It took two different railroad companies to connect the City of Boston to the Town of Springfield, thus connecting the Town of Wilbraham in between. The first was the Boston and Worcester Railroad (B&W), chartered and incorporated in 1831. Construction began in August of 1832 and the first train running on that line was on July 4, 1835. This was the very first railroad in Massachusetts. The second railroad was the Western Railroad which was chartered and incorporated in 1833, to connect the B&W in Worcester, to the Hudson and Berkshire Railroad at the New York state line.
Surveys were immediately started; and by 1836, three possible routes had been selected, each approaching the Town of Springfield from the east. The first route: was northerly from Belchertown, the second route: central from North Wilbraham along the Chicopee River, and the third route: was southerly through Somers, Connecticut, and into East Longmeadow. After much deliberation by the directors in consultation with the engineers, the central route running through North Wilbraham was approved. Construction began in 1837 with the first train running from Worcester to Springfield on October 1, 1839, a total distance of 54.7 miles. While the roadbed had been graded and laid out for double track, it wasn’t until around 1859 that a second track was laid parallel to the first.
On December 28, 1870, the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) took over these two railroads along with others to form a continuous railroad line from the City of Boston, Massachusetts to the City of Albany, New York. This was the longest continuous railroad then in operation in the United States. By this time there were seven trains daily through town. All of them stopped at North Wilbraham. Five were Springfield to Worcester locals and two were through trains, Boston Massachusetts to Albany New York.
North Wilbraham had four train stations at various times throughout its history. The original station was located in the northwest corner of town, on the north side of the tracks. It would have been located opposite where River Road comes out on Old Boston Road. You would have to remember that the current Boston Road did not exist until 1896. Another side note, West Street (Stony Hill Road) did not originally go under the tracks; it was a grade crossing just to the west of the current underpass which was built in 1839.
This station was one of the earliest built in Western Massachusetts and Warren Collins was appointed the first station master. Subsequently, station headquarters were transferred to Warren Collin’s first home located in North Wilbraham. This would become the second station in town. It would have been located at 2810 Boston Road, directly across from where the Hollister block stands today.
The original station was moved to Oak Street in Indian Orchard in 1851 along with Elisha Fuller’s tavern, which was located a little west on the opposite side of the road. Both buildings were moved on a Sunday, by the railroad, on four platform cars, two on each track. It was said that the tavern had a full glass of water sitting on a shelf in the dining room and that no water had spilled from it during the move.
At some point, Warren Collins built a larger home a little west of his first home, which would have been at 2788 Boston Road, where the car wash stands today. This home became the third station. Collins's old home, the second station, was divided in two, with one half being moved to a site across the road and further east, and placed in front of the Collins Livery Stable, which today is Ken’s Automotive Center, 2821 Boston Road. The other half was moved to 8 Maiden Lane and incorporated with another home on that site.
The fourth and final station was erected on the original site of the second station, Warren Collins's first home, in 1872. This new structure was of brick and was probably one of the earliest masonry stations constructed by the newly formed Boston and Albany Railroad and was in continuous use for almost 100 years until it was closed on January 31, 1957. At the time of closing, the building was reported to be the oldest masonry station structure in the entire Boston and Albany system still standing and in use. It was demolished in 1958.
On November 30, 1895, Warren Collins's second home, and the third station were destroyed by fire. Warren Levi Collins, Warren’s son, then built another home on that same site in 1897.
Another interesting railroad that had an impact on the north part of Wilbraham, but was located in Ludlow, was the Athol and Enfield Railroad which was chartered in 1869, and succeeded by the Springfield, Athol, and North-eastern Railroad in 1873, opening in 1873 as a branch from Athol Junction in Springfield to the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad in Athol. The Boston and Albany Railroad bought the line in 1880. The majority of the line was closed in the 1930s due to the formation of the Quabbin Reservoir.
The Collins train station, in Ludlow, was located just over the Chicopee River from the Collins-covered bridge in Wilbraham, today the Green-Towne Bridge on Cottage Avenue. The Red Bridge train station, in Ludlow, was located just over the Chicopee River from the Red Bridge in the northeast part of Wilbraham. The tracks followed on the north side of the Chicopee River in Ludlow, from Indian Orchard then crossing the Chicopee River and to Belchertown, skirting around the northeast part of Wilbraham. Areas of the track bed can still be seen today along the river.
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