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Derry Depot.
Digital picture by Kenyon F.
Karl on August 4, 1998.
End of bike path at Derry Depot.
Digital
picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 4, 1998.
Town of Derry decided in the fall of 1999 to purchase the Derry Depot for eventual use as a tourist information center to be staffed by the Chamber of Commerce.
A paved bike path occupies the railroad bed running south from the Derry Depot on Broadway. This paved bike continues south to South Avenue, briefly parallels a new residential street, then continues along the high railroad embankment over West Running Brook towards Norton St. Note that Norton Street provides a quiet and convenient route to the Parkman Medical Center on Birch Street.
Bike path crossing West Running Brook in
Derry.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 4, 1998.
The south end of the paved bike path at Norton Street.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 21, 1999.
An unpaved path continues south from Norton Street.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 21, 1999.
A municipal parking lot is located at the south end
of Abbott St, just west of the Depot. A very short but steep
gravel side-trail leads from the parking lot directly onto the
rail-trail. Folks that require an ADA compliant route are advised
to detour via Abbott Street to reach the end of the trail at the
sidewalk on Broadway.
A convenience store is
immediately west of the Derry Depot. The business
district on Broadway on either side of the Derry Depot contains a variety of restaurants. Toilets and water
are presumably available upon request within the restaurants
during operating hours.
Derry District Court Building.
Digital
picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.
New street at Derry District Court Building.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.
The construction of the Derry District Court Building just north of the Derry Depot has broken the continuity of the old railroad bed. A new road and sidewalk swerves onto the right-of-way in front of the building might be usable for trail purposes when it is complete. In the meantime, trail users do not have a convenient means of reaching Hood park from the current end of the Rail-trail at Broadway!
View of swimming area at the rail-trail.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.
Trail barrier just north of Hood Park. Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.
A steel barrier just north of Hood Park completely blocks the railroad embankment. Although the sign prohibits ATV usage south of that point, this barrier blocks all but the most agile trail users that are destined for Hood Park!
Parking, picnic tables, and
chemical toilets are available adjacent to the trail at Hood Park,
with an outdoor swimming area a short distance away.
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The Rail-trail is unpaved as it crosses Kendall Pond Road.
The Rail-trail passes under Bowers road using an oversized drainage culvert (about 5 feet high) that is just too small for usage except by small children on foot. Other trail users can probably cross Bowers road at grade, but the route is not obvious, nor ADA compliant!
Trail culvert at Bowers Road in Derry.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.
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An oversized drain culvert passes under Madden Road in a manner similar to the culvert at Bowers Road. Some users are likewise able to bypass this culvert, but the bypass route is poorly defined and not ADA compliant!
In August of 1998, the road overpass that connects Franklin Street and Coteville Road in Londonderry was closed because of its obviously unsafe condition. However there was no obstruction for trail users at that time. However, the railroad bed has been blocked by solid fill located perhaps a quarter-mile south of that abandoned bridge, to enable vehicle access to some kind of land development or land-fill project. Note that able-bodied trail users (and over-powered mechanized users) may be able to cope with the steep slopes on either side of that fill.
Sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs, by Richard C. Moeur.
