Old Hampton NH line, photos N ?'s

Hi there, new member here. My name is Jon and I'm from Hampton, NH. Been into trains N stuff since I was young.

I have some questions about the old line here in my hometown. But first let me show you some pics my friend Jay and I took last April. These pics were taken before a volunteer clean-up I organized with other local fisherman because the area around the access road to the tracks was littered with trash and large items of refuse (couches, mattresses, AC units, refrigerators, etc.), and ofcourse the tracks were littered with small types of trash like cans and bottles, etc. We cleaned it up because the State of NH threatened to permanently block off the top of the access road, meaning it would be more difficult for law-abiding, respectful fisherman to trek down along the old tracks to the trestle, which is almost a mile down from the top of the access road. Sad to say, but during this Striper fishing season, more poaching and littering went on down there, so the State D.O.T. garage in North Hampton called me in August to let me know they decided to go ahead and block it off. Here are some pics of the tracks and the old trestle...
http://www.marshmarauders.org/

There are a few more smaller trestles as you go down the tracks South towards Hampton Falls and Seabrook.

I have many questions about this old line. But I'll start off by mentioning that the freight still does come down into Hampton from the North, but only as far as Foss Manufacturing. They drop off little plastic pellets in hopper tanker type cars so they can do there woven-fabrics stuff. Not far down the tracks from Foss to the South, the tracks start to deteriorate and are in busted up, and ofcourse the vegitation has grown pretty thick across the tracks over the years. I am first interested in learning when the last time the trains ran over the Hampton Marsh using this line? I have asked many questions to locals, including my older brothers who grew up fishing out there like I did, as well as my step-dad who is now in his 70's and used to swim out there when he was a kid. The thing I hear most mentioned is that reason for this line no longer being used is because of the old "swivel" trestle in Newburyport (parallel to Rte. 1 across the Merrimack River) "broke" and they never fixed it, so they stopped using this set of tracks up from the South through Hampton.

I fish the Merrimack River quite often and have seen this trestle in Newburyport up close, and I must say it is quite a unit. It's unfortunate that it is just sitting there, rotting away.

After talking with Pete Jr. over at the local bait shop on the marsh, he mentioned that the Nuke Plant also plays a part in nobody having interest in this part of the tracks, due to security risks in this day & age.

There are also other abandoned lines in my area, including one in the Newfields/Stratham/Greenland area, that spans the Exeter River/Great Bay. The trestle out there still stands, and it is much larger than the ones in the Hampton Marsh. It is actually 2 trestles, with an island in the middle that splits them. It is odd that they would stop using this branch when it can get them over Great Bay. Instead, the line still continues up through Newmarket and Durham in its way to Dover. Seems they use this little branch-off point as an interchange of some sort. It's right near the Great Bay Athletic Club and the Rockingham Golf Course on the border of Newfields/Newmarket. I often see engines and cars parked on the beginning of the branches they no longer use. Seems there is 2 that move off to the East towards Great Bay.

Anyhow, if anyone has any stories or info on this old B&M/Springfield Terminal line through Hampton, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm glad I found this board!

The line From Rockingham Jct across the marsh is still used by GRS to get to the Hampton plant you mention. There are still three railroad stations on the line, two are houses and one is a business.

WHAT!!? The line from Rockingham Jct.(Newfields) is NOT abandoned through Stratham and Greenland! It goes to Portsmouth,serving that city and a branch to Newington. And at "Emery" just west of downtown Portsmouth,off Bayberry lane,is where the branch to Hampton you mention begins.

Train "PH-1",the Portsmouth Switcher to us old timers interchanges its cars at Rockingham Jct. and ties up there by the old Freight House at the crew trailer.

Bud

Oh, I know that main line isnt abandoned through there. I used to jump of the trestle in Durham (Lamprey River) when I was a not-so-smart teenager. But the lines I mentioned that were abandoned are the ones that branch off that line and go over the Exeter River/Great Bay into Greenland (Sandy Point area). That "double-trestle" has been abandoned for years.

The line South of Foss Manufacturing in Hampton is also abandoned. From what I can gather, a train hasnt rolled over those tracks across the Hampton marsh in over 20 years. Thats the line in the pictures I have up on the link I posted. Guilford still does roll freight into Hampton from Portsmouth and areas North, but it can go no further South than Foss. There is also an old lumber yard behind Hannaford's in Hampton that used to get freight, because there is another set of tracks for it, but that place went under sometime ago. I am interested in learning more about this particular set of tracks through Hampton.

I am also interested in going to school to be a locomotive engineer. Could anyone tell me if there is a school in the Seacoast area of NH that offers this type of edumucation?

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_ha ... legations/


Foss filed the other day, hopefully they stay open.

Yeah, I saw that in the Hampton Union tha utha day. It's too bad, because my oldest Brother has been a Service Tech. there for a little over 10 years. He's probably crappin' thinkin he might lose his job. They have laid off so many people the past few years. Steve Foss has all the money in the world, a huge mansion in North Hampton on the beach, and the guy used to buy helicopters for his kids' b-day LOL. He actually owned a Bell helicopter place right next to Foss, had his own landing pad there and everything.

No info about the tracks? I am also researching a story my brother told me about a kid he went to High School with who died after going over the side of the trestle in the marsh. I guess he was the passenger and some other kid was driving....they decided to drive down the dirt access road with the lights out, at night, and went straight over the granite stones and into the river. They were both killed. The tide carried the car down to the little point where it rested, trunk side up out of the water. My bro said he saw them with a crane down there lifting the car out. This was back in the late 70's I think. Been trying to find info on it but have come up short....same goes for any good info on the tracks that run through Hampton, Hampton Falls, Seabrook, and Salisbury, MA that are no longer used.

Here is a link to a study that was done a few years ago to look into bringing passanger rail to Kittery from Boston via Newburyport:

http://www.rpc-nh.org/PDFs/docs/HampBranchFeasStudy.pdf

Also, UNH has a good online library of old topo maps which show all of the old rail lines:

http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm

And another website with lots of local photos, including the Hampton Branch:

http://wnprr.tripod.com/

There is also the searchable NERAIL photo database:

http://photos.nerail.org

I hope this helps. Good Luck

Oh thank you so much for the links! I will spend the next who knows how long going through them HAHA. Thanks again!

rr-explorer: welcome to the forum! I found the link to the study for commuter rail interesting, but a lot of water goes over the dam in 4 years. Any updates on what's happening?

Last I heard, the Nuke Plant security was probably the biggest thing that was keeping this part of the Hampton Branch inactive. I'd love to see the tracks rebuilt though...I wish they would bring it back to life. Having the commuter rail here instead of having to go to Exeter would be great.

Speaking of the Hampton Branch...

It runs right past the small grass airstrip on the North Hampton/Hampton line (Hampton Airfield -- with a nice little restaurant open 'til 2 p.m.).

I've heard from two independent sources that many years ago a passing train started a fire that eventually consumed two airplanes that were parked near the tracks.

One person thought it may have a been a steam locomotive that started the fire; however, another gentleman was of the opinion that is was much later, circa 1971.

If anybody has any info -- and especially links to news stories and/or pictures about the incident -- I would be very appreciative of your sharing them with us.

Some more information that was talked about on the MBTA forum not to long ago in regards to the line you’re talking about. Here's the link to the forum http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 584568fa68

As far as I know, the Power Plant allows people in for a nature walk and a small tour of the Plant, I've done it twice myself, very intrusting I may add, well worth the time. When the plant was built it was built to handle train travel through the area, but if it can't happen I do believe the State of NH has approved a relocation of the ROW to run along the west side of the Power Plant property.
As far as the line being abandoned because the bridge is stuck open, that’s the first I have heard of it. I was always told that the line was no longer profitable and the B&M now Guilford abandoned the line some 30 years ago. As far as the section from Hampton to Portsmouth goes, I feel it’s just a matter of time before Guilford files for abandonment on the line. If Foss stays open Guilford will operate the track as long as they can, but once the track becomes in-operable, I find it hard to believe they will put money into it for one customer that only receives 5 or 6 hopper cars a couple times a week.
As far as the Bridge in Newburyport goes, not many know that there is a Steam Engine lying at the bottom of the Merrimack River from a derailment that happened in the late 1800's I believe. I found that out when I took the Harbor boat tour a few years ago. Unless you’re a professional diver, don't go diving, that's with out saying if Marine Patrol or the Cost Guard will let you; some of the worst currents in the world occur in that area.

Thanks for the reply and another link! I will check that out.

Good point about Foss. There was some internal shake-ups there, but from what I can gather, from both the press and from my brother who works, they arent going anywhere. Looks like they will be staying open.

As far as the Merrimack River trestle, that could be just a rumor about it being one of the causes for the line being stopped, but in the report posted above it does mention that trestle. It says how much it would be repair it, and mentions that it did break, and it needs a new motor and some other things. But the actual structure itself is said to still be in pretty good condition. Thats very interesting about the old engine being down there. I fish the Merrimack extensively from a boat, and often get close-up views of the trestle and that area. The current aint that bad It's nothin' campared to the Piscataqua River, which is like the 2nd strongest tidal river/flow in the world, 3.5 knots. It'll suck ya right in! lol

I would really like to get some solid answers from the people who did the study above, on the reason(s) why this line hasnt been brought back to life for passenger service. In the days of over-population, and $2.65+ a gallon gasoline, one would think it's feasible to offer such a service.

I think the story of the locomotive in the Merrimack River is incorrect - at least this is the first time I have ever heard of it.

B&M 3666 lies in the Piscataqua River, further up the line. This loco is well-known and documented.

-Ed Lecuyer

Ya, that is no story. I fish around there too, its on the Kittery side of the river next to the Sara Mildred Long Bridge.