billerica bedford rr presentation
DESCRIPTION
This isTRANSCRIPT
Teaching Technology, incorporating local history
Crissy DonoghueTechnology Teacher
Hajjar/Parker Elementary Schools
Billerica and Bedford RailroadNarrow gauge – 2 footer!
First in U.S., for passengersMay 12, 1877
http://www.bedforddepot.org/history/BBHistory.html
What is the difference between Narrow Gauge Railroad tracks and Standard Gauge tracks?
The original route of the
RR
Credit: Billerica Historical Society
Northern half of Billerica Bedford RR tracks
Narrow Gauge tracks are 2 feet across, and Standard gauge are 4 feet across. After the RR went bankrupt, the tracks were switched out with Standard gauge. Part of the tracks is used today for freight trains.
Southern half of trail in Bedford
The Rail Trail is labeled in Google Earth if you zoom in.
Southern half of RR track is now a bikeway
This map, and extensive descriptions of the rail trail are at this website: http://www.bedforddepot.org/railtrails/index.html
It is now partly a bike rail-trail.
• “The second path that starts at the Depot is the Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail. It was opened in 2001 on the abandoned old Billerica & Bedford Railroad. This was the first narrow gauge railroad in the country, opening in 1877. By 1879 it was bankrupt and closed. Six years later, the Boston & Lowell Railroad had converted it to standard gauge and reopened the route. After it was abandoned for good in 1962, it was converted into a 3 mile long rail-trail in 2001.”
• http://assabetriverrailtrail.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/the-big-3-bedford/
This is how the beginning of the trail looks today.
• This is the opening in Bedford, of the trail that leads to Billerica. Has anyone seen these signs?
Missing Billerica Section?See if you can figure out where the tracks went. Look in
Google Earth for clues. (Straight lines of trees.)
Source of this timetable is this website:http://www.bedforddepot.org/history/BBHistory.html
Original timetable is at the Billerica Historical Society
What stops in Billerica, do you see on this timetable to the left?
This is a book cover at left. Do you notice something about the locomotive?
Fun fact:Edaville Railroad is a Narrow Gage RR
(order the book here: http://www.bedforddepot.org/store/page7.html )
Connection to primary source documents: Bankruptcy
What is a primary source document?
What is bankruptcy?
• It is what happens when a business or person cannot pay their bills. They tell a judge their story, and the judge decides how the business’ “stuff” will be sold. Then the money from that sale gets divided up between all the people that are owed money.
• The Billerica and Bedford Railroad went bankrupt when it couldn’t pay the construction bills.
Guess who was owed money?
L.W. Faulkner, and Elenor Bennett– who were these people?
Elenor Bennett: Why is that name important to Billerica?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eleanor_Bennett_Billerica_Massachusetts_ca1883.png
Bennett Library-first library in Billerica(donated by Elenor Bennett)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1899_Billerica_public_library_Massachusetts.png
It is now rented for parties (and SistaCamp is there in the
summer.) http://www.bennettpubliclibrary.org/build.asp
Faulkner Mills is right around the corner from the Hajjar School-it houses 2 museums and many businesses today.
“L. W. Faulkner” worked there.
http://www.billericahistory.org/faulknermills.html
Luther W. Faulkner worked at the mills
This is what Faulkner mills looks like today.
Photo credit: Crissy Donoghue
During Bankruptcy court cases, there are 2 most important papers
Schedule A and B
Photo credit at end of presentation in Works Cited.
A is who is owed money.
B is what stuff you have to sell from your business.
Types of cars are listed—let’s look at pictures
From The Lexington Minuteman, 1878
Teachers: Inside this book, are many pictures, including the railroad car drawings.
On this book cover are:A Locomotive,A box car, andA Passenger car
This book can be purchased from the link at bottom of slide.
(order the book here: http://www.bedforddepot.org/store/page7.html )
Locomotive - Ariel
Locomotive - Puck
Passenger Cars
Passenger Cars
Excursion Car- What might this be for?
Box Car
Flat Car
What do you think Box cars and Flat cars are for?
This is what the engine house looks like today, in Bedford, at the beginning of the
bike trails.
There is a short interpretive track, so you can see what the track looked like.
Work Cited
Slide 2: Photo of Ariel the Locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 4: Map of original route of Billerica and Bedford Railroad, from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica,
Massachusetts.Slide 5: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.Slide 6: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.Slide 7: Map of Bikeway, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 8: Quote from rail trail blog: Kelleher, Tom. Assabet River Rail Trails Blog. Ed. Tom Kelleher. Assabet River
Rail Trail, 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://assabetriverrailtrail.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/the-big-3-bedford/>.
Slide 9: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Bedford, Massachusetts.Slide 10: Screenshot of Google Earth, August 2012.Slide 11: Timetable of Billerica and Bedford Railroad, from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts.Slide 12: Book available from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA. Billerica and Bedford Railroad, by
George Mansfield.Slide 13: See Archive citation at the end of this list.Slide 16: See Archive citation at the end of this list.Slide 17: Photo of Elenor Bennet from Wikipedia.Slide 18: Photo of Bennett Library from Wikipedia.Slide 19: Photo of Bennett Library from website Bennett Public LIbrary. Ed. Barber Software. Bennett Public
Library Association, 2006. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://www.bennettpubliclibrary.org/about.asp>.Slide 20: Photo of Faulkner Mills from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts. Billerica Historical
Society. Billerica Historical Society, n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2012. <http://www.billericahistory.org/>.
Work CitedSlide 21: Photo of Luther W. Faulkner from Billerica Historical Society, Billerica, Massachusetts.Slide 22: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Billerica, Massachusetts.Slide 23: See Archive citation at the end of this list.Slide 24: See Archive citation at the end of this list.Slide 25: Auction notice from Lexington Minuteman, 1878, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MASlide 26 Book available from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA. Billerica and Bedford Railroad, by George Mansfield.Slide 27: Photo of locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 28: Photo of locomotive, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 29: Photo of passenger car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 30: Photo of passenger car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 31: Photo of excursion car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 32: Photo of box car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 33: Photo of flat car, from Friends of Bedford Depot Park, Bedford, MA.Slide 35: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Bedford, Massachusetts.Slide 36: Photo taken by Christine Donoghue, August 2012. Billerica, Massachusetts. Bankruptcy Document photos from :Billerica and Bedford Railroad Company of Bedford. ARC number: 5925871, record group 21, Docket 07690 U.S.D.C. Series: Bankruptcy Act of 1867 Case files, compiled 1867-1878District Court U.S. 1685-2004. Filed in January 1878, at 9:35am
Teacher answers• What is the difference between Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauge tracks?
– Standard Gauge is 4 feet across between the rails, and Narrow Gauge is 2 feet across.
• Where is the missing Billerica Section?– There is a part that is not easy to see anymore because the tracks are gone and it wasn’t preserved as a trail either.
• What train stops, in Billerica, do you see on this timetable to the left?– South Billerica, Nuttings Pond, Boston Road, Salem Road North Billerica
• This is a book cover at left. Do you notice something about the locomotive?– The locomotive has the smoke stack in the back and the triangle pointy part in the front. This indicates that the triangle part is the front of the
car, because it would be there for wind dynamics. The smoke stack was in the back, so that the smoke didn’t get in the eyes of the conductor.
• What is a primary source document?– It is an original document from history. It is something that tells a story first
• L.W. Faulkner, and Elenor Bennett–were owed money-- who were these people?– Faulkner was of the Faulkner mills family, and the mills are still standing, right around the corner. He worked there. And Elenor Bennett was a
wealthy woman in town who donated the town’s first library. The Bennett library building is currently used for functions and a summer camp for girls.
• What is an Excursion Car for? – Sight-seeing. Open car gives better views, and nice breeze!
• What do you think Box cars and Flat cars are for?– Moving goods and products from place to place.