pects certainly looked dim as the G&U limped into the 21st century.
BELOW: Years ago, smaller diesels were able to handle what little traffic remained on the line. With white flags flying, Grafton & Upton GE 44-tonner No. 9 crosses Waterville Street in North Grafton on December 20, 1989, located just south of the railroad’s yard and connection with the Boston Line.
BOTTOM: G&U Alco S-4 No. 212 hauls cars through the center of historic Grafton on April 8, 1994. The white building is the Unitarian Church, built in 1863. The 212, a former Manufacturers Railway locomotive from St. Louis, has since been retired and scrapped. STEVE CARLSON PHOTOS
A Second Chance Local developer Jon Delli Priscoli pur-
chased the G&U in 2008, spearheading its rebirth and revitalization. By 2009, the line between Grafton and West Upton was re- opened, despite some protest from communi- ties along the line that had not benefited from rail service in 30 years or more. Currently the line is active between the connection to CSX at North Grafton south to Hopedale, but the right-of-way continues on to Milford, where there is another connection with CSX. As of this writing, the railroad is working to recon- struct the remaining rail between Hopedale and Milford within the next year or so; rail traffic should resume sometime in late 2015, which is very exciting news for fans and the railroad alike. About a half dozen customers currently uti-
lize the G&U, most accepting loaded cars of various commodities (including wood pellets, calcium chloride, and lumber), with one send- ing outbound cars of contaminated dirt. In addition, the G&U is currently constructing a propane transload facility in its North Graf- ton yard. The facility will receive propane by tank cars, and transload to trucks for area distribution, further diversifying the G&U’s commodity mix. Along with growing its freight business,
the G&U is now expanding into the passenger realm by hosting the popular Christmas-themed Polar Express trains, with the runs starting in Hopedale and working north to “Santa’s Workshop,” conveniently located about three miles north of town. In anticipation of this
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