Western Route
Bradford station & layover
Another timber grade crossing
Bradford station & layover
Looking into the layover facility proper, from the grade crossing. You'd think there would be fencing or something. (There actually is a fence, they just didn't bother to close it.) Seeing as this is a Sunday, and weekend service is suspended, why are there no trains laying over in the layover?
Bradford station & layover
No idea how up-to-date that sign is but I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere.
Bradford station & layover
Bradford layover is also one of the MVRTA's major bus garages, and I think they were here before the MBTA built its yard.
Haverhill station
The station page on mbta.com counts only the 150 spaces in this surface lot and not the huge MVRTA garage opposite the tracks.
Haverhill station
And of course the low-level platforms have pedestrian grade crossings.
Haverhill station
Fairly typical concrete mini-highs for this age of station
Haverhill station
Stairs look to be in relatively decent condition; looks like the top step has had some damage repaired in recent history.
Haverhill station
A bit concerned for what has happened to the edge treatment (polystyrene? some sort of plastic, anyway) at both corners of the platform.
Haverhill station
MVRTA's 315-space parking garage in downtown Haverhill opened in 2011, including a pedestrian bridge to the outbound platform. The garage charges $4/day whereas the MBTA lot is only $2.
Haverhill station
This part of Haverhill is, perhaps not surprisingly, called Railroad Square.
Haverhill station
The analog clock on the inbound platform is a nice add-on to an otherwise very ordinary modern MBTA canopy.
Haverhill station
More buildings and parking at Railroad Square
Haverhill station
Ramp down to Washington St., although I don't believe it's ADA-compliant (too narrow)
Haverhill station
More of Railroad Square (note RTA garage at center left)
Haverhill station
The stairs to Washington St. from the inbound platform are closed.
Haverhill station
Google informs me that the highrise is called "The Bixby Apartments".
Haverhill station
Viaduct over the Merrimack to Bradford
Haverhill station
Washington St. businesses
Old Lawrence station
Looking east along the South Canal towards McGovern Transportation center, in the distance at right
Old Lawrence station
I believe the original station track curved north around the back of the station, crossed Merrimack St. and the South Canal, and served some industrial concern that's no longer extant on this side of the canal.
Old Lawrence station
The old train station parking lot is now an employee parking lot for the New Balance factory.
Old Lawrence station
The old train station became a strip center, "Olde Station Square", which is has been closed and on the market for a few years now. The street address is 61–65 Merrimack St., should you have $2.2 million to spare.
Old Lawrence station
The station building was originally constructed in 1930.
Old Lawrence station
The rest of the strip center, inlcuding a dead Men's Wearhouse, was added later. I had to park on the other side of the canal because this lot is blocked off.
Old Lawrence station
The old full-length canopy continues to rust away behind the old station building.
Old Lawrence station
Looking east along an abandoned freight siding towards the end of the old platform
Old Lawrence station
The south end of the abandoned platform, along with the back side of the station and the abandoned sidings. In the middle distance, you can see the remains of a former pedestrian grade crossing. This station was the site of a bomb scare in 2019, long after the MBTA had abandoned it, but with commercial tenants still occupying the building and strip center: a "hoax device" was reported behind the buildings.
Old Lawrence station
You can see the steel frame of an MBTA station sign, which would once have had the distinctive purple band with the word "LAWRENCE" across the top, with schedules and a system map below.
Old Lawrence station
Looking across the parking lot at the old mill building, which is occupied by New Balance.
Old Lawrence station
These tracks curved around the back side of the station, and line up across Merrimack St. with the bridge over the South Canal shown earlier.