North Central Pathway
(Gardner-Winchendon)

Currently open for public use on an informal basis except at its ends

Mileage Chart and Detailed Trail Information

The following railroad mileage chart also serves as a table of contents for the detailed rail-trail information and associated pictures. Each page begins with the historic name of the former railroad station, and continues with available information about the trail on either side of that railroad station, to a point roughly half-way to the next railroad station.  

Miles Station Name Svc. Settlement Municipality
27.16 Heywood TFP Gardner Gardner
32.41 Red School ---   Winchendon
35.98 Winchendon TFP Winchendon Winchendon

* = Railroad Miles from Ayer
Svc.: (in 1923) T=Telegraph, F=Freight Accounts, P=Passenger tickets
Italics = beyond the limits of the current Rail-trail proposal
Dark face = Depot presumably present in 1923

Mileage and Station Names from the Official List of Officers, Agents and Stations of the Boston & Maine Railroad, July 1,1923.

North Central Pathway Brochure

Text and map from a brochure published in 1998 outlining plans to pave the rail-trail between Heywood and Winchendon.

Note that the map shows a completed section of trail along the east shore of Crystal Lake. Note that east shore path is excluded from the detailed trail coverage of this Web Site since it is not a rail-trail!

Railroad Abandonment Summary

Item From To Year RR Miles
218 Heywood
(Gardner)
Winchendon 1959 B&M 7.6
B&M = Boston & Maine Railroad
From the "Directory of Rail Abandonments 1848-1994" in the book Lost Railroads of New England, 2nd Ed. by Ronald Dale Karr, published by Branch Line Press in 1996.

Brief History of the Railroad

A brief history of the Boston, Barre & Gardner was published as Article #37 in The Rail Lines of Southern New England by Ronald Dale Karr, published by Branch Line Press in 1995.


This page was updated on July 26, 2000 by Kenyon F. Karl <[email protected]>. Unintentional errors are likely!
Sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs by Richard C. Moeur.

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