Titanic Railroad: The Southern New England

TITANIC RAILROAD: The Southern New England by Larry Lowenthal. Brimfield, MA: Marker Press, 1998. Hardcover. 8.5" x 11" size. 264 pages with more than 200 illustrations, detailed route maps, and color dust jacket with original color painting by Fred Johansson.The story of New England's last railroad war and how the sinking of the Titanic may have derailed the construction of the Southern New England Railroad. The book presents a great deal of biographical information on Charles M. Hays and his immediate family and is the closest approach to a biography of him. There are several photos of him and related subjects.Light winter snows bring out man-made changes in the landscape. Could that possibly be a railroad grade high up on Fenton Mountain in Brimfield? Why is it there? It was, indeed, a railroad grade, built by the "Old Grand Trunk," according to long-time residents. The same company was responsible for the weird concrete monoliths you see scattered between Palmer and Providence. But the Grand Trunk was a Canadian railroad. What was it doing here in southern New England? "Something about the great liner Titanic," was the reply. "The ship was carrying gold to build the railroad: after it sank, work had to stop -- that's the story I heard." Every question about this mysterious railroad seemed to open a door to a larger question. Like the iceberg that sank the Titanic, most...