Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club, Inc.

Wishing all our motorcar buddies and families a great holiday! A note from club President Bruce Stuart:

Good morning, and a Merry Christmas to all of you. Yes, this has been quite a year for each and every one of us. Not just with our time together as a club, but with ourselves, our families and our friends. The constant navigation through waters unfamiliar to us, has fostered creative ways to chart those waters and ultimately reach our destination. I so look forward to not just seeing each of you as our season begins this coming spring, but seeing your smiles and expressions and sharing in your excitement of once again plying the rails. With the advent of this vaccine, the near future looks to be promising for a return to some semblance of normality with our club. The enjoyment we experience with setting on for an afternoon ride to the Miss Wakefield, or simply the social aspect we take in at one of our club gatherings. Hopefully, we won't find ourselves pining for those pieces of time out of our lives and everything Bedford Falls once again returns to our rails. I take solace in the fact that the lights still burn bright on the station platform, awaiting another year when voices fill the yard with conversation and the snap of two stroke engines echo off the tree line. Merry Christmas everyone. Bruce.

(J. Miner photo)

(SPM)

(October 24, 2020)

Work Ride Recap from Jon Miner: "Long, but safe day on the rails. We patrolled from Silver Lake Road to the Lakeport drawbridge in preparation for next week's excursion train. Took care of brush cutting a few spots where the hy-rail cutter missed. Ben Clark says "Thanks very much!" (J Miner Photo)

(SPM)

A message from the club Vice President, Jesse Mazzie:

First, thank you to all those who came to this and all the M&B runs this year. Your participation and professional attitude towards safety first, last and always was noticed. Ten railcars gathered on a PERFECT fall day at Howard st. in Wilton. Set on went smooth and we gathered for our safety meeting. Once we set out it was slow and steady up the big hill due to the anticipated frosty rail. We stopped in Greenfield for lunch and some members went over and checked out the blacksmith shop that was working. After turning in Bennington we checked out the closed trestle and Contoocook river. On the way back we stopped at the historic Elmwood Jct. to see the remains of a historic area. We stayed on schedule and were off the rail in time with our thanks to the M&B for helping contribute to a great series of runs this year. (J Mazzie photos) (SPM)

(October 10, 2020)

The club rode to remember Art Hawkes by running his beloved Mountain Division. We enjoyed spectacular warm summer weather in October. It was so nice to have Brenda Hawkes join us on this somewhat "Adventure Excursion". Thanks to Brian and Sue for providing a seat for Brenda. Brenda remarked, "As I rode, I watched all the mile posts he had lovingly painted the whole length and laughed how well they were holding up and how precise they were painted. He was a perfectionist. Getting back just after dark was even perfect as he had no sense of time and almost always got back late and often after dark. Again our son Will and I thank you for this."

It was our pleasure Brenda and Will. Thank you for joining us. We were happy to do the full trip to the New Hampshire border and back. (B Leo,S Fuller, S McInerney Photos)

(SPM)

(September 26, 2020)

Meeting Report from Vice President Jesse Mazzie: This morning seven more Cotton Valley members took part in mentoring day at Fernald Station. We started off with classroom teaching on safety/operating rules, mechanical and lots of other motorcar topics. After a morning of classroom learning we headed out on the Wolfeboro line and upon arrival back at Fernald 5 new NARCOA Mentored operators were signed off on and the other 2 will get checked off next insurance season. Everyone did great and it was safe day. Thank you to Gordon, Danny and Mark from NEREX for coming over and congratulations to Jon M, Paul R, Kathleen F, Chris R, James I, Glenn F and Ken B on your work getting "your wings". (J Mazzie Photo)

(SPM)