George E. Mansfield, of Hazelwood, Massachusetts, allegedly became an early promoter of the two foot gauge after seeing the Ffestiniog Railway in operation in Wales.

This has been a popular idea but Mansfield never made the claim of visiting Wales in any of his numerous writings.

Construction began in May 1877, and the line was completed between North Billerica and Bedford in August 1877, a distance of 8.63 miles (13.89 km).

The line was built very cheaply in accordance with narrow gauge doctrine, but rapidly found itself financially embarrassed.

Mansfield, undeterred, went on to promote the two foot gauge in Maine, where the largest network of these lines in the United States was ultimately built.