Conway Scenic Railroad (CSRX) discussion thread

[Dick H]

It appears that the 470 trip will travel "over the Conway Branch". Excerpt from the trip brochure:

The 470 Railroad Club is again running a special excursion train the entire length of the Conway Scenic Railroad’s
Crawford Notch line on Saturday, October 13, 2018. The train will depart from Conway Scenic’s North Conway
station at 9:30 AM on Saturday, October 13, 2018 for a scenic ride to Fabyans and return. Photo stops and runbys
will be made as conditions allow. A stop is also planned at AMC’s Highland Center at the site of the Crawford House
Hotel. We also plan to travel over the Conway branch.

Since they are departing at 9:30, if they run to Conway first and do a photo stop or two, that would have them
departing NC on or about the regular 11:00AM departure time, which would allow for boarding any "regular" customers,
who might show up at the NC station for the regular train. Redstone seems to have been eliminated, as it was during the
Railfan's Day in September. Around that time, there was a post on here or elsewhere, that the CSRX has to get special
permission to operate on that branch from the State of NH, which would seem to indicate that the CSRX long term lease
with the State for operation on the Mountain Division only covers from Mountain Junction to Hazens.

[p42thedowneaster]

There was no issue running down to the "north-south bypass rd" siding recently to get the rebuilt generator for 4268.

Maybe it has more to do with track conditions further down.

[backroadrails]

That's strange I was told by a employee from Conway that they were short a crew and cancelled the trip.

[b&m 1566]

When I read that reasoning, I took it as though someone was given a load of BS from an employee, who really doesn't know why they canceled the RDC trip to Redstone/Saco River Bridge. I had an employee feed me similar info about 10 years ago. It was right when they cut the 7470's operation season to the fall only. The gentleman told me the state didn't approve 7470's operation for the summer. I knew then it was a load of crap and as it turns out, it was just ownerships preference. This past Railfans weekend, they added the notch train back on for Saturday because it wasn't originally scheduled and the freight extra was supposed to go to Sawyers River but didn't go passed Bartlett. I think they just changed the schedule in order to put on a small display in Conway and saw a missed opportunity to make money, so they added the notch train back on for Saturday. I'm kind of eager to see how next years schedule will look, I'm sure the new owners will make some changes that better fit what they think will work best. This year's schedule had already been finalized when the sale took place.

[Jonathan]

. This past Railfans weekend, they added the notch train back on for Saturday because it wasn't originally scheduled and the freight extra was supposed to go to Sawyers River but didn't go passed Bartlett. I think they just changed the schedule in order to put on a small display in Conway and saw a missed opportunity to make money, so they added the notch train back on for Saturday. I'm kind of eager to see how next years schedule will look, I'm sure the new owners will make some changes that better fit what they think will work best. This year's schedule had already been finalized when the sale took place.

The last sentence is what confuses me. What do you mean that the schedule had already been finalized when the sale took place? How do you know if that's true? I'm kind of eager as well as I'm really thinking that 7470 will run the freight extra next year. If you want an opportunity to make money, that my friend is it. Heck even have the RDC follow it (as a side note, per a CSRR employee, The RDC didn't follow it this year because of low ticket sales)

[b&m 1566]

I was told they have to have the schedule finalize by the beginning of February, in order to get the brochures printed on time. Ownership didn't change until the end of January.

[Jonathan]

For the Valley trains, they weren't sure about the freight extra or the notch train after the deal went down.

[John Smythe]

There seemed to be some confusion regarding the last regular scheduled MEC through freight train operated through the " Notch " it was September 3, 1983. On November 19th, 1983, a special consist of MEC motive power & some Rock Island boxcars helped move MEC #501 over the Mtn. Division line down to Intervale, where CSRR #1055 met the Eastbound & took #501 into N. Conway. Though a few other MEC freight trains did operate sporadically over Crawford Notch through 1984, the line was essentially now dead.& out of service.

[backroadrails]

It should also be noted CSRX has purchased a fire truck, and plans on converting it to a highrailer, to aid in MOW projects and for lineside fire applications.

[b&m 1566]

There seemed to be some confusion regarding the last regular scheduled MEC through freight train operated through the " Notch " it was September 3, 1983. On November 19th, 1983, a special consist of MEC motive power & some Rock Island boxcars helped move MEC #501 over the Mtn. Division line down to Intervale, where CSRR #1055 met the Eastbound & took #501 into N. Conway. Though a few other MEC freight trains did operate sporadically over Crawford Notch through 1984, the line was essentially now dead.& out of service.

The trains in 1984 were either empty or full stone/ballast extras. All crossings were turned off after the last train in September 1983 and all trains had to stop and flag the crossings with flashers after that, however an Operation Life Saver special operated in September 1984, and I guess all the crossings were turned back on for that train and were turned off again a month later but I'm not sure if that was before or after the last stone extra. I've seen a lot of photos of those stone train over the years, some in July, August and October. One picture (which I assume was the very last train) was of a B&M GP9 lead train, heading east and I thought it was dated October 28, 1984 but my memory is cloudy on that date.

[S1f3432]

The crossings were turned off between North Conway and Whitefield after the last runs in September 1983, but
a North Conway local continued to run as required to deliver cars of LPG to White Mountain Oil and occasional
cars of lumber/millwork to Conway Supply and also LPG to Dixon Brothers in South Windham. This continued until
the strike in the spring of 1986- I don't know when the the last trip to deliver gas was made as I left MEC
after the strike. The signal maintainers position at Bartlett was abolished in the fall of 1983 with the work
handled from Portland after that. Until Twin State RR took over the west end I had to make a once a month
trip from Portland to do the inspection and maintenance of the highway crossing protection between Whitefield
and St. Johnsbury.

[gokeefe]

First I've ever read of traffic on the Mountain Division later than 1984. Thank you as always for your excellent insight.

[S1f3432]

I try to be helpful when I can but the past gets fuzzier as time goes by. Sometimes I have to
dig into reference material or old work reports to refresh my memory.

[b&m 1566]

Yes, thank you. I too was unaware the MEC continued to service the Conway area until the first strike.

[Mikejf]

I saw a train on the line in Fryeburg, in 85 or 86, may have even been 87... I don't remember the consist, only that it had a couple locomotives and a caboose, and was moving slow.