I rode 24 miles (12 miles each way) on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. It was pretty flat and a bit boring as there was hardly any railroad remnants to see except for the converted Cambridge Junction station. Still, it was a beautiful day (although a bit chilly) and my curiosity needed satisfying!
Interestingly, it's downhill from Hyde Park to Cambridge Jct.
Since I did the stretch from Morrisville before, I started at Hyde Park this time.
It's an easy ride - primarily farm country.
Dog's Head Falls
Before the town of Johnson, there's a very scenic falls right off the rail trail. Google Map Location >
Cambridge Junction
Once I arrived at Cambridge Junction, there was a lovely train themed playground at the old railroad station!
I had my apple here :-)
There's a great write up of the history...
In addition, there's a covered bridge over the river
End of the Trail
Once at the playground, it's just a short ride over the former railroad bridge to the end of the trail.
This old junked double decker bus seemed out of place in northernVermont!
The railroad continued on but the trail officially ends here for now
On the Return Trip
I snapped a photo going back over the bridge - note mountain in the background
river side scenic shot
For some strange reason, this sand pit /gravel quarry intrigued me
A short visit to upstate NY to visit my family is never complete without checking out railroad remnants :-)
Old Stone Railroad Bridge
This lovely stone railroad bridge can be found off Glenridge Road in East Glenville, NY.
Historical Details
In 1881, the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway opened an extension west from Mechanicville to Rotterdam Junction. This was later to be incorporated into the Fitchburg Railroad which by 1919 became part of the Boston & Maine Railroad. More info >
I have been here numerous times... This view of the Mohawk River old trolley bridge piers is looking south. It was part of the Schenectady Railway. Historical Details >
While up in Lake Carmel, NY working on a recording project, I drove over toward Patterson to check out the countryside, Being a bit of a railroad hound I sniffed out construction on the old Maybrook line and discovered it is being made into a combo of both rail and trail! Details on the project in the Further Info section at the bottom of this post.
(Click pics to enlarge)
History
Formally owned by the Central New England Railway, the Maybrook Line was assimilated into New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1927 to connect its Waterbury Branch in Derby, Connecticut to its Maybrook Yard in Maybrook, New York, where it interchanged with other carriers. It was the main east-west freight route of the New Haven until its merger with the Penn Central in 1969. Metro-North acquired the line, which runs from Danbury, Connecticut, to Beacon, NY in 1994 for $4.2 million.
The historical topo map below illustrates the Maybrook Line on the left. At this point in time it was owned by the Central New England Railway. The former New York and Harlem line is on the right.
Status - March 2020
1- Route 311 overpass
I drove over to Patterson and got lucky! - A MetroNorth train pulled into the station.
Patterson, NY
A couple of Google Street Views to illustrate the progress...
The 23 miles between Brewster and Hopewell Junction opened in 2021, and is one of several trails that make up the Empire State Trail across New York State. Traillink > | Flicker Photos >
On August 28th, 2019, while visiting my mother, I decided to do a bit of local railroad history sleuthing rather than mountain bike. It was productive!
Schenectady
Now recently renovated as a restaurant, this building was originally a single-story waiting room for the Schenectady Railway Company - a local trolley company.
Next - although I am no fan of casinos, the Rivers Casino and Resort rose from the ashes of the former ALCO plant and I was curious if there was any mention of the history of the location.
this spot is called the Amphitheater
there are picnic tables and a green lawn (no trees tho'...)
the walk along the rivers edge was pleasant
Sure enough... I was rewarded with a series of nicely done signage scattered around the park area!
For lunch I headed up to Ballston Spa and had a tasty burger and brew outside, at the old Chocolate Factory. On my trek back in December 2015, I documented the local electric railway and the interesting history of this mill complex.
Although it was cloudy and gray all morning, the sun came out during lunch and I felt a wee bit guilty for not biking but nevertheless, it was an interesting and productive trek!
