by the East Broad Top Railroad in 1916; three were sold again in 1942, while three remain in use. The railroad was highly successful, carrying commuters into Boston and the Boston urban population to the seaside resorts. By 1914 over seven million passengers were carried annually, making it one of the most heavily traveled stretches of railroad in North America. With such a traffic density, the expense of electrification could be easily recouped. By 1928, all existing cars were fitted with electric motors, trolley poles, and control stands and the steam locomotives were disposed of. However, the number of riders decreased during the Great Depression and completion of the Sumner Tunnel between East Boston and downtown Boston in 1934 allowed automobiles to compete with the ferries. After attempts to find a buyer fell through, the BRB&L filed for bankruptcy in 1937. A September 1938 hurricane destroyed of overhead wire and damaged the East Boston terminal. Further losses of ridership followed, and in 1939 the management petitioned for abandonment. After a railfan excursion train on 15 October the abandonment petition was granted, and the railroad ceased operations on January 27, 1940. Winthrop sections On July 1, 1891, the BRB&L merged with the narrow gauge Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad. The BW&S was itself a consolidation on December 12, 1883 of the Boston, Winthrop and Point Shirley Railroad and Eastern Junction, Broad Sound Pier and Point Shirley Railroad. Boston, Winthrop and Point Shirley Railroad The BW&PS was organized on July 3, 1876 and opened a narrow gauge line on June 7, 1877. This line split from the BRB&L at Winthrop Junction and headed east and south for to Winthrop Center and extended in stages during the following years. In 1881, the part heading south was closed and a new line was built east to Ocean Spray and south to Short Beach. Eastern Junction, Broad Sound Pier and Point Shirley Railroad The EJBSP&PS was chartered in 1880 and built a standard gauge railway line from the Eastern Railroad near Crescent Beach southeast via Beachmont and Winthrop Beach to Point Shirley. South of Ocean Spray, this was just east of the BW&PS. Much of this shared section of right-of-way used a three-rail, dual-gauge track. A branch of the EJBSP&PS was also constructed in Revere, from the junction with the Eastern Railroad north to Point of Pines, parallel with the Eastern's Chelsea Beach line. The