I will ramble along here and possibly incur the wrath of some mod.
First, thanks for this forum. It brings back a lot of memories and explains quite a few things.
I am not really a rail fan but have always loved trains. Now that I am older I am starting to notice more since I work next to a UPRR yard. I also have always loved exploring old ROW. In my earliest years I lived right by the abandoned North Weare branch and us kids were always excited to find spikes or old ties. Not much to do in our part of Weare in those days. Later I lived amongst the Suncook Valley RR abandoned ROWs and there was still a lot of track, bridges and "junk" around though it was 8 years since a train had run.
Actually seeing a train while on a trip was pretty exciting. Waiting for one at a crossing was the best and if it was only one or two cars I was always disappointed. I didn't realize at the time that these must have been RDCs or some type of passenger cars. I remember thinking that the few minuteman logos you could actually see on the front or side were cool. I never realized how nice the maroon and gold could look as all the equipment I saw was either so dirty or so rusty you couldn't tell. A lot of the trips were to Concord (NH) so waiting at a crossing didn't happen. You could hardly see any of the rail yard from the South Main Street bridge. It might actually be Water Street bridge but it was right by the big gas tank.
At one point in the late 60s and early 70s I was crossing the Merrimack River in Hooksett daily and would sometimes have to wait for a train. This was after I began driving. A long wait if it was the Bow coal train. All the power I remember seeing was either so dirty or rusty that seeing the minuteman was rare. I never recognized that the colors were actually maroon and gold. I do not recall seeing any freshly painted blue equipment before I left the area in 72.
While I was waiting for these trains to pass, what power was I likely seeing in this time period for the freights and the coal train? I am talking about 1968-72.
First, thanks for this forum. It brings back a lot of memories and explains quite a few things.
I am not really a rail fan but have always loved trains. Now that I am older I am starting to notice more since I work next to a UPRR yard. I also have always loved exploring old ROW. In my earliest years I lived right by the abandoned North Weare branch and us kids were always excited to find spikes or old ties. Not much to do in our part of Weare in those days. Later I lived amongst the Suncook Valley RR abandoned ROWs and there was still a lot of track, bridges and "junk" around though it was 8 years since a train had run.
Actually seeing a train while on a trip was pretty exciting. Waiting for one at a crossing was the best and if it was only one or two cars I was always disappointed. I didn't realize at the time that these must have been RDCs or some type of passenger cars. I remember thinking that the few minuteman logos you could actually see on the front or side were cool. I never realized how nice the maroon and gold could look as all the equipment I saw was either so dirty or so rusty you couldn't tell. A lot of the trips were to Concord (NH) so waiting at a crossing didn't happen. You could hardly see any of the rail yard from the South Main Street bridge. It might actually be Water Street bridge but it was right by the big gas tank.
At one point in the late 60s and early 70s I was crossing the Merrimack River in Hooksett daily and would sometimes have to wait for a train. This was after I began driving. A long wait if it was the Bow coal train. All the power I remember seeing was either so dirty or rusty that seeing the minuteman was rare. I never recognized that the colors were actually maroon and gold. I do not recall seeing any freshly painted blue equipment before I left the area in 72.
While I was waiting for these trains to pass, what power was I likely seeing in this time period for the freights and the coal train? I am talking about 1968-72.
