Date of Program: Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Visit the Enfield Public Library on Saturday, March 14th at 2:00 PM as author Philip E. Johnson presents, The Hampden Railroad-The Greatest Railroad that Never Ran. There will be books on hand for sale and signing.
A railroad, built as a connector from Springfield to the Central Massachusetts community of Bondsville, constructed between 1911 and 1913, never earned a dime. That was the Hampden Railroad designed to run between East Springfield and Palmer, known even today as “the Town of Seven Railroads.”
In the 1910s trains were the major modern means of transportation and The Hampden Railroad was intended to be a link in a growing network of’ railroads that crisscrossed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prominent and influential businessmen of the day, Charles Mellen of New Haven, Connecticut, Ralph Gillett of Westfield, Massachusetts and president of the Woronoco Construction Company, and the great New York financier, J.P. Morgan, provided the $4 million dollars to construct this ill-fated project.
In his research for his book on The Hampden Railroad, Mr. Johnson discovered a bridge on the Central Mass branch in Bondsville which left him wondering why the bridge was there and what had run underneath it. That discovery led him to the remnants of a railroad lost in the woods. He also found a stone marker with B82 carved into it, indicating that Boston was 82 miles from that point.
Mr. Johnson’s research revealed that there was little written history covering the construction of The Hampden Railroad. Several years later he was fortunate enough to find a source of 400 photographs documenting the construction of the railroad, many of which are featured in both his book and lecture. In his presentation, Mr. Johnson relates the planning, construction and the reasons for the railroads existence, as well as why, although completed, it was never operated.
Philip E. Johnson grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts during the 50’s and 60’s, where he would watch the trains crossing in Winchester Square and by Watershops Pond, and even across Five Mile pond when swimming with his family. His love of trains flourished from his rides on tourist trains as a child to his time spent constructing model trains. In his early 20’s Mr. Johnson had a job where he was a field service engineer in eastern Hampden County. This job gave him ample opportunity to view branch lines in operation and investigate abandoned lines. As well, Mr. Johnson has been a member of the Amherst Railroad Society for 40 years.
All programs at the Enfield Public Library are free and all are welcome. To register for this program, please visit the Circulation Desk, or call 860-763-7512. For more information on library programs, please visit our website: www.enfieldpubliclibrary.org.
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