The Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division

[b&m 1566]

I personally think NHN has logistically set themselves up quite nicely with rail access to the region. I think they stand a far better chance of expanding north, than the Mt. Division being rehabbed to Fryeburg/Conway. How many years are left till the aggregates coming out of Ossipee are gone? NHN will need to (or should) explore other options if they want to stay in business when the day comes and the pit runs out. Not much on line business per say but the region could potentially offer something that could use the Conway Branch, as a "central artery" for moving freight in and out with a transload facility. I've been told the Coleman Pit in Madison, is almost at its end for material that can be taken out, this spot could be the location for a regional transload facility for western ME and northern NH.
Either way you look at it, I believe it will be one rail line or the other and with NHN already poking into the region, I just don't see much hope for the Mt. Division.

[gokeefe]

I think it might depend more on whether or not Rigby offers any advantage. At the moment that doesn't appear to be the case at all.

Point taken Cowford in regards to propane. I fully agree that centralized is "the way". I'm just wondering if there's enough volume now for another midstream distribution point further up into an area that would have very strong demand.

I do think it is worth noting that due to ownership boundaries NHN isn't going to be able to go too much further than they already do. If the aggregates dry up it could get interesting.

[Mikejf]

Ownership issues? State of NH owns the tracks all the way to Colemans Pit, correct? Or is there a length of track owned by someone else I am forgetting?

[deathtopumpkins]

How many years are left till the aggregates coming out of Ossipee are gone? NHN will need to (or should) explore other options if they want to stay in business when the day comes and the pit runs out.

NHN is owned by Boston Sand & Gravel. Are we sure they'd even be interested in staying in business once Ossipee runs out of aggregates?

The railroad's whole reason for existence is hauling aggregates to Boston. Any other business the railroad does is just a bit of extra side income. I could see BS&G maybe spinning off NHN once the aggregates are done, but I don't see them being interested in running a shortline that serves only a handful of small non-aggregate customers.

I wonder if maybe Pan Am would pick it up in that case?

[Dick H]

I read somewhere a while back that BS&G/Ossipee Aggregates owns property
in Madison. I do not know how close it is to the Conway Branch. In addition
to shipping aggregate to Boston, Ossipee Aggregates sells material to local
contractors at the Ossipee pit and at their satellite operation called Rochester
Terminal adjacent to the Eastern Propane facility in Rochester. They ship
material from Ossippe to Rochester by rail, sometimes on the Dover/Boston
train and with shuttle moves from Ossipee. With all this in mind, I do not
see any major changes in the current operations in the foreseeable future.

[b&m 1566]

BS&G does or did own NHN but I remember reading they were looking to sell the railroad.

The entire line north of NHN is own by the state until the Conway town line, with the exception of 1,000ft located at Madison Station, which the B&M sold to a private owner years ago. That owner, also owns the station, freight house and old diner on the property and is the one who has allowed the Silver Lake Railroad to operate out of the station the past 10 years. The state would need to work out an agreement with him to either purchase the ROW, or create an easement. I'm sure a lease agreement could be worked out between NHN and the state but as it stands right now, there's nothing. The state is open to rehabbing the line but will only do so once an operator has signed on. Right now there's nothing pushing NHN to go north but I've also been told its not out of the realm of possibility either.

[Rockingham Racer]

They couldn't go too far north of Ossipee right now, even if they wanted to. They'd have to put back the rail over the Rt. 16 crossing near the Pizza Barn.

[Dick H]

Run this URL. Great website of BS&G. http://www.bostonsand.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Then scroll down to the bottom of the first page and click on the various other properties. Lots of good photos included.

[gokeefe]

I very much doubt that a private owner of 1,000 feet of right of way would be a barrier to a service extension. That is a condemnation proceeding in the making ...

[b&m 1566]

I don't see that parcel of land being an issue either, the state already worked out an agreement for this section for use by snowmobiles during the winter, the trade off for that was to allow the Silver Lake Railroad to use the state owned portion during the summer and fall.

[ericofmaine]

Heading up to North Conway today, I noticed that the grade crossing at 113 in Steep Falls has been paved over as part of MDOT’s paving project. I don’t think the rails were removed, but couldn’t stop to investigate, either.

Eric

[runningextra]

I can confirm the rails were removed the length of the crossing for them to pave over. I took a look when I went by last Saturday 08/04.

[gokeefe]

That might actually make it easier to replace later ...

[Mikejf]

But it sucks for the speeder guys..

[backroadrails]

I am surprised MDOT removed the rails, in the past they leave them in place so DOT inspectors, ROW contractors, and speeder guys can get over it better.