Double track through Dover, NH

Recently, I was clicking through some pics on the nerail archive and came upon a picture of a GRS train (using Conrail power noless) located in the whereabouts of the Dover Arch http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20030 ... 523080.jpg. What superised me was that in the photo, dated 1992, that there was still a second, albeit unused, track in this location. I know that by the late 1970's most of the line was primarily single track, so I was superised to see this track in place some twenty or so years later. I was just wondering if anyone could provide any information/details into this second track; passing track, second mainline, siding, etc.

The track you mention was known as the "Arch siding". It ran from just west of
the "Arch" west toward Madbury a mile or so. Gravel was hauled from a
pit in Madbury off Rt. 155 for construction of I-95 in Saugus, which project was
never completed. The siding was used for the gravel train to run around to set
up for its run to/from Boston. The pit is still there, but it houses an automobile
recylcing company now and the track into the pit across Rt. 155, opposite the
private crossing is long gone. There is some mention of the pit operation in a
number of publications about the B&M. It is noted in a feature by Brian L.Jennison
in the "Boston and Maine, City and Shore" by Robert Willoughby Jones and I believe
there was at least one feature on the pit in a B&MRR Historical Society "Bulletin".
Perhaps other posters can give additional details. Usually, the power on the
gravel train was RS-3s, GP-7s or F units, as the GP9 fleet was the primary freight
power on the through east-west freights in those days.

Aww, I never knew that where Madbury Metals is was a former gravel pit that had a spur off of the mainline into it. I just checked it out using the old topo maps available on the UNH library site. In the northwest section of the 1956 Dover Quadrangle it shows the spur: http://docs.unh.edu/NH/dovr56nw.jpg It's too bad theres not more unique old double tracked sections of the former B&M mainline left, I would have loved to have seen it in its hayday when the entire line was double tracked (1944 I believe?)!

In looking for web information on the Madbury pit, I ran across this website.
http://faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/bmrr/layout.html

Scroll down through the various lines to the Westen Route Main LIne
for some information around Dover.

Just a few comments on single tracking through Dover. The B&M
wanted to single track through Dover and abolish the gate tender
at Central Ave and the tower at Chestnut St. that controled the
gates there. The local residents were up in arms with predictions
that automatic gates would result in auto/train mishaps, especially
at Central Ave., as Chestnut St. was dead end at the Cocheco River
and did not carry that much traffic. Anyway, the B&M sweetened
up the deal by selling the Dover station to the City for $1.00. The
City studied what they could do with the three story building. One
proposal was to convert it into the Police station. Unfortunately,
there was a City Councilor that owned a bowling alley across Third
St. from the station and parking in that area was limited. He
pushed through the demolition of the fine station for a parking
lot. Even more troubling was that a few years later, he moved
his bowling alley to the outskirts of the city. Some 40 years later,
the Police Department remains in cramped quarters in the basement
of the City Hall. Another great railroad station building was gone
forever.

ihdavis1 wrote:Aww, I never knew that where Madbury Metals is was a former gravel pit that had a spur off of the mainline into it. I just checked it out using the old topo maps available on the UNH library site. In the northwest section of the 1956 Dover Quadrangle it shows the spur: http://docs.unh.edu/NH/dovr56nw.jpg It's too bad theres not more unique old double tracked sections of the former B&M mainline left, I would have loved to have seen it in its hayday when the entire line was double tracked (1944 I believe?)!

I drive by there quite frequently, and each time I think, "Since they (Schnitzer Steel) advertise themselves as New England's largest metal recycler, there ought to be a spur into the place to haul out all the recycled scap."

If I'm not mistaken, didn't the last remnant of the Portsmouth & Dover also cross Chestnut Street as well before tying onto the mainline in the vacinity of the large parking lot between the mainline and Third Street? So if I'm correct wouldn't that make at least three tracks crossing Chestnut Street in less than a quarter mile distance?

When riding the Downeaster through Madbury and Dover even today some of the rails for the sidings are still visible through the grass and weeds and trees. Also, at least one of the rails heading into the former gravel pit (now scrap yard) is present and visible in the warm weather. It's at the entrance to the scrap yard; on the opposite side of NH155, there is now a private driveway and grade crossing where the spur would have been.

I believe the third track across Chestnut St. was "north" of the two main
lines and was used by the Conway Branch trains. Although they did run
to and from Boston, they were slower, making most of the local stops
between Dover and Boston. They connected at Dover with more limited
stop Boston-Portlnd trains with most Conway Branch passengers to and
from Boston using the faster trains and then changed at Dover. On the
east end, this third track connected with the westbound main track at
the Fourth St. crossing, as Fourth St. crossed the tracks on an angle in
those days. There was another siding north of the third track that had
a connection to the Swift Meat Company track in the brick building across
Fourth St. That building still exists today. That siding was also home
to a caboose, that seemed to have been permanently parked there.

I think the connection to the former Portsmouth-Dover line connected to
the eastbound main line just west of Chestnut St., and later the connection
was moved west of the concrete block small station that was built to
replace the three story station in the 60's and which survived until shortly
before the construction of the Downeaster Station. That siding was the
scene of a derailment of a loaded LPG tanker derailing and sliding down
the embankment, nearly into the Cocheco river, when a cut of cars were
set off on an unplowed track in 1976. Although the B&M brought their
big wrecker to the scene, they called in the Hulcher Corp, which retrieved
the car with three sidewinder dozers.

There was also the so-called "Lakeport" siding with a connection off the
westbound main track, west of Chestnut St. This was the remnant of
the former Cocheco Railroad line that ran to Rochester, Farmington,
Alton and Laconia. Except for the first 1/2 mile out of Dover, the line
from Dover to Gonic was abandoned in 1943 and the rest of the Dover
trackage was abandoned in 1984.

I just found this photo http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20090 ... =sawyer+nh showing the old Portsmouth and Dover bridge which was still seemingly used at the time (unknown) the photo was taken. In reference to the old "Lakeport" siding, would it have originally crossed the B&M mainline on a diamond, connecting directly with the P&D when it was still a through-route?

ihdavis1 wrote:I just found this photo http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20090 ... =sawyer+nh showing the old Portsmouth and Dover bridge which was still seemingly used at the time (unknown) the photo was taken. In reference to the old "Lakeport" siding, would it have originally crossed the B&M mainline on a diamond, connecting directly with the P&D when it was still a through-route?

My dad took that about 1985-86ish. At that time, a local would occasionally venture down to service the Agway on Central Ave. I don't think there was ever a diamond there.

I figured that it was around that time or so, right about when Guilford abandoned it, I believe. It must have been quite the sight to see a local journey down that stretch of track, across the Cocheco, underneath Silver Street, and cross Central Ave. underneath the Spaulding overpass to service Agway. Was Agway the only remaining business that used rail transport just prior to its abandonment?

Yes, I believe Agway was the last customer on the line. There was a
large Diamond National lumber facility on Locust St. that was a major
customer for many years, but that business was destroyed by a huge
fire about 1974 and never rebuilt.

Looking at that photo, I believe the line to the right went to a small
yard, where the current large parking lot by the Amtrak station is
located. A couple of tracks there were used by consignees that did
not have direct rail service. Unfortunately, there is not a single local
customer left in Dover in 2011.

Who is/are the closest local customer/s to Dover that is/are left? The few in Portsmouth that are serviced via the old Portsmouth &Concord and Portsmouth & Dover?

ihdavis1 wrote:I figured that it was around that time or so, right about when Guilford abandoned it, I believe. It must have been quite the sight to see a local journey down that stretch of track, across the Cocheco, underneath Silver Street, and cross Central Ave. underneath the Spaulding overpass to service Agway. Was Agway the only remaining business that used rail transport just prior to its abandonment?

As I recall from the late 60's and early 70's they primarily used an SW type switcher to haul a box car or two down to the Agway. Most of the times I saw them they were all raggedyass in faded maroon and gold, though once in a while there would be one in pretty good paint. I thought the switchers were the coolest, and I got all jacked when I'd hear the bell as they crossed Folsom street. I'd run across Belknap and across the back yards of the big yellow triple deckers to watch as the train passed. Eventually a few of us took to hoping the train and riding down to Sawyers. (Got in a heap of trouble when my grandmother saw me do it once.) A lot of times kids in the neighborhood would come out and pelt the box car with rocks.

schwab21 wrote:

ihdavis1 wrote:I just found this photo http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?20090 ... =sawyer+nh showing the old Portsmouth and Dover bridge which was still seemingly used at the time (unknown) the photo was taken. In reference to the old "Lakeport" siding, would it have originally crossed the B&M mainline on a diamond, connecting directly with the P&D when it was still a through-route?

My dad took that about 1985-86ish. At that time, a local would occasionally venture down to service the Agway on Central Ave. I don't think there was ever a diamond there.

Maybe not when the picture was taken but the track to the left looked to be the remains of the old main line that would have crossed the Western Route at a diamond before continuing north up to Rochester. Although it’s hard to trace the ROW north of 4th street you can pick it up again just before rte 16 at Whittier Falls Way. For years I thought this ROW was the original Conway Branch until someone informed me the Conway Branch broke away from the Eastern Route in (S. Berwick?) Maine.