by Dick H
Reference the question on the Dover Station.
The original Dover station was located on Third Street, between Chestnut Street and Fourth Street, which at that time crossed the tracks before Central Avenue. The gate tender on Central Avenue controlled both the gates on Fourth Street and Central Avenue. I do not have the exact date, but in the early 1960's, the B&M proposed to single track the line through Dover and install automatic gates. There was a furor about eliminating the Central Avenue and Chestnut Street gate tenders concerning safety issues. The Chestnut/Third Street gates were controlled from a switch tower on the north side of the tracks, opposite St. Mary's church. At that time, Chestnut Street was dead end at the Cocheco River, two blocks south of the crossing. In the days of lots of mail and express (Railway Express Agency had a building just east of the station), the gates on Chestnut Street would be down for many minutes, many times a day. In order to sweeten the pot of the City to go along with single tracking and automatic protection, the B&M offered the station and adjacent land to the city for one whole dollar. The deal was sealed. For a time, the city considered converting the station into the police station and local district court. However, a City Councilor owned a bowling alley across third street, upstairs over a furniture store. He got the city to demolish the station for a parking lot. After a few years, he moved the bowling alley miles north on the outskirts of the city.
The B&M constructed a plain Jane one room cement block "station", about where the Downeaster station is located today. As was noted, this was what was known as the Second Street yard. The rail access to the yard was that line that was originally the line to Portsmouth. This still had several customers in Dover, as far as the Sawyer Mill on lower Central Ave. and some customers without rail access used the second street yard for their deliveries. Passenger service has ended to Portland and a single round trip using Budd RDCs continued until June 30th 1967. At that time, there were still many Dover area residents that worked at the B&M headquarters on Causeway St. in Boston and this train was primarily for them to get to/from Boston. After the end of passenger service, the B&M signal department used the station building. In 2000, Mr. Joseph Sawtelle, owner of the Mill complex in downtown Dover purchased the second street yard for use as a parking lot. He then leased the land for the Downeaster Station to the City for #1.00 per year for 20 years. It is my understating that the lease can be extended for another 20 years, when 2021 rolls around. In 3016, the City leased the entire lot from the current mill owners, which still have the use of 100 spaces, with the city now having metered parking in the rest of the lot. (Monday-Friday 9AM-7PM, 25 cents per hour. If you take the early trains, the meter is set up so as not to have to pay until 9:00AM.
The future: A bridge was constructed on Chestnut Street over the river in the mid-1970's, and is second only to the Central Ave/Main St. loop in traffic count. There is a project on the City books to construct a traffic circle at the junction of Chestnut and Third Streets, which will see the rail line running right through the middle of it. The Chestnut Street crossing currently has a permanent 10 MPH speed restriction and is supposed to be rebuilt at the same time. I have not see a firm date for this work. The City sold the third street parking lot for development, the loss of which is increasing the use to the train station lot. Although nothing is set in stone, there is consideration to constructing a parking garage on a portion of the lot. A proposal to install a bagel shop in the station, which would just about eliminated most of the transit passenger facilities. Thankfully, that went by the board. The City does plan to do some roofing and other external work during this construction season to the station.
This website on the Dover Station may be of interest.
https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/cit ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The original Dover station was located on Third Street, between Chestnut Street and Fourth Street, which at that time crossed the tracks before Central Avenue. The gate tender on Central Avenue controlled both the gates on Fourth Street and Central Avenue. I do not have the exact date, but in the early 1960's, the B&M proposed to single track the line through Dover and install automatic gates. There was a furor about eliminating the Central Avenue and Chestnut Street gate tenders concerning safety issues. The Chestnut/Third Street gates were controlled from a switch tower on the north side of the tracks, opposite St. Mary's church. At that time, Chestnut Street was dead end at the Cocheco River, two blocks south of the crossing. In the days of lots of mail and express (Railway Express Agency had a building just east of the station), the gates on Chestnut Street would be down for many minutes, many times a day. In order to sweeten the pot of the City to go along with single tracking and automatic protection, the B&M offered the station and adjacent land to the city for one whole dollar. The deal was sealed. For a time, the city considered converting the station into the police station and local district court. However, a City Councilor owned a bowling alley across third street, upstairs over a furniture store. He got the city to demolish the station for a parking lot. After a few years, he moved the bowling alley miles north on the outskirts of the city.
The B&M constructed a plain Jane one room cement block "station", about where the Downeaster station is located today. As was noted, this was what was known as the Second Street yard. The rail access to the yard was that line that was originally the line to Portsmouth. This still had several customers in Dover, as far as the Sawyer Mill on lower Central Ave. and some customers without rail access used the second street yard for their deliveries. Passenger service has ended to Portland and a single round trip using Budd RDCs continued until June 30th 1967. At that time, there were still many Dover area residents that worked at the B&M headquarters on Causeway St. in Boston and this train was primarily for them to get to/from Boston. After the end of passenger service, the B&M signal department used the station building. In 2000, Mr. Joseph Sawtelle, owner of the Mill complex in downtown Dover purchased the second street yard for use as a parking lot. He then leased the land for the Downeaster Station to the City for #1.00 per year for 20 years. It is my understating that the lease can be extended for another 20 years, when 2021 rolls around. In 3016, the City leased the entire lot from the current mill owners, which still have the use of 100 spaces, with the city now having metered parking in the rest of the lot. (Monday-Friday 9AM-7PM, 25 cents per hour. If you take the early trains, the meter is set up so as not to have to pay until 9:00AM.
The future: A bridge was constructed on Chestnut Street over the river in the mid-1970's, and is second only to the Central Ave/Main St. loop in traffic count. There is a project on the City books to construct a traffic circle at the junction of Chestnut and Third Streets, which will see the rail line running right through the middle of it. The Chestnut Street crossing currently has a permanent 10 MPH speed restriction and is supposed to be rebuilt at the same time. I have not see a firm date for this work. The City sold the third street parking lot for development, the loss of which is increasing the use to the train station lot. Although nothing is set in stone, there is consideration to constructing a parking garage on a portion of the lot. A proposal to install a bagel shop in the station, which would just about eliminated most of the transit passenger facilities. Thankfully, that went by the board. The City does plan to do some roofing and other external work during this construction season to the station.
This website on the Dover Station may be of interest.
https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/cit ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
