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  • Restoring the Conway Branch

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

Moderators: MEC407, NHN503

 #1127557  by NS VIA FAN
 
Noel Weaver wrote:
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
........and they got to do that run to North Bennington the next year.

A Happy New Year too!!

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 #1127736  by gokeefe
 
B&Mguy wrote: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!
My feelings exactly. Watching the last runs of the CSRX and seeing information about "Steam in the Snow" as the 'final' run of the year for CSRX one realizes that this would be exactly the time of year when the Snow Train would start running again. CSRX would be more than capable of handling a Snow Train too bad for the time being, perhaps for even decades to come it simply won't be possible.
 #1129612  by boatsmate
 
not knowing this rr very well, How does North Conway get there equipment in adn out?? is there another connection?? was this at one time a run through track??
 #1129636  by b&m 1566
 
The Conway Scenic has a connection with the New Hampshire Central in Whitefield, NH.
The Conway Branch in its day had a few trains that continued past Intervale Station, most notably the Mountaineer. I do know interchange traffic for freight was handled at Intervale; there were a series of tracks for switching between the B&M and MEC but not sure what year that all ended. Pictures I've seen of Intervale in the late 60's on, all the side tracks were gone or visibly out of service with brush cover.
 #1129705  by Mikejf
 
Freight was interchanged at the end of the B&M track at Intervale. Some tracks were still there when Conway Scenic took over.
 #1129707  by gokeefe
 
miketrainnut wrote:Freight was interchanged at the end of the B&M track at Intervale. Some tracks were still there when Conway Scenic took over.
What kind of freight were they interchanging?
 #1129751  by Mikejf
 
I'll have to dig out the books again. There was a siding they could drop/pick cars up from that would not interefere with the Passenger trains coming off the Conway Branch.
 #1129755  by gokeefe
 
miketrainnut wrote:I'll have to dig out the books again. There was a siding they could drop/pick cars up from that would not interefere with the Passenger trains coming off the Conway Branch.
Okay, thanks! My initial guess was perhaps it was something to do with the paper mills in northern NH but as memory serves these weren't really on the Mountain Division they were on the Northern and the SLR.
 #1129775  by b&m 1566
 
If my memory is correct there were 5 logging railroads between Glen and Crawford's. Conway on the B&M side (Conway Village) use to have sawmills, its possible logging was the bulk of interchange traffic at Intervale. You can see one of the sidings still available in this picture dated 1975 but was gone by 1978.
 #1129776  by gokeefe
 
b&m 1566 wrote:If my memory is correct there were 5 logging railroads between Glen and Crawford's. Conway on the B&M side (Conway Village) use to have sawmills, its possible logging was the bulk of interchange traffic at Intervale. You can see one of the sidings still available in this picture dated 1975 but was gone by 1978.
Wow. No kidding. Logging railroads in New Hampshire were practically ancient by that time! Funny to think they would still have been running even into the '70s.
 #1129785  by b&m 1566
 
No, no I meant back when the logging railroads were still logging in the mountains (late 1800's early 1900's). As someone did mention though the B&M's DI-1 and ID-2 did occasionally venture to Intervale, so something was still being interchange right up until 1972. That's probably why you still have the 1 siding still in place in 1975 but was removed by the 1978 picture.
 #1129800  by gokeefe
 
b&m 1566 wrote:No, no I meant back when the logging railroads were still logging in the mountains (late 1800's early 1900's).
Aha! Thanks for the clarification.
b&m 1566 wrote:As someone did mention though the B&M's DI-1 and ID-2 did occasionally venture to Intervale, so something was still being interchange right up until 1972. That's probably why you still have the 1 siding still in place in 1975 but was removed by the 1978 picture.
Of course. I still find it rather interesting to imagine what that might have been.

Mike indicated he's going to try and find an answer when he can.
 #1129917  by TomNelligan
 
As someone did mention though the B&M's DI-1 and ID-2 did occasionally venture to Intervale, so something was still being interchange right up until 1972.
Maybe once in a blue moon, but certainly not on a regular basis. I know from personal experience that by the winter of 1969-1970 the B&M track north of North Conway was no longer plowed out during the winter.
 #1129997  by gokeefe
 
TomNelligan wrote:
As someone did mention though the B&M's DI-1 and ID-2 did occasionally venture to Intervale, so something was still being interchange right up until 1972.
Maybe once in a blue moon, but certainly not on a regular basis. I know from personal experience that by the winter of 1969-1970 the B&M track north of North Conway was no longer plowed out during the winter.
Tom,

Any feeling re: what was being interchanged prior to this?
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