Allens Ave - Providence, RI

Looking for information on the street running trackage in South Providence, on Allens Ave, it doesn't appear to be used anymore. When was the last train? The tracks disappear in the pavement in-between the intersections of Public St and Blackstone St. How far north did the tracks continue?

Maybe 10 years ago there were some cars sent to the scrap metal facility at https://goo.gl/maps/3NQXz3gYunF3KHpB7
Those were the first moves in many years on those tracks. It was done some time after the ethanol transload was built because they had to remove the bumper and add a gate at the end of the rebuilt yard.

A look at the 1915 New Haven RR valuation maps [finally able to access them thanks to advice from this forum] shows the line continued up Allens Ave right up to Eddy St where it had a physical connection to a Rhode Island Co. street car line. I believe that the NY NH & H and the RI Co. were affiliated at this time. This area of Providence has seen drastic changes due to highway realignment and redevelopment and most of the old landmarks are gone.

Also, the Library of Congress has online access to the Sanborn fire maps. Learning to navigate -can be initially frustrating, but the granular detail is a virtual Wayback Machine -- Hello, Mr. Peabody and Sherman! -- for surrounding businesses.

The rail continued along the water to India Point where it crossed the river. You can see the remains of the bridge in the middle of the marina across from India Point Park.

SOCO11 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:54 am The rail continued along the water to India Point where it crossed the river. You can see the remains of the bridge in the middle of the marina across from India Point Park.

Different line - that was the original Providence entry of the Boston & Providence. It came through East Providence, across that mostly-demolished bridge to India Point, and across the waterfront to Fox Point. The passenger station* was at South Main Street (now where South Water Street is due to street realignments); the steamship transfer point (including the original ferry to South Providence) was at the tip of Fox Point. 1915 valuation map of that line.

The tracks on Allen Street ran as far as Globe Street, where the last siding (the former station* location) was on the north side of Butts Street (now gone; slightly south of and parallel to Marengo Street.) As Douglasphil noted, there was also a track connection to the RICo streetcar tracks on Eddy. Such connections were common at the time. 1915 valuation map of Allen Street.


* The original B&P station was on India Point, near where the Hilton now is. Not until the line to Bristol opened did Fox Point become a terminal. The original NYP&B station was at Sassafras Cove south of Thurbers Avenue; it was moved to the location near Globe Street within a few years.

EGE, My bad. Interesting map links. Amazing amount of trackage there at one point.

In one of the Morning Sun books on the New Haven, there is a photo taken from an RDC Boston Chapter NRHS 1957 fan trip that covered the Allens Avenue trackage with a Providence Police Dept. motorcycle escort.