Photo by William
Dulmaine
Over its century-and-a-quarter
history, the Grafton & Upton Railroad has carried a wide variety
of locmotives on its roster. In recent years, the eastern Massachussets
shortline has survived with just two diesels, Alco S4 No. 1001
and General Electric 44-ton No. 9, seen double heading into North
Grafton yard in this undated photo.
Grafton & Upton
by Gordon Hopper
INTRODUCTION
Several years ago while
driving through Hopedale, Mass., I happened to see a sign on the
side of a small building that read "Grafton & Upton Railroad
Company." Never having heard of any railroad with this name, I
returned a few weeks later and determined that there really was
a small 15.5-mile-long industrial railroad running from Milford,
a large town in southeastern Massachusetts, through Hopedale,
Upton, West Upton and Grafton to North Grafton, a town located
a few miles southeast of Worcester.
Shortly after I became
involved in the study of the Grafton & Upton (G&U), it
became apparent that this rail line was unique. Probably the most
unusual reason for this was that the railroad had been operated
and controlled by its original owners for almost 80 years. It
is most remarkable to find a road of such length in New England
today, linking such large areas as Milford and Worcester, which
has not been acquired by larger railroad interests.
The G&U is of particular
interest to students of shortline railroading. In addition to
its mainline, the railroad has nearly five miles of yard trackage;
and although it is basically an industrial line, it has had a
varied history. The G&U has survived strikes, storms and various
economic recessions. From a pair of narrow-gauge steam combination-type
vehicles in 1874, through a progression of gauge widenings and
line extensions, along with a complete rebuild, it was one of
the few railroads to go from steam to electric operation before
changing to diesel power. For more than a century, change and
progress were a G&U trademark, but at the same time its owner,
the Draper Company, tended to keep publicity at a low key. Draper
was interested in maintaining an efficient railroad with which
to haul its products, and not in gaining renown for its shortline.
The G&U provided
freight service from 1896 until 1967 for the Draper Company, a
large textile manufacturer, and for several smaller companies.
In 1967 the railroad was acquired by Rockwell International's
Weaving Machinery Division and was purchased in 1979 by Torco,
a firm specializing in the leasing of piggyback trailers for rail
movement.
The southern terminal
of what is now the Grafton & Upton Railroad is a point inMilford
where the tracks join with a CSX (Conrail) branchline. Offices
and main yards of the G&U are located in Hopedale, adjacent
to the buildings once associated with the Draper Company. Other
yards are located at Milford, West Upton, Grafton and at the northern
terminal where the tracks join with CSX (former Boston & Albany)
at North Grafton.
Photo by William
Dulmaine
Forty-four-ton No.
9., purchased new from GE in 1946, is fitted with a snowplow in
this wintry 1973 scene at North Grafton.
