Images of Rail Boston & Maine In The 20th Century By Bruce Heald Soft Cover

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The Boston-Portland Division

THe Boston-White Mountains Division

The Fitchburg Division

Appendix A Boston & Maine stations & Depots

Appendix B List of Junction Points

INTRODUCTION

During the process of consolidation, virtually all of New Hampshire's railroad corporations disappeared or ceased operating independently. By 1905, the Boston & Maine controlled all but 52 miles of New Hampshire's 1,174 miles of commercial track. At this time, there were 14 miles of railroad to each 100 square miles of territory and a mile of railroad to every 350 inhabitants. It may appear that there was probably a larger railroad mileage than the needs of the territory required. There was never hut one state west of the Mississippi River (Iowa) that had a larger proportionate mileage than all of New England.

The decline of branch line railroads between 1915 and 1926 was due not only to competition of the motor vehicles, but also to the increasing price for labor and coal. Railroads continued to furnish service by locomotives and expensive train crews even though the service could have been provided by lighter and less expensive equipment. Gasoline motorcars were introduced in 1925, patterned after the form of service in Switzerland and Italy. This went a long way toward solving the problems presented in the branch line railroads.

Throughout the 20th century, the Boston & Maine began to lose its grip on its own railroad. Early in the 20th century, it was temporarily absorbed, first by the New York, New Haven Si. Hartford Railroad, which was controlled by J.P. Morgan. It was later taken over by the federal government during World War II. During the Great Depression, the Boston & Maine and the Maine Central Railroad went into the airline business by going into a partnership with Pan American Airlines. They were hoping to secure a New England monopoly, but federal regulators brought it to a halt. In 1931, the Boston & Maine started to run snow trains to the New Hampshire ski resort, Mount Cranmore in North Conway, in hopes of stimulating the tourist business. Fortunately, World War II provided temporary relief, for federal troops and supplies were transported via the rail system for the war effort.

Following that war, most railroad companies, including the Boston & Maine, spent a great deal of money in order to change from a steam to a diesel locomotive. Many felt that this conversion would save New England's railroads. They were wrong. New England's railroads also suffered because they were located in New England. Severe winters became too expensive to maintain the manpower needed to keep the tracks, yards, and depots clear.

In 1959, the U.S. Postal Service stopped using trains for mail delivery between Boston and Portland. The Boston & Maine decided to introduce Budd cars to consolidate expenses and save the railroad. In 1969, the Boston & Maine declared bankruptcy. A railroad dynasty had closed its doors, but the memory of its legacy lives on forever.

During the final decade of the 20th century, passenger service became limited to tourist railroads and a few short miles of Amtrak service. Many railroad rights of way have been abandoned and lost, except to memory.

In the following pages, we will share those memories of when the terminals, stations, depots, and whistle stops on the rail system were the center of every community and a romance of a time gone by. Of the thousands of waiting facilities owned or leased by the Boston & Maine, we can only attempt to bring some representation in this survey of these landmarks, so as to exemplify and preserve the heritage of an era when railroads were the most important mode of transportation.

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