Rockingham Jct.station

I assume the foundation would be dug behind the station? I can't image building a foundation in the current spot, it would require the station to be moved twice, plus it would require a temporary retaining wall to be pile driven into the ground to help support the track bed and that would just add unnecessary expenses.

On one discouraging visit to Rockingham Jct., maybe in the early 80s, the station foundation had partly caved in along the east (main line) side. I thought that had put paid to the whole business, so its survival has always seemed a blessing to me.

After the turn of the millennium, one of the owners-in the long series of owners- a builder, dumped an enormous amount of money into the structure, including extensive rehab of the foundation, as well as windows, siding, and electrical service, it may have also gotten water and sewer, but I don't remember. Plans were for something along the lines of a coffee or sandwich shop, possibly a pub. What killed everything was, buried in the deed, a right of way for railroad vehicles around the west side of the building.

I recently acquired a nice vintage postcard of the Rockingham Jct. station, mailed in 1911, that I wanted to share and this seemed like the perfect thread.

I notice the water tower in what is now the rail trail parking lot and a crossing on the far side of the station indicated by the crossing sign. Never knew there had been a crossing there at some point. Also the extensive wooden decking around the depot. There was a restaurant at one time across from the depot, west side of the B&M trackage.

Ash Swamp Rd where the trail starts and Old Rte 108 very clearly were the crossing when Rte 108 was routed that way. Rte 108 is now Exeter Rd and is an overpass over the mainline, and the Portsmouth Branch still has an at-grade crossing with Old Rte 108 (which is essentially only used for railroad purposes). Take a look at a Google Maps image and it becomes pretty obvious the roads used to connect.

Ah, I see it. Clearly Ash Swamp Rd. and Old Route 108 connected at some point in the distant past. And would have joined right where the crossing sign is. Wonderful thing, that Google Earth!

So that section of Exeter Rd./"new" 108 must be somewhat newish and built to bypass Old 108/Ash Swamp Rd. Ya learn something new everyday!

Rockingham Jct. certainly has changed over the years. When I first went there in 1983 while in high school the Concord and Portsmouth rails were still there although the diamonds were gone and there were buildings across from the station about where the wye is now.

Old Rte 108 and Ash Swamp road still technically connect. If you look at the image Trinnau provided, Ash Swamp road seems to make a hair pin turn around the old hotel, now a hair salon. Historically, Ash Swamp road ended at the hair pin, but someone decided to rename the portion of old 108 from the hair pin to NEW Rte 108.
If you were traveling east on Ash Swamp road, when you come up to the hair pin turn, there is a yield sign. If you went into the bushes directly in front of you from there, you would find the footings for the water tower, not the one in your photo, but the one that succeeded it. I wouldn't recommend this, because the people in that house have been known to call the cops on fans doing nothing besides sitting in their car watching trains, or at least they would 40 years ago.

These were taken summer 1984.

One more. Arthur, what did you mean when you said "What killed everything was, buried in the deed, a right of way for railroad vehicles around the west side of the building."

What does that mean exactly and how would that prevent the owner from creating his sandwich shop?

Who can say "exactly"? My suspicion is there were plans for the grounds immediately outside the station, patio, beer garden, walk in cooler? These would have been right in the R.o.W. Then while trying to figure out what to do, work picked up and he lost interest, after all, the renovation was just fill-in work.
Foresight would have been negotiating to move the station west and the R.o.W. east -essentially trading places- before dumping all that money into rehabing the foundation.

Billerica lawyers keep killing any plans for the station. The RR ROW they complain about is the dirt path around the west side of the depot. They claim to be inept at working out a permanent access plan for RR vehicles. Looks like the bicycle shop plans went belly up and the depot back on the market.

Boston-Dover local. 1937

Nice photo. Is that an RPO I see ahead of the baggage car?

Yes, it appears to be a RPO.