Friday, May 17, 2013

Mt. Park Casino via the Northampton Street Railway 1912


The Northampton and Holyoke Street Railways operated a trolley route from Northampton to Mountain Park. The rail bed can be seen in the "treeless" area to the left above the trolley car. The route existed from the early 1900s to the 1930s.

This route crossed the present day RT 91 and went north towards the area that is now the northbound scenic area and exited onto RT 5 between Cedar Hill Road and Falardeau Drive. The route then proceed along RT 5 north towards Easthampton to Northampton.




A trolley from the Northampton Street Railway makes a stop at the Mountain Park Casino in July of 1912.  (This photo was taken from the roof of the Trolley Pavilion and is courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)




Part of the rail bed still exists today as an entrance road to Mountain Park, then running parallel along the Mt. Tom Ski Area Road around the base of Little Mountain towards Route 91.

You can also see traces of the rail bed if you cross over to the east side of Route 91 near the old Mountain Park Junk Yard between RT 91 and Rt 5 and again further north by the I-91 Scenic Rest Area  Notice the boulder in the picture, it's still a landmark at the park. (Photo courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)



This photo of the Northampton to Mountain Park trolley route was taken in the vicinity of the old Davignon Farm just below the location of the present day rest area on I-91. The Connecticut River and Route 5 are in the background. (photo courtesy of Robert Schwobe)




Switch track in the vicinity of the old Davignon Farm just  east of the present day northbound Rest Area on Route 91.







The Northampton to Holyoke trolley route as it looks today. In the top photo, the last bridge that was constructed for the line in 1924. In the bottom photo, the rail bed. Both these photos were also taken in the area of the old Davignon Farm near the Route 91 northbound rest area.

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