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Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad facts for kids
Hobo Junction with Hobo Railroad scenic trains in Lincoln, New Hampshire
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lincoln, New Hampshire |
| Reporting mark | PLLX |
| Locale | New England |
| Dates of operation | 1986–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad is a special kind of train company. It runs passenger trains in central New Hampshire, United States. This railroad has two main parts: the Hobo Railroad and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. The Hobo Railroad takes people on fun trips through the beautiful White Mountains. The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad travels along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in the Lakes Region. Besides running trains, the company also owns the Lincoln Shops. This is a place where train equipment is fixed and maintained.
Contents
How the Railroad Started
In 1986, the Plymouth and Lincoln Railroad began. Its goal was to run a theme park and a railroad in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Edward Clark and his wife Brenda Reynolds Clark were the owners. Since then, trains have been running between Lincoln and Woodstock. This journey is about 7 miles long.
Weirs station, early 20th century
After a few years, the railroad was asked to operate on more tracks. They won the chance to lease state-owned tracks from Tilton to Plymouth. This is how the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad was created. Its trains run from Meredith to Lakeport, stopping at Weirs Beach.
Today, the railroad has rights to run passenger trains on 54 miles of state-owned track. This long track goes all the way from Tilton to Lincoln. This extra distance allows them to run many special train trips. The state also owns another 19 miles of track from Tilton to Concord. This part is used by the New England Southern Railroad for carrying goods.
Edward Clark, who started the railroad, passed away in 1998. His son, Benjamin, took over as President. He worked hard to make the business even better.
The Lincoln Shops: Fixing Trains
Since the mid-1990s, the Lincoln Shops have become very important. They fix and repair many different types of train equipment for other companies. This work brings in a lot of money when the tourist trains are not running as much. For example, they rebuilt two large snowplows and some subway machines for the MBTA. They also did a big restoration on a special train called the Roger Williams. They even repainted several cabooses.
The Lincoln Shops became so well-known that they now work all year round. In 2005, a famous three-car train set, the Flying Yankee, came to the Lincoln Shops to be finished.
Fun Train Rides Today
The Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad offers some of the most beautiful fall foliage train rides in New England. You can ride along the lake or next to the Pemigewasset River into the mountains. Since 2003, the railroad has really focused on this busy season. Many people from Boston come to ride the trains, as it's only about a 1.5-hour drive.
In the fall, many bus groups visit Meredith. They enjoy a full roast turkey dinner right on the train. This meal is provided by Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant, which is also in Meredith.
In winter 2005, the "Believe in Books Literacy Foundation" worked with the railroad. They started a "Polar Express" train ride from Lincoln. This helped meet the high demand from the North Conway operation. The popular Tom Hanks movie came out in 2004/2005, making the train rides even more popular.
The railroad uses several different types of locomotives to pull its trains. These include ALCO S1 and ALCO S3 switchers, and EMD SW1000 and EMD SW1001 engines. They also have a former Rock Island Railroad EMD GP7. For passenger cars, they use four old Erie Lackawanna Railroad cars. They also use six former Budd RDCs from the MBTA.
Train Stations You Can Visit
The Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad serves several stations. Here are some of the main ones:
- Lakeport Engine House in Lakeport: This is where regular service for the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad begins.
- Weirs Beach Station in Weirs Beach: This is a regular stop for the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.
- Meredith Station in Meredith: This is a regular stop and the northern end for the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.
- Ashland Station in Ashland: This station has limited service, mainly for fall foliage tours.
- Common Man Inn in Plymouth: This is another limited service stop for fall foliage tours.
- Jack O'Lantern Resort in Woodstock: This is where regular service for the Hobo Railroad begins.
- Hobo Junction in Lincoln: This is a regular stop and the northern end for the Hobo Railroad. It's also where the company's main office is located.
Locomotives: The Train Engines
The railroad uses several different types of locomotives (train engines). They have engines from companies like ALCO and EMD. Some of these engines are operational and pull the trains today. Others are currently being fixed or are out of service. For example, locomotive 958 is an ALCO S1 and is often used for the Lincoln trains. Locomotive 1012, an EMD SW1000, is the main power for the Winnipesaukee trains.
Rolling Stock: The Passenger Cars
The railroad also has a variety of passenger cars, which are called "rolling stock." These cars come in different types, like table coaches, dining cars, and parlor cars. Many of them were built by the Pullman Company or Budd Company. For example, cars like "Deer Park" and "Alpine" are old Erie Lackawanna MU cars. They also have several RDC-1 and RDC-9 cars, which are special self-propelled railcars. These cars are used for both the Hobo Railroad and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad to carry passengers on their scenic journeys.