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  • The Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division

  • Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.
Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1544640  by NHV 669
 
You may be talking about the Bill Gove one, "J.E. Henry's Logging Roads? I've looked at that one too, pretty sure Littleton library has that one as well. Sounds like Bondcliff Books is still in business, and they have quite a good pick of railroad related books. Interesting to note the owner is the same guy who doesn't want motorized rigs on the RoW, once the state finally gets around to pulling the tracks through downtown, because they "disturb the peace".
 #1544687  by arthur d.
 
The book I was thinking of is Gove's Logging Railroads of New Hampshire's North Country . Came out in 2010. Hard to believe it was that long ago, and now I'm not sure it was at Bondcliff. Doing a google search, I found another book store on main street, Little Village Toy and Book? I think that may be the place, lots of toys and puzzles and such. Photo's from their web site look familiar. Damn its rough to get old.
 #1544710  by NHV 669
 
It's a reincarnation of the former Village Bookstore, albeit smaller, and under ownership of the woman who ran the toys section. That store has been there as long as I've existed. I'll have to take a look for that one.
 #1552158  by MEC407
 
Skimming over the past 60 pages of this thread is quite a trip. So many proposals... so many promises... so much vaporware.
 #1552176  by gokeefe
 
There are no scenarios apparent where a change in ownership at Pan Am would suddenly make the Mountain Division coming again. Poland Spring from Fryeburg was as close as anything and that didn't work out because Fryeburg didn't agree to bring in Poland Spring.

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 #1552215  by NHV 669
 
I haven't been able to confirm, but it doesn't seem as though NHCR has even run south of Groveton this year, so there's not even much of an incentive to stab at the west end for possible connections to other active lines either.
 #1552224  by S1f3432
 
Any restoration of service always returns to the question of who would use it since the former customers
are mostly long gone now. I went for a ride last fall from Whitefield over to St. J since it had probably
been 10-15 years since I had been over there and was surprised to see trees 4 to 6 inches at the base
growing between the rails, in places the right of way was barely visible. What a major undertaking it
would be to bring that back to life. On the other end years ago there were rumors that Ossipee Aggregates
had purchased land in Hiram with the intent to open a pit there. I've since wondered if it would be more
practical to route it back to Ossipee via Conway but it's just an idle fantasy that will never happen. The
proposed wood chip plant evaporated. Limington Lumber's sawmill is right across Rt 113 from the track
in East Baldwin along with an adjacent abandoned bulk cement plant- I don't think either ever used
rail. I doubt that economics will ever favor rail for small shipments until such a time as trucking and
highway maintenance and environmental issues become so expensive to force a change in the way
our economy operates.
 #1552234  by gokeefe
 
Although disappointing to hear about Vermont I take some mild consolation in the fact that there is little to no industry in that area that would benefit from service. Reports to the contrary are welcomed.

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 #1554316  by A215
 
S1f3432 wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:05 pm Any restoration of service always returns to the question of who would use it since the former customers
are mostly long gone now.
It is the shorter route to Chicago is it not? Wouldn't running traffic around Pan Am be viable if someone decided to spend ungodly amounts of capital to do it?
 #1554359  by NHV 669
 
But why waste the capital? And what select traffic would you send over it besides the 1x/week slurry, if it was 40mph right now from Portland-St. J?

You're still looking at some 10mph track to Newport, and 25 at best down to WRJ to the NECR connection.
 #1554396  by S1f3432
 
A215 said "Wouldn't running traffic around Pan Am...."
How do you propose to run around Panam as they own both ends of the Mountain Subdivision
and have an agreement with CP dating from 1983 to route the traffic via Mechanicville? Panam
is not going to cooperate with anyone attempting to route overhead traffic over this line and I
doubt that any successor would either.
 #1554409  by bostontrainguy
 
What if CN buys Pan Am? Not thinking it's workable or sensible (especially with the existence of the parallel SLR) but would it at least be possible? Maybe a co-op deal on the west end with CP? Probably not worth the effort.

I did want to add that Delli Priscoli was interested in the Conway Scenic and seeing the miracles he manifested at the G&U (yes bringing things back from the dead is a miracle especially in NIMBY Massachusetts), it would have been very interesting to see what may have transpired. Just might have been the best chance to see a revival.
Last edited by MEC407 on Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason: unnecessary quoting
 #1554425  by NHV 669
 
PAR no longer owns the west end, but holds perpetual freight rights over the line.

How exactly would they "Co-OP" a deal with CP on the west end? CP doesnt own or operate the line through St. J, and what traffic would possibly go that route, given that they can already send cars from Maine completely around the rest of New England to Albany?
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