Wnp Main Line

BOSTON and MAINE RAILROAD Worcester, Nashua, and Portland Division Main Line

A railroad division is a significant stretch of trackage under the supervision of a division superintendent. The superintendent usually had a staff of first line supervisors such as trainmasters, section foremen, road masters etc. In many cases a railroad division was once an independent railroad that had been merged into a larger railroad system. The Boston and Maine Railroad (the B&M) once had a division called the Worcester, Nashua, and Portland Division (the WN&P). This line began in Worcester, Massachusetts and ran north to Nashua, NH where it crossed the Merrimack River and continued to Portland, Maine. The line became a B&M property when the B&M leased the Worcester, Nashua, and Portland Railroad in 1886. The WN&P Division also had some branch lines which will be covered in future documents. This document is concerned only with the Division’s main line. The WN&P was always a hard luck line. In the first two decades of the twentieth century it carried more traffic than could be safely handled on a single track line with no signals. There were numerous accidents, a number of which were fatal. The line was difficult and expensive to operate because of its numerous hills, curves, and river crossings. It did have one claim to fame. It was for a time the route of the summer only “Bar Harbor Limited”, one of the fanciest trains ever to run on the B&M. This train carried the elite of Philadelphia and New York Society to their favorite Maine resort in Pullman comfort. In the 1920’s B&M management decided to re-route most of the traffic using the WN&P north of Ayer, Massachusetts to a new route which used the Stony Brook Branch, New Hampshire Division Main Line, and the Lowell Branch to reach the original Boston and Maine Railroad Boston to Portland main line at a point called Lowell Junction in the town of Andover, Mass. The WN&P was discontinued as a distinct division in 1925, its lines were transferred to other divisions. The segment from Worcester to Ayer continued to be a well maintained heavily used main line. Daily passenger service on this segment lasted until 1960 when the “State of Maine Express” made its last run. It was also the route of a fast freight train called 1

the “Maine Bullet” until the Penn Central replaced the New Haven RR as the southern connection.

Apart from Worcester to Ayer, the rest of the WN&P was reduced to branch line status and eventually abandoned. Some segments even suffered the indignity of being converted to a highway. The segment from Ayer to the outskirts of Nashua is a paved bike trail with some railroad artifacts such as mileposts being preserved. A portion of the right of way north of Windham, NH is a dirt bike trail. The active segment from Worcester to Ayer boasts 2 tunnels, both in Worcester. Worcester Union Station has been very nicely restored. There was no B&M participation in this restoration and the former B&M track at Union Station is now Providence and Worcester track. There is a station at Clinton which was once jointly used by the B&M and the New Haven. It is now a laundry. The New Haven heritage is obvious in this building’s exterior which is in decent shape.The causeway across the reservoir at Oakdale remains a scenic and popular spot for rail photography. The Hill Yard at Ayer will probably play an important role in the new joint venture between Pan AM Railways (B&M successor) and Norfolk Southern for trailer and container traffic.

MILE STATION

STATE

0 WORCESTER

MA

0.18 Worcester Viaduct

MA

0.76 LINCOLN SQUARE

MA

1.56 GARDEN STREET YARD

MA

2.92 Barber

MA

3.3 Shay

MA

3.52 GREENDALE

MA

4.21 Bradley

MA

2

MEMO

Station Abandoned 1935

Agency discontinued 1913

4.61 SUMMIT

MA

Agency discontinued 1913 . . . Timetable dated 10/31/1971 gives mileage as 5.81

7.81 DED (West Boylston)

MA

8.76 WEST BOYLSTON

MA

10.16 Oakdale 11.9 STERLING JCT

DED stands for dragging equipment detector.

MA MA

14.93 CLINTON JCT.

MA

15.41 HBD / DED (Clinton)

MA

DED stands for dragging equipment detector. HBD is hot box detector.

15.82 EAST SWITCH

MA

16.76 CLINTON

MA

16.85 Clinton West

MA

In the Pan Am Railways era the 2,200 foot passing siding at Clinton West is the only active passing siding between Worcester and Ayer. It extends to Clinton East at mp 17.30

18.09 THAYER

MA

19.19 LANCASTER

MA

23.19 Still River

MA

The site of the Still River station is the parking area for the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.

25.39 Harvard

MA

26.65 Hill Yard

MA

28.01 Ayer

MA

The portion of the WN&P South of the Fitchburg Main Line is active rail, the portion North of the Fitchburg Main Line is the beginning of paved bike trail that extends a little north of the New Hampshire state line. Pan Am calls the junction of the W.N.&P. with the Fitchburg Division Main Line "CPF-AY".

31.54 GROTON

MA

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MILE STATION

STATE

36.18 PEPPERELL

MA

39.69 Hollis

NH

MEMO

Station site now occupied by a propane dealer. A little north of Hollis parts of the right of way have been used for the Nashua River Rail Trail (a paved bike trail). Hollis depot was actually in Nashua near the Hollis line.

45.16 Nashua Main Street

NH

45.86 NASHUA UNION STATION

NH

Nashua Union Station was built by the Concord RR in 1860 and stood until 1965.

48.28 Hudson

NH

Station moved to the now closed Benson's Wild Animal Farm. Route 111 from Hudson to Windham occupies the former WN&P roadbed.

52.05 Anderson

NH

Station burned 10/23/1999 . . . Station was located in Town of Windham

56 Windham

NH

Used to be the junction with the Manchester and Lawrence Branch. Now it is the junction of two snowmobile trails on the old roadbeds. The trail based on the M & L is paved. The trail based on the W.N.&P. is unpaved and frequently muddy. This trail runs north the junction at Windham. There is almost no trace of W.N.&P. going south from this location.

59.97 Hubbard

NH

Part of Derry

61.85 Hampstead

NH

Station torn down in 1985.

64.64 SANDOWN

NH

Sandown Depot is a museum of local history.

69.59 FREMONT

NH

74.03 Epping

NH

Station owned by a pool company

79.21 Lee

NH

Former right of way in Lee is now Route 125. Former freighthouse was moved downtown next to the police station.

87.69 BARRINGTON

NH

92.18 WEST GONIC

NH

94.31 ROCHESTER

NH

96.88 RINDGEMERE

NH

The station on Route 125 is a replica, original is gone.

103.78 EASTWOOD

ME

103.78 EASTWOOD

ME

110.58 SANFORD & SPRINGVALE

ME

Right of way is dirt bike trail

114.46 ALFRED

ME

Right of way visible - Once a helper station. - Agency

4

discontinued in 1932 118.79 WATERBORO

ME

118.79 WATERBORO 121.86 WESCOTT

ME

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MILE STATION

STATE

MEMO

126.94 BRADBURY

ME

129.09 Bar Mills

ME

131.56 BUXTON

ME

Station building moved to a nearby farm.

136.63 GORHAM

ME

In 1980 depot was converted into restaurant on Route 114 near intersection of Route 25.

139.48 P.T. Limit 140.4 WESTBROOK

ME ME

In 1911 the B&M transferred ownership of the portion of the WN&P from the Gorham-Westbrook town line to Preble Street Depot in Portland to the Portland Terminal Company.

141.31 CUMBERLAND MILLS

ME

In 1878 the Portland and Rochester moved their Cumberland Mills depot to crossing of the Portland & Ogdensburg RR for joint use by both roads. In later years the Portland & Ogdensburg was the Maine Central's Mountain Division.

141.37 Main Street

ME

144.38 DEERING JCT.

ME

145.45 WOODFORDS

ME

146.98 Portland (Preble Street)

ME

At one time there was street track on Marginal Way in Portland to connect to Grand Trunk. Passenger Service to Preble Street was discontinued in 1911.

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Here are some photos of the WN&P in modern times.

Above is a photo of CSX power on the former WN&P in the Greendale Section of Worcester.

7

Here is a photo of the WN&P side of the former joint B&M and New Haven station in Clinton, MA.

8