What's happening in Lawrence, MA?

Coming back to Maine from CT, we decided to do some exploring in Lawrence, MA and see what tracks we could find. Wow! There are a lot of abandoned tracks and it seemed like they were everywhere. I only have a couple of questions though as I was able to figure out where most of the tracks went.

1) Why isn't the MBTA using the old station right in the downtown where the original station is currently? Because of the parking? (You can see the platforms from the road). The old one looks much better than the new.

I was impressed with the old black and white railroad crossing signs that must have been from the 50's. Does anyone have any old detailed maps of Lawrence that would show most of the tracks? It would be neat to find out where all of the old sidings when and when they were last used. There is some great railroad history in that town that I was able to see in person.

Oh yeah, one other ?. If you continue on 495 east, you go over the merrimack river again. Was there a track that ran next to the river in the west side when you cross over it? It looks like there was something down there any one point but it is to overgrown to see anything.

Thanks for any assistance with these questions.
Warren

I don't really have the answers to your questions, but this map might help out a bit.

http://historical.maptech.com/getImage. ... g&state=MA

I don't think you specifically asked about this location, but...

If you follow the tracks straight north across the Merrimack from Lawrence yard instead of following the main line along the river's East bank, there's a track or two that branch off to the right at Stevens Pond. The track(s) go in among some old mill buildings. My dad used to work at Andover Organ Co. in one of those buildings, and he says the building(s) used to be Atlantic mills.

Yes. That location was one of my questions.

Thanks for posting map. I forgot about checking that site.

i edited my first post after a good chunk of my ??? were answered with the map.

Does anyone know about the places that spur goes to that branches off to the south west just north of the yard?

Warren

That is the Lowell Hill branch that goes to an industrial park. It used to go all the way to Lowell

The reason MBTA is not using the old Lawrence station downtown is they built a brand new one with a high level platform and huge parking garage a few hundred yards down the tracks to the east. It's a beautiful station and totally modern. Just in a terrible town with a mediocre police department so it has not gained alot of popularity just yet.

BM6569 wrote:Oh yeah, one other ?. If you continue on 495 east, you go over the merrimack river again. Was there a track that ran next to the river in the west side when you cross over it? It looks like there was something down there any one point but it is to overgrown to see anything.
Warren

Are you referring to the area where 125 and 495 connect? If so I think I know what you’re talking about; I have often wondered the same thing. I could have sworn that I saw tracks running along the river but that was a long time ago and it’s even more grown in since then. I've often wanted to check that out but when I have the time (with nothing to do) I never remember it.

Before I-495, we took Rt. 110 to Haverhill; don't ever remember seeing tracks along the river where Rt. 125 joins 495. That'd be in the 60's, but who knows? There could've been a roadbed there at one time. We need the historians in the forum!

some pics of the lowell Hill branch http://preview.tinyurl.com/2nru75
I've had a look on local-live and google maps aerial photos and can't see anything that looks like abandoned rail alignment in the area you mention on the river bank. http://preview.tinyurl.com/2orof2

And do we have an update on the completion / non-completion of CP Frost?

Rockingham Racer wrote:And do we have an update on the completion / non-completion of CP Frost?

CPF Frost is complete and ready to go minus the tie-in to 17 East. But that switch is in place and all that is in the way of that is removing the #2 track platform and adding the short section of track to connect it.

All the signals are in place in all locations from the new signals at CPF AS all the way out the distant signals for CPF273. Minus the Hall interlocking project, the whole system is ready to go. There is of course still the nonsense going on between Pan Am and the MBTA regarding the track numbering. But when that stupidity is over, maybe it will come alive.

b&m 1566 wrote:

BM6569 wrote:Oh yeah, one other ?. If you continue on 495 east, you go over the merrimack river again. Was there a track that ran next to the river in the west side when you cross over it? It looks like there was something down there any one point but it is to overgrown to see anything.
Warren

Are you referring to the area where 125 and 495 connect? If so I think I know what you’re talking about; I have often wondered the same thing. I could have sworn that I saw tracks running along the river but that was a long time ago and it’s even more grown in since then. I've often wanted to check that out but when I have the time (with nothing to do) I never remember it.

Could it have been a Haverhill-Lawrence trolley line?

The right of way which runs along the south side of the river which can be seen from 495 is a sewer main feeding the outfall pipes. If you were to take River Street and head in toward Haverhill it is visible along the entire southern bank.