A Rare Treat
Just another frame of this scene which was such a rare occurrence to capture both for the line and the locomotive.
A Plymouth and Lincoln passenger train (DBA Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad) is deadheading south as they pass over Jewett Brook a half mile north of the station in downtown Laconia where they will load their passengers. This is just north of MP 28 (measured from Concord) on the old Boston and Maine White Mountain mainline owned by the state of New Hampshire since 1975. Jewett Brook flows from Opechee Bay through the center of town draining into Lake Winisquam which drains into the Winnipesaukee River and will flow downstream under the Lochmere Bridge that is the destination of this rare mileage dinner train later this evening.
Per Jay Gadon:
The train was being brought down for a rare mileage passenger excursion from the historic Laconia Train Station to Silver Lake Road in Lochmere. Riders on this sold out train were treated to a delicious feast catered by Hart's Turkey Farm, and while the railroad hosts many Hart's turkey trains from Meredith to Lakeport, this special dinner train run from Laconia to Lochmere was about as rare as it gets. This ride coincided with the NH Pumpkin Fest in Downtown Laconia October 27th and 28th.
The four car train consisted of two demotored ex B&M Budd RDCs and two ex Lackawanna MU cars bracketed by SW1000 1012 on the south and GP7 302 on the north. The 1012 was blt. Dec. 1970 as Burlington Northern 438 and was acquired in 2014 thru LTEX and is a regular on all their summer passenger runs. 302 was blt. Aug. 1950 as Rock Island number 438 and came north in 1985 when the start up New England Southern acquired it from the bankrupt ROCK's estate. It hauled freight on all the remaining ex B&M lines north of Manchester as NEGS 302 until 1998 when it was sold to the Plymouth and Lincoln, who promptly chopped the nose and repainted it maroon and silver.
Again, per Jay the old geep usually sits around Meredith Yard as a spare engine and has seen very little use. But it was kept serviceable and returned to revenue service from October 14th thru the 28th for the first time since October 2018! This was my first time seeing her turn a wheel since the late 1990s when my Dad and I rode behind her still in green and yellow on the NEGS's short lived passenger operation operation out of Canterbury.
To learn more about the history of this line check out the detailed caption with this image taken last year: flic.kr/p/2oXC9oc
Laconia, New Hampshire
Friday October 27, 2023
A Rare Treat
Just another frame of this scene which was such a rare occurrence to capture both for the line and the locomotive.
A Plymouth and Lincoln passenger train (DBA Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad) is deadheading south as they pass over Jewett Brook a half mile north of the station in downtown Laconia where they will load their passengers. This is just north of MP 28 (measured from Concord) on the old Boston and Maine White Mountain mainline owned by the state of New Hampshire since 1975. Jewett Brook flows from Opechee Bay through the center of town draining into Lake Winisquam which drains into the Winnipesaukee River and will flow downstream under the Lochmere Bridge that is the destination of this rare mileage dinner train later this evening.
Per Jay Gadon:
The train was being brought down for a rare mileage passenger excursion from the historic Laconia Train Station to Silver Lake Road in Lochmere. Riders on this sold out train were treated to a delicious feast catered by Hart's Turkey Farm, and while the railroad hosts many Hart's turkey trains from Meredith to Lakeport, this special dinner train run from Laconia to Lochmere was about as rare as it gets. This ride coincided with the NH Pumpkin Fest in Downtown Laconia October 27th and 28th.
The four car train consisted of two demotored ex B&M Budd RDCs and two ex Lackawanna MU cars bracketed by SW1000 1012 on the south and GP7 302 on the north. The 1012 was blt. Dec. 1970 as Burlington Northern 438 and was acquired in 2014 thru LTEX and is a regular on all their summer passenger runs. 302 was blt. Aug. 1950 as Rock Island number 438 and came north in 1985 when the start up New England Southern acquired it from the bankrupt ROCK's estate. It hauled freight on all the remaining ex B&M lines north of Manchester as NEGS 302 until 1998 when it was sold to the Plymouth and Lincoln, who promptly chopped the nose and repainted it maroon and silver.
Again, per Jay the old geep usually sits around Meredith Yard as a spare engine and has seen very little use. But it was kept serviceable and returned to revenue service from October 14th thru the 28th for the first time since October 2018! This was my first time seeing her turn a wheel since the late 1990s when my Dad and I rode behind her still in green and yellow on the NEGS's short lived passenger operation operation out of Canterbury.
To learn more about the history of this line check out the detailed caption with this image taken last year: flic.kr/p/2oXC9oc
Laconia, New Hampshire
Friday October 27, 2023