Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad

Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1842
Defunct	1990
Successor	Boston and Albany Railroad (after 1870)
Headquarters	Pittsfield, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Northwestern Massachusetts
Products	Rail transportation services (passenger and freight)

The Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad operated in the northwestern region of Massachusetts and was initially chartered in 1842. Prior to its completion in 1846, ownership transferred to the Western Railroad of Massachusetts, which itself was absorbed by the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) in 1870. This rail line extended from North Adams Junction in Pittsfield to North Adams, linking with the Troy and Greenfield Railroad, a segment within the Fitchburg Railroad system.

History

Established on March 3, 1842, the Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad was intended to extend the reach of the Housatonic Railroad (1836) northward toward Rutland, Vermont. The company was formally organized on December 18, 1845, and commenced operations on December 1, 1846. Before construction began, it was acquired by the Western Railroad of Massachusetts, granting the Housatonic access until Western merged into the B&A on November 2, 1870, at which point it became known as the North Adams Branch. The route became a vital conduit for mineral freight, particularly limestone shipments. In 1900, the New York Central Railroad assumed control of B&A, enhancing the line while maintaining its B&A identity. Occasionally, NYC promotional materials categorized the North Adams Branch as part of the Harlem Division, despite its geographic separation.

The B&A designation was discontinued in 1961 when the North Adams Branch was fully integrated into New York Central’s operations. Following NYC’s merger with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to form Penn Central Railroad, which declared bankruptcy two years later, Penn Central’s assets were acquired by Conrail in 1976. Conrail operated the branch until selling it to the Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) in 1981. Although B&M had connections at North Adams, it faced dwindling traffic volumes. The acquisition of B&M by Guilford Transportation Industries in 1983 failed to reverse this trend, resulting in abandonment of the line by 1990.

Community initiatives preserved much of the former railroad corridor for recreational use, leading to its conversion into the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Remaining structures include former station buildings located in Cheshire, Adams, and North Adams.

Station list

All stations along this route were situated within Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Locality	Miles (kilometers) from Pittsfield	Station	Station link	Lat/long	Notes/Connections
Pittsfield	0.00	Pittsfield			Amtrak Lake Shore Limited Interchange with Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad (NYNH&H). Later replaced by the Amtrak station.
		North Adams Junction			Connection point with B&A Main Line.
		Coltsville			Formerly an independent village now incorporated into Pittsfield.
Berkshire		Berkshire
Farnams		Farnhams			Situated within the Farnams Village Historic District
Cheshire		Cheshire			Currently utilized as a local auto repair facility.
		Cheshire Harbor
Maple Grove		Maple Grove
Adams		Adams		Included on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982.
Renfrew		Renfrew
Zylonite		Zylonite
North Adams	18.539	North Adams			Connection with Troy and Greenfield Railroad (B&M) at what is now part of the Freight Yard Historic District within Western Gateway Heritage State Park.
Northern terminus connecting to the Fitchburg Railroad via the Troy and Greenfield Railroad

External links

• Reports from the Interstate Commerce Commission: Rulings of the United States Interstate Commerce Commission. Valuation reports, Volume 27 (Google Books)