Miami Valley RailTrails Newsletter
August 2004

Hello MVRT Members - It's 20 August 2004 and its pouring down rain but I still have  news for you. 

• New bridge at Wesleyan MetroPark  In August Five Rivers MetroParks completed work on a $500,000 bridge to connect the two parts of Wesleyan MetroPark together and to aid completion of the Wolf Creek Recreation Trail. There currently is a gap from the downtown portion of the trail to Trotwood. The gap of 2.5 miles from Wesleyan MetroPark to Trotwood will be completed by 2008. I'll be getting pictures of this new bridge on my Mad River Recreation Trail page soon. 
  
  

• Updates to Website -  During this month I have completely revised major portions of the Little Miami Scenic Trail webpages on the site. I have all new pictures and descriptions of the trail from Xenia to Corwin, Corwin to Morrow and Morrow to Loveland. The section from Xenia to Yellow Springs was previously completely updated in June. Updates are as follows:

  • Xenia Station to Corwin

  • Corwin to Morrow

  • Morrow to Loveland 
    
    

• Loveland to Milford Page Updated  As most of your know the Little Miami Scenic Trail is being extended in stages from Milford South to eventually reach the Ohio River. My friend from that area, Mr. David Dumbacher sent me some new pictures recently of the work going on at this time. See the Loveland to Milford webpage for the new pictures and statements by the Hamilton County Parks District the agency building the trail South from Milford. Perhaps in a few years you'll be able to take the Little Miami Scenic Trail South to Cincinnati and cross over the "Purple People Bridge"; see my April 2003 newsletter  and photo again by David Dumbacher of the old L&N Railroad bridge across the Ohio River that was converted into a pedestrian / bikeway bridge. It crosses from Sawyer's Point in Cincinnati to Newport Kentucky. 
  
  

• Lebanon Countryside Trail Being Built   I got an email from reader Mr. James Loffer the other day that said that he had seen new trail construction on the Little Miami Scenic Trail between Morrow and Loveland. I rode that section soon after and sure enough, there is a spur being built that runs to the West from the trail. Mr. David Appleby who is another of my correspondents walked down the muddy construction area and found that there was an existing overhead double span railroad bridge that he took great photos of for me.  He found that the bridge was part of what was called then the "Middletown Junction" An 8.2 mile trail called the Lebanon Countryside Trail is being built by the City of Lebanon from the Little Miami Scenic Trail across the old railroad bridge to Lebanon. Construction started in August and is planned for completion June 2005. The trail, which will cost $2.25M to build, follows the railbed for about 3/4 miles to Kingsview Rd. The rest of the railbed from Lebanon to Mason is used by an excursion train. The Lebanon Countryside Trail will also connect to the Miami 2 Miami trail South from Muddy Creek between the Little Miami Scenic River and Interstate 71. The Miami 2 Miami Trail will run from where it connects with the Lebanon Countryside Trail to Hamilton connecting to the extended Great Miami River Recreation Trail that is being extended South from Dayton to Hamilton in stages. 

• Historical Website on Little Miami Scenic Trail Discovered   While investigating something to put on the website, which I have forgotten, I came upon a website that describes the history of the Little Miami Scenic Trail and Little Miami Railroad . The website which is written by AOL member Norman Haywood shows a lot of scholarship and work. For example using Mr. Haywood's website I was able to find out all about the Peters Cartridge Company. It is the four story old factory with a large smokestack that crosses the trail at Grandin Road 9.5 miles South of Morrow on the way to Loveland at Kings Mills. I have linked to this website several times from my Little Miami Scenic Trail webpages.
  
  
  

Regards to all, 

Thomas J. Recktenwalt
Webmaster
Miami Valley RailTrails
http://www.miamivalleytrails.org  

If you find these newsletters and my Miami Valley RailTrails website of use to you, pass the information on to your friends and neighbors who might enjoy our wonderful system of multi-use trails in Southwest Ohio. They are wonderful for walking, running, roller-bladeing, birding and cycling and in some cases horseback riding. You see more wildlife from one of our trails than most anyplace else. All of my newsletters are posted to my website at the same time I send you this text version. The URL for your use is: http://www.miamivalleytrails.org/join_our_mailing_list.htm 

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