Newton Junction Info?

Hi all,

I went for a walk today on an abandoned roadbed off of the B&M main in Newton Junction, NH. I was wondering if anyone had any information about this line? The roadbed clearly shows that the route was used during the steam locomotive era. In addition to the dark cinders, there were thousands of medium to large sized clinkers everywhere! I was able to find an old cross tie in the woods with a date nail of 1933. Thus...I would say the line was in use into the 1950's or later...

I found a B&M system map of 1933 which shows that the line was merely a spur which looped back toward the south for 10 miles or less. Was this line always a spur? Or did it make a connection to the B&M "coastal route?"

Thanks for any info!

The wye at Newton Jct. connected to the Merrimack (MA) Branch. It was built before 1900, I'd have to dig out the B&M Bulletin article on it to be sure. The RoW can be followed most of the way to Merrimack, where the tracks ended uphill of Mass Rt. 110 north of the downtown. One part is now "no trespassing" after the owner of the adjoining hayfields won an expensive lawsuit against Newton over ATVers coming down the RoW and trashing his hay. Passenger service was killed off by trolleys before WWI, I think. Freight service lasted till 1968, then it was torn up.

"This branch line got its start as the West Amesbury Branch Railroad. Construction of the route, which featured a turntable at each end of the line, was completed in 1873. As soon as the WAB opened it was leased by the Boston & Maine Railroad, the company which had funded its development and provided the track used to build the line. The full length of this branch from Newton Junction, NH to Merrimac, MA was [officially] abandoned in 1972."

Thanks guys! The line is nice to walk between Newton Junction and Newton (proper). South/east of rte 108 is very rough to travel. There are many trees down, and the grass is getting longer. I did not come across any no trespassing signs, but I did see several "no motorized vehicle" signs.