Question re: Original Central Mass. ROW

Recently I spent part of an afternoon driving around the Clinton area with a couple of friends, neither of whom had ever seen the old Central Mass. tunnel and viaduct site, both of which I showed them. I also located the easterly end of the original roadbed (near its connection with the later one) that was abandoned in 1904 when the Wachusett Reservoir was created.

Where does the original roadbed enter out onto Route 70? I've never quite been able to locate it. There are several old gravel roads and paths that emanate from the woods just south of the intersection of 62 and 70, none of which are accessible because they're all on MDC property. There is a short peninsula that juts out into the reservoir across the highway from one of these; I'm wondering if that carried the ROW. I have no way of knowing short of doing some on-foot exploring, which I guess is off limits.

BTW, why is this old ROW excluded from public access, anyway?? Makes no sense to me. I could see excluding ATVs, but why no foot traffic?

It's definitely just a bit south of that intersection, but exactly where I couldn't tell you. According to the modern 7.5' topo map, there's a driveway on 62 (Willow Road) which heads south to a house just on the other side of the ROW, which is on an embankment. If you can make your way in there, you can probably find it. If it's somebody's house, ASK THEM. They probably know better than anyone. Asking for permission will often get you more information about a railroad than you'd get by trespassing.

I've followed the old ROW Through the DCR lands. It's OK I work for DCR and it is a part of my normal duties, The entire area is off limits though to the general public. The line would have crossed Rt. 70 at gate C-2. The ROW is intact from the gate to the property line where it is destroyed past our property. I do not know what is left heading towards Berlin. The rest of the line was destroyed by the South Dike and of course the reservoir itself. The Central Mass and the WN&P was also relocated in Oakdale further west from their original location and the old lines destroyed.

The land on the Berlin side of Rt. 70 is off limits because of an old quarry adjacent to the tracks and the reservoir side is off limits do to it being close to the intake facilities to bring the water to Boston.

I made a mistake on the gate number in my last post the gate does not have a number but it is the first gate on the left past rt. 62 as you leave Clinton.