That passenger service freshly on its way from the station with absolutely stereotypical consist is a jewel. I'm feasting on this. Thanks Dave. Outstanding.

You can see the churches and a few other buildings have survived.

In response to damspot, that small building is very probably a water tower, probably containing two water tanks, with the enclosure and possibly a heater in the small shed to prevent freezing in cold weather. The water would be delivered using water cranes, underground piping to a vertical pipe with a horizontal feedpipe at the top. The horizontal pipe could be swung over the track when filling the tender.

I would have expected to see a water tank on the other railroad as well. Water was very important in keeping a steam engine running, and the tender typically would have to be filled fairly frequently, depending on how hard it was working.

This seems to be the view matched up to the Sanborn Map.

Groucho Marx played here on Oct 1, 1906, the day before his 16th birthday. He performed in the melodrama "The Man of Her Choice" at the Empire Theatre. Eight months later he returned as part of the singing act The Three Nightingales, performing at the Richmond Theatre with his brother Gummo and Mabel O'Donnell.

Unfortunately both theaters are obscured from view by the trees at the left. The Richmond was located at the lower yellow dot and the Empire at the upper yellow dot.

So very much to look at here. That wonderful station with the fabulous roof. The proximity of the engine house to the station is a dream setup for a modeler to point out to explain his crowded scene along with meatpackers next door to the passengers. Two, count 'em, two, turntables! And other things as well.

I would like to ask what the structure directly across the track is if anybody knows. Up on stilts it seems like storage for ... what?

Outside of New England, the name "Hoosac" is perhaps most associated with the railroad tunnel underneath that range. A prodigious consumer of both dollars and lives during its quarter century of construction, it actually proved quite useful upon completion. (Perhaps giving credence to the unfortunate notion that everything that proves costly, also proves valuable.)

I see no signs of humans, no horse and buggy, no trolley, no transit except for the trains. The town looks well populated for its remote location.

[Look harder! - Dave]

Here's the 1908 Sanborn Map set on the Library of Congress website. Sheets 8, 11, and 16 cover most of the buildings along the tracks. There are multiple coal dealers, multiple beef/provision dealers (Swift, Armour, and some local companies), with refrigerated cars (reefers) parked. The near tracks are Boston & Maine (Fitchburg Div) and the far tracks are Boston & Albany (part of New York Central). The Mansion House hotel is behind the freight house on the left side, with Sales Livery Stable attached. Other industries include H.W. Clarke Biscuit Company, E.A. MacMillan Paper Box Company, Potter Bros. Flour and Feed, the (wood) YMCA and its (brick) gymnasium, H.W. Clarke Coffee Roasters, and City Hall.