Winni Hobo Railroad
 

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with it?

I had not seen a single train run this season so far. I did see a maintenance pickup running the tracks last weekend.

Looking at their website I see "Schedule is TBD" and there are NO online or phone-in tickets available for Weirs or Merideth.

Odd...

It's a fun ride.

I don't think they have enough help; the Hobo trains are running a very limited schedule too, they only have the schedule up for the next two weekends, nothing beyond that.

Staffing Issues
 

I heard that they are having issues with staffing and they will be starting regular service sometime in July.

Jetskier :cool:

...... Railroad private property, no trespassing!
 

I have heard from someone who lives next to this single railroad track that it is owned by the State of New Hampshire and this Hobo R.R.summer tourist train, single track was also the former NH train route between Boston and Montreal, Quebec via New Hampshire. There are NO trains using the track for a number of years now except for the summer Hobo Railroad because the New England transportation road system has totally moved from trains on railroad tracks to big trucks with rubber tires that transport freight directly to their final destination. Something that trains do not do.

There is a contention over what's the best use for this track. Some want it recreated into a Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront rail trail, a 12' wide smooth gray gravel roadway with two-way traffic used by pedestrians, bicyclers, and cross country skiers.

For most every day of the year it is a totally unused single railroad track positioned directly close to the shoreline on Lake Winnipesaukee and the single home property abutters very much are happy with this situation, and want it to stay this way as opposed to a public use, rail trail for pedestrians, bicyclers, and cross country skiers.

The State of New Hampshire came to own this single track when it was abandoned by the Boston and Montreal Railroad. From about 1880 to 1970 it was a very busy train track but trains have become replaced by big trucks with tires here in New England.

Here's a rail trail website ...... the Concord- Lake Sunapee Rail Trail ..... www.clsrt.org .... from the Concord NH area that shows a fantastic improvement remade from an abandoned railroad track,

And, a rail trail in the Wolfeboro NH area .....the Cotton Valley Rail Trail ..... www.cottonvalleyrailtrail.org

Laconia NH has the Wow Trail .... www.wowtrail.org .... which some day MIGHT get extended onto the railroad right-of-way and single track that is currently the home of the Hobo Railroad ..... www.hoborr.com ..... a local summer tourist train along the beautiful shoreline on Lake Winnipesaukee.

I believe the track was purchased with federal funds.
And it isn't the Boston-Montreal... that would have been what we now call the Northern Line. This track is the Concord-Lincoln.

The WOW was in the LDS, as they wish to redirect up Elm and attach to trails on that side.

John, the tracks along Lake Winnipesaukee use to go to Woodsville, NH via Plymouth, but north of Plymouth was abandoned sometime in the 1950's. So it is true, there use to be a lot of trains running between Boston and Montreal. The rail line going up to Lincoln was technically a branch that started in Plymouth, with the mainline continuing up the valley to Rumney, Wentworth, Warren, Glencliff, Haverhill and so on.

fatlazyless, railroads are good for moving bulk commodities, they are cheaper and far more efficient at it than trucks will ever be. They still deal a lot with final destination commodities. If it's not direct rail service, needs can still be met through container freight and transload terminals.
The state did not purchase an abandoned railroad, they purchased an active one, in fact they purchased it to protect it from being abandoned and torn up. The city of Laconia and WOW Trails decade long battle to try and oust the railroad and force the state to tear up the tracks, ended back in 2019 when Laconia city council finally conceded.

Heritage
 

Thanks, Trailgoer. Good info. Trains were a part of my growing up. No Interstates then and lots of folks didn't have cars. Growth was around the RR depots as it had been around the rivers 100+ years earlier. I think or the RR's as part of our local heritage and, while I appreciate those who want hiking/bike trails, I think we should have due respect for history. Rails to Trails at least preserves the routes.

This is a little bit off topic but it's about the railroad so hope it's ok. All these posts made me wonder what is happening in Alton Bay where the railroad right of way was. There was a dispute as to whether the railroad has a right to take the land back. Anybody heard any more? Is it waiting on legal?

I think the issue with Alton is not with the railroad... those tracks are long gone and replacing them would be extremely expensive. However the right of way remains and belongs to the State of NH. Now the fight begins with all those people who over the passage of time encroached on the ROW. Especially if the rail trail people are eyeing it....

Woodsy

I have to wonder how much property was taken by Eminent Domain back then.

ROW should revert back to the (former or) current land owner rather than being a keepsake for the State. After-all, it was taken for a specific purpose.

I think you are right, I think it is the State. Do you know the status?

The ''former'' land owner would be paid for it under eminent domain. And the current land owner would be the State.
The purpose to keep the corridor open for future transportation options.

Tis...

I do not know the status. However, I do not think you can sue the State for Adverse Possession. So, if people encroached on the State RR ROW, they are probably out of luck.

Outdoorsman,

The State purchased the rail lines when the (then) current owner filed for abandonment. Then leased most of them out. If there was any "Eminent Domain" it happened back in the 1800's when the railroads were originally built. The property owners would have been duly compensated.

https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailt...ansit/rail.htm

Woodsy

I wonder if there are any statistics on if a truly fair price is paid in an eminent domain situation. Or do people have to give their land up for a pittance?

I know there were a couple of people in this group who were in involved. I hope they update us.

It is by market rate.

It depends on how the charter for the railroad was written, some right of ways are owned outright by the railroad, others are just easements. Now, I have no proof in front of me, so take it for what it's worth but most of the rail lines in NH were owned or are still owned by the railroads. What's the difference, well when a railroad petitions to abandon a rail line, if they own the property, they will continue to own it after abandonment but if it's just and easement, the easement disappears since its purpose is removed and the property reverts back to the previous landowners. In the case of Alton, that particular section was abandoned in the 1920 but it was railroad property, not an easement, the railroad could have retained ownership for years after until someone offered to buy it, in this case it was the state. The question is where the property lines existed for the railroad, a tax map from the late 1800's or early 1900's will tell you and that's the baseline to work off of, because clearly the newer tax maps were incorrect. It is quite possible the railroad owned right to the water's edge in some areas and if the state bought up the property, then it belongs to the state. It sounds like easements were granted by the railroad for homeowners to cross the tracks to access the lake and when the railroad was abandoned, someone somewhere thought the land reverted to the owners, but it never did. So, over the course of time, and unchecked error has snowballed into a major issue of people thinking they owned land along the lake and were paying taxes on, It's a big mess and a major headache for all involved.

How is market rate determined? It is supposed to be based on highest and best use. I know from personal experience we were offered one tenth of what an appraiser valued our land at.

..... a NH rail trail near you?
 

Here's something that may be of interest ....... go to www.railstotrails.org ..... 2/3-way down the page, enter your zip code at "Find Your Trail Experience" to see the three rail trails closest to you. You could be surprised to find a rail trail, right here, in New Hampshire that you were unaware.

It is done by appraisal much the same as getting a bank appraisal... or if up-to-date even a property tax appraisal.

Rumor mill - I guess the Hobo & Winnipesaukee Scenic railroads are for sale, and it explains some of the reasons for this year's odd ball scheduling for both railroads. It appears a buyer is already under agreement for both and currently going through the approval process.

Thanks TG, good to know.

I know that the rails are still maintained from Lakeport up to Plymouth as the Hobo RR does run up to Common Man during the fall. I see the yellow rail maintenance pickup about once a week pass by.

They actually lease and maintain the line down to Lochmere (Silver Lake Rd). South of that, and down into Concord, is leased to the New England Southern Railroad.

Is that for the rail bikes?
I don't think the train itself has travelled any further than Lakeport for awhile now.

The railbikes are part of the services offered by the railroad but trains still operate between Lochmere and Lakeport and just this week they sent three privately owned passenger cars down that had been stored up in Lincoln, NH for the past 20+ years. I saw them heading down towards Manchester and we're on the end of a long freight train.

Winnipesakee Watershed Project.
 

Back in the 80s, a big push was to extend the sewer lines to Alton to preserve the lake's cleanliness. The project ran out of money and ended up near Dinsmoor Point Road in Gilford. It is not over. It is still open and will continue to Alton in the future.

The project uses the old Lake Shore Railroad bed. Some folks had to move existing structures off the old bed. There weren't many as Gilford knows the state still has a right of way and prevents owners from building on it. Gilford still continues to prevent permanent structures on the right of way.
As for Alton, well I guess, that will be a fine mess along Rte. 11.

There are talks of using Biden's infrastructure bill to finish the project.

The railroad looked like it was running today.

Last I looked they are operating 4 days a week (Thursday - Sunday) with very limited departures on those days.
I'm sure next year will be either back to normal or drastically different with the new owner.

... new Unobtainium Express
 

Clark's Bears done hit a new Unobtainium mine deep in them their woods along the Pemi River, and will be choo-chooing hopper freight cars loaded with Unobtainium down to that Portsmouth sea port.

With the Wolfman driving the steam locomotive, and the black bears riding shotgun Unobtanium security, it will be a very busy freight train ....... choo-choo-choo ..... the Unobtainium Express ...... here it come!

Hobo railroad and Winnipesakee Scenic Railroad sold