bay Colony Railroad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bay Colony Railroad
BayColonyRRLogo.svg
BCLR 4576.jpg
Bay Colony Railroad boxcar in Emporia, Kansas
Overview
HeadquartersFort Myers, Florida
Reporting markBCLR
LocaleMassachusetts
Dates of operation1982–present
PredecessorConrail
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Bay Colony Railroad (reporting mark BCLR) is a shortline railroad operating in Massachusetts.

Formerly operating along most of the south coast region (including all lines on Cape Cod), Bay Colony currently operates only along a roughly six-mile stretch of track between New Bedford and Westport, referred to as the Watuppa branch. In addition to moving freight for its customers, Bay Colony also performs AAR-certified repairs on rolling stock and contract track construction projects for other railroads. It has a sister railroad, the Seminole Gulf Railway, which is based out of Fort Myers, Florida.

History[]

The Bay Colony railroad was chartered on March 31, 1977, with the intent of taking over freight service on former New Haven lines from Conrail, which was planning to abandon service.[1] The lines were purchased by the state government, and Bay Colony took over all freight operations on the lines on June 12, 1982 with a 25-year contract.[2]

The contract for the railroad lines owned by the State of Massachusetts administered by the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT), which included the Cape Cod main expired on December 31, 2007. It was awarded to a new company, the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad (“Mass Coastal”), which took over on January 1, 2008. At that time the Bay Colony ceased operation on those lines, but continued to maintain operations in other areas of the state, namely the Millis branch (until 2019) and the Watuppa branch.[2]

Former Millis Branch[]

Bay Colony continued operations along the Millis Branch, a roughly eight-mile segment of track between Needham Junction and the former Millis station. When the Millis GAF Plant in Millis closed, the Bay Colony Railroad took a new contract from Tresca Bros Cement shortly after. Fly ash cars from Dragon Cement in Maine were delivered periodically, usually in the summer months to a section of track near Island Road in Millis. Though inactive after the last shipment in February 2019, the line had recently begun to provide freight service again to their current customer on the line and potentially a few new other ones in 2021 and into 2022. Bay Colony holds operating rights in the rest of the segment in the event that other freight rail traffic returns along the span of the segment. This line interchanges with CSX at Medfield.

Watuppa Branch[]

Following the closure of the Millis Branch, Bay Colony operates solely along the Watuppa Branch (also referred to as the North Dartmouth Industrial Track), a roughly six-mile stretch of track in the south coast of the state. The branch diverges from the New Bedford Secondary and passes through the town of Dartmouth before terminating in Westport. Bay Colony operates all freight rail along this line, and interchanges with Mass Coastal in New Bedford.

Locomotive fleet[]

Bay Colony Railroad's original logo, marked on boxcar livery up through the mid-nineties
  • Bay Colony 151, a GE 23 Tonner, sold 1995. Built 1941 ex New York Air Brake Watertown, NY sold by BCLR to Rescar. RS1
  • Bay Colony 410 GE 44 Tonner, acquired 1986 from Dansville and Mount Morris RR (D+MM #2), Built for Bath and Hammondsport RR D-1. Sold by BCLR to Southern RR of New Jersey. {scrapped}
  • Bay Colony 411 GE 44 Tonner, acquired 1986 from Dansville and Mount Morris RR (D+MM #1). LAST 44 Tonner BUILT BY GE. Sold by BCLR to Adrian and Blissfield RR. Unit had been evaluated as shop switcher for MBTA Boston Engine Terminal against Trackmobile prior to being sold.
  • Bay Colony 412 GE 44 Tonner, Acquired 1993 from USAF. Unit was used at Camp Edwards/Otis AFB/ANGB on Cape Cod. Sold to Southern RR of New Jersey in 1999. {scrapped}
  • Bay Colony 1052 ALCO S2, Acquired 1982, Sold 1995 to Copperweld Steel. Then to Ohio Central, now preserved at Age of Steam Museum in Nickel Plate Road paint. Built 1943 for Portland Terminal RR.
  • Bay Colony 1058 ALCO S4, Bay Colony's 1st Locomotive, Acquired June 1982 from Portland Terminal. Transferred/Sold to Cape Cod RR in 1989. Cape Cod RR transferred back to Bay Colony in 1992. Bay Colony used intermittently in Cape Cod RR Colors until scrapped in 2007. Also, the only unit painted in Bay Colony's first scheme of Maroon/Cranberry w/ yellow stripes.
  • Bay Colony 1061 ALCO S4, Acquired 1983. Used on Newton/Millis lines. Scrapped mid 2000s after being stored since the early 1990s. ex Portland Terminal 1061, Built for the Delaware and Hudson RR.
  • Bay Colony 1062 ALCO S4, Originally acquired for parts from Maine Central RR. Unit was returned to service by Bay Colony in 1985. Unit consisted of parts of two locomotives Maine Central 316 (Body) and (312 prime mover and generator). Work was started Maine Central prior to selling to Bay Colony who finished job. Unit went to Cape Cod RR w/1058 for parts in 1989 and was transferred back to Bay Colony and scrapped winter 1994/1995 at East Wareham, MA.
  • Bay Colony 1063 ALCO S4, Acquired 1983 scrapped East Wareham, MA.
  • Bay Colony 1064, a RS1. Bought by the Green Mountain Railroad in Vermont in the late 1990s as a part source locomotive for #405. Later scrapped by the early 2000s.
  • Bay Colony 1271, ALCO S4 ex Boston & Maine 1271. Acquired for service but shortly after engine block was cracked and unit used for parts until sold to Napparano Iron and Metal in 1988.
  • Bay Colony 1701, an EMD GP8, acquired in March 1987 and previously owned by Indiana Midland and Detroit & Toledo Shore Line (#50). Used on the Millis branch line to switch Tresca Brothers, Bay Colony's last standing line. (N 42.18982 W 71.33304). Unit Built as a GP7, rebuilt by Bay Colony w/GP9 prime mover and generator. Unit had been numbered BCLR # 1501 and 1750.
  • Bay Colony 1702, an GP9R (Sold to Grafton and Upton Railroad in Spring 2008) acquired from Providence and Worcester RR, ex CR/Penn Central, Pennsylvania RR 7205.
  • Bay Colony 1703, an EMD GP9 ex, Cape Cod RR 1789, ex MBTA 1923, ex Chrome Crankshaft, ex Burlington Northern 1789, Built as Great Northern.
  • Bay Colony 1705, an EMD GP9 Low nose, ex BCLR 1777, ex OmniTrax 1777, ex Great Western 1777, ex Burlington Northern 1777, ex Great Northern. Unit arrived on Bay Colony in Fresh OmniTrax Grey and Blue Paint, wide Bay Colony and Yellow and Orange stripes applied over the OmniTrax Paint to make the unit have a one of a kind Blue and Gray paint scheme.
  • Bay Colony 1706, an EMD GP9 Low nose ex Florida East Coast RR. Unit painted and nose lowered on sister road Seminole Gulf. Unit now assigned to Watuppa Line.
  • Bay Colony 1751, an EMD GP9, later renumbered 1704, scrapped after 2008, acquired by Bay Colony from Conrail 1987.
  • Bay Colony 2443, a CF7 (Sold to Grafton and Upton Railroad in Spring 2008, scrapped in September of 2021.)
  • Bay Colony 2501, an ALCO Century 425 Ex Shoreline Locomotive 2556, ex Mass Central/TJ Linstead Rail Service 4258, ex Arkansas + Missouri 4258, ex Kyle 4258, ex Burlington Northern 4258, Built as Spokane Portland & Seattle 320. Transferred to Seminole Gulf 2000. Sold by Seminole Gulf to Western NY + PA RR.
  • Bay Colony 8580, General Electric Dash 8-39B/B39-8, ex RLCX (RELCO) 8580, ex LMX 8580. Transferred to Seminole Gulf 2008.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "about bay colony". Archived from the original on 2003-04-07. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  2. ^ a b "Massachusetts Coastal named to operate commonwealth-owned lines". Trains News Wire. Kalmbach Publishing. 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-10-18.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""