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All the United States Massachusetts Quincy Granite Railway Incline

Granite Railway Incline

The ruins of one of the first railroads in the U.S. lie hidden within a neighborhood cul-de-sac.

Quincy, Massachusetts

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hfritzmartinez
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The Granite Railway Incline.   hfritzmartinez
Granite Railway.   hfritzmartinez / Atlas Obscura User
The incline section of the Granite Railway as seen in 1934.   Arthur C. Haskell
  xcountryqt35 / Atlas Obscura User
  chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
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Historical signage outlining the history of the Granite Railway Incline.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
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  xcountryqt35 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Hidden in a Quincy neighborhood cul-de-sac are remnants of one of the first railways in the United States. While most of the line is lost to history, you can still see the echoes of this forgotten piece of the past.

The Granite Railway was built in the 1820s to ferry granite from the quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts, to a dock along the Neponset River. It received its charter in 1826 and later transitioned into a common carrier railroad without ever closing. As such, some refer to it as the U.S.’ first commercial railroad.

A steep section was added to the railway in 1830. Called the Incline, it let trains lug heavy loads of granite from the quarry to the main tracks. A conveyor belt stretched across the 315-foot-long track, hauling a nonstop supply of the rocks.

The Incline stopped running in the 1940s. And the railroad, which was absorbed into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, closed in the 1960s.

Now, fragments of the old tracks lie scattered around the city. Most, like the Incline, are near the quarries they once served.

Related Tags

Railroads Infrastructure Quarries

Know Before You Go

You can walk up the original Incline plane which will lead to the quarries, just use caution. This is entirely outdoors so it's weather permitting. If you put Mullins Avenue in your car/phone navigation, follow the GPS to the end of the street and it should be up on the right.

Community Contributors

Added By

hfritzmartinez

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, blimpcaptain, chris brat, xcountryqt35

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • blimpcaptain
  • chris brat
  • xcountryqt35

Published

June 21, 2018

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Railway
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York,_New_Haven_and_Hartford_Railroad
  • http://thomascranelibrary.org/legacy/gran.htm
Granite Railway Incline
53 Granite Rail Ct
Quincy, Massachusetts
United States
42.246204, -71.035882
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Quincy Quarries

Quincy, Massachusetts

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Adams National Historical Park

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Abigail Adams' Grave

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Explore the Destination Guide

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Quincy

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Quincy Quarries

Quincy, Massachusetts

miles away

Adams National Historical Park

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Quincy

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Places 10
Stories 2

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