This chapter will deal with photographs that I have come across during my research and covers remains or relics of the first railroad and are no longer to be seen.

The first photograph, Figure 164, shows the West Quincy area and artist's conception of what this section of the city looked like in 1899 when the granite industry was perhaps at its peak.

Figure 165 and 166 are copies of a drawing and plan of the first railway car as drawn by Ezra Badger while he was foreman of the Bunker Hill Ledge and quarry under Solomon Willard. The next photograph, Figure 167, shows one of the "braking" devices used at the top of the "inclined plane", used in raising and lowering the cars. This photograph was taken around 1916. Figure 168 is a picture of one of the stone sleepers and the gear used on the first car which was kept in the yards of Badger Bros. Works until they were broken up sometime around the 1920's.

Figure 169 shows portions of the original roadbed with pieces of the iron rail still attached. These were located somewhere near the "inclined plane". Figure 170 shows some stone posts were stood at the right of the tracks and were apparently the uprights that were used in the construction of one of the stone sheds, the wooden roof and sides having fallen in because of decay over the years.

Figure 171 is an interesting side view taken around 1920 and shows a road going under part of the "inclined plane". Figures 172 and 172A are photographs of the inclined plane when modern steel tracks were used. Somewhere around 1920-21 these were replaced by steel runners or gutters for trucks as shown in Figure 173. Figure 174 shows the "frog and superstructure" used in later years on the railroad, being placed near West Squantum Street in East Milton. These were also Bryant's inventions and were exhibited at the World's Fair of Chicago in 1893. They were removed during the construction of the Southeast Expressway for protection and at present are in the custody of the Milton Historical Society.

Another interesting photograph, Figure 173, shows a section of the remains of the Granite Railway with the iron rail still attached to it. This is located adjacent to the Granite Branch near the turnout at West Squantum Street; also, the above-mentioned "frog and superstructure" can be clearly seen.

During my research and travels, I found where a Mr. MacDonald of Fredericka Street, Dorchester lived in a house with cellar foundations that had been constructed by using some of the pieces of the granite sleepers. Upon contacting him, he was kind enough to take pictures of these stones. Figures 176, 176A show these stones as they looked on the outside of the foundation, while Figure 177 was taken inside the cellar. The rust marks are clearly visible, showing where the iron rails were bolted in place, the bolts still being imbedded in the granite blocks. In all, I counted over two dozen pieces of these sleepers.

At the time the new roadbed was being constructed by the Old Colony and Newport Railroad in 1871, a road master, a Mr. Chase Parker, had charge of removing and getting rid of the old sleepers which formed the old Granite Railway roadbed. He was a resident of Atlantic and was the owner of a large estate. During the preparation for the new road, a great many of the old sleepers were removed and transported to his estate, later being used for curbings and general building purposes.

Some of these sleepers that were used for curbings were used on Atlantic Street in the Atlantic section of Quincy and can still be seen opposite numbers 184-192 and 202. Figure 178 shows a portion of this curbing. By proceeding to the junction of Atlantic Street and the Quincy Shore Boulevard crossing to the sea wall, many of these stones used in its construction are old sleepers as shown in Figure 179, this wall now being dismantled. It is possible that the stones used in Mr. MacDonald's cellar came from this lot in Atlantic.

Another interesting set of pictures concerns the old "Railway House" which was built in 1830 by the Granite Railway Company. During their early days of operation they constructed many stone buildings.

The "Railway House", located in East Milton Square or "Railway Village" as it was more commonly called in those days, stood where the Post Office stands today. Figure 180 shows this location. The "Railway House" served for many years as a gathering place, a tavern and a lodging house under the direction of the Railway Company. Figure 181 shows it during this period. Later it was operated as a tavern and hostelry by a man named Russell and was called the "Russell House". Figure 182 shows what it looked like during this phase of its existence. Finally it was used as a tea room and hotel and was known as the "Granite House", Figures 183 and 184, until it was torn down around 1930.

Before concluding this chapter, I will include a series of pictures which shows the location and route of the original railway and its successor, the Granite Branch of the Old Colony and later the New Haven Railroads, from the quarries in West Quincy through East Milton to the wharf. This is now part of the new Southeast Expressway that has been built over the old roadbed and runs parallel to Willard and Granite Streets and between Bryant Avenue. Figure 185 is looking north towards the wharf location and Neponset River from East Milton Square, Figure 186 looking south from the square, while Figure 187 is looking north towards the square from the bridge at California Avenue. Figure 188 is looking south in the direction of the inclined plane which is located to the right of the truck (x), while Figure 189 shows what is left of the section of the original roadbed uncovered by Dick Muzzrole and shown previously in Figures 12 and 13, and now all graded over, this looking in a southerly direction.