Page:Shore Line Electric Railway Predecessor Companies 1961.pdf/16

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well as to boost that available on the watch Hill run, the 16,000-volt high tension line from Hallville to the White Rock substation was extended through Westerly to Mastuxet Brook Junction (afterward called Pleasant view Junction), near which a new substation was constructed.

As of December 30, 1913, the Norwich & Westerly Traction Company operated 59.08 route miles, of which 31.6 were owned and 27.48 were leased. Of the total. 43.48 miles were in Connecticut and 15.60 in Rhode island. There were 338 miles of sidings and turnouts for a total single track equivalent of 62.96 miles

The Norwich & Westerly Traction company had a capitalization of $1,100,000, including $200,000 in common stock, $650,000 in first preferred stock and $200,000 in second preferred. The funded debt consisted of $1,200,000 in first mortgage 20-year a per cent bonds, dated November 1, 1912, plus $50.000 in bonds of the Pawcatuck Valley Street Railway company.

Operations

Operations of the expanded Norwich & Westerly system differed greatly from those of prior years. The acquisition of the Pawcatuck valley street Railway company made it possible to run through cars between Norwich and Watch Hill—or Weekapaug—and lease of the Groton to Stonington Street Railway company permitted operation of Groton & Stonington cars to Dixon House Square—or the railroad station—in Westerly. Previously they had been required to stop at the state line—midwav across the Pawcatuck River bridge between Pawcatuck Village and Westerly.

As before, hourly service was provided between Norwich and Westerly the year round, cars continuing on to Weekapug during the summer months. Operation of the Weekapaug branch, incidentally, was suspended annually from early October until late April or early May because of the seasonal nature of the traffic on the line. Pleasant view, Atlantic Beach and Weekapaug were summer resorts.

The Ashaway and Watch H111 lines were through-routed and runs were arranged so that Ashaway cars ran hourly and Watch Hill cars every 30 minutes during the summer months. in the fall, winter and spring, only a few trips a day were operated to Watch Hill, most runs terminating at Thompsons corner, at the junction of Beach Street and East Avenue in westerly.

Half-hour headways prevailed between Groton and Westerly and on the old Mystic branch most or the year, these two routes being the most heavily patronized on the system.

Expansion of the Norwich & Westerly system also resulted in a considerable increase in the freight business, particularly on the Ashaway line, which served several mills and factories. Much carload freight was handled over part or this route—from the interchange at Sweeny's to Ashaway —and a large l.c.1. traffic was developed.

Rolling Stock

COINCIDENT with the reorganization, the Norwich & Westerly undertook modernization of its rolling stock with the purchase of 4 modern arch roof double truck semi-convertible cars, Nos. 22, 24, 26 and 28, from the Wason Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Mass.

Another two cars of the same type. Nos, 30 and 32, were ordered later in the year. arriving in 1913, All six had 30 ft. 8 in. bodies of wooden construction and were equipped with Brill 27G1 trucks, four motors and series-parallel controllers.

The new ears were practically identical in exterior appearance to the 17-24 class of the Shore Line Electric built a year later. The main difference was the lack of anti-climbers on the bumpers of the Norwich & Westerly group. Inside, the cars had 18 cross seats instead of 14.

The six cars replaced the old heavy Norwich & westerly equipment on the main line between Norwich & Westerly, four of the old cars. Nos 2, 4, 6 and 8, being sold, reportedly to Quebec.

Also purchased from Wason in 1912 was a double truck box motor freight car, No. 2, and in 1915, Wason built a double cab double truck motor flat, G-1, for the Norwich & westerly. Both rode on Baldwin trucks and the latter was equipped with train air and MCB couplers for handling steam rail- road equipment.

Cars taken over from the Pawca-

M-U TRAIN on the Norwich & Westerly Railway ready to leave the Franklin Square terminus, Norwich, Conn. Train operation was not frequehtly used as riding on the line was seldom that heavy.