Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Granite Railway

[click image to enlarge]

This is Vic Campbell, a railroad enthusiast and tour leader with a particular interest in our country's first commercial railroad that was conceived of and built in Quincy in the 1820s. Vic is sitting on one of the early metal rails embedded into a block of Quincy granite. These blocks were salvaged from new road and housing construction sites and are now located in the back of the Quincy Historical Society building where Vic begins his tours of the Granite Railway historic sites. You can find out more about the "Quarry-To-Wharf" tours by clicking here.

We'll visit the site of the old rail bed tomorrow. Do you know why a railroad was needed? Hint . . . the name of the railroad . . .

6 comments:

Lady P said...

great photo and history listen all in one

magiceye said...

very interesting

brattcat said...

Interesting guy. Full of stories, you can see that in the portrait. Maybe the railroad was invented to get the peddlers out of town.

Frank said...

Tours of historical places mean so much more when a guide is knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

John said...

Looks like an 'old timer' in the traditional sense.

Lowell said...

The Quincy-Boston Line.

I like the historical stuff. I think it's a granite idea.

Seriously, I do!

Nice portrait!

Summer Attraction

This tiger swallowtail butterfly was a delight to see pollinating the phlox bed along my driveway.