Hobo Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Hobo Railroad consists of two heritage railroads
in central New Hampshire
, in the United States
.
One, in Lincoln
, offers passenger excursion trains through the White Mountains
. The other, based in Meredith
, offers passenger excursion trains in the Lakes Region
.
, a distance of 7 miles (11.3 km). The Clarks are related to the Clark family that operates Clark's Trading Post, an icon in the White Mountains for over 80 years.
After a few years of operating the railroad in Lincoln under the Hobo Railroad name, the railroad was invited to bid on the lease for the state-owned trackage from Tilton
to Plymouth
. They won the bid, and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad was formed. The new line operated between Meredith Station
and Lakeport
siding at the end of Paugus Bay
(Lake Winnipesaukee
). Intermediate stops were made at Weirs Beach
.
The railroad now holds the passenger rights on the entire State of NH-owned track running from Tilton to Lincoln, a total of 54 miles (86.9 km). This additional mileage allows the operation of many special excursion trains. The state owns another 19 miles (30.6 km) of track from Tilton to Concord
, which is used by the New England Southern Railroad
for freight customers.
In the summer of 1998, Edward Clark, founder of the railroad, died. Benjamin, his only son, assumed the post of President and promoted the business heavily.
was in for major restoration to like-new condition, along with four or five caboose
repaintings. The company's reputation for perfection increased the demand for the facility enough to make the business a 12-month operation. 2005 brought the three-car set of the Flying Yankee
, under restoration, to the Lincoln Shops for completion.
, either lakeside or on a journey to the mountains. Since 2003 the railroad has promoted heavily this important season for tourism. It also benefits from its 1½ hour travel time from Boston
. Bus groups, sometimes eight per day, converge in Meredith in the fall due to the town's location and to the offering of a full roast turkey dinner on the train catered by Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant, also located in Meredith.
In winter 2005, the "Believe in Books Literacy Foundation" contracted with the railroad to provide a "Polar Express
" out of Lincoln, to supplement the growing demand from the North Conway
operation run by the Conway Scenic Railroad
. The Tom Hanks
movie
of the same name was released in the 2004/2005 season, sparking even further interest.
Three ALCO S1 switcher
s (one from the Portland Terminal Company
and two from the Maine Central Railroad
), an ALCO S3 switcher
from the Boston and Maine Railroad
, and a former Rock Island Railroad EMD GP7
provide the motive power for the two railroads. Four former Erie Lackawanna Railroad cars and 6 former Budd RDC
s from MBTA in Boston comprise the railroad cars that they use for operations.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in central New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
One, in Lincoln
Lincoln, New Hampshire
Lincoln is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. The population was 1,662 at the 2010 census. The town is home to the New Hampshire Highland Games and to a portion of Franconia Notch State Park. Set in the White Mountains,...
, offers passenger excursion trains through the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
. The other, based in Meredith
Meredith, New Hampshire
Meredith is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 6,241 at the 2010 census. Meredith is situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee. It is home to Stonedam Island Natural Area and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad...
, offers passenger excursion trains in the Lakes Region
Lakes Region (New Hampshire)
The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is the mid-state region surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam Lake, Squam Lake, and Newfound Lake.The area is a popular tourist destination in the summer time, with the activity peaking during the annual Motorcycle Week and races at Loudon's New Hampshire...
.
History
In 1986 the Plymouth and Lincoln Railroad was formed with the purpose of operating a theme park and railroad out of Lincoln, New Hampshire. Edward Clark and his wife Brenda Clark were the owners. Trains have been operating since then between Lincoln and WoodstockWoodstock, New Hampshire
Woodstock is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,374 at the 2010 census. Woodstock includes the village of North Woodstock, the commercial center. Its extensive land area is largely forested, and includes the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Parts of the...
, a distance of 7 miles (11.3 km). The Clarks are related to the Clark family that operates Clark's Trading Post, an icon in the White Mountains for over 80 years.
After a few years of operating the railroad in Lincoln under the Hobo Railroad name, the railroad was invited to bid on the lease for the state-owned trackage from Tilton
Tilton, New Hampshire
Tilton is a town located on the Winnipesaukee River in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Lochmere. Tilton is home to the Tilton School, a private preparatory school.-History:...
to Plymouth
Plymouth, New Hampshire
Plymouth is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. Plymouth is located at the convergence of the Pemigewasset and Baker rivers. The population was 6,990 at the 2010 census...
. They won the bid, and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad was formed. The new line operated between Meredith Station
Meredith, New Hampshire
Meredith is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 6,241 at the 2010 census. Meredith is situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee. It is home to Stonedam Island Natural Area and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad...
and Lakeport
Lakeport, New Hampshire
Lakeport is a village in the city of Laconia in Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. The village is centered around a power dam on the short river channel between Paugus Bay to the north, and Opechee Bay to the south...
siding at the end of Paugus Bay
Paugus Bay
Paugus Bay is a water body located in Belknap County in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, in the city of Laconia. It is connected by a short channel at the village of Weirs Beach to Lake Winnipesaukee...
(Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
). Intermediate stops were made at Weirs Beach
Weirs Beach, New Hampshire
Weirs Beach is a village within the city of Laconia in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. The cruise ship Mount Washington terminates there...
.
The railroad now holds the passenger rights on the entire State of NH-owned track running from Tilton to Lincoln, a total of 54 miles (86.9 km). This additional mileage allows the operation of many special excursion trains. The state owns another 19 miles (30.6 km) of track from Tilton to Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, which is used by the New England Southern Railroad
New England Southern Railroad
The New England Southern Railroad is a railroad that operates out of Concord, New Hampshire, and serves industries in Concord and central New Hampshire.-Operations:...
for freight customers.
In the summer of 1998, Edward Clark, founder of the railroad, died. Benjamin, his only son, assumed the post of President and promoted the business heavily.
The Lincoln Shops
From the mid 1990s, the Lincoln Shops have grown to be a major source of off-season revenue through its quality refurbishing and repair of numerous pieces of customer railroad equipment. Two Russell Snowplows and some subway tampers were rebuilt for the MBTA. The privately owned ex-New Haven Railroad Roger WilliamsRoger Williams (train)
-See also:*Baldwin RP-210, a lightweight train locomotive built for the New Haven's Dan'l Webster train.*Fairbanks-Morse P-12-42, a lightweight train locomotive built for the New Haven's John Quincy Adams train....
was in for major restoration to like-new condition, along with four or five caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
repaintings. The company's reputation for perfection increased the demand for the facility enough to make the business a 12-month operation. 2005 brought the three-car set of the Flying Yankee
Flying Yankee
The Flying Yankee was a diesel-powered streamliner built in 1935 for the Maine Central Railroad and the Boston and Maine Railroad by Budd Company and with mechanical and electrical equipment from Electro-Motive Corporation...
, under restoration, to the Lincoln Shops for completion.
Current activities
The railroad has some of the most diverse and scenic fall foliage trains in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, either lakeside or on a journey to the mountains. Since 2003 the railroad has promoted heavily this important season for tourism. It also benefits from its 1½ hour travel time from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Bus groups, sometimes eight per day, converge in Meredith in the fall due to the town's location and to the offering of a full roast turkey dinner on the train catered by Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant, also located in Meredith.
In winter 2005, the "Believe in Books Literacy Foundation" contracted with the railroad to provide a "Polar Express
The Polar Express
The Polar Express is a 1985 children's book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, a former professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. It was adapted as an Oscar-nominated motion-capture film in 2004....
" out of Lincoln, to supplement the growing demand from the North Conway
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway, which is bounded on the east by the Maine state line. The White...
operation run by the Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...
. The Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
movie
The Polar Express (film)
The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the...
of the same name was released in the 2004/2005 season, sparking even further interest.
Three ALCO S1 switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
s (one from the Portland Terminal Company
Portland Terminal Company
The Portland Terminal Company was a terminal railroad notable for its control of switching activity for the Maine Central and Boston & Maine railroads in the Maine cities of Portland, South Portland, and Westbrook.- History :...
and two from the Maine Central Railroad
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
), an ALCO S3 switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
from the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
, and a former Rock Island Railroad EMD GP7
EMD GP7
The EMD GP7 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October, 1949 and May, 1954. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated . The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and...
provide the motive power for the two railroads. Four former Erie Lackawanna Railroad cars and 6 former Budd RDC
Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
s from MBTA in Boston comprise the railroad cars that they use for operations.