2. Billerica and Bedford Railroad
Narrow gauge – 2 footer!
First in U.S., for passengers
May 12, 1877
3. What is the difference between
Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks
and Standard Gauge tracks?
4. The original
route of the
RR
Credit: Billerica Historical Society
5. Northern half of Billerica Bedford RR tracks
Narrow
Gauge tracks
are 2 feet
across, and
Standard
gauge are 4
feet across.
After the RR
went
bankrupt,
the tracks
were
switched
out with
Standard
gauge. Part
of the tracks
is used
today for
freight
trains.
6. Southern half of trail in Bedford
The Rail Trail is labeled in Google Earth if you zoom in.
7. Southern half of RR track is now a bikeway
This map, and extensive descriptions of the rail trail are at this website:
http://www.bedforddepot.org/railtrails/index.html
8. It is now partly a bike rail-trail.
• “The second path that starts at the Depot is the
Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail.It was opened in
2001 on the abandoned old Billerica & Bedford
Railroad. This was the first narrow gauge railroad
in the country, opening in 1877. By 1879 it was
bankrupt and closed. Six years later, the Boston &
Lowell Railroad had converted it to standard
gauge and reopened the route. After it was
abandoned for good in 1962, it was converted
into a 3 mile long rail-trail in 2001.”
• http://assabetriverrailtrail.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/the-big-3-bedford/
9. This is how the beginning of the trail
looks today.
• This is the opening in
Bedford, of the trail that
leads to Billerica. Has
anyone seen these
signs?
10. Missing Billerica Section?
See if you can figure out where the tracks went. Look in
Google Earth for clues. (Straight lines of trees.)
11. What stops in Billerica, do
you see on this timetable
to the left?
S
o
u
r
12. This is a book cover at
left. Do you notice
something about the
locomotive?
Fun fact:
EdavilleRailroad is a Narrow
Gage RR
(order the book here: http://www.bedforddepot.org/store/page7.html )
15. What is bankruptcy?
• It is what happens when a business or person
cannot pay their bills. They tell a judge their
story, and the judge decides how the business’
“stuff” will be sold. Then the money from that
sale gets divided up between all the people
that are owed money.
• The Billerica and Bedford Railroad went
bankrupt when it couldn’t pay the
construction bills.
16. Guess who was owed money?
L.W. Faulkner, and Elenor Bennett– who were these people?
17. Elenor Bennett: Why is that name
important to Billerica?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eleanor_Bennett_Billerica_Massachusetts_ca1883.png
18. Bennett Library-first library in Billerica
(donated by Elenor Bennett)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1899_Billerica_public_library_Massachusetts.png
19. It is now rented for parties (and SistaCamp is there in the
summer.) http://www.bennettpubliclibrary.org/build.asp
20. Faulkner Mills is right around the corner from the Hajjar School-
it houses 2 museums and many businesses today.
“L. W. Faulkner” worked there.
http://www.billericahistory.org/faulknermills.html
22. This is what Faulkner mills
looks like today.
Photo credit: Crissy Donoghue
23. During Bankruptcy court cases, there are 2
most important papers
Schedule A and B
A is who is
owed
money.
B is what
stuff you
have to sell
from your
business.
Photo credit at end of
presentation in
Works Cited.
26. Teachers: Inside this book,
are many pictures, including
the railroad car drawings.
On this book cover are:
A Locomotive,
A box car, and
A Passenger car
This book can be purchased
from the link at bottom of
slide.
(order the book here: http://www.bedforddepot.org/store/page7.html )
34. What do you think Box cars and
Flat cars are for?
35. This is what the engine house looks like
today, in Bedford, at the beginning of the
bike trails.
36. There is a short interpretive track, so
you can see what the track looked like.
37. Work Cited
Slide 2: Photo of Ariel the Locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 4: Map of original route of Billerica and Bedford Railroad, from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica,
Massachusetts.
Slide 5: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.
Slide 6: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.
Slide 7: Map of Bikeway, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 8: Quote from rail trail blog: Kelleher, Tom. Assabet River Rail Trails Blog. Ed. Tom Kelleher. Assabet River
Rail Trail, 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://assabetriverrailtrail.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/the-big-
3-bedford/>.
Slide 9: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Bedford, Massachusetts.
Slide 10: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.
Slide 11: Timetable of Billerica and Bedford Railroad, from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts.
Slide 12: Book available from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA. Billerica and Bedford Railroad, by
George Mansfield.
Slide 13: See Archive citation at the end of this list.
Slide 16: See Archive citation at the end of this list.
Slide 17: Photo of ElenorBennet from Wikipedia.
Slide 18: Photo of Bennett Library from Wikipedia.
Slide 19: Photo of Bennett Library from website Bennett Public LIbrary. Ed. Barber Software. Bennett Public
Library Association, 2006. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://www.bennettpubliclibrary.org/about.asp>.
Slide 20: Photo of Faulkner Mills from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts. Billerica Historical
Society. Billerica Historical Society, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://www.billericahistory.org/>.
38. Work Cited
Slide 21: Photo of Luther W. Faulkner from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts.
Slide 22: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Billerica, Massachusetts.
Slide 23: See Archive citation at the end of this list.
Slide 24: See Archive citation at the end of this list.
Slide 25: Auction notice from Lexington Minuteman, 1878, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA
Slide 26 Book available from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA. Billerica and Bedford Railroad, by George Mansfield.
Slide 27: Photo of locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 28: Photo of locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 29: Photo of passenger car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 30: Photo of passenger car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 31: Photo of excursion car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 32: Photo of box car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 33: Photo of flat car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.
Slide 35: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Bedford, Massachusetts.
Slide 36: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Billerica, Massachusetts.
Bankruptcy Document photos from :Billerica and Bedford Railroad Company of Bedford. ARC number: 5925871, record group 21, Docket 07690 U.S.D.C.
Series: Bankruptcy Act of 1867 Case files, compiled 1867-1878
District Court U.S. 1685-2004. Filed in January 1878, at 9:35am
39. Teacher answers
• What is the difference between Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge tracks?
– Standard Gauge is 4 feet across between the rails, and Narrow Gauge is 2 feet across.
• Where is the missing Billerica Section?
– There is a part that is not easy to see anymore because the tracks are gone and it wasn’t preserved as a trail either.
• What train stops, in Billerica, do you see on this timetable to the left?
– South Billerica, Nuttings Pond, Boston Road, Salem Road North Billerica
• This is a book cover at left. Do you notice something about the locomotive?
– The locomotive has the smoke stack in the back and the triangle pointy part in the front. This indicates that the triangle part is the front of
the car, because it would be there for wind dynamics. The smoke stack was in the back, so that the smoke didn’t get in the eyes of the
conductor.
• What is a primary source document?
– It is an original document from history. It is something that tells a story first
• L.W. Faulkner, and Elenor Bennett–were owed money-- who were these people?
– Faulkner was of the Faulkner mills family, and the mills are still standing, right around the corner. He worked there. And Elenor Bennett was a
wealthy woman in town who donated the town’s first library. The Bennett library building is currently used for functions and a summer camp
for girls.
• What is an Excursion Car for?
– Sight-seeing. Open car gives better views, and nice breeze!
• What do you think Box cars and Flat cars are for?
– Moving goods and products from place to place.
