I am an historic transportation artist writing some illustrated B&MRR memories based on my summer vacations on Lake Winnesquam near the Lochmere depot. I would appreciate hearing from anyone with information anout the Pemigewassett (Plymouth to Lincoln) and former BC&M "Up Country" (Concord to Plymouth to Woodsville) Branches. I am especially interested in information about the motive power used on these branches during the WW II years, and what year the line from Plymouth to Blackmount (near Woodsville) was abandoned and torn up.

During WWII, K8 class Consolidations were the usual power for the milk trains and local freight. The local passenger trains were handled by P2 Pacifics. The Boston-Montreal Alouette would either have a P2, or a CP G2 Pacific.

The last day of operation between Plymouth and Blackmount was October 30, 1954.

Thanks for the feedback, Duane. I would have guessed the K-8s and P-2s were the major motive power. I can't recall ever seeing the Alouette (I sure wish I had a memory of it), and don't recall ever seeing a Mogul on that line, but I do recall seeing a 44-ton diesel a few times. However, I could almost swear it was an elderly, low-drivered Mikado that nearly nailed us kids as we crossed the trestle over Silver Lake during a hike along the rails in August 1943. According to the records I've found, the only Mikados on the B&M were leased from Erie in early 1942 and all were returned by the end of June, 1943. It is possible it was a Maine Central Mike, but I doubt it. More likely my memory fails me - it was a very traumatic experience that haunted me for years!

I have wondered if anything heavier than the P-2s and K-8s were ever used on that branch. I doubt that the roadbed would have supported anything much heavier, like a P-4 or T-1, or longer, like a 2-10-2.

Do you have any idea when the service from Plymouth to Woodsville was terminated? I suspect that most of the wartime traffic I saw was to-and-from Woodsville rather than Lincoln, but the Woodsville line was apparently long gone before 1975.

Info from some employee timetables I have from the 40s and 50s state that the K8s and P2s were the largest power allowed on the line. The Woodsville steam switcher was replaced by a 44-tonner in 1947. At times it would run to Concord for major servicing and was replaced by another. There was also a 44-tonner working the local between Plymouth and Lincoln for a time.

While it's hard to find, the book Conecticut River Railroads And Connections Volume X by R.W. Nimke, has many photos of the "Pemi" and the Concord to Woodsville line. It shows some photos of the East Branch & Lincoln 44-tonners working in Lincoln.

The photos cover from the early 1900s up till the 1980s.

I'm sorry, Duane - I didn't read all the way down your message. Thanks for the 1954 closure date information, also. Apparently my suspicion was correct, that Woodsville traffic was still very active during those war years.

I'm getting together a book of stories and poetry written by my dad, 90 years old. I'd like to put in the book the kind of train he rode in 1919-1932. Can you tell me what kind it would have been and tell me how to get a picture of it? Melba Carr Wilson

PS My dad is Gordon Carr and he lives in KS under my sister's care. I've got all his stories about life in Beebe River and Plymouth and I'd like to make them accurate by including a picture of the kind of train he rode from his home in Beebe River to Plymouth, where he went shopping and where he went to high school, (class of 1932)

Melba,

You might try posting your question as a NEW SUBJECT rather than as a response to one of my posts - those few forum members who might be able to answer it authoritatively may not have noticed your inquiry in the middle of this thread.

The book "Images of Rail, Boston & Maine Locomotives" by Bruce D. Heald and available from Amazon.com has a photograph of a P-2-a (Pacific) passenger locomotive (page 84) taken at Plymouth in 1911, and in his post above Duane states that this type of locomotive was still the predominant passenger loco on the Pemigewasset Branch during WWII, so it was very likely used on the trains your dad rode around 1919 - 1932.

If you aren't pleased with this photo or any of the others in this book or anywhere else, and are patient, I might paint a picture of one you may like. Do you have any photographs taken on or along the railroad in that time period I could use as reference material?

Dick

"I am an historic transportation artist writing some illustrated B&MRR memories based on my summer vacations on Lake Winnesquam near the Lochmere depot. "


Here is a picture of Lochmere Depot. Do you know anything of its current status? (Is it still standing by any chance?)

-Steve Fisk

Thanks a lot for that picture, Steve! Where on earth did you find that?

By the 1940s those unusual bright colors had been replaced by the typical olive drab, but the depot was surrounded by tall, shady trees and there was a semaphore just outside. I have lived in San Diego for 37 years now, but did get a chance to find my way back to Lochmere Vilage by auto during a visit in 1993. I could see no sign of the depot - it was either torn down, burned up, or so overgrown it had disappeared into the New Hampshire jungle.

Although it was a loooooooong way down to just a stony creek below the trestle at the time of my misadventure in 1943, I found eleven years ago that Silver Lake had risen to where it was nearly lapping at the lower string of the truss. I'll send a photo if you are interested and if you would tell me how to attach a picture file to a post on this forum.

"Thanks a lot for that picture, Steve!"

You are most welcome.

"Where on earth did you find that?"

Happened to be in my collection of digital depot images. (Ya never know when something will come in handy.)

"By the 1940s those unusual bright colors..."


Cream and Maroon. Nothing like it. There are B&M depots out there which have either been restored to the correct paint scheme- or never lost it in the first place. A beautiful thing, Cream and Maroon.


"had been replaced by the typical olive drab,"

I think when this was done it was ad-hoc, not something the Railroad mandated. I suspect there are those who check this board who would know for sure.

"but the depot was surrounded by tall, shady trees and there was a semaphore just outside."

The image I posted is from about 1905.

"I have lived in San Diego for 37 years now, but did get a chance to find my way back to Lochmere Vilage by auto during a visit in 1993. I could see no sign of the depot - it was either torn down, burned up, or so overgrown it had disappeared into the New Hampshire jungle."

There is almost always a sign, you just have to know the exact spot to look.

"Although it was a loooooooong way down to just a stony creek below the trestle at the time of my misadventure in 1943, I found eleven years ago that Silver Lake had risen to where it was nearly lapping at the lower string of the truss."

Neat. I love this stuff.

"I'll send a photo if you are interested and if you would tell me how to attach a picture file to a post on this forum."

Sure. Please do. You can't "attach" them per se, they have to be on a server and have an exact URL. If you e-mail it to me, I will host the image and post it here on thies thread.

I have lots of e-mail addresses, but a good one to send this to is...

mail@stevefisk.net.nospam But you have to take off the ".nospam" at the end. I put that there so when the spambots crawl this site and harvest that addy, they will be twarted.

As far as I know, B&M depots didn't start
getting painted maroon/cream until WWII or
later. Prior to WWII the standard color
was gray with green trim, but very few
color photos were taken in that era.

Phil Hastings took quite a few photos of
both steam and diesel on the line through
Plymouth. He shows K-8s and BL-2s on the
local freight, and both B&M E-7s and CPR
E-8s on the passenger trains. There are
also published photos of motor car 1140
at Ashland and Weirs. I think if I dig I
can find B-15s up there, I know GP-7s ran
there in the late '50s.

jbvb

Steve,
The Lochmere Depot was moved to route 3 in Belmont, NH and is the main part of the varity store just up the street from where it was located. The sign "LOCHMERE" used to be on it a few years back but I believe the store was sold and I have not bothered to check with the new owners to see what happened to it.
Dick Muse

You mean this building?



This is the freight depot, according to Gary,
which was moved to Rte 3,

Not sure what became of the passenger stop?

Although to me, it looks like it could be a combination depot in the image I posted.

Is the second image I posted the same building, only added to and modified after it moved? Or is it a different one altogether?

Steve,

Just wondering if you received the photos I e-mailed to you at the address you gave me above.

Dick

Yes. I am going to make a web page of them when I get a chance.

-S.

At least once during the summer of '53, the southbound Allouette came through Plymouth, NH with one B&M E7.

In August '51, I rode in one of 5 open vestibule (also open window) coaches from North Station to Ashland, NH. They could have been pulled by a Pacific, but I think it was smaller, possibly a Mogul...???

Richard,

Here you are....

(as promised)


http://www.stevefisk.net/depots/Weddleton/Weddleton.htm

Thank you very much, Steve! My photos look great.

By the way, I might add that, just in case my memory was deceiving me, I checked with my younger brother and he, too, remembers a mere stony brook far below the trestle which is now just a few feet above Silver Lake. In 1950, seven years after our experience, I heard from a Lexington, MA, girl, whose family also vacationed near Lochmere, that a young girl had been killed when caught on the trestle by a fast train. It seems unlikely that she would not have simply jumped into the lake if it had been up to the level it is now.

Can anyone here explain why the level of Silver Lake rose so high? Also, has anyone here ever heard of a fatality on that trestle?

Dick

"Thank you very much, Steve!"

You're welcome.

"My photos look great."

Yes, they do indeed. That last one makes me want to get out my hiking boots.....

I just heard that today two high school students at my school drowned at the tressel. I'm not quite sure where the information is coming from though. I have not yet seen it on the news, though it may be too soon. Interesting... thought you may like to hear of more information of the tressel. Someone spoke of a young girl who was killed there by the train. From what I've heard though, two boys... I knew... Mike Ciampy and Nick Lorette were sucked into the damn. Only one body has been recovered so far. I live like, 10 minutes from the tressel. Very sad.