B&M in Belmont MA?

Hi all

Can anyone give me any info on the B&M in Belmont MA? There are a couple of old unused sidings near the High School and I was wondering just who they served in the old days. Perhaps these were for the Fitchburg instead? I'd like to know more about the railroading I missed in my home town...

Jonelle

I've never seen any unused sidings near the High School, althought the Cambridge Plating building used to have a spur that entered the building. That part of Belmont used to be the "industrial" part of town with several rail customers, all gone now. The High School land used to be a dump, behind a clay pit, the pit is filled with water now(Clay Pit Pond). Over at the town yards there is an old, disconnected siding. There is some old trackage on the other side of Hill's Crossing that served that wearhouse with the docks(all unused now). This siding is still connected to store a track gang or to set out a car, I guess. There is a book called "Foot Steps Through Belmont" that details the industry and the area. The extra space alongside the mbta trackage used to carry the Central Mass Branch. It is almost the 100 year anniversary of the Depot and the Overpass in Belmont. There is a painting in Gregory's Pizza showing Belmont Center before the grade separation in 1907.

Those are the ones I was thinking of (sidings). It annoys the living begeebers out of me that all the cool stuff is gone. I wish the T would keep Belmont station well groomed. As it is the town is so anti-T, which is stupid...

That book you mention sounds interesting. I think I read once about a track that once served one of the local ponds for ice companies. I can be wrong, but I think it branched off by Hills Crossing.

(sigh) ...tracks still in town and nothing cool to see...