by dbperry
BandA wrote:Ah ha! Not the Upper Falls branch - that connected the Highland Branch (now the Green Line "D" line) to Needham Junction. The LOWER Falls branch is what I was snowshoeing on, and what bostontrainguy was talking about.dbperry wrote:I think you are talking about the Upper Falls branch. Bike trail would be awesome there (how to shield against golf balls?)bostontrainguy wrote:And I found out that if you go snowshoeing at the golf course, you can hike all the way out to the end of the golf course and cross over 128 on those bridges and walk right up to the fence at the back of the Riverside car barn! This path is off limits for the cross country skiers, and access to the bridges isn't advertised, but if you follow the "snowshoe" only path you will come to the embankment for the old route. Didn't see any signs of fences or "no trespassing" signs either, and the path was clearly worn down by previous snowshoers on the day I was there.
c): Well not quite impossible. There is an abandoned right-of-way that wyes off of the MBTA's "Test Track" behind the Riverside carhouse and goes west across existing bridges over Interstate 95/Route 128. Now it would then have to run through a golf course . . . but it is possible
Dave
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 26&t=59184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And check it out - bostontrain guy is right. It is a straight shot from where the Lower Falls branch crosses Route 128 to where it could rejoin the B&A mainline right on the Weston-Wellesley town line. Would only have to take out 2-3 golf course fairways and the one nice big house just east of the mainline - the only house in Weston at the end of Crestwood Drive in Wellesley. And there is already a bridge over the Charles River right there too - granted, it is a little bridge for golf carts, but it's something! And since it would involve work in Newton, Weston, AND Wellesley, it will be a breeze to get 'community buy-in!'
Sorry. Please resume West Station discussions...