Happenings on the Cheshire Line
August 26, 1847 – Railroads – The rails of the Cheshire road are laid to Winchendon, (with exception of the summit cut in Ashburnham) and the same work is progressing on the sections this side. The Massachusetts and Vermont connecting sections are ready, and within six weeks the cars may be expected at Fitzwilliam, if not at Troy.
October 10, 1847 – Cheshire Railroad – The rails are laid to Fitzwilliam Depot, but the road bed is not yet graded up so as to be in running order. It is uncertain yet whether the cars will run to that point until the road is finished to Troy, nine miles from this village.
(Keene) The plan adopted of finishing the road bed thoroughly before opening it to the public is a good one; but we trust no efforts will be spared to complete the work to this village as early as possible.
July 5, 1866 – Troy – The trains from Boston have been a little behind time for a day or two in consequence of the washing away of a few rods of track near Troy Depot, caused by a dam giving away at the outlet of a small pond. The damage was slight and has been repaired so that trains are running on time this (Tuesday) afternoon.
February 5, 1880 – “It is good for sore eyes and hard times to see the amount of wooden ware shipped at our depot.” – Trojan
December 8, 1881 – The Cheshire passenger locomotive “Murdock” lost a wheel off the forward track, between Marlboro’ and Troy, Saturday morning, while drawing the early passenger train down. No other damage was done. The train was backed into Marlboro’ and another locomotive sent from Keene to take it through.
December 29, 1881 – Two Cheshire locomotives, No. 11 and 23, which drew down the extra cattle train Sunday night, met with an accident at Troy. The train was left on the main track and the engines backed down to get water. As they were returning and passing over the switch the forward locomotive, No. 23 left the track and one side of the engine ran into the saloon car in the rear of the train, smashing the car and engine considerably. The forward part of the rear engine was smashed somewhat by running into the tender of the first engine. A wrecking train went from Keene and cleared the track in good season Monday morning.
December 8, 1881 – A broken switch rod caused four freight cars to leave the track near Troy station, Monday morning. The train was drawn by the Mogul engine, “E. C. Thayer,” which passed over the switch all right, but was subsequently pulled from the track by the freight cars which took the main track when the switch rod broke, while the engine to which they were attached was running on the siding. Trains were delayed until about half past ten, the accident occurring before the early passenger train got to Troy. The wrecking gang from Keene mad quick time in clearing the track after their arrival.
April 22, 1885 – The steamer was taken to Troy, last Friday afternoon, by special train, at the request of Cheshire road, to control and extinguish a fire in the Cheshire woodshed at that place, where some three hundred cords of wood were burning, threatening the property. The engine took water from a brook near by and delivered three good streams upon the fire for some hours in its usual effective manner. Engineer Ladd ran the engine and quite a number of citizens besides members of the Steamer company went down.
May 21, 1884 – Murray Bliss takes place of Frank Harris at the depot
January 12, 1887 – Contractors are at work, this Winter, upon the “gulf bridge” so called, near Troy, on the Cheshire road. This is an iron truss bridge, and having been in use for some years it is being thoroughly overhauled and greatly strengthened to meet the requirements of modern railway traffic. A number of other bridges upon the road have also been inspected and repaired recently under the supervision of Master Mechanic Perry.
March 27, 1889 – Eddie Russell, assistant at the depot has been unable to work for some time by reason of illness.
May 29, 1889 – F.H. Baker, an engineer on the Cheshire road, made a misstep in getting off a moving freight train at Rockway pond, Troy, last week and was considerably bruised and hurt so that he has not since been able to work. He was going to the pond to fish.
September 11, 1889 –E. P. Kimball and Son are soon to erect a store-house near the passenger depot for storing the grain and flour to which a spur-track will be laid when completed, thus saving them a great deal of time and expense.
February 12, 1890 – Increased Mail Service - Beginning on Monday last a closed pouch leaves Keene every morning at 6:45 for Troy, N.H., and will return on the 6:14 p.m. train. A pouch will also be sent from the Keene office to Winchendon on the 10:12 a.m. train, returning at 6:14. This will add materially to the mail service to and from Troy which has heretofore been reached by the mail trains only, and will also be a convenience to communicating with Winchendon and vicinity.
May 20, 1891 – Summer Train Service – The managers of the Fitchburg road have substantially completed their schedules for the summer train service on the several divisions on the line. Train Master Howard was in Boston, Thursday, when the general outline of the trains for the Cheshire division was determined upon. The station time over the line now remains to be figured. The two new express trains, - one leaving Boston at 10.30 a.m., arriving at Keene at 1.03 and Bellows Falls at l.45; the other leaving Bellows Falls at 4.25 p.m., passing Keene about 5.10 and arriving at Boston at 7.45 – will be run as heretofore announced. These trains will stop only at Keene, Troy, Winchendon, Fitchburg and Ayer Junction. Their actual running time, with the station time deducted, is over fifty miles an hour. These trains will consist of one combination car, one passenger coach and two drawing room cars.
May 27, 1891 – The old Cheshire locomotives, Marlboro’, Troy and Thacher, have been dismantled at the Fitchburg shops and will be sold, largely for old iron. The boilers of each engine are suitable for various uses, at moderate pressure, and can be obtained at low prices. The running parts of the engines are of no further use.
July 8 1891 – Troy - W. N. Gay has put up a set of scales near the depot and is putting up sheds, preparing for dealing in coal.