What's with Watertown?

[doorlatch]

I did go out into the traffic of Rte. 2 the other day, and I don't think the rails were cut. I think they put the pipe in under them. I could be wrong, but I didn't see any evidence of cuts or welds.

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... enDocument

Abandonment officially consummated as of Thursday.

[MBTA1016]

I take it as the branch is dead now. Would newlyweds have to pay to get rail reinstalled if they want train service?

[b&m 1566]

So, how does this work now? Was this an abandonment for service and or land ownership?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

So, how does this work now? Was this an abandonment for service and or land ownership?

Abandonment for service. It can officially be disconnected from the mainline now and the grade crossings can be paved over. The T plans to rip out the switch and the West Cambridge freight leads when the Fitchburg Line signal replacement project moves east of South Acton, since I think that switch is still controlled by Waltham Tower. Negotiating window is now open for sale to the state, much like it was when the 1996-abandoned portion from Newlyweds to School St. was sold to the EOT. The state still needs to buy up the Wachusett extension of the Fitchburg Line and the Lowell Industrial Track, so I imagine Watertown's coming over in a package deal.

No work this year whatsoever on the Arlington St.-Grove St. trail segment. I thought that was funded and ready to go, but rails are still there right up to the easterly sidewalk on Arlington and they've yet to attempt any brush-clearing.

I hope this gives City of Cambridge go-ahead to at least pick up the discarded ties and scrap metal around the Waterworks. Some of that's been sitting unsightly by the side of the tracks for decades. And the ped crossing to the Honda dealership crosswalk on Fresh Pond Parkway is so washed out the ties are almost suspended midair. Somebody's going to take a serious fall there if that isn't the first stick of rail removed.

The potholes at the Mall grade crossing are also a bona fide muffler-wrecker nowadays. It is definitely time to spread the asphalt there.

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

https://www.cambridgema.gov/Water/Proje ... rojectPage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Track's been freshly ripped out around the Cambridge Waterworks between Fresh Pond Pkwy. grade crossing and Cambridge Honda for a massive drainage and landscaping project. Pics of the track removal are on the above project page. Everything between the bike path along the parkway to the reservoir path has been leveled to dirt, and construction fencing has been erected to continue the clear-cutting west to the Waterworks driveway. Got a close look yesterday afternoon when the rain stopped. The whole area that up to few weeks ago was thick with brush has been mowed to dirt with all but a few of the sturdiest trees removed; looks radically different. Ties have already been removed offsite, and the removed rail is stacked up neatly in piles.

Project limits are only on this 'front lawn' portion of the ROW, which transacted to the Waterworks in the PAR line sale so they could do this hydrology project for (badly needed) reservoir drainage improvements. All else from the entrance driveway grade crossing west is DCR-owned, and the Watertown Community Path extension is going to hook into the reservoir path on the Huron Ave. side and not go under the exit driveway overpass where all the railbed washouts were. No plans yet identified for a path east of the parkway grade crossing to Danehy Park, either. So doubt you'll see any more rail lifted anytime soon.