The Granite Railway, America's First Railroad - Quincy MA

I recently visited the birthplace of railroading in America... the Granite Railway in Quincy MA.  Almost all of the ROW is now gone, lost to the building of neighborhoods and the Southeast Expressway (I93/US1/MA3) in the 1950-1960s.  As a railfan AND casual rockhound, I found the area fascinating, but was also extremely disappointed at the loss of infrastructure artifacts, lack of maintenance, and general feeling of "EH, who cares?" in the area.  There is a museum down the road that is trying to showcase the area's granite quarrying history, but it was closed that day, and from what I saw through the fencing it isn't big on the railway itself.  I hope to visit in the future when they are open.  I also want to take more photos on a cloudy day, as the sun was really wreaking havoc with my camera.

Shown below are the two commemorative tablets attached to the granite obelisks at the foot of the railway incline.  They appear to have replaced original cast-metal ones. 

Custom HO Southern New England Railroad Boxcar

The South Shore Model Railway Club of Quincy Massachusetts has a new 2013 club car for sale with two different logos. 

These cars celebrate the 101st anniversary of the start of construction of  what has become known as “The Titanic Railroad”, the Southern New England Railroad. Owned by the Grand Trunk Railway of Montreal, the railroad was to connect the Grand Trunk-owned Central Vermont Railway at Palmer, MA with the Port of Providence, RI. The Grand Trunk’s president Charles Melville Hayes died aboard the Titanic, and interest in the line died with him.

The American made models represent boxcars that might have been, had the railroad been completed.

HO Scale Kadee SNE Boxcar with maple leaf OR box logo: $34.95 each

SHIPPING: $5.25 for one car; add $1 for each additional car east of Mississippi / $2 west of Mississippi.  (Massachusetts residents please add 6.25% sales tax before shipping costs.)