Following the Green Mountain Railroad excursion in
Vermont we made a beeline for Meredith, NH where two more interesting
train excursions awaited us. The first of these trips was on the
same day as the Green Mountain trip, an ambitious plan but necessary in
order to ride both lines.
Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad is part of the Hobo
& Winnipesaukee Railroads which operate over 54 miles leased from
the State of New Hampshire. This mileage stretches from Lincoln
southward to Tilton. Both end points are nestled close to I-93
though the railway arches eastward along Lake Winnipesaukee and Paugus
Bay in the central part of the route. Much of the railroad dates
to the 1840s with the entire line operational by the 1880s.
Our first trip over the Winnipesaukee Scenic would
be Saturday evening’s Turkey Train which departed Meredith, NH at
6:00pm. The ticket office and gift shop were located in an old
baggage car with ample bench seating outside. A row of restored
cabooses on the grounds are rented by railroad employees who live in
the colorful cars. An adjacent stub track housed a spare engine
that protects the line’s busy autumn schedule.
The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad ticket office/gift shop in Meredith, NH
Colorful cabooses parked at the Meredith station
The boarding process was smooth as the names of the
assigned car and dining table are printed each passenger’s
ticket. We were assigned table 1 in the Waukewan dining car and
were seated with a pleasant young couple across the table. As the
train was underway our meals were served with the main course
consisting of turkey and dressing accompanied by sweet potatoes and
mashed potatoes and gravy along with cranberry sauce and dinner
rolls. The tasty dinner was catered by nearby Hart’s Turkey Farm
Restaurant and served to passengers in several vintage train
cars.
The Turkey Train prepares for boarding
This party caboose is available for charter on many excursions out of Meredith
Our dining car "Waukewan", a former Erie Lackawanna car
Dining car "Alpine" (ex EL) and an ex-Boston & Maine rail diesel car
Just south of Meredith the railway joined an arm of
Lake Winnipesaukee and passed a yacht club where several large boats
were docked. At 6:30pm the train slowly eased through Weirs
Beach, a popular tourist spot with shops and a street on one side of
the tracks and the Lake Winnipesaukee’s waters and beaches on the other
side. The railroad actually runs on top of the lakefront
boardwalk which is a favorite place to walk or just hang out. The
lights of boats on the lake and houses across the broad lake sparkled
like diamonds in the night lending an air of mystery as we wondered
exactly what we were looking at.
Lake Winnipesaukee
Pleasure boats are anchored in the lake
Scenic lake views fill the windows of the dinner train
The tracks run along the boardwalk at Weirs Beach
The beach at Weirs Beach at sunset
The tracks then followed the shore of Paugus Bay
south toward Laconia. About an hour after departing Meredith we
reached the southern end of our ride in Lakeport. The head end
crew moved to the engine on the rear end of the train which would be in
the lead for our return. We had covered 15 miles on our leisurely
southbound trip and enjoyed the transition from late afternoon twilight
to full darkness.
The interior of dining car "Waukewan"
A delicious apple crisp dessert was served as the
return trip began at 7:00pm. Our dwell time in Lakeport had been
just five minutes. We enjoyed some pleasant conversation
with our tablemates as the train made good time back to Meredith,
arriving at 7:45pm. The Turkey Train normally departs Meredith an
hour earlier which allows most of the trip to typically run in
daylight. Dining on the rails was enhanced by the magnificent
scenery and we enthusiastically recommend this trip. The
Turkey Train only operates on select dates during the fall thus it is
wise to call the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad or consult the line’s
web site for dates of operation. On summer days an excursion
train operates between Meredith and Lakeport while a daytime shuttle
train runs between Meredith and Weirs Beach on many dates throughout
the year, typically making frequent daily trips.
After a comfortable night at the Towne Place Suites
by Marriott hotel in nearby Laconia, it was time to board the
Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad’s Autumn Leaves Excursion Train north to
Plymouth, NH. The train left promptly at 11:00am from the same
location in Meredith. SW 1000 # 1012 led the four car train and
riding in coach # 6105 “Winona” right behind the engine provided the
opportunity to hear the switcher tackling the line’s grades.
Indeed the climb departing the station was steep and rewarded
passengers with close views of Lake Waukewan within five minutes. The
ability to open the windows facilitated photography as did access to
the vestibules. As the train plunged into woodlands awash in
colorful foliage a guitar player stopped by the coach to play the
country favorite “Wagon Wheel” and pop standard “Brown Eyed Girl”
before moving on to entertain other passengers.
Coach “Winnisquam” is a former B&M RDC
The excursion
train to Plymouth, NH (right) prepares for boarding while two members
of the motive power roster rest on the stub track at Meredith
Lake Waukewan north of Meredith
The White Mountains rise behind Lake Waukewan
A guitar player entertains passengers in coach “Winona”
The line we traversed formerly belonged to the
Boston & Maine Railroad which ran year-round passenger service
until October 25, 1959. Summer service survived until 1965.
Near Winona we crested a 1.42% grade and reached 675 ft above sea level
then descended a 1.13% grade for 3 miles into Ashland. There we
passed a nicely preserved station that would be visited on the return
trip. Just south of Ashland we slowed on a 100 foot high trestle
allowing a panoramic view of a pond, stream, mountainside foliage, and
the remains of an old mill. Ten minutes later we crossed the
Pemigewasset River at Bridgewater then rolled past the Bonnie Brae Deer
Farm and the Glove Hollow Tree Farm which grows Christmas trees.
Passing the Ashland depot on the northbound run
A caboose is parked on the siding south of the Ashland depot
A hydroelectric dam stands below this bridge north of Ashland
Crossing the Pemigewasset River at Bridgewater
Passing through a forest of autumn leaves
Brilliant autumn foliage lines the rail line for much of the trip
Passing the restored station in Plymouth our trip
neared the northern end of our trip. At 12:15pm we pulled to a
stop beside the Common Man Inn where passengers detrained for a hearty
lunch. The return trip to Meredith retraced the route we took on
the northbound run but included a stop in Ashland to tour the historic
train station which is maintained by the Ashland Historical
Society. A uniformed stationmaster greeted passengers and
provided information about the station and the items displayed within
and outside its walls. The train arrived back in Meredith at the
scheduled 3:00pm ending a pleasant and scenic journey.
The nicely preserved station at Plymouth, NH
Pullman “Determination” originally served on the Canadian National and Bangor & Aroostook Railroads
The Meredith to Plymouth train operates during the
autumn leaves season. During summer and autumn months the Hobo
Railroad runs trains south from Lincoln to view the scenery of the
White Mountains. Another area operation, the Cafe Lafayette
Dinner Train based in Woodstock, runs over the same Hobo Railroad line
and even offers dining under glass in a former Illinois Central dome
car. It is wise to confirm dates of operation when planning to
take any of these trips.
Next we will visit another popular tourist train in New Hampshire for a trip over the Frankenstein Trestle.
