New Hampshire Central Railroad (NHCR) Discussion

Cosmo wrote:Would there or could there ever be enough patronage to make it worth running trains to the notch from both directions?
Just how far, comparatively, is Littleton from Crawfords?

-as noted above, not enough deep-pocketed locals to keep 'er afloat. CSRX has the benefit of all the summer/winter condo homeowners living along 302, Littleton doesn't have so much.

32 miles, 45 minutes, according to Google, it's a one way shot via 302.

Cosmo wrote:The tourist traffic is DEFINITELY there.
Would the shorter months of operation be enough for CSRX to sustain a satellite operation based in Littleton?

If they wanted to:
a)rebuild a large variety of crossings, I can think of at least five that are paved over
b)replace signals on 116, as they've been taken/knocked down
c)dig out a 1/2 mile of track that is now part of a soccer field.
-just for starters

JDP apparently has deeper pockets and connections than the current ownership, but this isn't a venture I'd give a second thought to.

I have it on pretty good authority that the reason New Hampshire Central has been cutting brush in Whitefield is for car storage. There will be no snowmobile traffic past Jiffy Mart this year. NHC's contract allows them to store cars down there.

The brush cutting has made it all the way to forest lake road.

That's on the line to Littleton. Here's Forest lake Road at Bing Maps:

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The hobo railroad high rail truck and mow equipment was at hazen and put new ties in.

The mow equipment was just at the ball signal in Whitefield, NH and now it is at hazen.

NHCR 7324 Just came thru Lancaster at 915AM deadheading south towards Hazen.

NHCR7324 is switching right now behind GoGo Gas. They have Page Hill Road blocked with a long cut of covered hoppers.

NCR7324 Just left Lancaster headed north with 21 covered hoppers , 1 Boxcar, 1 tankcar. Headed towards Groveton. The sidings behind Go Go Gas in Lancaster are now completely empty.

I was up at the NHCR headquarters today and the yard was filled with tankers and had one boxcar with there gp9 next to it. Also five to six tankers were in the woods towards colebrook.

Thanks for all the updates. I wish I could visit. I live 8 hours and 18 minutes away according to Google Maps.

Hello,
Today I had a meeting in Lancaster, so I swung by North Stratford and Groveton on my way there (and back home).

At 0935, the NHCR had just spotted 6 propane loads at the east end of the SLR siding in North Stratford and headed back north to Shops with the immaculate (even under gloomy skies) NHCR GP9 7324 and a single SLR boxcar (used as a spacer). Later, when I returned west, they had spotted another 8 propane loads at the west end of the SLR siding and the locomotive and boxcar were parked by the shop building.

As noted earlier, no cars remained stored on the sidings at Lancaster and no cars were on the tracks in Groveton, where they continue to tear down parts of the former paper mills. At least, the Town of Northumberland has taken over the former Groveton Paper Board office building, and they have removed the "We're Here to Stay" sign that must have been a sore spot in many people's minds.
Have a good day,
Fritz

What year was the airport in Whitefield constructed? I just realized the construction of this airport required the relocation of the ROW (much of the old ROW is still visible). Going by Topo maps the airport didn't exist in 1968 and the B&M was still using the original alignment but by 1972 the airport was in and there was a new straighter alignment for the B&M.

I ran into ED from the NHCR this morning they were removing the re-railer from the crossing at Page Hill Road in Lancaster. They will be replacing the crossing in the spring of 2016. He told they have 350 tank cars coming in for storage on the line starting soon . He also has leased Pan Am Maine Central Heritage unit for a period of three months. The engine is in Groveton at the former paper mill. The line will remain open for the winter. (sorry snowmobilers)

So are those storage cars going to Whitefield? Also snowmobilers might not be in the town of Whitefield, NH because I haven't seen and signs being put up, like slow and stop signs. Now since you said they will be useing the line this winter, they put no trespassing signs and a Orange fence after the diamond towards hazen. I guess they really don't want snowmobiles there this year.