Rhode Island Rail Trail

Today I decided to take a break from mountain biking and road biked instead. I drove up to the rail trail that crosses Rhode Island and started at Summit and rode all the way to Anthony. It was sunny and hot but there was a breeze.

There were a good number of informative kiosks along the way detailing the history of the former railroad line. Originally chartered as the Hartford, Providence, & Fishkill Railway, it was subsequently absorbed into New York and New England Railroad and eventually swallowed by the New Haven Railroad. The section of the rail trail I rode consists of two segments: the Trestle Trail and the Coventry Greenway.

Summit

The paved trail ends here at Summit

Coventry

Anthony Mill

I turned around here

Heading Back

The 3 1/2 mile climb was relentless!

The General Store in Summit is so cool - like a trip back in time inside!

Westerly Rhode Island - Train Station

While vacationing nearby, a visit to the train station was of course for me a "must do"!

Station History - Details

In 1912–13, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad constructed the present station as part of a curve straightening project. The station building was in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, as were several other New Haven Railroad stations built around the same time. Resembling the “great house” of a Mexican hacienda with its arcades and roofs of Spanish tile, the looks out of place in the cool climate of Rhode Island, but is representative of a period in American architecture when designers felt free to draw on a myriad of inspirations from across history and cultures. Interest in the country’s colonial Spanish ties was strong due to the admission of Arizona and New Mexico as states that same year.

Amtrak closed the Westerly ticket office on October 1, 2016, ceasing all ticketing and passenger assistance services. The building was reopened on August 17, 2018; the waiting area serves as an art gallery and is open on certain days of the week, and for special events.

Under state law, when state funds are used to construct or rehabilitate a building, 1% of the total funds must be devoted to the creation and installation of public art. Therefore, the station site received a new sculpture at the corner of Canal Street and Railroad Avenue. Designed by local artist Kam Ghaffari, it incorporates three smooth granite boulders that recall the town’s former quarries and carving workshops.

Further Info

Amtrak - Great American Stations

North Bloomfield Greenway and the Farmington Canal Trail

Today I was jonesin' for a railroad-related trek so I headed up to Tariffville with my road bike to ride a couple of rail trails. 

North Bloomfield Greenway

This short 3 mile trail starts where the still active railroad ends in North Bloomfield and ends up right in Tariffville. The weather was sunny and a bit hot but it was a pleasant ride. Much of the trail follows the old Connecticut Western Railroad.

The Ride

Start

Slight descent 

Former Carpet Mill

End

Return

Railroad Remnant

Railraoad History

The Connecticut Western Railroad ran from Hartford, Connecticut, west to the New York state line, where it connected with the Dutchess & Columbia Railroad near Millerton, New York. The line was completed in 1871, with a branch line to Collinsville completed in 1874. It later became part of the Central New England Railway (CNE). 

The CNE was later absorbed by the vast New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad system and the line through Tariffville was abandoned at a later date.

Lunch

After a wonderful burger and beer at the Cracker Barrel Punb in Tarriffvile, I ventured a bit west to ride a section of the Farmington Canal trail.

Farmington Canal Trail

It was getting pretty hot and humid but I rode from Hoskins to Avon and back (13 miles round trip). There were lots of folks on the trail--hiking and biking and thankfully the section south of Simsbury had a canopy of trees to provide a bit of shade.

Like most rail trails' it was pretty flat!

The Ride

Start

Ensign-Bickford Company Sign
An interesting place
- See Links Below -

Yep - thee was a Nike missile site here!

Nice shady section

End of the line

Related Info

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail was built on former New Haven and Northampton Company (NH&N) railbed, which was constructed along the route of the Farmington Canal in Connecticut. It was later absorbed by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

I rode a section of the southern part back in 2021.  Post >

• About the Trail
• History of the Trail
• Ensign-Bickford Company
• Ensign-Bickford Company (History)

Collinsville - West of the River!

The weather wasn't too cold today so I headed up to Collinsville to sniff out the railroad ROW west of the river. 

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 I started my trek at the Calvary Cemetery.

Unbeknownst to me,  I took the hard way in - crossing the former rr cut and practically bushwhacking through the woods to get to the river's edge.

Finally. making my way up to the embankment I was able to capture a few nice photos of the piers and the cut.

Looking north on the embankment

Dang - there was an easier way in!

The cut is pretty grown over by now...

Nice view looking back across the river

I continued northward from the cemetery and snapped a couple more photos of the cut.

There's a well-trod path thats leads to the..

...ROW. I will return in the warmer months to mountain bike this!

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I then next drove up Torrington Ave and stopped at the single-lane Town Bridge. It a little hard to see (even in foliage-free winter) but the ROW rock cut was visible.

ROW (looking northward)

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Once back in Collinsville - I photographed the piers once more and of course stopped at the former station for a beer!

 Here's a Lidar map of that area: