by Dick H
The City of Dover has opened a "community trail" on a portion of the former
Portsmouth & Dover Railroad. According to "The Rail Lines of Northern New
England" (Robert M. Lindsell 2000), the line finally reached Dover in 1874 and
was leased to the Eastern RR and became part of the B&M Eastern Division in
the 1880's. Passenger trains ended in 1933 and the bridge at Dover Point was
abandoned in 1934."
Service from Dover continued as far as the Sawyer Mill complex and Agway into
the 1970's. Also, a large Diamond National lumber yard was serviced. The main
building at the lumber company was destroyed by fire around 1974 and both Agway
and the mill had ceased using rail and the line was placed out of service south of
Washington St. The remaining portion of the line was occasionally used to set off
cars for Dover and after a major snow storm, the line was unplowed and a cut of
cars was being set off, when a loaded LPG car derailed and tumbled down the
embankment in 1976, stopping just short of the Cocheco River. While the B&M
brought their wreck train to the scene from East Deerfield, they decided there
needed the expertise of Hulcher Services, who arrived from NY with four dozers.
Hulcher made quick work to retrieve the errant car. The line saw very little use
after that incident. Sometime in the 1990's, Guilford sold the small yard next to
the main line to the Dover Mills Partnership for a parking lot and the remaining
trackage was removed.
The City of Dover acquired the property from the parking lot for the Downeaster
to Rt. 108 (Central Ave.) and has been working to covert it into a rail trail for the
last 7 years or so. Earlier this year, the Cocheco River Bridge was redecked, a
culvert was installed under Rt. 9 (Silver St.), where a wooden overpass once existed
and cleared the line as far as Fisher St. The trail has been paved from the parking
lot to the bridge and will be paved to Fisher St, in 2011, with some drainage issues
also being addressed. From Fisher St. to Central Ave., some easement issues remain
and more construction will be needed to open that portion of the trail.
Coverage of the opening of the trail on November 13th is here:
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... -1/FOSNEWS
The City is also working to build a rail trail on a portion of the former roadbed of the
Cocheco Railroad, which originally ran from Dover to Alton Bay. The Dover to Gonic
portion was abandoned in 1942, except for about a half mile north from Dover that
served a few customers and was abandoned in the 1970's.
Portsmouth & Dover Railroad. According to "The Rail Lines of Northern New
England" (Robert M. Lindsell 2000), the line finally reached Dover in 1874 and
was leased to the Eastern RR and became part of the B&M Eastern Division in
the 1880's. Passenger trains ended in 1933 and the bridge at Dover Point was
abandoned in 1934."
Service from Dover continued as far as the Sawyer Mill complex and Agway into
the 1970's. Also, a large Diamond National lumber yard was serviced. The main
building at the lumber company was destroyed by fire around 1974 and both Agway
and the mill had ceased using rail and the line was placed out of service south of
Washington St. The remaining portion of the line was occasionally used to set off
cars for Dover and after a major snow storm, the line was unplowed and a cut of
cars was being set off, when a loaded LPG car derailed and tumbled down the
embankment in 1976, stopping just short of the Cocheco River. While the B&M
brought their wreck train to the scene from East Deerfield, they decided there
needed the expertise of Hulcher Services, who arrived from NY with four dozers.
Hulcher made quick work to retrieve the errant car. The line saw very little use
after that incident. Sometime in the 1990's, Guilford sold the small yard next to
the main line to the Dover Mills Partnership for a parking lot and the remaining
trackage was removed.
The City of Dover acquired the property from the parking lot for the Downeaster
to Rt. 108 (Central Ave.) and has been working to covert it into a rail trail for the
last 7 years or so. Earlier this year, the Cocheco River Bridge was redecked, a
culvert was installed under Rt. 9 (Silver St.), where a wooden overpass once existed
and cleared the line as far as Fisher St. The trail has been paved from the parking
lot to the bridge and will be paved to Fisher St, in 2011, with some drainage issues
also being addressed. From Fisher St. to Central Ave., some easement issues remain
and more construction will be needed to open that portion of the trail.
Coverage of the opening of the trail on November 13th is here:
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... -1/FOSNEWS
The City is also working to build a rail trail on a portion of the former roadbed of the
Cocheco Railroad, which originally ran from Dover to Alton Bay. The Dover to Gonic
portion was abandoned in 1942, except for about a half mile north from Dover that
served a few customers and was abandoned in the 1970's.
