Waltham B&M RR Depot - Waltham, MA - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

In Waltham, near the Waltham Common, is this building that was once a depot along the Boston & Maine Railroad.

The building is along Carter Street, near the intersection with Elm Street, and is by an active railroad - the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the regional commuter rail organization.

The depot is a wooden structure 1 1/2 stories tall. It has a shingled hip roof that extends a few feet beyond the wall. On the street side is a porch extension. Regular windows are on the street side, while small casement windows are used on the side.

There is a sign with the following on it:

"About this Building

Formerly the Boston and Maine Railroad Depot, this facility is now a Waltham Police Substation and Visitor Center..."

I could not find much else about the station itself. A book that I have, "The Rail Lines of Southern New England," stated that the line was originally the Fitchburg Railroad line which built track through Waltham in 1843, eventually connecting Fitchburg to West Cambridge and the Charlestown docks. It was the main line into Boston for the railroad, and, thus, though the source didn't specify when passenger service started, it probably started soon after the railroad was built. Around 1900, the Boston & Maine started taking over. Passenger service was transferred to the present day MBTA in 1965, though it is possible that B&M operated the line for the MBTA. Another, the web page for the MBTA Commuter Line on Wikipedia, states that there was another station building with a clock tower on this location before this station. Years were not given. Also nearby is an interlocking tower, which was until very recently still being used.

The station no longer provides shelter or any railroad related services. The station platform is about 100 ft to the west.

Source:

Ronald Dale Karr, The Rail Lines of Southern New England: A Handbook of Railroad History, Pepperell, MA, Branch Line Press, 1995.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: An aux. police station and visitor center. What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Fichburg Railroad, then Boston & Maine Railroad, then MBTA. Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]

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