Local eagle scouts have completed two projects that bring nice new additions to the trail. There is now a kiosk by the entrance off Rt. 27 and about 500 feet from the entrance is a picnic area. Thank you guys for jobs well done!
Annual meeting of the Friends of the Old Narrow Gauge Trail
Our 2006 annual meeting was held on May 21, 2006. New people attended and we had some good discussion and planning time.
Gardiner Area High School Day of Caring event - May 5, 2006
Once again, students from Gardiner Area High School participated in the annual Day of Caring, spent time in the morning of May 5 to help clean up the trail.
April 2006- Our third annual Easter Egg hunt was held at the beginning the trail.
October 2005- A successful work day was held that helped smooth out sections of the trail after the Windsor Street crossing.
March 2005- A successful second Annual Easter Egg Hunt is a success - on a snow covered trail.
October 2004- Three new signs have been installed on the part of the trail from Water St to Windsor St. The signs inform people that there no motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail.
September 2004- Friends of the Old Narrow Gauge Trail hold our first annual meeting - discuss future plans
July 2004- Town works on first section of trail - The Town Of Randolph recently replaced washed out culverts and improved drainage problems on the part of the trail from Water St to Windsor St.
June 19 - Hand Pump Car demos As part of Whatever Week and specifically the Gardiner celebration of Whatever Week, several people stopped by to take a ride on an old fashioned hand pump car. Many thanks to Dave Hart and the WW&F Railway for making this possible.
June 5 - National Trails Day We took part in this day celebrating trails in this area and trails nationwide by setting up an informational table at the grand opening event of the Gardiner end of the Kennebec River Rail Trail. Much information was passed out to many interested people. Many thanks to Jim Todd for staffing the table!
May 2004 - a group of Gardiner Area High School students, participating in the Day of Caring helped landscape the entrance to the trail on Rt. 27. and also cleaned up debris from the pond. Thanks for a job well done!

Approximately 40 people came out for our first Easter Egg Hunt on the trail on April 10. See photos here.

A trail clearing day was held in September 2003 in which the lower part of the trail was cleared - from Rt. 27 to Windsor Street. A sign was also erected at the trail head.

PLANS

This year we plan to build a strong weatherproof and vandal proof bridge just a few yards in on the trail from Windsor Street. There is a short section of trail that is impassable at high water. This is a first step in cleaning up the upper part of the trail.

IN THE NEWS

Capital Weekly - July Ran a front page article on the trail... Dan Albert was interviewed.
Capital Weekly - May 14, 2004 Ran an article on the trail... Dan Albert was interviewed.
The Kennebec Journal ran an article on the trail on March 29. Chairman Dan Albert was interviewed. The article touched on the history of the trail, the forming of the trail committee, progress made to date as well as an appeal for help.
Paw Print Press - the school newspaper of Gardiner Area High School ran an article on the trail in the March 2004 edition. Dan Albert was interviewed.

OTHER NEWS

A committee meeting was held at the Randolph Town Office on November 12,2003. Guest speaker Tom Reeves from the Kennebec River Rail Trail group unveiled a map in progress of all the hiking trails in the area from North Augusta to Richmond. The map will be published soon. Tom also shared his vision for linking these trails. A crown jewel to the existing Rail Trail would be to create a large loop trail from the Old Narrow Gauge volunteer trail to Togus, back through to the Arboretum, to the Augusta Greenway trail and then to the Rail Trail! Join us and help make it happen!
On November 4,2003, the committee received a Spirit of America plaque from the Town of Randolph for working to re-establish the trail.

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