Former B&M Stations in MA and NH

i think they got new windows in recently

Jonny Bolt wrote:

b&m 1566 wrote:

Jonny Bolt wrote:The Hampton NH station is still there, in Depot Square. Houses small businesses. The tiny North Hampton, NH station is still there too, next to the Atlantic Ave. overpass. It home to another small business of some sort now. Both are right next to the tracks.

You know for someone that really isn't paying attention they would never know that the station is still there because it doesn't even look like one anymore. Last time I saw it there was a motorcycle dealer using it. I remember looking in the window and seeing all new motorcycles lined up inside.
The North Hampton Station on the other hand looks very nice. I believe it's a private home now or a lawyer’s office. (Off topic: about 10 years ago I remember seeing BAR passenger cars sitting on a siding just on the other side of the bridge from the North Hampton Station. Went by the area with my father about a year later and the cars were gone. The cars were orange and yellow or orange and brown, I can't remember. Dose anybody ever remember seeing the cars there?)

Yes, in Hampton that was Depot Honda that used to be in there. Man that was yeeeears ago lol. They moved up to Rye on Rte. 1 a long time ago.

I dont remember seeing those cars on the siding up there in No. Hampton though.

For a town, Hampton, that is the biggest Summer tourist attraction/"resort", I still cant believe in this day and age that we havent gotten passenger rail service back through here yet. It is just mind boggling. 3+ dollar a gallon gas, plans for the beach to almost completely revamped and made into a year 'round resort with an aquarium, no parking for all this insanity, and yet....still no plans for passenger rail. Not only is it mind boggling, but foolish.

Too many humanoids, too many cars, too much traffic, too much pollution, and not enough active rail.

Well just give it time, rail will return someday but I do feel your frustrations. Biggest hurtle is the power plant in Seabrook; like I have said many times before it was designed to accommodate train traffic but since 9/11 word has it that no future train traffic will be allowed through for the time being; not to mention there's talks of building a 2nd nuclear reactor. With that said I feel the tracks will be relocated around the plant when the time comes.
So anyways where were we? Oh stations that right!

Is there still freight service through Seabrook? If so, I don't see why there could not also be passenger traffic.

Ron Newman wrote:Is there still freight service through Seabrook? If so, I don't see why there could not also be passenger traffic.

Nah, tha ol' Eastern Route tracks are abandoned from just South of Foss Manufacturing in Hampton down to Newburyport.

Was there a train station in Seabrook? Man I forget lol.

Jonny Bolt wrote:

Ron Newman wrote:Is there still freight service through Seabrook? If so, I don't see why there could not also be passenger traffic.

Nah, tha ol' Eastern Route tracks are abandoned from just South of Foss Manufacturing in Hampton down to Newburyport.

Was there a train station in Seabrook? Man I forget lol.

Yes there was; in fact there were two that I know of.
The Seabrook Station was located right where the power plant is; which is the reason for why some people today call the power plant the Seabrook Station (nickname). The station is gone but the rails along with the rail yard are still intact and have not been removed; though they are heavily covered with brush.
The 2nd station was located down near the Seabrook water tower right on the MA, NH boarder off of 286. The apartment complex right after you go over the bridge on your left heading to the beaches is where the station once stood or in the vicinity; however I'm not sure what the station name was.

Name of the station was "Atlantic" in that location.

Have always felt that tracks past Foss Mfg. were "kept"(but NOT kept up) so as to provide the best option for "removal" of the rubble WHEN Seabrook is decommissioned.

Saw the Maine Central bring in the bulk of the steel etc. used when they built Maine Yankee in Wiscasset,on the Rockland branch in 1969-71-and saw Safe Handling(mostly) take the rubble out in MHFX covered gons,usually,when Maine Yankee was demolished after 30 years,or so,of being "online".

Trucks are just too visible and accident prone for the public to accept them hauling even "low level waste".

Don't hold your breath about a second reactor there,even though the country needs an alternative to oil; the "enviromentalists" have scared the crap out of the public for 4 decades,and they won't accept an "New Nukes",even in N.H., that has a far more realistic view than Maine,which is controlled by the wealthy sandal wearing, Volvo driving "idealists".

So,line past Foss in Hampton,WILL be rebuilt someday,but I suspect it will be to haul the carcass of Seabrook up to Portsmouth,then to the Freight Main at Rockingham Jct. in the same covered gons.

Last "rebuild" of the tracks to Seabrook(and Portsmouth"Yard") where done when Seabrook was BUILT: great photo article in an older B&M Bulletin on the same.

Of course, Guilford(or "Pan Am") would hit the Govt. up for a rebuild of BOTH the line to Seabrook and the line to Rockingham Jct. for "safety reasons" before the "stuff" went out!!

Saw this done with the Rockland Branch here in Maine. While ostensibly for increased "passenger traffic",many felt the rebuild coincided nicely with the removal of Maine Yankee-but I agree,as there are too many "Last American Cowboy" type independent truckers who drive too many hours,too fast and with poorly maintained rigs,to trust hauling even "low level" rubble over busy Route 1 through thickly populated towns.

Bud

wolfmom69 wrote:Name of the station was "Atlantic" in that location.

Have always felt that tracks past Foss Mfg. were "kept"(but NOT kept up) so as to provide the best option for "removal" of the rubble WHEN Seabrook is decommissioned.

Saw the Maine Central bring in the bulk of the steel etc. used when they built Maine Yankee in Wiscasset,on the Rockland branch in 1969-71-and saw Safe Handling(mostly) take the rubble out in MHFX covered gons,usually,when Maine Yankee was demolished after 30 years,or so,of being "online".

Trucks are just too visible and accident prone for the public to accept them hauling even "low level waste".

Don't hold your breath about a second reactor there,even though the country needs an alternative to oil; the "enviromentalists" have scared the crap out of the public for 4 decades,and they won't accept an "New Nukes",even in N.H., that has a far more realistic view than Maine,which is controlled by the wealthy sandal wearing, Volvo driving "idealists".

So,line past Foss in Hampton,WILL be rebuilt someday,but I suspect it will be to haul the carcass of Seabrook up to Portsmouth,then to the Freight Main at Rockingham Jct. in the same covered gons.

Last "rebuild" of the tracks to Seabrook(and Portsmouth"Yard") where done when Seabrook was BUILT: great photo article in an older B&M Bulletin on the same.

Of course, Guilford(or "Pan Am") would hit the Govt. up for a rebuild of BOTH the line to Seabrook and the line to Rockingham Jct. for "safety reasons" before the "stuff" went out!!

Saw this done with the Rockland Branch here in Maine. While ostensibly for increased "passenger traffic",many felt the rebuild coincided nicely with the removal of Maine Yankee-but I agree,as there are too many "Last American Cowboy" type independent truckers who drive too many hours,too fast and with poorly maintained rigs,to trust hauling even "low level" rubble over busy Route 1 through thickly populated towns.

Bud

You are probably right with the power plant after all they started building a 2nd one years ago only to demolish it. I certainly hope a 2nd reactor is never built.
I never new the railroad was involved in building the plant; I thought the line was abandoned before it was even built. Given the state that Pan Am is in, I would find it hard to believe that the line will be rebuilt just for the demolition of the plant; that's to say if it even gets demolished.

any photos of keene station anywhere? Thanks.

b&m 1566 wrote:Given the state that Pan Am is in, I would find it hard to believe that the line will be rebuilt just for the demolition of the plant

Pan Am would request (demand) that the state or the feds pay for the rebuild. Citing safety concerns, of course... and who's gonna argue with that?

There are many photos of Keene facilities, station, yards, shops, etc. at the Walker Transportation Collection, Beverly(MA) Historical Society. Open Wednesday evenings from 7 to 10 pm or by appointment at other times.

www.walkertrans.org

Did Salem, NH ever have a 4th train station? I know there was a train station on Hampshire road right on the NH, MA boarder but that station is gone and I know there was a train station up near Canobie Lake next to the intersection of 28 and 111 (111 soon to be relocated to the north about a quarter to half a mile). Then you have the Salem Depot which stands in decrepit shape on the corner of 97 and 28. My question is... a little ways south of Salem Depot there's a building that looks like it was going to be or was a train station at one time. It currently is the home to Two Guys Smoke Shop formerly Computer Town; its right a cross the street from T-Bones. Was this a/or going to be a train station? It's not listed on any maps so I was thinking if it was going to be one it was just finished or was still under construction when the B&M discontinued passenger service on the line in 1952.

Well, in a sense, Rockingham Park had a "station", since passengers got on and off the so-called Rockingham Racers [inside the park, BTW.]
As a youngster, it seems to me that Cluff's Crossing Rd. or Kelly's Crossing Rd. was a stop for the old doodlebug that ran the M&L.

I forgot about the Rockingham Park Train Station. Though it was private it was indeed a station. So Salem did have 4 stations at one point in time. So the question is was there a 5th? You mentioned a "doodlebug" stoping on the line near the current "Two Guys Smoke Shop".... what's a doodlebug? So... was that/was that going to be/or was that not... a train station?

b&m 1566 wrote:You mentioned a "doodlebug" stoping on the line near the current "Two Guys Smoke Shop".... what's a doodlebug? So... was that/was that going to be/or was that not... a train station?

The doodlebug is my name for it. It was a one-unit affair, a gas electric motor I believe, that made all stops, wherever they were, and I don't know where they all were. Methuen, Salem Depot, Canobie Lake, for sure. Service was once a day: south to Lawrence in the AM, and north to the Queen City in the PM rush hour. Didn't get to see it much, since I grew up on Hampshire Rd. near the Pelham line. As far as stopping at "Two Guys...", I'm not sure. We're talking mid 50's here, and while I'm still teaching French in high school, I don't remember all the details of the back-when!

The building now Two Guys Smoke Shop was never a railroad station; previously, it was an Apple Computer store.

PBM
Atkinson, NH