Keene, NH 1982 (B&M/GMRC)

[RickKfoury]

In 1982, the once-mighty railroad city of Keene was in its twilight days. Keene had once been home to an extensive shop facility, two branchlines and the busy single-track Cheshire mainline from Fitchburg to Bellows Falls. It even hosted F. Nelson Blount's famous Steamtown USA operation for a single season. By 1982, even the Boston & Maine had thrown in the towel, handing operations over to the Green Mountain Railroad who carried the flag for just a few years before the city was cut off from the railroad world forever. The railroad lines in Keene were some of the last to be abandoned by the B&M before its sale to Guilford Rail. It is this that I have chosen to model next.

My next route will feature the city of Keene and a small portion of the Ashuelot Branch (the last line into Keene) in the early 1980s, during the end of B&M operations and the brief GMRC run. The old Cheshire mainline will be featured stretching a few miles east and west, however the Cheshire was abandoned in 1972 and therefore freights only serviced the industries on Cheshire trackage within Keene city limits. It will be mostly a switching operation, with some branch running and tasks to complete around the industrial city in its twilight. I chose to feature a smaller, real world route in the interest of time as summer is rapidly ending and I will be off to college again. I also have some personal connections to the city itself and wanted to see it represented in Railworks. I will share some photos of the city during this period so you can get a feel for what operation will be like. Work has already begun on track laying, and is coming along nicely thanks to lots of pictures and reference material.

Photos are courtesy of Scott Whitney and NMRO Productions.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

Very Cool!

what are the assets and i will *try* to pick this one up

[BillS]

Looking forward to it, Rick!

[RickKfoury]

Very Cool!

what are the assets and i will *try* to pick this one up

Looking at the same basic assets as my last route, the "big four" as I like to call them:
- Portland Terminal
- RWA Lakeside
- Horseshoe Curve
- VNHRR

All the rest will be freeware!

[RickKfoury]

Some work on Main Street in Keene, AKA the "widest Main Street in the world." Also famous as a filming location for the movie Jumanji. Of course that was a while after the rails were gone

[RickKfoury]

Dug up some photos and a video of the Steamtown USA operation in Keene. They were only there from 1962-1963. Keene would have been a good location for Steamtown, and the governor as well as the city were enthusiastic about establishing a permanent railroad museum with help from state tourism funding. However, in 1963 a new governor was elected and he said that the proposed museum "does not take advantage of anything that is singularly and peculiarly New Hampshire". Therefore, operations were moved further westward along the Cheshire line to North Walpole. It's been said that if Steamtown had been completely established in Keene, the tracks would probably still be there today.

While this isn't quite the era that the route will be covering, its interesting to note for not many remember Keene as playing host to Steamtown. Also, the missed opportunity was, and will be, reflected in the state of the railroad in the 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5xppC-i4iQ

[RickKfoury]

A little more progress

[CARex]

Love the parking meters!!!

[BillS]

Excellent shot of the B&M Crimson, Black, & Gold SW crossing the dual lane Main street.

[Alatreus]

Cool and like the railroad crossings

[dogmouse]

Great looking shots, Rick! Excellent work

[Boss1]

Nice work sir.