If you are from the Saugus or Lynn/Beach Bluff area of Massachusetts and remember this railroad, please confirm that we got the history below right or advise corrections. Thanks!

We discovered this charming piece in a collection of Massachusetts railroad memorabilia.  It came with a piece of an index card upon which is written "Not for Sale, EH Designs".  "EH Designs" also appears in writing on the back of the piece.  Upon information, this is a PROOF (or master) of a Souvenir Railroad Pass or Ticket aboard "the Snail" which, in railroad jargon, means just that, a slow-moving train that can no longer run under its own power or has been "refurbished" to provide vintage train rides or simply carry freight over a short distance.

The ticket was good for a trip between Saugus and Beach Bluff MA on December 20,1949 only, which means that it was a commemorative or souvenir article. The line is identified as the Pacific Railroad. Both the date and line are a bit of a mystery, but we believe the date may be the 100th Anniversary of the charter of the Saugus Branch of the Eastern Railroad first proposed by George Peabody, the coal tycoon. We believe that "Pacific RR" may refer to the Iowa Pacific RR that owned and operated the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad. Hopefully, a knowledgeable local railroad enthusiast will be able to shed light on these matters.

Regardless of its original purpose, this is one amazing piece of railroadiana with a plethora of ornate vintage "clip art" (if such a thing existed in 1959), the combination of which is quite humorous and much of which is characteristic of coastal Massachusetts (lobster, sailboat, sled, etc.) or the 1840's.

No record anywhere of anything like it, so this could be the New England railroad "sleeper" of the late 1940's! This was the era during which many passenger railroads began to merge, reduce service, or even close operations. A true Historic Treasure!