Any municipality may own or acquire by purchase or lease, any railroad and railroad system existing on April nineteenth, one thousand nine hundred and twenty, which lies entirely within the municipality, serving or connected with or adjacent to any wharf, pier, dock, bulkhead, slip, basin, or like structure owned by or leased to the municipality, whether or not leased or subleased by it to others, which on April nineteenth, one thousand nine hundred and twenty, was in active operation for the sole use of transporting freight between a railroad terminal and a water shipping terminal, together with all real estate and interests therein connected with or appurtenant thereto, and also the sidings, rolling stock, equipment, tools, buildings, structures, facilities and appliances thereof, used or adapted for use, for transportation and shipping, or for affording convenient access to the wharves, piers, bulkheads, docks, slips, basins or like structures of the municipality.