Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
A second fully-restored antique railroad baggage cart went on permanent display at Depot Park in front of the historic Bedford Depot Building on July 1. Early morning rain threatened to delay the ceremony, noted Joe Piantedosi, Chair of the Depot Park Advisory Committee, “but when I thought about Carl Silvestrone the skies began to clear.” Silvestrone worked on the first baggage cart last spring and passed away during the winter.
In 2013 the Friends of Bedford Depot Park acquired two antique railroad baggage carts that are very similar to the original Railway Express Agency carts that were in use at the Bedford Depot back in the 1920’s.
Both carts were in dire need of restoration, made possible thanks to grant funding by the Bedford Cultural Council. The first restored cart was completed in 2014 and stands in front of the Freight House at Depot Park. Click to read about the first restoration in The Bedford Citizen:
A second Cultural Council grant was for used for materials, including new wood decking, stainless steel hardware, paint, and signage. Bedford DPW Director Roy Sorensen assisted with the project and assigned two DPW employees, Paul Quatrale and Jim D’Ambra, to work on the project as time allowed during the winter.
At the ceremony Joe Piantedosi, Chair of the Depot Park Advisory Committee, recognized the three groups who made this donation to Depot Park possible: The Bedford Friends of Depot Park, represented by the group’s president Jim Shea, donated the railroad baggage carts to the town; the Bedford Cultural Council, represented by chairman Barbara Purchia, provided the grant funds for the restoration; and the Bedford Department of Public Works, represented by Sorensen, Quatrale and D’Ambra, provided the very talented labor for the restoration and delivery of the railroad baggage cart.
About the Railway Express Agency
Railway Express Agency was a national monopoly set up by the federal government in 1917 to provide small package and parcel transportation using the railroad infrastructure, much as UPS functions today using the road system. Baggage carts similar to Bedford’s antique replicas were used to transport packages and parcels at the Bedford Depot and Freight House.
Loading ...
