I do not have any information on this abandoned route. If you know anything about this route, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Thank you!
Add your comments
I remember during the early 1970s an SW would come through town once a week to switch the Foster Grant complex on the north side of town. The station still existed but was a package goods store for as long as I could remember. After the creation of Conrail and the closing of the FG plant, the line was abandoned from the south end of town up to Fitchburg. I am sure that the track has been pulled up from Fitchburg to the memorial park in Leominster if not to the existing serviced line on the south end of town. I have some tie date spikes from that line that date from the late 20s to the 30s so even in the 70s it was a branch line that saw little service or maintenance.
Paul McNally Leominster, MA 10/18/2011
____________________
The railroad line in Leominster/Fitchburg, that was abandoned, pretty much runs parallel to Rt.12 from the old Grossmans bldg in Fitchburg (where it seperates from the Fitchburg main line) to the center of Leominster on Mechanic St. The track ends only a few feet after the rail crossing on the very north edge of the Leominster rail yard. From the railyard, south, the track is in service. This runs from Leominster, thru Sterling, Lancaster, Clinton, Berlin, Northboro, Marlboro, Southboro to where it meets up with the Boston/Albany main line in Framingham. Prior to 2005, the abandoned Leominster-Fitchburg stretch was pretty overgrown with exception of the line cutting right thru the downtown common area. In the latter part of 2005-06, there was a push to convert this abandoned segment to a rail trail. Crews came in and cleared the ROW and pulled all the rails, ties and at all grade crossings, pulled the signals and resurfaced the roads at those crossings. After that, there was talk that money dried up and the project came to a halt. The ROW clearing is still clear at most areas but getting overgrown in others again. The only things along the line that remain from the old railroad, besides the gravel, are some switchboxes and various telegraph poles here and there along the line. I havent heard if there is a renewed effort to continue the line as a rail trail, as of 2011. The bridge over Rt.2 is still in place but a washout behind Longhorn's (next to water tower plaza) keeps the line from being crossed at that location. I wonder if this washout (which has taken this line out here a good 12+ years ago) was one reason for the abandonment.
Steve Z Leominster, MA 11/14/2011