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(rshsdepot) Wayland, MA
From The Wayland Town Crier.
Bernie Wagenblast
Transportation Communications Newsletter
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/
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Historical group moving forward on railroad site
By John Hilliard/ Staff Writer
Thursday, May 19, 2005
In the face of tight town finances, the Historical Commission hopes to find
the cash to preserve railroad artifacts in the town center.
"There are some really quite unique artifacts at the site," commission
Chairman Steve Curtin told selectmen on Monday night. "If we don't recover
these artifacts, if we don't do something to preserve them, they will
disappear."
The Historical Commission recently completed a conceptual plan to
create a railroad historical park near the intersection of routes 27 and
126.
Paid by a $15,000 appropriation from Town Meeting in 2003, the plan
suggests restoring an existing freight house, uncovering railroad building
foundations and creating pedestrian access using the existing rail corridor.
"We want to provide pedestrian access to the site so they can see the
artifacts close up," said Richard Conard, a member of the Historical
Commission. He said the town would try to negotiate a long-term lease for
the rail corridor with its owner, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority.
Commissioners are also mulling whether to tie the railroad site to
other nearby projects proposing to use the rail corridor, such as the
Wayland Commons housing project and the proposed Town Center development.
However, commissioners plan on seeking alternatives to town funding.
"We know the town's resources are strained, but we'll be looking for
alternative sources of funding," said Conard, who said the conceptual plan
does not include an estimated cost.
While the commission looks at alternative funding, they hope to move
forward on preservation to maintain the artifacts of days when the town
lived on steam and rails.
One Wayland railroad building - the Wayland Depot - began life as a
passenger station in 1881. The structure was purchased and renovated by the
town in the 1970s and 1980s.
Meanwhile, the town of Bedford restored its own freight house into a
memorabilia and snack shop.
"They are one of the communities that have done a tremendous amount
with their railroad site," Conard said.
Though dominated by roads like Old Connecticut Path and Boston Post
Road, Wayland was shaped by the railroad. Conard said the town became a
residential community "in part because of the railroad in the early days."
"As a result, Wayland center is more compact, more unique and more
historic," he said.
A pressing concern is maintaining those relics, including the Wayland
freight house - built in 1881 - which is used to store some town equipment.
Conard said commissioners would like to see some future use for the
building, but need to ensure it will remain standing.
"Stabilize it, and prevent it from falling into future disrepair," he
said, and give it a new public life, like the Depot.
"We'd like to find a similar kind of use in the future for the freight
house," he said.
Last weekend, the Historical Commission and 10 volunteers cleared away
vegetation covering the foundation of the engine turntable, a large device
once used to rotate steam engines into position for storage inside the
now-lost engine house. Conard said volunteers will work to unearth more of
the site next year.
"It's part of the town's history," he said.
More information on the railroad historical site is available at:
www.wayland.ma.us/histcommission/railroad.htm
=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1146
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org