Misplaced Pages

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73-721: The United Corporation of the Middleborough Railroad Corporation with the Fall River Branch Railroad Company and the Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad Corporation was formed in March 1845 by the merger of three unopened railroads: The first segment opened between Myricks and downtown Fall River on June 9, 1845. In April 1846, the name was simplified to "Fall River Railroad". An extension from Myricks to Middleborough opened in mid-1846. A separate section of

146-444: A balloon loop doing the same job, but at the cost of two additional sets of points to construct and then maintain. These turnings are accomplished by performing the railway equivalent of a three-point turn through successive junctions of the wye. The direction of travel and the relative orientation of a locomotive or railway vehicle thus can be reversed. Where a wye is built specifically for equipment reversing purposes, one or more of

219-548: A "village-style" station in downtown Middleborough. By 2009, the Stoughton route was again the preferred alternative. In 2017, the project was re-evaluated due to cost issues. The new proposal called for early service via Middleborough by 2022, followed by full service via Stoughton by 2030. A new Middleborough station was to replace the existing Middleborough/Lakeville station, which could not be served by South Coast Rail trains. Middleborough and Lakeville officials were critical of

292-582: A Plymouth–Middleborough–Taunton service (sometimes through-routed to Providence). Freight service on the Plymouth–Middleborough line, largely used by cranberry growers near the line, ended in 1939. Passenger service on the Middleborough– Myricks section of the original Fall River line ended in 1931; freight service ended in 1932, and the line was abandoned in 1937. Rock and South Middleboro stations were closed on July 17, 1938, as part of

365-424: A balloon loop more practical in a small amount of space, and with street-running vehicles such a loop may be able to use side streets or street squares. However, although turning loops are the most common way of turning such vehicles, wye tracks are also sometimes used. A triangle may have a situational disadvantage in train operations when space constraints of the local geography cause one leg of triangle to bypass

438-491: A construction contract was awarded in 2020. The station is located inside the wye between the north-south Middleborough Main Line and the east-west Middleboro Secondary , slightly south of downtown Middleborough. The 800-foot (240 m)-long high-level platform will be located on the northwest leg of the wye, with pedestrian access to West Grove Street ( Route 28 ) at its northeast end. A 500-space parking lot will be located inside

511-420: A day from Birrong to Sefton does terminate and reverse at Regents Park station (in order to clean the rust off the crossover rails). There is a goods branch from Chullora and, in the future, the possibility of a separate single track freight line. The three passenger stations at the vertices of the triangle have island platforms making it convenient to change trains. The sharp curves of the triangle, and especially

584-458: A freight yard, and a roundhouse. Grade crossings were eliminated in downtown Middleborough in 1900. Centre Street and Grove Street were placed on bridges over the tracks, while South Main Street was depressed under the tracks. Passenger service on the lightly-used branch to Plymouth was discontinued in 1927; this also ended local service between Taunton and Middleborough, which had operated as

657-515: A loop would not be possible, and can turn trains up to the length of the stub tracks at the end of the wye. Railroad systems in North America and Australia have tended to have more wyes than railroads elsewhere. North American locomotives and cars (such as observation cars ) are more likely to be directional than those found on other continents. In Canada and the United States, the railroad often

730-425: A main station. In tight city environments, this can happen easily, as it did, for example, at Cootamundra West , Australia and Tecuci , Romania, where extra passenger stations had to be built to serve trains taking the shortcut. In contrast, the engineering of a terminus station such as Woodville Railway Station, New Zealand avoided this problem by building a balloon loop (reversing loop) so that trains can serve

803-412: A one-seat ride between Buzzards Bay and Boston, though the study also considered the possibility of one-seat rides to Boston being offered during off-peak hours. [REDACTED] Media related to Middleborough station at Wikimedia Commons Wye (rail) In railroad structures and rail terminology , a wye (like the 'Y' glyph ) or triangular junction (often shortened to just triangle )

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876-700: A pentagram layout, requiring four movements and five turnouts to reverse. It allows a smaller layout, without excessively tight curve radii, compared to a triangle. Some of these still survive, such as at the original terminus  [ it ] of Carbonia in Sardinia and at Mals or Malles Venosta in Val Venosta in the South Tyrol . In addition to small terminal stations such as Carbonia and Malles Venosta, inversion stars were also installed at some principal stations such as Verona Porta Nuova and Brenner at

949-421: A replacement was no longer justified. Locomotives requiring to be turned had to travel to Barkston Junction to traverse the triangular layout there (this was where Mallard with a dynamometer car attached was turned before starting out south on its record-breaking run on 3 July 1938). The journey to Barkston Junction and back was a time-consuming business involving a round trip of some 8 miles (13 km) along

1022-498: A special train ran from Braintree to Middleborough to publicize the state's plans for restored service. A 1974 state analysis of restoring commuter rail service indicated that the Middleborough station could be reused. From 1984 to 1988, Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad seasonal commuter and excursion service stopped in Middleborough at the former station. From 1986 to 1996, Amtrak's Cape Codder ran through Middleborough, but like

1095-504: A turntable, using a dedicated turning triangle instead. The Luas tram system has a triangular junction on the Red Line between the stations of Busáras , Connolly and George's Dock . The line that goes between George's Dock and Connolly is never used, as no trams operate between The Point and Connolly. Railways in Italy used a number of "inversion stars" for turning locomotives. This uses

1168-455: A wye (as a refuge siding in lieu of a passing loop ) for a meet with an oncoming train, or to allow a faster one to overtake, and then reverse out to continue in the original direction. Where one or more of the lines forming the junction are multi-track, the presence of a triangular junction does introduce a number of potential conflicting moves. For this reason, where traffic is heavy the triangle may incorporate flying junctions on some of

1241-598: Is Downpatrick Loop on the Downpatrick and County Down Railway . Originally constructed to allow direct Belfast–Newcastle trains to bypass Downpatrick station , the triangle forms the basis of a heritage railway, the only heritage railway of this type in the British Isles. There is one station at each end of the triangle and another in the southernmost corner. Historical triangular junctions in Ireland include Moyasta Junction on

1314-571: Is grid reference ST316887 . Shrewsbury also has a triangular route formation that was used to turn steam locomotives, and is still available. A triangle, grid reference SH294789 , was provided in 1989 adjacent to the transfer sidings for Wylfa Nuclear Power Station , near to Valley on Anglesey in Wales. This enables the North Wales Coast Line to be used by steam hauled excursions. The turntable at Holyhead has long been removed and

1387-458: Is a triangular joining arrangement of three rail lines with a railroad switch (set of points) at each corner connecting to the incoming lines. A turning wye is a specific case. Where two rail lines join, or where a spur diverges from a railroad's mainline, wyes can be used at a mainline rail junction to allow incoming trains to travel in either direction. Wyes can also be used for turning railway equipment, and generally cover less area than

1460-732: Is expected to open in May 2025 as part of the South Coast Rail project, replacing Middleborough/Lakeville station for regular service. The station will have a single side platform located inside the wye between the Middleborough Main Line and the Middleboro Secondary . The Fall River Railroad opened through Middleborough in 1845–46. Three branch lines from Middleborough followed: the Cape Cod Branch Railroad in 1847,

1533-463: Is only used for out of service trains. Commuter trains enter the junction from one direction (e.g., the Portadown line ), stop at Grand Central, and then continue out on the other direction towards Bangor station . Commuter trains on NI Railways are all diesel multiple unit railcars, so they do not need to use the junction as a turning method. The only other operational triangular junction in Ireland

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1606-404: The 88 stations case , a massive and controversial station closure. Middleborough was a stop for New York–Cape Cod trains (with a short backup move to reach the station) until 1938, after which the trains ran express between Taunton and Wareham . This year-round Cape Codder service ran until 1958, then only during summers from 1960 to 1964. Commuter service to Boston (with Middleborough

1679-637: The Amtrak Auto Train in Sanford , Florida , uses a wye to turn the locomotives around for the return trip north. A road that crosses the eastern side of the wye allows access to the inner part of the wye where there is a rock supply company. In Arizona , the Grand Canyon Railway (GCRY) has a wye at both the Williams and South Rim/ Grand Canyon Village termini of its line. The train is turned around at

1752-616: The Bay Area Rapid Transit system is the Oakland Wye . Located beneath Downtown Oakland , California, the vast majority of the system's trains run through the wye primarily to and from San Francisco with some services running north and south along the East Bay . This section of track is considered a bottleneck for system-wide capacity based on speed restrictions and timing difficulties from distant branch lines. The southern terminus of

1825-723: The Fall River Line , which for many years was the preferred means of travel between Boston and New York City . In 1854, the railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad to become the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad . The combined company was renamed Old Colony and Newport Railway in 1863 and Old Colony Railway in 1872. It was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. Passenger service between Myricks and Middleborough ended in 1931, followed by freight service

1898-509: The IND Rockaway Line , serving A and Rockaway Park Shuttle trains all day. The wye was named after a past station, Hammels station . Convoluted wye , turning star or reversing star ( Italian : Stella di inversione ) is a special wye layout used in places where the space is tight. It has a pentagram -like form and consists of five turnouts (versus three for a wye) and three, four or five diamond crossings . Because of this,

1971-493: The London Underground 's Circle Line ). Several different techniques can be used to achieve such turning. Turntables require the least space, but can generally only deal with a single piece of equipment at a time. Balloon or turning loops can turn trains of any length — up to the total length of the loop — in a single operation, but require far more space than wyes. Rail wyes can be constructed on sites where

2044-747: The Middleborough and Taunton Railroad in 1856, and the Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad in 1892. The lines were consolidated under the Old Colony Railroad , which constructed a Tudor-style station building in 1887. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad acquired the Old Colony in 1893. Passenger service declined in the 20th century, with commuter rail service to Boston ending in 1959. From 1984 to 1988, Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad seasonal commuter and excursion service stopped in Middleborough at

2117-471: The Middleborough/Lakeville Line in 1997, restoring passenger service to that section. South Coast Rail passenger service, planned to begin in late 2023, will use the line between Myricks and Fall River. Middleborough station#History Middleborough station (also called Pilgrim Junction ) is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in Middleborough, Massachusetts . It

2190-519: The Old Colony Railroad again in 1872. The Cape Cod Railroad was acquired by the Old Colony in 1872, serving as its Cape Main Line. The Middleborough and Taunton Railroad opened from Middleborough to south of Taunton on the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad in 1856; it was acquired by the Old Colony in 1874. By 1885, schedules on the Old Colony were arranged to allow commuting from Middleborough. Two other stations were located in Middleborough on

2263-533: The rope-hauled inclines to the highest level of the railway before they proceeded down the remaining inclines. The site of this can still be seen near Hindlow, in Derbyshire . ( National Grid location grid reference ST316887 .). Sefton railway station in Sydney lies on one corner of a triangular junction, which allows trains to branch off in either direction without the need to terminate or change ends. One train

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2336-735: The 1960s trains it did not stop there due to the station location. The former station was demolished in the 1990s. The 1887-built freight house was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Middleborough Center Historic District in 2000; it was proposed for restoration in 2011. It was destroyed by fire in October 2020. In 1984, a state-directed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) study found that restoration of commuter rail service would be feasible. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement

2409-562: The Cape Main Line south of downtown: Rock (also known as Rock Meeting House) at Miller Street in Rock Village, and South Middleboro at Spruce Street. The Old Colony began work on a new station in November 1885. It was completed in 1887. The Tudor-style station (similar to the still-extant Kingston station) was located at Station Street, replacing the original Fall River Railroad station on

2482-588: The Limerick Junction station, and is also occasionally used to turn steam locomotives on railtours, whilst the latter is used primarily by freight trains running between the Port of Waterford and County Mayo to avoid having to run around in Kilkenny station. In Belfast , Northern Ireland, a triangular junction exists at Grand Central station . It is rarely used to turn locomotives, save the occasional steam engine. It

2555-535: The MBTA began conducting a study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing Buzzards Bay commuter rail service in conjunction with South Coast Rail. Upon completion of the study in spring 2021, two different alternatives for service were presented, one of which would terminate at Buzzards Bay station and the other of which would terminate at Bourne station . Both service options would normally require passengers to transfer between trains at Middleborough, rather than offering

2628-476: The Middleborough Main Line and Middleboro Secondary – with the latter preferred for lower costs and less traffic impact. The CapeFLYER will continue to use Middleborough/Lakeville station, as the new station will not have a platform on the Middleborough Main Line. However, the station includes space for a future platform to serve shuttle trains to Cape Cod. Buildings at 161 South Main Street and 52 West Grove Street were demolished in 2020 to make room for

2701-588: The New Haven until 1969, Penn Central to 1971, Conrail to 1997, and CSX since. Freight service southeast from Middleborough was taken over by the Bay Colony Railroad shortline in 1982 and the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad in 2007, interchanging with CSX at Middleborough Yard. Restoration of passenger service was proposed intermittently through the 1960s and 1970s. On October 15, 1979,

2774-542: The South Rim/Grand Canyon Village wye with the passengers on board. At the Williams end, the train is turned around after the passengers disembark. The Chowchilla Wye is a primary feature of the planned California High-Speed Rail System. It will allow for transfers from feeder services on the third leg and facilitate more routing options as future phases are completed. Hammel's Wye is a primary feature of

2847-720: The West Clare line, the Monkstown / Greenisland / Bleach Green triangle on the Northern Counties Committee and Bundoran Junction on the Great Northern Railway . Though two sides of the former are still in mainline use, the "back line" between Monkstown and Greenisland has been removed, whilst the latter was closed altogether in 1957. Additionally, the Great Northern's largest locomotive yard at Adelaide never had

2920-463: The area re-developed; the sidings at Valley some 4 miles (6.4 km) from the terminus are the nearest suitable site. An unusual arrangement, unique in Britain, was constructed at Grantham . Its location was grid reference SK914349 and it is shown on the 1963 edition of OS 1 inch to 1 mile sheet 113. It was built in the 1950s after the turntable at the locomotive shed failed and expenditure on

2993-453: The busy East Coast Main Line . Eventually authority was given to construct a turning arrangement on a strip of spare land to the west of the main line, just south of Grantham station. There was insufficient space for a conventional triangle but this was overcome by constructing an "inside-out" triangle whereby the approach tracks intersected in a scissors crossing. Many North American passenger terminals in large cities had wye tracks to allow

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3066-494: The canopy steelwork were in place by November 2022. Opening was delayed to mid-2024 in September 2023; at that point, the station was 98% complete and expected to be finished by the end of 2023. In June 2024, the opening of the project was delayed to May 2025. Middleborough station was complete by that time. The Middleborough station includes space for a potential future platform to serve shuttle trains to Cape Cod. In fall 2020,

3139-474: The existing station to Bridgewater station , or a new Middleborough station with a bus shuttle from the existing station. The last option was preferred because it had a shorter travel time than the reverse move, and would not require new double track as the Bridgewater shuttle would. Two possible Middleborough station sites were considered – the former downtown station site, and the wye (Pilgrim Junction) between

3212-589: The former station, which was demolished in the 1990s. MBTA service on the Middleborough/Lakeville line began in 1997, using Middleborough/Lakeville station to the south rather than the downtown station site. In 2017, a re-evaluation of the South Coast Rail project proposed an interim route via Middleborough, with a new Middleborough station. The site at the Pilgrim Junction wye was chosen in 2018, and

3285-584: The land is cheap, and also because it provides the most convenient and flexible sectioning arrangements. The earliest British (and possibly worldwide) example is the double-tracked triangle within Earlestown railway station on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , which was completed by the Grand Junction Railway in 1837. The triangle has two passenger platform faces on each of its three sides and five of

3358-456: The legs. From time to time it is necessary to turn both individual pieces of railroad equipment or whole trains. This may be because the piece of equipment is not directionally symmetrical, for example, most steam locomotives and some diesel locomotives , or where the consist has a dedicated tail end car such as an observation car . Even where equipment is symmetrical, periodic turning may still be necessary in order to equalize wear (e.g., on

3431-553: The line opened south from South Braintree to Randolph on August 26, 1846. That section was extended to North Bridgewater by October. The remaining portion between North Bridgewater and Middleborough opened on December 21, 1846, completing the line. In 1847, the line was extended south a short distance to Fall River Wharf . That year, under the leadership of Richard Borden , the Fall River Railroad began regular steamship service to New York City . The service became known as

3504-402: The locomotives could be uncoupled from the train and sent to the engine terminal to be serviced for their next assignment. Then, the head-end cars could be uncoupled from the rest of the train and spotted by a station switcher at the parcel facility where mail and express packages were handled. The departing train was reassembled, freshly cleaned and serviced for the next journey. A steam pipe from

3577-550: The main station in either direction without the need to reverse. In a midline station where it is desired to reverse a consist or locomotive, a double-track and turning wye arrangement is far more common. The land within a triangle is cut off from the adjacent area (and normally fenced off) and has marginal commercial value, so will be purposed mainly for the railway's exclusive use – generally being used for maintenance depots, storage, or vehicle parking. On electrified lines substations tend to be located inside triangles, in part because

3650-408: The next year, and the section was abandoned in 1937. Passenger service south of Myricks ended in 1958, and north of Middleborough the next year; freight service continued on both remaining sections. The Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad operated passenger service on the portion of the line between South Braintree and Middleborough from 1984 to 1988. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority opened

3723-708: The opposite leg from the one it reversed on upon arrival. The Keddie Wye in Keddie, California , was built by the Western Pacific Railroad and is a remarkable engineering feat. Two sides of the wye are built on tall trestles and one side is in a tunnel bored through solid rock. The town of Wyeville, Wisconsin , is named after the Union Pacific Railway , formerly the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company wye and crossover nearby. A primary feature of

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3796-614: The outer terminus for some trains) ran until June 30, 1959, when the New Haven ceased all passenger service on the Old Colony Division. The bridge over the Neponset River burned soon afterwards, preventing any further service from Boston to the Cape stopping at Middleborough; a Boston–Hyannis train via Stoughton ran during the summer of 1961. The lines north, west, and southeast from Middleborough remained in use for freight service: by

3869-437: The possibility of abandoning the existing Middleborough/Lakeville station - which had attracted transit-oriented development - or requiring its riders to take a shuttle train, as well as possible traffic issues from a downtown Middleborough station. The January 2018 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report considered three potential operational patterns: a reverse move to serve the existing station, shuttle service from

3942-452: The power unit at the lower end and seating angled to compensate for the gradient. They therefore have to be turned at the summit should it be necessary to make a through journey. Whilst limitations of space dictated that the triangle had to be partly constructed in tunnels it also ensures that in winter it is snow-free and thus readily available in emergencies. In Britain triangular layouts that could be used for turning locomotives were usually

4015-575: The provision of a turntable was impractical or unnecessarily expensive. These included: A triangular junction is used to turn tramcars on the Portland Cable Tram line in Portland , Victoria . In the Republic of Ireland two triangular junctions are in use. One is at Limerick Junction , and the other at Lavistown , near Kilkenny . The former allows direct Limerick–Dublin passenger trains to bypass

4088-520: The result of junctions of two or more lines. There are many examples, including the one known as the Maindee triangle in Newport , South Wales. Here the ex- GWR South Wales mainline from London to Swansea is joined by another GWR line from Shrewsbury via Hereford . The significance of it is that steam-hauled trains can run to Newport and their engines be turned using the triangle. Its National Grid location

4161-399: The same site. The Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad opened between its namesake cities in 1892 and was immediately leased to the Old Colony. The next year, the Old Colony was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . Middleborough served as a rail hub for southeastern Massachusetts, with lines in five directions. Facilities at Middleborough included a freight house,

4234-520: The six platforms are in frequent (half-hourly, etc.) use by passenger trains. When steam engines were in regular use the triangle (which is of course also traversed by freight trains) was also used to turn locomotives, and can still be so used. An earlier example may be on the Cromford and High Peak Railway , which had been opened in 1831 as a horse-drawn railway. This appears to have been used for reversing trains of wagons with end doors that have just come up

4307-472: The station and its parking lot. The MBTA awarded a $ 403.5 million contract for the Middleboro Secondary and New Bedford Secondary portions of the project, including Middleborough station, on August 24, 2020. The planned 37 months of construction began later in 2020, with a late 2023 opening expected. The station was 33% complete by February 2022, with all platform foundations in place. The platform and

4380-417: The station to facilitate the turning of trains. An arriving train came to a stop on the main line after passing the wye. Once the switches on the wye are aligned, the train reversed, with the brakeman at the rear of the last car regulating the speed with the brake lever upon approach to the platform. After coming to a complete stop at the end of the track, passengers were allowed to disembark safely. Meanwhile,

4453-399: The station's steam generator could have been attached to the train's steam line from the rear to supply heat until the locomotives were coupled up front to supply steam. The train was announced for boarding with a list of destinations. With switches aligned, the train slowly departed to the main line, continuing on its journey or returning toward the direction from which it arrived by rounding

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4526-508: The summit of the Brenner Pass . Tsumeb railway station in Namibia has two triangles. The first and smaller one is for turning engines and is near the station. The second and larger one is to bypass the dead-end station at Tsumeb for trains travelling directly between the new extension towards Angola and Windhoek . This direct bypass line can save an hour of shunting time, particularly if

4599-495: The tracks making up the junction will typically be a stub siding . Tram or streetcar tracks also make use of triangular junctions and sometimes have a short triangle or wye stubs to turn the car at the end of the line. The use of triangular junctions allows flexibility in routing trains from any line to either of the two other paths, without the need to reverse the train. For this reason they are common across most rail networks. A slower train may be signaled to temporarily enter

4672-512: The train is longer than the loops in the station. There is a turning triangle partly tunnelled into the mountain at Kleine Scheidegg at the summit of the 800mm gauge Wengernalpbahn in the Bernese Oberland , Switzerland. Kleine Scheidegg is reached from two lower termini, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald , located on opposite sides of the col . Trains normally descend in the direction they have arrived from and are designed accordingly with

4745-620: The turning and backing of directional passenger trains onto a main line. Freight traffic could bypass the terminal through the wye. Notable examples include the Los Angeles Union Station , which has a double wye, the Saint Paul Union Depot , and the Memphis Union Station . A typical use for a stub-end passenger station would be as follows: A wye was incorporated at the "throat" where the rows of tracks converged from

4818-567: The turnouts on those sharp curves, restrict train speeds to between 10 and 50 km/h (6.2 and 31.1 mph). Near Hamilton station on the Central Coast and Newcastle line there is a wye for freight trains and regional trains. This puts them directly on the main northern line A number of triangular junctions were built on the Victorian Railways network, both at major junctions, and for turning locomotives and train consists in places where

4891-403: The use of triangular junctions and reversing wyes on streetcar and tram systems. Many, although by no means all, streetcar and tram systems use single ended vehicles that have doors on one side only, and that must be turned at each end of the route. However, the vehicles used on such systems tend to have much smaller minimum curvature requirements than heavy rail equipment. This renders the use of

4964-425: The wye on the Middleboro Secondary . Planning in the 1980s for the South Coast Rail project – restoration of passenger service to Fall River and New Bedford – considered routes via Middleborough, Stoughton, and Attleboro. The Stoughton route was the preferred alternative until the project was cancelled in 2003. Planning restarted in 2005; in September 2008, MassDOT released 18 potential station sites, including

5037-653: The wye, with an access driveway running southeast to South Main Street ( Route 105 ) at its intersection with I-495 ramps. Space is reserved for a proposed 400-foot (120 m)-long platform on the southwest leg of the wye (across from the Middleborough Layover, the main layover yard for the Middleborough/Lakeville Line) to serve future shuttle trains to Cape Cod. The station is expected to draw 670 daily boardings by 2030. The Fall River Railroad opened between South Braintree and Fall River in stages from June 1845 to December 1846. The section between Myricks and Middleborough opened in mid-1846. The last portion to open

5110-483: Was built before other structures, and railway builders had much more freedom to lay down tracks where they wished. Similarly, when not constrained by space limitations many early Australian railways made use of wyes (particularly in rural locations) for their lower installation and maintenance costs; however, their necessity and use diminished from the 1960s onwards with the major trend in most states toward bidirectional locomotives and railcars. In Europe, although some use

5183-572: Was made of bi-directional tank locomotives and push–pull trains , most steam locomotives were uni-directional. Because of land usage considerations, turntables were normally used to turn such locomotives, and most terminal stations and locomotive depots were so equipped. Over time, most diesel and electric locomotives ordered in Europe have been designed to be fully bi-directional and normally with two driving cabs. Thus most rail wyes, where they existed, and turntables have been taken out of use. Similar considerations as for mainline rail systems apply to

5256-466: Was released in May 1990, followed by a Final Environmental Impact Statement in 1992. Both called for a Middleborough/Lakeville station off Route 105 south of Middleborough on the Lakeville border, rather than reusing the old station site. MBTA Commuter Rail Middleborough/Lakeville Line service to Middleborough/Lakeville station began on September 29, 1997; a layover facility was located just west of

5329-477: Was that between North Bridgewater and Middleborough on December 21, 1846. The connecting Cape Cod Branch Railroad opened from Middleborough to Sandwich in May 1847, and to Hyannis in 1854 as the Cape Cod Railroad. The Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad in 1854 to become the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad ; it was renamed as the Old Colony and Newport Railroad in 1863 and

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