NEW BRAINTREE RAILROAD

New Braintree Railroad marker at West and Hardwick Road.

The newly reorganized Central Massachusetts Railroad reached Ware on June 27, 1887. Until then, New Braintree did not have a rail line within the town boundary. Sometime after 1886 a small (30ft x 10ft) station was built of wood, painted in two tones and had three windows. It was located at the junction of West Road and Hardwick Road in New Braintree.

The train line carried freight (cattle, milk, cheese) and passengers from Boston to Northampton. Next to the station was an ice house for cooling the much in demand milk being shipped to Boston. The ice was cut from nearby ponds. On Sundays the train had a regular schedule to stop in New Braintree. Weekdays it stopped only if signaled by the station or if the conductor was notified by a passenger.
In 1929 the milk car to Boston was discontinued as farmers were selling more of their milk in Worcester via the railroad in North Brookfield. In 1932 the Depression ended the through passenger service from Boston to Northampton.

New Braintree railroad station with ice house at junction of West and Hardwick Roads.