Old Colony Railroad - circa 1880's Unissued Massachusetts Railway Bond

Railroad Bond. Various Denominations. Classic train and harbor engraved vignette, steamboat and sailing ships. Unissued. Scarce!!!

The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a significant railway system that primarily served southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, operating from 1845 until 1893. The trains of the Old Colony connected Boston to various destinations, including Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell, and Cape Cod. For many years, the Old Colony Railroad Company also managed steamboat and ferry services, notably the Fall River Line, which provided express train connections from Boston to its terminal in Fall River, where passengers could board luxurious liners bound for New York City. Additionally, the company briefly operated a railway line on Martha's Vineyard and managed the freight-only Union Freight Railroad in Boston. The OC derived its name from the "Old Colony," a reference to the Plymouth Colony.

From 1845 to 1893, the OC expanded significantly, primarily through a series of mergers and acquisitions with other established railroads. Ultimately, it was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad under a lease agreement on March 1, 1893, encompassing its entire 617-mile (993 km) network. Following this acquisition, all trains, lines, and stations were designated as the "Old Colony Division" of the expansive "New Haven" system. During this time, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad effectively held a monopoly over all passenger and freight rail services in southern New England.