Ashuelot Branch

Boston and Maine Railroad

In 1850 this line was built as the Ashuelot RR with backing of Connecticut. Riv. RR, it became a BM property in 1893, it was leased to
Green Mountain RR 1982.

In 1913 the BM built a new main line on the NH side of Connecticut River in an attempt to make its Connecticut River Main Line
independent of trackage rights on the Cental Vermont Railway. The plan to have a 100% B&M route from Massachusetts to White River
Junction, VT was never completed. B&M and CV continued to jointly operate Connecticut River line trains. Usual practice was for
northbound trains to use the B&M (NH side of river) between South Vernon and Brattleboro. Southbound trains normally used the CV
(VT side of the river) between these points. In the days when mail was carried by passenger trains at least one northbound train per day
would use the Vermont side of the river to deliver the mail to Vernon. However both the B&M and CV lines could be used in either
direction.

In 1970 the bridge over the Connecticut River at South Vernon, VT failed. The B&M chose not to repair it. This meant that Connecticut
River Route Main Line trains would no longer travel on the New Hampshire side of the river south of Brattleboro, VT. After the closure
of the Cheshire Branch in 1972, the only rail line from Keene, NH to the outside world was the Ashuelot Branch and the Fort Hill Branch
to Brattelboro.

The Green Mountain Railroad was unable to operate the line at a profit. Total abandonment came in 1983.

The following web site describes the right of way of the Ashuelot now in use as a trail.

http://members.fortunecity.com/railtrails/NH/C-home.htm

qryAshuelot

STAT
MileText STATION JCT
E
0.00 Dole Junction NH Conn. River Main
Line
2.63 Hinsdale NH
5.00 Cornville NH
5.76 Pisgah Switch NH
6.13 Ashuelot NH
8.32 Winchester NH
10.41 Forest Lake NH
13.71 Westport NH
16.25 West NH
Swanzey
18.45 Swanzey NH
21.75 Keene NH Chesire Branch