This reply to RCS's posting from 2010 is coming three years late, but I just saw it and wanted to add a couple of footnotes to his account of Bernie Basch's collection of BRB&L memorabilia. I had seen those file cabinets myself several years earlier when I was doing research on the predecessors of the BRB&L in Winthrop. I didn't realize until I read RCS's account how Bernie had obtained them. RCS later contacted me to write a chapter on the Winthrop Loop and those predecessor companies in the book he eventually published. I was more than happy to comply and also crafted the maps that appeared in the book (and which were plagiarized by later authors for other BRB&L books). Enough said about that.
Back to Bernie Basch. His taxi garage was actually on Veterans Road (ironically the former right-of-way of the BRB&L), not on Point Shirley, and it was located at least a block away from the shoreline. In fact, it's still there. Though the Blizzard of '78 may have resulted in some water damage, most of the material that Bernie had still survives. Bernie's son put it into storage sometime after Bernie died and is considering options for selling or donating it. I've tried a couple of times to arrange to see it, but to no avail. I live on the West Coast now, so visits to Winthrop are few and far between. If I'm ever successful in tracking it down, I'll update this posting.
Meanwhile, I'm amazed at how much information I've retrieved on those old railroad companies by trolling the Internet. I've located construction drawings, promotional materials, etc. for the Boston, Winthrop & Point shirley RR, the Boston, Winthrop & Shore RR, and the standard gauge Eastern Junction, Broad Sound Pier & Point Shirley RR. My hope is to spend a couple of weeks doing more research in and around Winthrop sometime soon. I'd like to put together a more detailed account than I was able to in RCS's 1980 book. RCS, if you're out there, get in touch with me so we can compare notes again...it's been over 30 years since we worked together!