Seen here traveling east in Coolidge Corner, these cars were manufactured as part of a group of center-entrance cars, numbered from 6100 to 6299, that were introduced in1919/20. They were reduced in service by the late 1930s but briefly returned to service during periods of increased demand during World War Two.

Looking east at the Beaconsfield station, built 1906. On the left is the building housing the garage and stables of Beaconsfield Terraces. The lower half remains today as the base of an apartment building.
[Source: Joel Shield]

Looking east at the Beaconsfield station, built 1906. On the left is the building housing the garage and stables of Beaconsfield Terraces, its lower half remains today as the base of an apartment building. The building in the background is no longer standing.

The Boston Elevated Railway opened a “de luxe” bus line between Brookline and Boston in 1927. It initially started in Coolidge Corner, that was later extended to Washington Square. The license plate of this bus, stopped in Cleveland Circle, is dated 1927 but it is not clear which route is involved. Beacon St. inbound is off screen to the right. Boston’s Sutherland Rd. descends in the middle of the photo.
[Source: Joel Shield]

[Source: Iowa State]

[Source: Iowa State]

[Source: Iowa State]

Shown in front of the Oak Square, Brighton car barn. This car was the first to run on Henry Whitney's groundbreaking streetcar line which started service in 1889. It was used on two routes: Beacon Street from Coolidge Corner to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and from the Allston powerhouse to the car barn in Oak Square.

This car was the first model to run on Henry Whitney's groundbreaking streetcar line which started service in 1889 as part of the widening of Beacon Street.

At Cypress St.

Occupied at the time of this photo by the Brookline Riding Academy at #2 and #4 Walnut St, this building was first erected in 1875 by the Metropolitan Railway Co. to house the horse-drawn cars servicing the Brookline-Roxbury Crossing-Tremont House line. It was closed as a car house in December, 1894, with the move to new electrified routes, and demolished in 1918.
[Source: Leo Sullivan]

#2 Walnut St, the car house of the West End Street Railway Co. The building was first erected in 1875 by the Metropolitan Railway Co. to house the horse-drawn cars servicing the Brookline-Roxbury Crossing-Tremont House line. It was closed as a car house in December, 1894, with the move to new electrified routes, and demolished in 1937.
[Source: Leo Sullivan]

Looking east on Washington St. (Rt. 9) toward the Boston line, Brookline Ave. to the left. Huntington Line of the Boston Elevated Railway.
[Source: Joel Shield]

This is the last remaining horsecar in Brookline. Service began in 1859 and will soon switch to electric. On the right is the corner of the car house at #2 Walnut St. The entrance to Morss Ave. is just to the left of that. #97 Washington St. is viewed left in the rear.

The new fire station, just completed in 1908, is partially visible on the left followed by M. W. Quinlan’s carriage shop. Visible on the right are John H. Shea, Horse Shoer at 21 Boylston St.; J. O'Day, Stables at 19 Boylston St.; Crawford O' Hart, Tinsmith and Coleman and Horton, Cigars at 11 Boylston St.

The trolley car is from the Boston and Worcester Street Railway Co. The route started at Park Sq. sharing standard trolley tracks then switched to its own B & W tracks at an interchange just west of Chestnut Hill. The route continued to Worcester and the cars could travel at 60 mph once outside the local Boston environs. The telescoped photo obscures the fact that these cars were longer than the local trolley cars running in Brookline.

This unique photo is a rare photo of the early stages of the expansion of Brookline Village northward away from the business center on Lower Washington St. It shows the first two buildings of Colonnade Row which have just been built and populated with the initial businesses. A third building would be added on the right in 1875. All are still standing as are the original cast-iron pillars visible on the store fronts.

The horse-drawn car is being pulled on rails which were first laid in 1859 to effect a much-needed improvement over the slow and bumpy rides of the trackless Omnibuses which were essentially enlarged stage coaches. This horse car is being pulled northward either to the final stop at Washington and School Streets or to the final stop at Harvard and School Streets. At these final stops the horse(s) would be unhitched and attached to the other end of the car and the route retraced.

There are three stores in the building on the left:

• The first store, at #243, appears unoccupied
• In the middle, at #239, is the dry goods store of Walter Martin
• On the right, at #235, is the grocery store of George F. Joyce who would later expand and relocate up the street

There are three stores in the building on the right:

• The store on the left, at #227, is the apothecary of Charles P. Ladd
• In the middle, at #223, is the store of George Turnbull, the first tailor in Brookline
• On the right, at #219 Washington St., is the Brookline Savings Bank which had just been incorporated in 1871

In the distance the old railroad depot can be glimpsed with a sign for the American Telegraph Company. It also housed the post office.
[Source: Leo Sullivan]

Tom Condon, Sr. Civil Engineer for Brookline writes:
The work shown is part of the relocation of the outlet of the Village Brook. …(in the pile of lumber in the background you can see a piece of the curved falsework used to hold the brick arch until the cement mortar set.). Leverett Pond was created from the Muddy River marsh located just south of Washington Street by installing a stop plank manhole (in effect an adjustable height dam) in the new culvert under Washington Street. This stop plank manhole was necessary to hold back the pond since the Charles and therefore the Muddy Rivers were still tidal at that time. Presumably, Alexis French (who was both Olmsted's engineer and the Town Engineer) determined that more flow into this new pond was necessary. To provide this additional flow, the Village Brook which flows alongside what is now the MBTA "D" line was diverted into the culvert shown under construction. The culvert runs east down Washington Street, crosses Walnut Street, runs down Morss Avenue (now discontinued), across Pond Avenue and into Leverett Pond.

Looking east on the Boston and Albany railroad tracks, today’s “D” line. From west to east:

• Washington St. overpass
• The top of the building at 171-173 Washington St., no longer standing
• The train station platform
• Businesses on the north side of Pearl St. including Brookline Coal Co.

[Source: Leo Sullivan]