The Upper Falls Greenway construction has halted and will be finished once the weather warms up in the spring.
One of the railroad artifacts that we’d like to keep are the switches (see photo). One of our more industrious and far thinking volunteers realized that they were all removed when the tracks were pulled up last month. The four switches are lying around near the giant piles of stacked up railroad ties. He was worried that if don’t stash them for safe keeping now, they might disappear in the meantime.
So yesterday he turned up with an acetylene torch and disconnected them from their linkages. Tomorrow at 1 PM, we’re planning on loading them on a truck and hauling them away for safe keeping. We’ll need some volunteers to help load them. The more folks, the easier it will be.
It should just take 5 – 10 mins to load them, then about an hour later we’ll load the second pair. In the meantime you can head out for a cup of coffee or go walk the right-of-way and inspect the work that’s been done so far. We’ll be meeting at the end of Tower Rd in the parking lot beside the railroad tracks, by the giant pile of railroad ties. If you plan on coming, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know.
The plan is to restore the switches over the winter, possibly with the help of a local Boy Scout troop. Once the Greenway construction’s complete, we plan to replant the switches as permanent reminders of the right-of-way’s history.
See you at 1 PM tomorrow.
Jerry, you may want to take a few rails and ties for the re-assembly exercise.
Good idea Patrick. Thanks
Many hands make light work. Thanks to the crew of eight today. The switches are now safely stored and will return again once they’re re furnished.
Might the ties make for good firewood or are they the old tar and creosote soaked versions?
Tar and creosote soaked. The contractor (Iron Horse) is pulling up most of the ties and will be disposing of them.