Can anybody tell me about the former B&M yards in Boston, and what they were used for? I know Yard 7 was the bulk freight yard, Yard 8 was the piggyback yard, and Yard 9 is BET, but what about the other yards. Also, where were they?
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Go to New England Railfan. There's a section for YARDS LOCATED IN BOSTON AREA. I have several posts on Boston & Maine Yards. They don't agree with your numbering. I worked for B & M 1968-86.
From what I can remember:-
YARD-1 2 3 & 4 were dedicated passenger coach yards
YARD- 3 & 4 were torn up along with East Cambridge roundhouse to create the PIGGYBACK YARD
YARD-5 was the East End of Boston Engine Terminal
YARD-7 East Cambridge was freight
YARD-8 9 & 10 made up the Hump Yards at Mystic Jct. Somerville
YARD-14 East Cambridge was Fitchburg Division freight
YARD-19 Charlestown was for milk traffic
YARD-21 Somerville was Portland Division freight
YARD-22 Somerville was Portland Division freight
BOYNTON YARD Just west of Tower-H on the Fitchburg Division
WEST CAMBRIDGE YARD Now a MofW yard for MBCR (a shadow of its former self)
There were also the missing freight yards that I can't remember their location or if they had a specific purpose, but I do remember my father telling me that we had 22 numbered yards in the Boston area.
I'm a fourth generation B&M employee - I worked on the B&M from 1974 until 1986.
YARD-1 2 3 & 4 were dedicated passenger coach yards
YARD- 3 & 4 were torn up along with East Cambridge roundhouse to create the PIGGYBACK YARD
YARD-5 was the East End of Boston Engine Terminal
YARD-7 East Cambridge was freight
YARD-8 9 & 10 made up the Hump Yards at Mystic Jct. Somerville
YARD-14 East Cambridge was Fitchburg Division freight
YARD-19 Charlestown was for milk traffic
YARD-21 Somerville was Portland Division freight
YARD-22 Somerville was Portland Division freight
BOYNTON YARD Just west of Tower-H on the Fitchburg Division
WEST CAMBRIDGE YARD Now a MofW yard for MBCR (a shadow of its former self)
There were also the missing freight yards that I can't remember their location or if they had a specific purpose, but I do remember my father telling me that we had 22 numbered yards in the Boston area.
I'm a fourth generation B&M employee - I worked on the B&M from 1974 until 1986.
David Hutchinson
Yard 24 and Yard 29 were both on the Mysrtic Wharf Branch
Yard 24 was along the south channel Mystic River
Yard 29 was NE of it on the Mystic River
Dave
Yard 24 was along the south channel Mystic River
Yard 29 was NE of it on the Mystic River
Dave
We have a portion of a map which shows a lot of the yards in Boston. The map is not dated, but does include the Hogh Line so is no earlier than 1930 or so. It is apparent that some of these names migrated around the area as time marched on. In addition to the ones listed above I noted the following:
Yard 1 -- located on the outbound side between Tower A and Prison Pt. bridge
Yard 2 -- located on the outbound side between the Prison Pt. Bridge and Tower C
Yard 3 -- located on the inbound side of the Fitchburg on the other side of the Millers River (which was open at the time)
passing under Prison Pt. bridge
Yard 4 -- located to the west of Yard 3
Yard 5 -- ironically, is not shown on our map
Yard 7 -- tracks to "A" House and other team tracks under the Prison Pt. bridge almost out to what is now the
McGrath-O'Brien Hwy.
Yard 11 -- the tracks at the Hoosac Tunnel Docks (on the way to the Navy Yard)
Yard 12 -- at North Station on the other side of the REA bldg. including connection to the Union Freight RR
Yard 13 -- across the Millers River from the back side of Tower A
Yard 14 -- along the inbound side of the Fitchburg opposite BET
Yard 15 -- along the outbound side of the Fitchburg opposite BET (and Yard 14)
Yard 17 -- AKA Boynton St. Yard, on the inbound side of the Fitchburg west of the Medford St. UG bridge
Yard 18 -- tracks for freight houses on the other side of Front St. opposite Yard 13
Yard 20 -- between Yard 2 and Yard 19
Yard 21 -- inbound side of the West Route just west of Draw 8
Yard 22 -- outbound side of the West Route just west of Draw 8
Cripple Yard -- between Yard 8 and the NHML
Interchange Yard -- next to Cripple Yard hard against the High Line (Does anyone know what was interchanged here, and
with whom?)
The map also shows two other yards on the Mystic Wharf Branch between Yard 24 and Yard 29. One of which could be Yard 28 as there is a "28" on the map but the word "Yard", if it were there, is cut off. And I guessing that the unnamed yard is Yard 23 or Yard 25 because those numbers don't show up anywhere else.
DAW
Yard 1 -- located on the outbound side between Tower A and Prison Pt. bridge
Yard 2 -- located on the outbound side between the Prison Pt. Bridge and Tower C
Yard 3 -- located on the inbound side of the Fitchburg on the other side of the Millers River (which was open at the time)
passing under Prison Pt. bridge
Yard 4 -- located to the west of Yard 3
Yard 5 -- ironically, is not shown on our map
Yard 7 -- tracks to "A" House and other team tracks under the Prison Pt. bridge almost out to what is now the
McGrath-O'Brien Hwy.
Yard 11 -- the tracks at the Hoosac Tunnel Docks (on the way to the Navy Yard)
Yard 12 -- at North Station on the other side of the REA bldg. including connection to the Union Freight RR
Yard 13 -- across the Millers River from the back side of Tower A
Yard 14 -- along the inbound side of the Fitchburg opposite BET
Yard 15 -- along the outbound side of the Fitchburg opposite BET (and Yard 14)
Yard 17 -- AKA Boynton St. Yard, on the inbound side of the Fitchburg west of the Medford St. UG bridge
Yard 18 -- tracks for freight houses on the other side of Front St. opposite Yard 13
Yard 20 -- between Yard 2 and Yard 19
Yard 21 -- inbound side of the West Route just west of Draw 8
Yard 22 -- outbound side of the West Route just west of Draw 8
Cripple Yard -- between Yard 8 and the NHML
Interchange Yard -- next to Cripple Yard hard against the High Line (Does anyone know what was interchanged here, and
with whom?)
The map also shows two other yards on the Mystic Wharf Branch between Yard 24 and Yard 29. One of which could be Yard 28 as there is a "28" on the map but the word "Yard", if it were there, is cut off. And I guessing that the unnamed yard is Yard 23 or Yard 25 because those numbers don't show up anywhere else.
DAW