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  • MA - Stoneham Branch - Tri-Community Greenway

  • General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.
General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.

Moderator: railtrailbiker

 #1549803  by BostonUrbEx
 
The Stoneham Branch was converted to rail trail last year as part of the Tri-Community Greenway. The three communities referenced by the name would be Stoneham, Woburn, and Winchester. The rail-trail itself is in Stoneham and Woburn, and just reaching the active New Hampshire Main Line at Montvale Jct, the Greenway follows a series of roads and multi-use paths to meander down to Winchester Center.

I only rode the trail one-way as part of a larger loop I was making, but it must be a healthy grade down into Woburn from Stoneham because I was flying without much effort at all. Also, near Winchester Center you can follow the Horn Pond Greenway up to Horn Pond. I believe it follows the route of an old ice house railway, today it is residential roads and rail trail.
 #1609685  by l008com
 
The Stoneham portion is not steep for a bike but it's definitely steep for a train. They must have had neverending traction issues when the line was in service.
So this tri-way bike path could have so easily been a quad-way bike path if Winchester had the common sense to KEEP it's portion of the Woburn Loop. In Woburn, the RoW is fully intact from the town line all the way to Woburn Center. But Winchester instead choose to sell theirs when the line was abandoned so now there are condos and parking lots blocking it. Such a stupid, short-sighted choice by themm.