Raison D'etre
Sand....mountains of sand....it's literally this giant natural sandbox that saved 40 miles of the old Boston and Maine Conway Branch when it would otherwise have been given up for dead. And despite some other customers over the years including a few other general freight consignees this day, it's still the sand that is the main reason for this independent shortline's continued existence.
The New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Sand and Gravel Company and was formed to transport this basic commodity of cement production from the Ossipee Aggregates pit here (it too a whole owned subsidiary of Boston Sand) to their parent company's busy batch plant located right across the Charles from North Station in the shadow of the Zakim Bridge. As the city constantly tears itself down to rebuild in new form generation after generation the need for cement for that never ending construction is simply insatiable.
When the new owners of the Boston and Maine petitioned to abandon the branch more than 35 years ago Boston Sand stepped in to buy the railroad and slowly rebuild it into the first class outfit it is today to keep alive this link between the two key halves of their operation and to keep countless trucks off the highway as they move up to a half million tons of product to Boston every year.
Here they are after another busy week running light engine out of the pit. Having spotter up the string of empties they led north from Boston their work week is done as they head back west toward the shop located where the pit spur meets the Conway Branch main.
Three quarters of the railroad's roster is seen here, EMD GP38-2s NHN 3823 (blt. Sept. 1978 as CR 8242), leased FURX 5509 (blt. Mar. 1970 as high nosed straight GP38 SOU 2801) and NHN 3825 (blt. Sept. 1978 as CR 8244).
If you care to learn more refer to the detailed caption with this image: flic.kr/p/2mfWoig
Ossipee, New Hampshire
Friday August 6, 2021
Raison D'etre
Sand....mountains of sand....it's literally this giant natural sandbox that saved 40 miles of the old Boston and Maine Conway Branch when it would otherwise have been given up for dead. And despite some other customers over the years including a few other general freight consignees this day, it's still the sand that is the main reason for this independent shortline's continued existence.
The New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Sand and Gravel Company and was formed to transport this basic commodity of cement production from the Ossipee Aggregates pit here (it too a whole owned subsidiary of Boston Sand) to their parent company's busy batch plant located right across the Charles from North Station in the shadow of the Zakim Bridge. As the city constantly tears itself down to rebuild in new form generation after generation the need for cement for that never ending construction is simply insatiable.
When the new owners of the Boston and Maine petitioned to abandon the branch more than 35 years ago Boston Sand stepped in to buy the railroad and slowly rebuild it into the first class outfit it is today to keep alive this link between the two key halves of their operation and to keep countless trucks off the highway as they move up to a half million tons of product to Boston every year.
Here they are after another busy week running light engine out of the pit. Having spotter up the string of empties they led north from Boston their work week is done as they head back west toward the shop located where the pit spur meets the Conway Branch main.
Three quarters of the railroad's roster is seen here, EMD GP38-2s NHN 3823 (blt. Sept. 1978 as CR 8242), leased FURX 5509 (blt. Mar. 1970 as high nosed straight GP38 SOU 2801) and NHN 3825 (blt. Sept. 1978 as CR 8244).
If you care to learn more refer to the detailed caption with this image: flic.kr/p/2mfWoig
Ossipee, New Hampshire
Friday August 6, 2021