Traffic Through Exeter NH

So today i was mountain biking in exeter nh (ft rock) and one of the trails I was on just happened to end on the train tracks. So I hung around for a few minutes just to see if I could get lucky, and sure enough, the signals lit up. And actually it look a while after that before the downeaster shot by.

The question is, how much daily traffic does that stretch of track see? I know it sees 8 downeasters. What else goes on by? I was hoping for a freight but oh well.

It would be very rare to see a freight train go by during the day. Freight only runs at night leaving the line open during the day for the Downeaster.

I wouldn't say it's "very rare" to see a train in that area during daylight hours. Obviously if you're there for a half hour or so your chances aren't great, but I'd say that there are probably around 2 thru trains a day during daylight hours this time of the year.

b&m 1566 wrote:It would be very rare to see a freight train go by during the day. Freight only runs at night leaving the line open during the day for the Downeaster.

Yes Brian you've got it. Due to the Amtrak DE Schedules and the MBTA Commuter Rail Trains as you make your way into MA. Not sure what info you have roberttosh but freight trains have NO set schedule, everyone knows that. and in the area we listed the major freights run at nighttime. So what "could" have been seen is a local train, or just a light engine move.. who knows! It's Guilford for god sake..

I never said that freight trains have a set schedule through that area, but what I DID say is that some freight trains DO run during the day. I was visting friends this past weekend in Durham and saw a very long Eastbound freight go through in the early afternoon one day and I heard another train go through during the day that was most definately not a DE or a local. Again, I do quite a bit of railfanning on the old B&M between Rigby and Lowell Jct and there are definately thru trains that can be seen during daylight hours on that stretch. If you check out the NERAIL Archive site, you will see quite a few postings where people report D-2 activity and recently it's even been reported where two trains ran one after the other in the middle of the day through NH, so again, not to pick an argument with you, but you are wrong in saying that thru freights only run on this section overnight.

I don't know how you guys come up with this stuff! To say that no freight trains run during the day in this area is absolutely false. And the original question was about Exeter NH, so I don't really understand how MBTA commuter rail would be brought into the discussion.

While it's true that Pan Am is not a "scheduled railroad" in the traditional sense, there are certain patterns and routines in regards to what time of day a particular train will leave its terminal.

The NHN gravel trains, for instance, often operate in the early morning or early evening -- not "daytime" per se, but during "daylight" time.

The Lawrence switcher, which occasionally works in Dover and Portsmouth, goes on duty at 7am.

EDPO and SEPO often run during daylight hours.

Okay I will admit i totaly said two different things in my last post. How I came up with "very rare" and "freight only run at night" is beside me. I guess that's what happens when you try and keep somthing short. What I was trying to say is Guildford doesn't have a set schedule; there for it would be very rare to catch a freigh during the day given the fact that the line is left open most of the time during daylight hours for the Downeaster. I do know about the NHN train going to and from Boston in the morning and evening which for the most part is the only one that runs almost at the same time everyday. I have also seen for myself a frieght train go by UNH during the day so I know they do run in the day but most times I saw or heard one go by was after midnight.

NHN train to boston? What route does it take? Thats not the DOBO you are talking about is it?

l008com wrote:NHN train to boston? What route does it take? Thats not the DOBO you are talking about is it?

Yes thats DOBO, and I have seen DOBO crossing CPF-AS at about 9PM, so they do in fact run at night. And Brian is correct, about the only "Schedules" i know that are correct are those of the Amtrak DE, and MBCR trains. Freight Trains i guess you can say have "blocks" of time between specific stations is how i could put it. They don't have a schedule per say saying they have to be at X station by such a time.

The reason i was stating about MBCR Commuter Rail Trains and the Amtrak DE is once you hit Hall Interlocking in Haverhill all the way til either CPF-LJ or even Boston depending if you go the the Western Route or the Freight Maine Line, your in the MBTA's area for stations. Speaking of freights and the such, from the NERAIL Arcive List, someone reported the other day that a very ailing slow moving WASE which held up MCR 217 for 10 minutes while it crawled along between Hall and CPF-AS

Again just speaking on personal things I have seen or been a part of. I was on Amtrak DE 681 before and have been held up by Guilford's different road freights near Exeter and Dover, NH.

It's too bad to a sense Freight's did not have set schedules as MBCR/Amtrak do. I am sure it "could" be alot more organized and helpful for the MBCR Disp and the GRS District's TOM's, then again it could create even more of a bottleneck we have now. I don't know at times, seems when i try to go railfanning, i always catch a parked train, cuts of cars or just the usual MBCR or Amtrak. Thats the only downside as you don't know when it will be comming through.

I have seen Gillfid freight going through Exeter during the day. On my way to bro's house at about 9:30 one morning, I happened to catch one near Summer St., I had my camera ready. It was Southbound, missed the engine(s), but caught the end of it. Here's one of the pics....

GP40MC 1116 wrote:

l008com wrote:NHN train to boston? What route does it take? Thats not the DOBO you are talking about is it?

Yes thats DOBO, and I have seen DOBO crossing CPF-AS at about 9PM, so they do in fact run at night. And Brian is correct, about the only "Schedules" i know that are correct are those of the Amtrak DE, and MBCR trains. Freight Trains i guess you can say have "blocks" of time between specific stations is how i could put it. They don't have a schedule per say saying they have to be at X station by such a time.

The reason i was stating about MBCR Commuter Rail Trains and the Amtrak DE is once you hit Hall Interlocking in Haverhill all the way til either CPF-LJ or even Boston depending if you go the the Western Route or the Freight Maine Line, your in the MBTA's area for stations. Speaking of freights and the such, from the NERAIL Arcive List, someone reported the other day that a very ailing slow moving WASE which held up MCR 217 for 10 minutes while it crawled along between Hall and CPF-AS

Again just speaking on personal things I have seen or been a part of. I was on Amtrak DE 681 before and have been held up by Guilford's different road freights near Exeter and Dover, NH.

It's too bad to a sense Freight's did not have set schedules as MBCR/Amtrak do. I am sure it "could" be alot more organized and helpful for the MBCR Disp and the GRS District's TOM's, then again it could create even more of a bottleneck we have now. I don't know at times, seems when i try to go railfanning, i always catch a parked train, cuts of cars or just the usual MBCR or Amtrak. Thats the only downside as you don't know when it will be comming through.

I stand corrected, nice job!

Are you sure that this is a road freight train. I do not see a rear end
telemetry unit on the last car and they are required today.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:Are you sure that this is a road freight train. I do not see a rear end
telemetry unit on the last car and they are required today.
Noel Weaver

I thought of that too... although, upon closer inspection, it looks like it is indeed there, partially obscured by the crossing arm.

Guilford tries to sneak several freights thru during daylight hours. You can usually count on a wase train after dawn and before noon. Quite often a freight comes thru Plaistow about 1pm so +_ half an hour or less for Exeter, then you can usually count on one more before it gets dark.

A 2 mile long passing siding begins in Exeter at MP 258 and runs to MP 256.

The double track from Lawrence to Plaistow ends at MP 273 +- a few feet and it is quite common for an east bound freight to wait here for a westbound freight or passenger train, then when the WB goes by the freight will take off for Rockingham or Dover and wait for the next west bound.

Guilford does run a lot of freight at night, DOBO has been running after dark, RURJ in the early morning, AYPO will frequently leave cpf-297 at about 8pm.

It is also quite common for Guilford to send an eastbound down the Lowell branch and wait at LJ to follow an east bound passenger train up to Haverhill and beyond. This right around 5 - 6pm. Sneaking it in between the commuter rail trains.

Occasionally you will see a commuter rail and a freight train in Bradford or Haverhill going in the same direction right next to each other witht he commuter rail going faster. Now that is a weird sight.

So, Guilford isn't afraid of putting the freight trains in with the passenger trains, especially in the double tracked 10 miles or so between CPF-AS and CPF-273.

They do take care to keep the freights out of the way of the varnish as best as they can. Sometimes the varnish has to wait a minute for a freight to get out of the way and sometimes the varnish has to follow a freight but most of the time the varnish gets the priority and the freight is fit in when there is room.

Unfortunately, the biggest danger coming from Guilford is not getting hit by a train, it's starving to death waiting for the next freight. When you're railfanning during the day it seems like they run no freights at all and if you're in one place it seems like you have to wait forever to see one.

Sometimes you get lucky and you see two in the same day.

Keep your ear on 161.160, 161.520, 161.4, 457.9375, and 452.9375 mHz.

Awesome post dood. Thanks