Quote:
Originally Posted by boat_guy64
While this may be technically correct, I don't think it reflects reality. I live on the railroad and it is only used by the Hobo Railroad. While the Hobo may be profitable, they are using state owned and maintained assets. Other than the yearly mini railroad car parade and the hundreds of people walking along the railroad, Hobo is the only user. I can't imagine the state will ever recover the costs of rebuilding the RR after the flash flood a few years ago that washed out the Weirs and many other places from Laconia to Lincoln.
A freight company may have the rights but as I said, I live on the railroad and it is very poorly maintained. This current railroad would fall apart with freight. I can pull out a hundred spikes with my own hands in the RR in front of my house.
Personally, I'd enjoy the wow trail. I'd ride my bike to the Weirs and to downtown Meredith. However, I don't think it can be built with the rails still in existing.
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1. Do you know how much it cost to repair the washout? I don't but I sure would like to see the $ amount it cost the state. Was any of that money covered in federal disaster relief funds? How much did the railroad chip in? Also its been mention time and time again, there's more than just the Hobo that operates the line.
2. Said freight company New England Southern Railroad, is a common carrier railroad and guess what, so is the very tracks they operate on up to Lincoln, NH. The state may own the railroad corridor but its governed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). They are the ones that approve and disapprove freight rights. By law the state has to award a common carrier railroad the rights to the line because it is not an abandoned corridor.
3. Are you a certified FRA track inspector? Lets leave those assumptions to certified track inspectors please. FYI the track on this line is rated as class 1. see attachment for more details.
http://www.jgmes.com/webstart/librar..._fra_track.htm
4. Why don't you think the two can't co-exist like it does now south of Lakeport?