Billerica and Bedford Railroad
| Billerica and Bedford Railroad | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Massachusetts |
| Dates of operation | 1877 – 1878 |
| Successor line | abandoned |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Headquarters | |
The Billerica and Bedford Railroad was an early narrow gauge railroad in Massachusetts, built to demonstrate the advantages of a two-foot gauge.
George E. Mansfield, of Hazelhurst, Massachusetts, became an early promoter of the two-foot gage after seeing the Ffestiniog Railway in operation in Wales. He persuaded the citizens of Billerica of the economies of a two-foot line, and became general manager of the Billerica & Bedford when it was chartered in 1876. Construction began in May 1877, and the line was completed between North Billerica and Bedford in August 1877, a distance of 8.63 miles.
The line was built very cheaply in accordance with narrow gauge doctrine, but rapidly found itself financially embarrassed. Turntables were built at each end of the railroad, and a wye and enginehouse were built at Bedford, but no stations were ever constructed along the line. The company went bankrupt and was liquidated in June 1878.
Mansfield, undeterred, went on to promote the two-foot gauge in Maine, where the largest network of these lines was ultimately built. The Boston and Lowell Railroad used the B&B roadbed to built its Bedford Branch in May 1885.
