September 8, Meeting in Review
Carl Byron, B&MRRHS Past President, waits for crowd to assemble before beginning his talk on Ayer, Mass., as a railroad center. Some 40 to 45 people were present to hear his presentation. Richard Nichols photo.
Carl Byron gave a fascinating presentation on the B&M at Groton Junction (aka Ayer, MA) before a full house at the society's meeting on September 8th. Using a number of venerable images which he has gathered, Carl gave us a front-row seat to the many changes in the railroad scene here over the years. As the name implies, this location was part of the Town of Groton before being sectioned off as the new Town of Ayer. He covered the early days of the Fitchburg, the Worcester, Nashua & Portland, and the Stony Brook, the Boston & Lowell's connection to Groton Junction. We were treated to images of locomotives, rolling stock, station buildings, and track and bridge changes, steam through to diesels, peppered with interesting insights from the presenter's knowledge of this area.
Of the many high points, the images of the giant steel "gantry" signal bridge stand out. This towering square structure supported signal masts which governed moves over the multiple diamonds east and west on the Fitchburg as well as north and south on the WN&P at Ayer station. The tower operator had to carefully climb a long stairway up to his perch in a small tower building on the northwest corner. This pre-dated the brick signal tower which replaced this gantry structure and still stands today. The gantry used to stand very close to the Boston end of the tower. Thanks, Carl, for your time and effort for our enjoyment! (R.K. Hurst)
