Nantucket Railroad at Surfside, circa 1890

View of the engine "Dionis," the original locomotive and two cars, stopped at the Surfside station. Passengers appear to be disembarking from the train, circa 1890.

Photographer: Henry S. Wyer

Nantucket offered rail service from 1881 to 1917. Original plans were to go west along the cliff, then around the south shore to Siaconset. But when the track was laid in 1881, it went east and south three miles to Surfside. The narrow-gauge tracks, set three feet apart, and the locomotive and two passenger cars were all second-hand. The engine was named "Dionis," and the name was set in large gold letters on either side. The train could seat 180 people. There was great opposition to the project from town businesses and taxi-drivers, and there were two attempts to sabotage the train in the first year! In 1885, the engine "'Sconset" was added and in 1901 the "Dionis" was replaced with the "No. 1." When the automobile was allowed on island in 1918, the railway closed, with the rails, two cars, and engine No. 2 were sent to Bordeaux, France, for the war effort.

Our prints are reproduced to match the colors, saturation and detail of the original historic photograph with a lustre coating that adds a rich sheen and protects against fingerprints and UV exposure. Many of our images are made from old prints or negatives; any flaws you see on the preview image will exist in the print you receive.  Prints have a Standard Archival Value of 100 years in home display; 200 years in dark storage.

Purchase of a print does not include licensing or permission to publish this image in print or online.

Please allow 1 week processing prior to shipment.