Restoring the Conway Branch

As it stands their predecessors (or perhaps them?) were the ones who chartered some of the very last trips up the Conway Branch to North Conway.

I'm not sure when exactly the name changed from Railroad Enthusiasts Inc. to Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, but that organization has been sponsoring fantrips since the 1930s. The final Boston-North Conway fantrip was indeed an RRE charter and it ran on February 26, 1972. It was a s-l-o-w ride in a snowstorm. We had a pair of B&M Geeps leading the RDC consist to break trail on the branch. There was at least one more trip out of Boston in the early 1980s with an MBTA trainset that ran as far as Sanbornville during the last days of B&M ownership of the line. It was supposed to run to the end of active track at Ossippee, but we were so far behind schedule due to poor track conditions that the decision was made to turn the train short of its final destination.

TomNelligan wrote:

As it stands their predecessors (or perhaps them?) were the ones who chartered some of the very last trips up the Conway Branch to North Conway.

I'm not sure when exactly the name changed from Railroad Enthusiasts Inc. to Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, but that organization has been sponsoring fantrips since the 1930s. The final Boston-North Conway fantrip was indeed an RRE charter and it ran on February 26, 1972. It was a s-l-o-w ride in a snowstorm. We had a pair of B&M Geeps leading the RDC consist to break trail on the branch. There was at least one more trip out of Boston in the early 1980s with an MBTA trainset that ran as far as Sanbornville during the last days of B&M ownership of the line. It was supposed to run to the end of active track at Ossippee, but we were so far behind schedule due to poor track conditions that the decision was made to turn the train short of its final destination.

Sad. I have little doubt that if that line were still open today something would be running on it. There's simply too much of a draw from Boston and too much interest by very large and influential businesses in the Mount Washington Valley not have something in place, even if it was just Amtrak running charter trains.

TomNelligan wrote:

As it stands their predecessors (or perhaps them?) were the ones who chartered some of the very last trips up the Conway Branch to North Conway.

I'm not sure when exactly the name changed from Railroad Enthusiasts Inc. to Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, but that organization has been sponsoring fantrips since the 1930s. The final Boston-North Conway fantrip was indeed an RRE charter and it ran on February 26, 1972. It was a s-l-o-w ride in a snowstorm. We had a pair of B&M Geeps leading the RDC consist to break trail on the branch. There was at least one more trip out of Boston in the early 1980s with an MBTA trainset that ran as far as Sanbornville during the last days of B&M ownership of the line. It was supposed to run to the end of active track at Ossippee, but we were so far behind schedule due to poor track conditions that the decision was made to turn the train short of its final destination.

I took time off and went on the 1972 trip. The organization was not even sure that morning that they would be able to go to North Conway due to snow and ice conditions but go we did. They had an alternative destination which if my memory serves me correct was somewhere on the Berkshire. The snow on this trip was beautiful and it was a comfortable ride in the Budd Cars. We had a lot of high officials on this trip too, a lot of folks realized at the time that this would be truly the last snow train to North Conway and it was. It was a wonderful day that basically went without any hitches whatsoever. Everybody in our group thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe it was completely sold out way in advance too.
Noel Weaver

PS Forty years later I would not regard the snow as being "beautiful". That''s why I live in South Florida.

Noel Weaver wrote:

TomNelligan wrote:

As it stands their predecessors (or perhaps them?) were the ones who chartered some of the very last trips up the Conway Branch to North Conway.

I'm not sure when exactly the name changed from Railroad Enthusiasts Inc. to Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, but that organization has been sponsoring fantrips since the 1930s. The final Boston-North Conway fantrip was indeed an RRE charter and it ran on February 26, 1972. It was a s-l-o-w ride in a snowstorm. We had a pair of B&M Geeps leading the RDC consist to break trail on the branch. There was at least one more trip out of Boston in the early 1980s with an MBTA trainset that ran as far as Sanbornville during the last days of B&M ownership of the line. It was supposed to run to the end of active track at Ossippee, but we were so far behind schedule due to poor track conditions that the decision was made to turn the train short of its final destination.

I took time off and went on the 1972 trip. The organization was not even sure that morning that they would be able to go to North Conway due to snow and ice conditions but go we did. They had an alternative destination which if my memory serves me correct was somewhere on the Berkshire. The snow on this trip was beautiful and it was a comfortable ride in the Budd Cars. We had a lot of high officials on this trip too, a lot of folks realized at the time that this would be truly the last snow train to North Conway and it was.

Apparently the "writing was on the wall". How so? Did everyone just realize that the track conditions were so bad that there was no hope of them being restored?

The Mass Bay RRE ran two fan trips on the Conway Branch on May 2, 1991.
The trips originated in Rochester, as the NH Northcoast only owned the
line from Rochester to Ossipee at that time.

The first trip ran from Rochester to the Ossipee pit. The passengers were
allowed off the train in the pit to witness a train being loaded with gravel
to Boston. Then the passenger train proceeded from the pit to the junction
with the Conway Branch line, at the area where the NHN shop is located today,
and the passengers were again allowed off to watch and photograph the gravel
train with two units and 15 cars working hard out of the pit up to the main line.

The passenger train consisted of a NHN geep and four coaches from the former
Winnipesaukee Railroad and the NHN (former MEC) caboose. The Winnipesaukee
railroad, not to be confused with the current Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, had
gone out of business and was moving the coaches to the Maine Coast Railroad in
Rockland. The plan was to have Guilford drop the coaches at Dover for the MBRRE
to use for one day. Guilford was told not to leave the coaches in Lowell during their
trip from Concord to Dover. But, GRS knew better. While parked at Lowell every
window in all four coaches was smashed by vandals. The damaged coaches arrived
at the Ossipee pit on the Monday before the Saturday trips. Unbelieveably, every
window was replaced in time for the trips. I always have wondered who paid that bill.

The trip from Rochester to Ossipee quickly sold out, so the MBRRE scheduled a second
shorter trip in the afternoon between Rochester and Sanbornville and return. I was
fortunate to have had a ticket on the morning train. Here's a short video of the train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8834Gvz3ZNI

I m guessing that the MBRRE has looked into another trip in more recent years, with
the train maybe originating in Boston and with the NHN owning the track all the way
from Rollinsford to Ossipee. However, there would be a number of issues to bringing
this to fruition. Either Amtrak or the MBTA would have to make a trainset available.
PAR would have to grant approval and the NHN would have to approve and provide a
pilot for the move on their track. It seems unlikely that all this will ever come together.

TomNelligan wrote:The final Boston-North Conway fantrip was indeed an RRE charter and it ran on February 26, 1972. It was a s-l-o-w ride in a snowstorm. We had a pair of B&M Geeps leading the RDC consist to break trail on the branch..........

From the archives.........only wish I had been on that run!)

Reading that prompted me to have one of those "WHERE IS MY CHECKBOOK? SIGN ME UP!" moments. Thanks for posting it.

Were trains still operating to Intervale in 1972? I know there were many tracks for interchange traffic in the glory days but all pictures I've seen taken in the 60's and 70's just shows the Conway branch, joining into the MEC tracks with no sidings.

Thank you for sharing that old advertisement for the 1972 snow train. While that trip ran ten years before I was born, I have seen many pictures of it, and it seems like it must have been a very exciting adventure.

I'm currently planning some winter ski and hiking trips to the North Conway area, and to be able to see that flyer was a great reminder of how much history is in that region. Hopefully someday down the road skiers will be able to once again travel by rail from Boston to North Conway for a day of skiing!

Were trains still operating to Intervale in 1972?

Not on any regular basis, although the track was still theoretically in service. In later years the Conway Branch local freights DI-1 and ID-2 ran between Dover and North Conway, north on M-W-F and south on T-T-S. The crew bunked in the converted coach at the North Conway roundhouse.

BTW, you'll notice that the 1972 trip flyer mentions that it was "a memorial to Roland P. Blodgett". For the benefit of the vast majority here who don't remember him, Rollie was the president of the RRE and he had lost his life in an auto accident a couple months before.

Dick H wrote:I m guessing that the MBRRE has looked into another trip in more recent years, with
the train maybe originating in Boston and with the NHN owning the track all the way
from Rollinsford to Ossipee. However, there would be a number of issues to bringing
this to fruition. Either Amtrak or the MBTA would have to make a trainset available.
PAR would have to grant approval and the NHN would have to approve and provide a
pilot for the move on their track. It seems unlikely that all this will ever come together.

Dick,

It isn't necessarily that complicated. If MBRRE chartered the trip through Amtrak getting clearance from PAR turns into an operational issue, not a legal one. PAR generally seems quite willing to grant Amtrak or NNEPRA any request for charter/special movements so long as they are planned in accordance with their operational requirements for freight. Probably worth remembering that Amtrak too is a paying customer (albeit not a very well paying customer[/i]. If the movement occurred on a weekend during a quiet time of the year I think it would have a pretty good chance of happening.

I would bet that a group would have a much better chance of a trip on Pan Am than in years past but it would be very expensive, maybe too expensive. We knew at the time in 1972 that the north end of the Conway Branch was up for abandonment and it was pretty certain that it would be granted at least in time. There was very little doubt that this would be THE LAST TIME.
I am glad I spent the money and took the time off from work to be a part of it, I will never forget that one. I don't remember that line being in particularly bad shape either, timetable speed on the line at the time was 25 MPH maximum end to end and I do not remember any really bad stretches.
Noel Weaver

Noel,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize that the B&M had applied that early to the ICC for abandonment of the Conway Branch.

You know, I've got to say that the altertantive routing - Boston - North Bennington via the Hoosac Tunnel - sounds like a pretty nice ride, too.

Ridgefielder wrote:You know, I've got to say that the altertantive routing - Boston - North Bennington via the Hoosac Tunnel - sounds like a pretty nice ride, too.

It would have been a nice ride but I think everybody that morning had their hearts set on NORTH CONWAY.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
Noel Weaver