The photo Mike has posted, from the Jul - Aug 1938 issue of the National Railway Historical Society, Inc. " Quarterly" magazine. The magazine, one of many in the H. Lincoln Harrison collection recently donated to the W. W. & F. Ry. Museum by Kenton T. Harrison of Massachusetts.
The electric locomotive was built in 1891 and after the General Electric Company of Lynn installed the overhead wires, service with this side rod equipped motor, began in the Spring of 1892. The builder, the Old Thomson - Huston Electric Co. of Lynn designed the motor to power the rear axle and by use of siderods to connect with the front axle.
On January 1, 1900, a trolley began operating on the route and continued to provide service for 35 years. The Linwood Street Railway could be traversed in ten minutes with a fare of 5 cents.
"The line was always owned by the Machine Works, certain of whose officers and employees attended to the operation of the railway, and in recent years cars ran only at hours when workers were going to or from the plant, with trips as far as Cross Street on Sunday mornings for church-goers. Cars continued to meet the two remaining Providence - Worcester trains until trolley service was discontinued on February 28, 1935. The six passenger cars were then burned, but two electric locomotives continue to handle freight over the line for the Machine Works, as they have for nearly half a century."
The photo used in the article is credited to the Whitin Review, which I surmise to be an employee publication of the period. This piece gives a nice account of the standard gage route from Whitins station to the mill, while stories and photos of the two foot gage remain scarce.
