MethuenRailTrail

Next meeting January 10th Meeting at 7PM Nevins Library

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:17:19 +0000

At our first meeting of the year we will be collecting ideas for events for 2012!

As you can see they have been working as hard as beavers on our rail trail.
We need to come up with some great events for 2012 to introduce it to people.

Our primary goal for 2012 will be a membership drive, as we will need many volunteer to take part and run events!

7PM in the Study Room at
Nevins Memorial Library
305 South Broadway

Refreshments will be provided!

2012 New Year’s Day walk

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:28:48 +0000

Congratulations to the folks who showed up to walk on the under construction Methuen Rail Trail!. Displayed are about half the folks who attended. the weather was ridiculously warm which made it easier to appreciated the work in progress.

See you all next New Years Day

This week on the trail – rail removal

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:26:03 +0000

First the rails and plates get detached from the ties, now they get disassembled for shipping!
The rails are being sorted according to wear and tear, the BETTER pieces are going to become a tunnel in Queens.

New Year’s Day FIRST WALK on the Methuen Rail Trail

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:22:09 +0000

You’re invited. Come one, come all. If you didn’t make it to First Night, you can still start the New Year off on the right foot by joining us for ‘FIRST WALK’ on the ever developing Methuen Rail Trail. You can begin your New Years resolution to take better care of yourself or to get more exercise by meeting us on Sunday, New Years Day at noon behind IHOP at the N.H. end of our Methuen Rail Trail. The sun is supposed to shine, but dress in layers anyway, and if you like, add a hat and mittens. The ground could be muddy so wear appropriate footgear.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Looks better already.

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:45:16 +0000

After all the metal is removed from the area, a forklift comes in and scoops up the ties for bailing and removal.

Removing the spikes and rails

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:40:33 +0000

Unfortunately some of the spikes need to come out by hand, especially those on the Spicket River Bridge.

Then the Excavator comes in and grabs a string of rails and pull them out of place. Shaking them like pick up sticks so they loosen up and fall onto the ground.

When they are loose, the bolts on the connector plates are heated and removed with a sledge hammer.

Once they are segmented the machine picks them up and stacks them for removal.

The other metal bits are collected into a dumpster for the scrap company,

Erosion Controls protect the wetlands

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:36:51 +0000

Before the construction began on the sections that border the conservation lands, silt and animal barrier was installed on both sides. A trench is dug and the barrier is laid in and back filled. It remains until construction is completed.

No limit tire fishing

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:35:36 +0000

There aren’t that many tires left out on the trail, but these were more in the swamp than on the trail. We skipped them up till now since the rest of the year they are surrounded by water and shrubbery. Amazing what you get get done with a bit of rope. There is still a lot of cleaning to be done in areas outside the railbed.

today on the trail

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:16:06 +0000

Iron Horse Preservation makes plans with Conservation to put up temporary erosion controls around sections that need to be protected. In Methuen it will mostly be for the protection of the Blanding’s Turtle and other reptiles are who confused by the warm weather.

Rail Trail Groundbreaking

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:54:07 +0000