Chester, MA: CSX+Trail/B&A/Western Railroad Roundhouse, Coaling Tower and 1840s Depot

(Satellite: Roundhouse, Tower, Depot, no Street Views are available)

The 1928 RR Atlas shows this route as the Boston & Albany. The Chester Railway Museum indicates this segment was built by the Western Railroad. It was the world's first mountain railroad, and it was completed in 1842. It is now part of the CSX Boston Line. This mountain railroad went over the Berkshire Range of Western Massachusetts, and it used several cut-stone arch bridges. The route with the bridges was bypassed in 1912 and 7 of the 10 Keystone Arches are now part of the Keystone Bridge Trail. An example bridge is Whistler Bridge #4 (Bridge Hunter).

Photo from HAER MA-155-4 from ma1704

The variety of designs for coaling towers continues to fascinate me. The roof of the roundhouse in the satellite image is about half gone. It is good that Craig caught it in the 20th century while the roof was still intact.

HO Diesel Supply posted (source)
Conrail train symbol FRSE (Framingham,MA to Selkirk,NY) is in the company notch preparing to assault the Berkshire Mountains at Chester,MA. Late 90's. Photo by Craig Sturgeon.

Brian Sopke posted
Conrail train SESP rolls past the old coaling tower at Chester, MA on March 4, 1995. Carl Weber Jr. Photo, Brian Sopke Collection.

A 2012 visitor's log has exterior and interior views of the roundhouse and exterior views of the coal tower (about 2/3 of the way down the page).