Cheshire Branch

http://www.telegram.com/article/2008091 ... 003/NEWS03

Really have to appreciate the quote “We made a lot of efforts over the past year to contact them about these rails but they never returned a single phone call,” said Selectman Corey Bohan.

Where exactly is this location?

Bemused wrote:"...but they never returned a single phone call...”

Standard operating procedure at PAR.

Pacobell73 wrote:Where exactly is this location?

Winchendon is north of Gardner MA, Central St. is also route 202 and is one fo the main streets through town. (Yes that same US 202 that goes through King of Prussia PA).

The Cheshire branch used to run from Gardner north up through Keene NH and eventually to N. Walpole connecting with what is now the Vt. RR / Conn River line at Bellows Falls VT. You can still see traces of it if you follow Route 12 up to North Walpole, including a stone arch bridge.

Jon

jonnhrr wrote:

Pacobell73 wrote:Where exactly is this location?

Winchendon is north of Gardner MA, Central St. is also route 202 and is one fo the main streets through town. (Yes that same US 202 that goes through King of Prussia PA).

The Cheshire branch used to run from Gardner north up through Keene NH and eventually to N. Walpole connecting with what is now the Vt. RR / Conn River line at Bellows Falls VT. You can still see traces of it if you follow Route 12 up to North Walpole, including a stone arch bridge.

Jon

The Cheshire veered off the Fitchburg Line on the B&M 'horseshoe curve' in South Ashburnham Mass. It featured heavy traffic (for a branch line) before the Rutland strike and also featured the Boston -Montreal 'Mount St Royal' and the Boston-White River Junction Flying Yankee 'Cheshire' too. I wonder how many branch lines traversed three states?

South Ash Switch & siding (former Cheshire Branch) recently removed by ST.

The Cheshire veered off the Fitchburg Line on the B&M 'horseshoe curve' in South Ashburnham Mass. It featured heavy traffic (for a branch line) before the Rutland strike and also featured the Boston -Montreal 'Mount St Royal' and the Boston-White River Junction Flying Yankee 'Cheshire' too. I wonder how many branch lines traversed three states?

Originally the Gardner branch (Worcester - Gardner) crossed the Fitchburg main in Gardner on a diamond and ran up to Winchendon where it connected with the branch off of the horseshoe as you describe. There is a short remnant of that track for a mile or so in Gardner now referred to as the Heywood Industrial track, which is used by PAR to service New England Wooden Ware. The diamond of course is long gone.

Jon

Bemused wrote:http://www.telegram.com/article/2008091 ... 003/NEWS03

"Last used in the 1950's"? Try 1972.

jonnhrr wrote:

"Originally the Gardner branch (Worcester - Gardner) crossed the Fitchburg main in Gardner on a diamond and ran up to Winchendon where it connected with the branch off of the horseshoe as you describe."

MINOR CORRECTION-Several maps, including a 1947 B&M Service Map, indicate a B&M branch line running from Worcester through Gardner on to Winchendon and ultimately terminating in Peterborough NH. This line intersected with the Cheshire Branch of the B&M before heading toward West Rindge, East Jaffrey and Peterborough NH while the Cheshire Branch eventually met the Conn. River line near Bellows Falls VT via Keene NH.

In addition, one of the books authored by the late Don Ball, Jr. ("Portrait of the Rails") contained a remarkable photo by Dr. Philip R. Hastings of a couple of B&M B15 2-6-0 Moguls working the small "yard" in Peterborough.

You're right, the line from Winchendon to Peterborough was originally the Monadnock RR, later leased by the Boston, Barre, and Gardner (who built the line from Worcester to Gardner). The Monadnock was then subsequently absorbed by the Cheshire RR which had built the Cheshire branch that this post is about. The Cheshire was then absorbed by the Fitchburg, which in turn became part of the Boston and Maine which established a through route from Worcester to Peterborough (and all the way to Concord until the 1930's, I believe the line was severed by flooding in 1936). Up to 1953 one could have hopped on a passenger train in my hometown of Hubbardston and rode to Peterborough, or changed at Winchendon for Boston or White River Jct. via the Cheshire.

Jon