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  • Roundhouses in New England

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

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 #1139196  by Rich Bryant
 
Main contributor on Mystery in Princeton, also know a little about the Sandy River & Rangely Lake RR. When I use to go up there to the Navy SERE School and before climbing the mountain there was an old railroad bed (now a trail) that still goes by an abandoned town. What's still left there the Navy uses for survival training scenarios. Was there once but not familiar with it (to the town that is). Located on U.S. Gov. Property. Anybody know of this?

Just looked this up and it matches perfectly where the line leaves Rt.16 and runs a ways and terminates, to answer my own question. This is 16 leaving Rangely Village. Looks like a complete loop was projected where the line ends by Sugarloaf Mtn. at the other end also?? Noted several other logging ghost towns on map also.

Again started out on the SR&RL RR and somehow everything transferred here due to the Princeton reference, oh well...on the roundhouse forum now, think I may be on a few different forums.
 #1139304  by Mikejf
 
Sounds to me like you are describing Redington Township. It was a lumbering community with saw mills back in the railroad days. I don't recall a roundhouse there though. Located here.
 #1139568  by Rich Bryant
 
Know I'm in the wrong forum but.....Looked at an updated view of the old SR&RL and the Redington Rd. off of the Stratton Rd. 16 is the track line. The town was a ways past the sand pit and road up to the compound (very clear on map). It was on the right side of the road (tracks) headed towards the end. I think I spotted the town but there's so much new construction through there, hard to tell. Could be overgrown or demo'ed even by now. As always the Navy screws everything up (say nothing, worked for them for 38yrs.)
 #1140510  by Rich Bryant
 
miketrainnut wrote:Sounds to me like you are describing Redington Township. It was a lumbering community with saw mills back in the railroad days. I don't recall a roundhouse there though. Located here.

I'm in the wrong section (already said that), accidentally got here and last I knew was in the SR&RL RR I thought. Redington Township and saw mill sounds about right, couldn't tell the purpose of anything when we visited there. Thought I located it on satellite but not positive. Was on rt. side of tracks or road now headed to end of line. No roundhouse there but now wonder how or if engine was turned, maybe they could go either way and push or pull cars....
 #1169866  by rrr
 
Well this is what I got after some research. A lot of the information is due to you guys- -I just compiled it.
And feel free to add any that I may have missed.

Remains of Roundhouses and their turntables (2013).

Maine:
* Phillips: narrow gauge 8 stall roundhouse and armstrong turntable located on Wesley Spear Rd. The rh is built on the foundation of an "old stone fort".
* Alna: 3-stall shed (jct. of Cross St. and Rt. 218). Narrow gauge museum that has started construction on a new roundhouse and turntable close by.
* Bangor: footprint of house, no table, little remains. rh torn down in 2010.
* Waterville: roundhouse and turntable are in use by Pan Am and Guilford railroads.
* Rockland: roundhouse and turntable still in use. Restored to Maine Central colors.
* Rumford: roundhouse and turntable still in use. large yard that is not very accessible to the public.
* Millinocket: rh and tt in bad condition, 3 stalls, near station Rd.
* Hermon (N. Maine Jct.): rh on Diesel shop Rd. no table.
* Calais: remains of filled table pit, rh in good condition, off of Poorhouse Ave.
* Derby: table and house in yarding, OK condition.
* Caribou: table and house in OK condition off of riverfront St.
* S. Portland: Rigby yard, only roundhouse footprint and table base are left. Not accessible to the public. was in use until 2010.
* Portland: roundhouse used by several businesses and is in good condition. no table.
* South Berwick: partially preserved table, house foundation, on the corner of Fifes lane.
* Standish: the table is near the boat launch. no roundhouse-used to have one.
* Stockton Springs: only the inspection pits of the rh exist. They are located inside the "Y" of the train tracks.
* Houlton: house has been demolished leaving only a small shack and turntable.
* Oakfield: the end of Yard Rd. (dirt road) are some remnants of a roundhouse footprint. no table.

New Hampshire:
* Portsmouth: very bad condition (by fire and rot), both house and table are there. Brick.
* Bartlett: restored wooden house, no table. Restoration by Bartlett preservation club.
* N. Walpole: house and table are in good condition.
* W. Lebanon: roof rotted, bad condition, both house and table are there.
* Keene: 17-stall roundhouse on Gilbo Ave. Now a shopping plaza. no table.
* N. Conway: restored rh and tt. In use by Conway scenic railroad.
* Dover: house in good condition. Now owned by Salmon falls stoneware (a pottery business). no table.
* Nashua: partial business, only one stall remains, between Temple St. and Amory St. no table.
* Stratford: turntable, maybe no house, near route 3.
* Wakefield: in the community of Sanbornville. Bits of roundhouse foundation, restored turntable.
* Claremont (Claremont jct.): 3-stall shed, still in use.
* Rochester: floor\foundation of a house is in a KFC parking lot. no table.
* Wolfeboro: in the community of Fernald. Two-stall shed that stores small trains.

Massachusetts:
* Hyannis: house and table. The table is filled in to be a volley ball court. good condition.
* Revere: five stall, brick, off railroad St. no table.
* E. Deer Field: house and table may still be in use, large yarding.
* Chester: house roof rotted, table looks filled in.
* Haverhill: filled table at the end of Mulberry and Hale St. no house.
* Athol: a brick roundhouse is in good condition, very little remains of the turntable.
* Fitchburg: filled in table, no house. A line from the yarding goes over the table.
* Plainville: 4-stall house on west Bacon St. The table ring can clearly be seen on the ground.
* Whitman: preserved turntable.

-Russ
 #1170682  by S1f3432
 
One more turntable- Bucksport, ME. Haven't been up there since last summer but at the time there were trees growing up
thru it. Just checked Google maps and it is visible there. Also noted there is another thread below about just turntables but
this is a more complete list.
 #1170976  by ColoradoRailBuff
 
Russ, A good start to a list. I've been working on a similar project for some time and have some to add to your list. I'll send them on in a day or two. But thanks for the couple on your list I didn't have as yet. By the way you might find a couple of books I've been using for research interesting. The first is "Lost Railroads of New England" by Ronald Dale Karr (in its 3rd edition), and the other is, "Names First -- Rails Later" now in its 2nd edition. The first covered 700+ New England RRs while the 2nd covers 1000+.
 #1170979  by Cosmo
 
Add to Massachusetts: PLAINVILLE, table pit filled in, stone ring still visible, rh in good condition, used by a business (fuel distributor.)
MAINE: Philips (near downtown) former machine shop building once attached to rh still standing near station. Possible traces of the pit still visible.
Don't forget Connecticut!
 #1170983  by rrr
 
S1f3432 wrote:One more turntable- Bucksport, ME. Haven't been up there since last summer but at the time there were trees growing up
thru it. Just checked Google maps and it is visible there.
Thanks- -I didn't know about Bucksport.

And yeah, ColoradoRailBuff, I will check out those books they sound interesting.

-Russ
 #1170995  by rrr
 
Cosmo wrote:Add to Massachusetts: PLAINVILLE, table pit filled in, stone ring still visible, rh in good condition, used by a business (fuel distributor.)
MAINE: Philips (near downtown) former machine shop building once attached to rh still standing near station. Possible traces of the pit still visible.
Don't forget Connecticut!
That's pretty cool- -didn't know that building was attached to the original rh.
 #1171006  by Cosmo
 
Yes, if you look carefully at one corner you can tell where.
Let me know when you do up the list for CT as I can help you there too.
 #1171279  by jbvb
 
I think your Keene, NH entry should be on Gilboa Ave., it's the name of a neighboring town.
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