Bye-Bye, Bike Shop, 04-28-2011

It's been more than a bit since bikes have been actually sold or fixed at Gamache's, but "Bike Shop" has continued to be a D-3 Form D designation. In a mid-morning drive-by on 04-28-2011, there was a bunch of activity at the location and even a sign in the window indicating that pizzas and probably more will becoming to the place to be renamed "Zedas."
Wow, a new place for crew lunch, but on a stretch of line to see an increase in traffic when the Wachusett Extension gets completed!
"Gamache's Cyclery" still appears in large letters on the track side of the building, so maybe the designation won't change.

What is the Wachusette Extension?...I've never heard of it till now!

Tim Mulllins-
If you head on over to MBTA Rail Operations/Fitchburg Line Upgrades, you'll find discussions, sometimes heated, of the project to extend commuter rail from Fitchburg to just east of MP 334. Included is also re-establishment of a dormant freight spur to the industrial park south of the Freight Main. Also included is a still-contested T layover facility at CPF-335 and the extension of the Dead Track another 2 miles east to make operations at Gardner a bit more fluid.
In the discussions, you may find links to plans.

jaymac wrote:It's been more than a bit since bikes have been actually sold or fixed at Gamache's, but "Bike Shop" has continued to be a D-3 Form D designation. In a mid-morning drive-by on 04-28-2011, there was a bunch of activity at the location and even a sign in the window indicating that pizzas and probably more will becoming to the place to be renamed "Zedas."
Wow, a new place for crew lunch, but on a stretch of line to see an increase in traffic when the Wachusett Extension gets completed!
"Gamache's Cyclery" still appears in large letters on the track side of the building, so maybe the designation won't change.

Just what Fitchburg needs, ANOTHER pizza place! Yes, they'll call it Bike Shop until doomsday. Future generations of railfans will ask why, when there's a pizza place there.

Railroads hang onto names forever.

We have a spot on the Blue Ridge Scenic route called "Kyle".

This is because there used to be a Kyle, GA ... and a Kyle station.

Emphasis on "used to be" ... in the middle of winter, if you look REAL carefully, you can see the remains of the stone foundation of a millwheel. Way, way back in the woods.

That's it.

Kyle is still in the timetable, though ...

- litz

I think "Bike Shop" will continue... unless it changes to "LUNCH"!

Whether it's a temporary -- starting in 08-2011 -- accommodation to T work crews and patrols or a more permanent shift 1/2-mile west, D-3 has been lately giving permission to Rollstone Street instead of the Bike Shop.

So does that mean we can't refer to CPF345 in Gardner as "CPF-DD" (Dunkin Donuts) anymore?

ProRail wrote:So does that mean we can't refer to CPF345 in Gardner as "CPF-DD" (Dunkin Donuts) anymore?

Everyone knows that CPF-LO in Lowell is the real CPF-DD

Different Districts for Different Dunks. (Sorry, Sly and relatives)