Trains, streetcars, trolleys, trucks, buses, cars, ships, and planes
— all provide transportation. But, more than this, they often hold a fascination for
us that sets them apart from other facets of our daily lives.
Railroads revolutionized travel in the 1800s and soon connected nearly
every community here in New England — and everywhere across this great country. At
the turn of this century, trolley lines had spread far and wide permitting the
unprecedented growth of suburbs surrounding the bigger cities. Then, as better roads were
laid out, rubber-tired vehicles became dominant. Our freedoms soon were routinely
protected by specially-adapted military vehicles, complementing a varied fleet of naval
vessels and aircraft.
With the advent of steam-powered vessels, coastal and inland waterways
thrived with the conveyance of cargo and passengers up and down the region’s
rock-bound shore, as well as on its numerous lakes and rivers. Regularly-scheduled air
service also had its roots here in New England — with some of the earliest carriers
owned by the railroads!
Furthermore, we cannot forget industrial and agricultural
transportation. New England’s quarries and forests poured forth their wealth using
trains, unique logging machinery, and various water vessels to take stone and lumber to
both local and far-flung destinations. Although an old saying asserts that New
England’s primary agricultural crop is "rock", the region’s bountiful
farm produce and agricultural products long have depended on efficient processing
machinery and timely transportation.
From an age dominated by horse power and wagons to our present period
overshadowed by supersonic jet aircraft and sports utility-vehicles, the Walker
Transportation Collection has something to captivate anyone’s attention. If it moved
within, around, or above New England; the Collection most likely has a photo of it! Even
for those things that didn’t actually move — but are closely related to a
transportation mode — a photograph or pamphlet probably exists in our files: train
depots, grand resort hotels, motels, drive-ins, theatres, airports, gas stations, fire
departments, train depots, car barns, garages, bridges, and diners. Come explore!
Since 1969, The Walker Transportation Collection has served the
interest of the researcher, student, transportation buff, and casual visitor alike -
supplying photos, duplications, and other materials at nominal cost. With thousands of
photos and slides, hundreds of books and periodicals, and scores of artifacts and models
to examine, the Collection offers a single source — and perhaps your best source
— for discovering New England’s ways of transporting our people and their goods.
Visit us soon, and discover this vast world of transportation for yourself.
