Bay Colony Railroad
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| Reporting mark | BCLR |
|---|---|
| Locale | Massachusetts |
| Dates of operation | 1982–present |
| Predecessor | Consolidated Rail Corporation |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Braintree, Massachusetts |
The Bay Colony Railroad (reporting mark BCLR) is a shortline railroad operating in Massachusetts.
The BCLR operates in the Millis - Milford - Needham Corridor. 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, which took over on January 1, 2008. At that time the Bay Colony ceased operation on those lines, but continues in other areas of the state. [2]
The corridor from Needham Junction to Millis has been abandoned by the Company, according to The Bay Colony Rail Trail project web site and the Boston Globe.[3]
Locomotive fleet
- Bay Colony 1701, an EMD GP8, acquired in March 1987 and previously owned by Indiana Midland and Detroit Toledo & Shore Line. Now sits abandoned near the Medfield Waste Water Plant on the Millis branch line, Bay Colony's last standing line. (N 42.18982 W 71.33304)
- Bay Colony 1702, an GP9R (Sold to Grafton and Upton Railroad in Spring 2008)
- Bay Colony 1703, an EMD GP9
- Bay Colony 1705, an EMD GP9 Low nose
- Bay Colony 1706, an EMD GP9 Low nose
- Bay Colony 1751, an EMD GP9
- Bay Colony 1777, an EMD GP9
- Bay Colony 2443, a CF7 (Sold to Grafton and Upton Railroad in Spring 2008)
- Bay Colony 2501, an ALCO Century 425
