MEC Lime Ridge, QC branch (the Upper Coos)

I'm curious about the MEC's old branch that went from Quebec Junction, N.H., up through Colebrook and Beecher Falls to Cookshire and Lime Ridge, Quebec. I was in the Cookshire-Sawyerville area not long ago and found that the RoW is not only visible, but in remarkable condition, given that it's been gone for many decades. (There's an even a short trestle that is still standing over a stream in Cookshire, obviously VERY long dormant, completely intact --- though I wouldn't want to walk over it.) R.D. Karr indicates that the MEC abandoned the line in 1925, but the CP subsequently took over 14 miles of it in Quebec abandoning it sometime thereafter. My question: Did the segment the CP purchased go from Cookshire south or Cookshire north?

I can't say for sure but was the entire line abandoned in 1925 or just parts of it? If I'm not mistaken there was a book that had a picture of Quebec Junction with a B&M GP7 on the west leg of the Y coming off the line heading west joining the Mountain Division line. Seeing B&M on Maine Central tracks was common for both railroads worked together. It was also common for Maine Central to be seen on B&M tracks. I have even seen pictures of Maine Central trains at North Station. However the picture of the GP7 was taken in I believe 1957. I have the book somewhere in my house and it was part of the book that talked about the building of the Mountain Division line all the way up to the Conway Scenic. The Conway Scenic knows when the last train head north from Quebec Jct. only that was about 7 years ago the last time I was on the Notch train through there.

The Beecher's Falls to Lime Ridge line was abandoned on Oct 31,1925 and the line in Canada was sold to CP, who operate 22 miles from Malvina to Cookshire, the Quebec Central operated from Dudswell Jct to Lime Ridge. and the segment in between was abandoned. Parts of these lines ran until abandoned in 1977. This info was taken from Maine Central RR Mountain Division by Ron Johnson, published by the 470 Club.
The Beechers Falls line is intact from North Stratford to the Vt Border (CT River) and was recently torn up into Beechers Falls. Its used for car storage from North Startford to Colebrook.
A mix of B&M (Groveton to Coos Jct, Waumbek Jct to Whitefield)and MeC (Coos Jct to Waumbek Jct) lines run South from Groveton to Whitefield, and up the Mt Division to Fabyen. This line is passable and is the route Conway Scenic 573 and the U23's from North Stratford will travel down to North Conway possibly this month. The connection from Waumbek Jct to Quebec Jct was abandoned in 1977, when the MeC abandoned the Beecher's Falls line (sold to the state of NH) and sold its portion of the Groveton line to the B&M. A very confusing history of these Northern NH lines.

Bob M

If ever an area of low population was overbuilt,it certainly was this area of NH and Vt. a century ago.!!! Certainly led to a confusing,but interesting, spiders web of trackage for the modern day rail fan.

Other areas,that I have researched/traveled to,would be N.H. west of Concord,and York County, Maine/and the adjoining area of N.H.,but this area includes trolley lines. Bud