Moshassuck Valley Railroad

Moshassuck Valley Railroad

Moshassuck Valley Railroad 3 in Lincoln in 1933
Overview
Current operator	Providence and Worcester Railroad
Reporting mark	MOV
Dates of operation	1877–1982
Successor	Providence and Worcester Railroad
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	2 miles (3.2 km)

The Moshassuck Valley Railroad (reporting mark MOV), founded in 1874, was a shortline railroad in Rhode Island, United States. Built from 1876 to 1877, it operated on a 2-mile (3.2 km) long line between Lincoln and a connection to the Providence and Worcester and Boston and Providence railroads, both of which were subsequently purchased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (the New Haven), in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Pawtucket. The company was formed by the Sayles brothers, owners of a significant mill in Saylesville near the line's terminus. Freight was the primary traffic of the railroad, but frequent passenger service was also provided by a self-propelled steam passenger car until 1921.

An expansion attempt southeastward from Woodlawn to the Seekonk River was launched in the first decade of the 20th century, but was abandoned in 1913 following opposition from the New Haven. Independent freight operations continued until 1982, when the company was purchased by the Providence and Worcester Railroad (which separated from New Haven successor Penn Central in 1973 and resumed operating its own lines) which has operated the line since. The northernmost three-quarters of a mile (1.21 km) of the line were abandoned in 1991, with the remainder of the line in active use as of 2022.