Danvers branch

Was able to walk a good part of it in Dec before the snow, the brush had been cleaned out nicely. A few switches still functioning, overall not in too terrible shape. However over the past few days they (Danvers Electric I think) have been pulling up the rails between Pine and Holten streets. If you get a chance to walk it once the snow melts, I recommend it!

Get out and walk the line in Danvers **now** or it may be too late to see tracks. It's a trail conversion that has been planned for years, and seems to have just gotten going with the rail removal.

This is the project main page:
http://www.essexheritage.org/bordertoboston/

If you're on facebook you can see their photos from the Pine Street removal that you saw:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3 ... 9731915098
That facebook photo page says "Added 21 hours ago" so the work may have just started a few days ago.

Did the branch serve the former Danvers State Hospital?

no, that was essex railroad.


it's amazing how many rail lines there were so close to eachother. now they are all dead.

Is this the same line that crosses route 1 in Peabody near the 128/95 interchange?

That's the one. I worked on Prince St. in Danvers about 4 years ago, it was a shame to see all those 18 wheelers coming into the beer distributer and the tracks haden't used for over 10 years.

Granted, much industry has gone South or left the country. That said, the trucks replacement of branch lines is nearly complete.

Is this the same branch that begins in Wakefield and ends, or did at one point, where the current day Newburyport Station is?

yes sir that is the one

How long is the line? I feel like walking the entire thing would take a long time and be absolutely ridiculous and impossible.

I'd still absolutely love to do it sometime though.

id guess 45 +/- miles north of topsfield the power company owns it, and i don't think it is really passable

tom18287 wrote:id guess 45 +/- miles north of topsfield the power company owns it, and i don't think it is really passable

once you get close to danvers high school, it's heavily posted, no trespassing. per order of
the electric co. and they will arrest. why, i don't know. must be the nimbys. that's why i'm not sure that this trail thing by this area is going to work.
according to the trail map, it's supposed to go all the way to portsmouth. andy

The Topsfield - Georgetown - Haverhill and Georgetown - Newburyport roadbeds are intact, in that they haven't been encroached on or built over, but there are two crossings of I-95, one south of Georgetown and the other in Byfield (Newbury) that would need some kind of grade separation. There are also a couple of filled-in highway overpasses on the Georgetown - Haverhill segment. I think all the stream crossings are intact, though I'm less sure about Topsfield - Georgetown.

Where would the train begin? It'd be sweet to see it start in Wakefield where the line branches off the commuter rail ROW.