article from today's Worcester Telegram
Councilors to ride on dormant rail line
John Dignam
T&G STAFF
Some town councilors next month will ride the iron rails of the former Providence & Worcester Railroad line that runs between here and Webster, possibly the first time the rails will have been used since the railroad stopped using them in early 1980s.
Their ride will be on rail cars, small vehicles with one-cylinder engines that the railroads used from the early 1900s to the late 1960s as maintenance and inspection vehicles.
The cars are owned by members of the NorthEast Rail Car Owners Association.
Warren Riccitelli Jr. of North Providence, R.I., president of the group and national chairman of the Rail Preservation Committee of the North American Rail Car Operators Association, invited councilors on the ride at their meeting Monday night.
He said he planned to invite officials from other towns through which the rail runs, and was on his way to Thompson after the council meeting to invite selectmen there to ride the rail cars, too.
Mr. Riccitelli told the councilors the preservation committee wants to save the iron rails of the rail bed for recreational use by rail car owners. He said the group envisions a dual-purpose track that would include walkers and bicyclists beside the existing rails.
The state earlier this month bought the 11 miles of rail bed for $1.3 million from the P&W for use as a recreation trail. The rail runs through Southbridge, Dudley, Thompson and Webster.
Mr. Riccitelli said the state Department of Transportation has given the preservation committee permission to form a commission of association members and town officials to look into preserving the rails.
Mr. Riccitelli invited the officials to ride the rail cars Oct. 9, Oct. 11 or Nov. 6.
A number of councilors expressed interest in keeping the rails intact and in riding the rail cars, but the council took no action.
The state and P&W had been negotiating the sale of the land for a decade.
Earlier this month, state Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, said he expected the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which will manage the trail, will seek to sell the rails to offset the cost of developing the trail.
Mr. Riccitelli said keeping the rails could boost area tourism and would be beneficial if rail service returned to the area.
However, Edwin J. Calcutt of Sturbridge, a founder of a group formed in 1992 to promote the trail and other area bike trails, has said be believes much of the rail bed is too narrow to both retain the tracks and create a recreation trail.
Mr.Riccitelli said the commission would be formed to develop short- and long-term goals for the rail trail.
Councilors to ride on dormant rail line
John Dignam
T&G STAFF
Some town councilors next month will ride the iron rails of the former Providence & Worcester Railroad line that runs between here and Webster, possibly the first time the rails will have been used since the railroad stopped using them in early 1980s.
Their ride will be on rail cars, small vehicles with one-cylinder engines that the railroads used from the early 1900s to the late 1960s as maintenance and inspection vehicles.
The cars are owned by members of the NorthEast Rail Car Owners Association.
Warren Riccitelli Jr. of North Providence, R.I., president of the group and national chairman of the Rail Preservation Committee of the North American Rail Car Operators Association, invited councilors on the ride at their meeting Monday night.
He said he planned to invite officials from other towns through which the rail runs, and was on his way to Thompson after the council meeting to invite selectmen there to ride the rail cars, too.
Mr. Riccitelli told the councilors the preservation committee wants to save the iron rails of the rail bed for recreational use by rail car owners. He said the group envisions a dual-purpose track that would include walkers and bicyclists beside the existing rails.
The state earlier this month bought the 11 miles of rail bed for $1.3 million from the P&W for use as a recreation trail. The rail runs through Southbridge, Dudley, Thompson and Webster.
Mr. Riccitelli said the state Department of Transportation has given the preservation committee permission to form a commission of association members and town officials to look into preserving the rails.
Mr. Riccitelli invited the officials to ride the rail cars Oct. 9, Oct. 11 or Nov. 6.
A number of councilors expressed interest in keeping the rails intact and in riding the rail cars, but the council took no action.
The state and P&W had been negotiating the sale of the land for a decade.
Earlier this month, state Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, said he expected the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which will manage the trail, will seek to sell the rails to offset the cost of developing the trail.
Mr. Riccitelli said keeping the rails could boost area tourism and would be beneficial if rail service returned to the area.
However, Edwin J. Calcutt of Sturbridge, a founder of a group formed in 1992 to promote the trail and other area bike trails, has said be believes much of the rail bed is too narrow to both retain the tracks and create a recreation trail.
Mr.Riccitelli said the commission would be formed to develop short- and long-term goals for the rail trail.
