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.