curt's blog
New Hope Railway Gets Steam Locomotive
The New Hope Railway, a small line operated by hobbyists southwest of Apex NC, has recently acquired an 85 year old steam locomotive from a group in Georgia. In earlier times the New Hope line provided freight service to Duncan, NC and to Durham via the corridor on which the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) now operates. The New Hope Railway offers short rides on its trains seasonally and is located only a few miles from the southern end of the ATT. A recent article in the Cary News tells more on the group's mission and latest acquisition.
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New Rail-Trail in Atlanta Really Popular with Neighborhood Users
A recent article from the New York Times provides an interesting look at the positive reactions of citizens in a large metro area to a new rail-trail that promises to offer better connections to local transit as well as recreational opportunities and direct links to local parks. Two miles of trail opened recently and will be part of a long-term network that has been planned for over eight years. An earlier NCRT News article outlined the goals of this project.
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Story and Photos of Carolina Thread Trail
NC Rail-Trails Board member Nancy Pierce has recently authored an interesting story with photos of several Thread trails for the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Her story "500 Miles Through the Carolinas" provides background on how several trails came to be and how citizens use them in their daily lives. The Thread is a regional trail network that will ultimately reach 15 counties and more than 2.3 million people in both Carolinas.
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A Few Thoughts at the end of the Year
Do you like to run? Hike? Walk your dog? Would you like to strengthen economic growth and preserve historic structures in your community? If so, please become a member of NCRT!
As a member of NCRT you will:
- Contribute to the preservation of NC’s storied railroad past for use as public trails.
- Help provide a safe environment for individuals to hike, jog, walk or commute.
- Help sustain economic growth for areas surrounding our trails with the tourist and visitors our trails attract.
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A Holiday Present to Users of the American Tobacco Trail (ATT)
On December 15th, the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (TRTC) gave users of the ATT an early Christmas present with the opening of the Pittard Sears parking area. This medium sized lot (~18 cars) is located adjacent to the ATT crossing of Pittard Sears Road and is approximately in the middle of the Chatham County portion of the trail. This opening wraps up a 2+ year effort by TRTC to find a suitable site for parking in Chatham and to work with local organizations to raise the funding which made this fine trail amenity possible. The area was originally a sight triangle for the former rail corridor and is a portion of the corridor parcels owned by NCDOT's Rail Division and leased to Chatham for their section of the ATT. Major funding was provided by the Tobacco Road Marathon, the ATT 10 Miler Road Race, and the Carolina Tarwheels Bicycling Club. In addition to providing much needed parking, the area will have a seasonal water fountain to be installed just off the trail in the next few weeks. Major funding for the fountain was provided by a grant from Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI). For more info and images of this project please see TRTC's web site.
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Carolina Thread Celebrates Reaching 100 Miles of Trail
On November 16th, a public-private trails group, the Carolina Thread Trail, commemorated the opening of mile 100 within the 15 counties it operates in. Following an aggressive Master Plan calling for long term development of 500 miles of trail and successful fund raising, these first 100 miles have been developed in just a little over five years. A variety of trails are included within the Thread system, from paved greenways in urban areas to natural trails in more rural settings. The Highland Rail-Trail in Gastonia is a part of the Thread sytem. A Map of the Thread Trails system shows their locations. For more on the plans and progress of the Thread system please see this recent article from the Gaston Gazette.
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Section of Little Tennessee River Greenway Re-opens
The portion of the Little Tennessee River Greenway near the Southwestern Community College (SCC) Macon campus and Macon County Library that had been closed during work on the Siler Road Extension project has been paved and has re-opened to pedestrian use. The "Little T" is located in Franklin, NC and was partially built on an abandoned rail corridor. Stop by and see some great views of the river if your travels take to you to western North Carolina. Our Fall 2011 Newsletter has much more on this fine little trail. For more on the re-opening see this recent article in the Franklin Press.
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2nd Annual Ales for Rail Trails Race a Great Success!
Great weather, over 200 entrants and ale for all (over age 21) after the race. Many thanks to Bull City Running Company for planning and marking our course and for providing excellent timing services at the finish. Lots of pictures were taken and a bunch are making their way to us. For now you can look at a nice sample of the race and post-race activities on our Facebook page. Check back soon and we should have more pics. For race results click the links on the right sidebar of this page.
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Spring 2012 Issue of Newsletter Just Released
Our lead story is on the Deep River Rail-Trail in Randolph County and we also will give you the latest on the recent grant to the Elkin Valley Trails Association from Lowes Home Improvement. The PDF version is here now. Members opting for the hardcopy version can expect it in the mail by mid-June.
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UPDATE--Construction of Final Segment of American Tobacco Trail Set to Start on June 11th
In early April Durham's City Council approved the $7.7 million Phase E contract with Blythe Construction of Charlotte. This will provide 10' of asphalt paving for the southern 4 miles of the ATT in Durham and construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge which will span I-40. We also understand it will include a dual surface section from the Chatham County line to Scott-King Road. Durham has not released a specific schedule for the project but has previously indicated that construction would take ~13 months from the actual start of work. In late May, Durham announced that construction will start on June 11th. Please see a recent Herald-Sun article for more on the project. Public meetings to outline construction plans and the impacts on trail users during construction were held on May 14th, 15th and 17th. To keep up with schedules, trail closure dates, and progress on the project check the Public Works Department's website periodically.
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