Turley Publications photos by Angela Zajac

 

The historic truss bridge, the QRLT's next restoration project along the Rail Trail.

East Quabbin Land Trust volunteers repair bridge

By Angela L. Zajac
Turley Publications Correspondent

HARDWICK - East Quabbin Land Trust (EQLT) volunteers worked in the 80-degree heat Saturday on the second of four bridges they are refurbishing along the historic 104-mile railroad line that once brought former President (then Governor) Calvin Coolidge to the State House in Boston every day from his home in Northampton.
The bridge was a trestle bridge, meaning it had no sides, but now it does thanks to the EQLT volunteers.
The almost 70 year-old railroad line is in the process of being restored into a trail by the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail Coalition and will connect 24 communities. It will be a safe 84-foot-wide path for bicyclists, walkers, runners, baby strollers and young cyclists with training wheels, wheel chair users, cross country skiers, equestrians and nature enthusiasts.
The section of the trail that EQLT is working on is a 3.2 mile stretch that starts at the trail’s opening on Creamery Road in Hardwick, goes over the Ware River on a historic truss bridge towards the old New Braintree train station and back over the river on a historic pony truss bridge to Weelwright.
The beautiful land and water surrounding the trail is owned and maintained by the Department of Fish and Game (Massachusetts Wildlife Commission). It is home to all types of wildlife, hayfields and green landscape of the area.
Cynthia Henshaw, Executive Director of the EQLT, explained “The trail is completely safe to use but the bridges are not finished yet. The last two truss bridges are historic because there aren't many of them left in the state and we are preserving all of the original metal working.”
The Rail Trail will provide an east-west counterpart to the existing Appalachian Trail and connections between the existing North-south Metacomet, Midstate and Bay Circuit Trails. Near Boston, the trail will provide a true urban "non-motorized central artery" with no need for a "Big Dig" and the MassCentral Rail Trail will be the major Massachusetts link in the east coast Greenway which will run from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida.
Maps and more information on the entire Mass. Central Rail Trail project may be obtained by visiting the website at www.masscentralrailtrail.org
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Cynthia Henshaw at the EQLT (413) 477-8229 www.eqlt.org.