Fitchburg St. Ry. 12

The Fitchburg Street Railway was incorporated in 1886, originally operating a three-and-one-half mile horsecar line between downtown Fitchburg, MA and West Fitchburg. That year, the Fitchburg Street Railway purchased No. 8 from J.G. Brill. In 1892, the Fitchburg Street Ry. acquired the Leominster Street Railway, forming the Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway. The company also began converting to electric street cars in 1892. The company purchased Whalom Park and began running to that amusement park in 1893. (Whalom Park remained in operation until 2000.) At some point, No. 8 was acquired by the Templeton Street Railway and renumbered #12. The Templeton Street Railway, which commenced operation in 1901, served Gardner and Templeton, MA. In 1913, the Templeton Street Railway became part of the Northern Massachusetts Street Railway which ran from Fitchburg to Gardner, MA. A picture in the May 1942 issue of Railroad Magazine shows that, at some point, this car was converted to electric operation. No. 12’s retirement date is not known, but No. 12 may have been stored for a period by the Northern Massachusetts. About 1923, No. 12 was acquired by a private owner and placed, without trucks, in a field as a grape arbor. About 1954, C. David Perry purchased No. 12 and some other former Templeton Street Railway carbodies. Perry cut No. 12 in half to move it about a mile to his property. Perry undertook a restoration of the car, keeping most of the metal components but replacing most of the wood. Perry apparently removed the trolley boards from the roof and a trolley pole (if it was present in the 1950s). Perry later became a member of Seashore, and, in 1957, donated No. 12 to the museum. No. 12 is Seashore’s only example of a seven bench open car and Seashore’s only open horsecar of any kind. No. 12 is Seashore’s third oldest car. Although it was acquired in poor condition, significant work has been accomplished on the car, arresting the deterioration, and restoring several structural components. At Seashore, No. 12 has spent much of its time in Shop No. 1. No. 12 will be equipped with running gear once used on a horsecar operating between Haverhill and West Newbury, MA.