Ashuelot Branch Of Boston And Maine Rr

Ashuelot Branch Boston and Maine Railroad In 1850 this line was built as the Ashuelot RR with backing of Connecticut. Riv. RR, it became a BM property in 1893, it was leased to Green Mountain RR 1982. In 1913 the BM built a new main line on the NH side of Connecticut River in an attempt to make its Connecticut River Main Line independent of trackage rights on the Cental Vermont Railway. The plan to have a 100% B&M route from Massachusetts to White River Junction, VT was never completed. B&M and CV continued to jointly operate Connecticut River line trains. Usual practice was for northbound trains to use the B&M (NH side of river) between South Vernon and Brattleboro. Southbound trains normally used the CV (VT side of the river) between these points. In the days when mail was carried by passenger trains at least one northbound train per day would use the Vermont side of the river to deliver the mail to Vernon. However both the B&M and CV lines could be used in either direction. In 1970 the bridge over the Connecticut River at South Vernon, VT failed. The B&M chose not to repair it. This meant that Connecticut River Route Main Line trains would no longer travel on the New Hampshire side of the river south of Brattleboro, VT. After the closure of the Cheshire Branch in 1972, the only rail line from Keene, NH to the outside world was the Ashuelot Branch and the Fort Hill Branch to Brattelboro. The Green Mountain Railroad was unable to operate the line at a profit. Total abandonment came in 1983. The following web site describes the right of way of the Ashuelot now in use as a trail. http://members.fortunecity.com/railtrails/NH/C-home.htm

qryAshuelot MileText 0.00 2.63 5.00 5.76 6.13 8.32 10.41 13.71 16.25 18.45 21.75

STAT JCT E Dole Junction NH Conn. River Main Line Hinsdale NH Cornville NH Pisgah Switch NH Ashuelot NH Winchester NH Forest Lake NH Westport NH West NH Swanzey Swanzey NH Keene NH Chesire Branch STATION