Posts Tagged: east branch & lincoln railroad



Pemigewasset Wilderness, Random History

30 Sep
2019
One of the stone abutments that support the abandoned Trestle No. 16 in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshire.
Trestle No. 16 (2010), East Branch & Lincoln Railroad – Pemigewasset Wilderness
 

Pemigewasset Wilderness, Random History – This designated wilderness is the result of one the greatest conservation laws ever passed; the Wilderness Act, which has protected over 109 million acres across the United States. While the history of New Hampshire's Pemigewasset Wilderness mostly revolves around the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, the railroad is not the only interesting piece of history surrounding this unique region of the White Mountains. This blog article features random tidbits of history about this one of a kind designated wilderness area.

One of the grandest pieces of New Hampshire logging railroad history, trestle No. 16 (above) collapsed in late May or early June 2018. Spanning Black Brook, it stood for over 100 years and became a favorite attraction among outdoor enthusiasts. Logging railroads were built to be temporary and its remarkable that this trestle stood for as long as it did. The last log train rolled over this trestle most likely in the summer or fall of 1946.

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September 30, 2019 | Categories: Mountains | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

2018 Year in Review, White Mountains

10 Dec
2018
Autumn foliage on Big Coolidge Mountain from along the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River in Lincoln, New Hampshire on a cloudy autumn day. This mountain was logged during the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad era (1893-1948).
Big Coolidge Mountain – Lincoln, New Hampshire
 

2018 Year in Review, White Mountains – Another year is coming to an end! For the past few years, I have been posting my "ten favorite images of the year" at the end of the year. But I have decided to drift away from that format this year and do a year in review.

This year marks my 20th year working in the photography industry. And I have been reminiscing about where my cameras have taken me in life. The photography industry and outdoor recreation in the White Mountains has changed drastically over the last two decades. But the one thing that has not changed is my 40-50 pound backpack. While I may complain about a heavy backpack, because of photography I have visited some incredible locations in the White Mountains. Hopefully, I have another 20 years behind the camera.

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December 10, 2018 | Categories: Favorite Images of the Year | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 17

23 Aug
2018
Trestle 17, East Branch & Lincoln Railroad- trestle No. 17 was located along the Upper Branch of the railroad in today's Pemigewasset Wilderness. It spanned the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River near the site of logging Camp 17.
South-facing View, Trestle 17 – Courtesy of the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society
 

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 17 – Built in the early 1900s, probably 1906-1908 (one source states 1908) trestle 17 was located along the Upper East Branch of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad in New Hampshire. It spanned the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River near the site of logging Camp 17. Camp 17 was on the south side of the trestle. This trestle is within today’s 45,000-acre Pemigewasset Wilderness.

A log landing and a short siding for the landing were located on the north side of the river in the area where a hiking trail formerly accessed the 180 foot suspension bridge. The above undated photograph shows loaded log cars on the trestle with the log landing in the foreground. And the cutover slopes of a spur of Mount Hancock can be seen in the background.

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August 23, 2018 | Categories: Railroads | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

EB&L Railroad, Narrow Gauge Line

13 Jun
2018
This map shows the general layout of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad’s “Narrow Gauge”. The EB&L Railroad was a standard gauge railroad, but in 1901 J.E. Henry and Sons attempted to use a narrow gauge line at Camp 8 to harvest timber from the slopes of Whaleback Mountain. This roughly 1.25 mile +/- long line, consisting of a series of switchbacks, traveled into the Osseo Brook drainage. It lasted only for a few years and was discontinued after a brakeman was killed when a loaded log car ran out control down the track.
1900s EB&L Narrow Gauge Railroad – Courtesy of the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society
 

EB&L Railroad, Narrow Gauge Line – In operation from 1893-1948, the East Branch & Lincoln (EB&L) was a standard gauge railroad. But in 1901 J.E. Henry and Sons attempted to use a narrow gauge railroad to harvest timber from the Whaleback Mountain (Mt Osseo) area. With the exception of a May 1902 article by Albert W. Cooper and T.S. Woolsey, Jr. in Forestry & Irrigation little is known about this short-lived railroad. There are only a few photos (above) of the railroad, and over the years the actual location has been in question.

The difference between standard gauge and narrow gauge railroads is the spacing between the rails. The spacing on standard gauge railroads is 4 feet 8 1⁄2 inches, while the spacing on narrow gauge railroads is 3 feet 6 inches (this can range some). Narrow gauge railroads usually cost less to build and operate, but the major drawback is they can't handle heavy loads. The logging railroads in the White Mountains preferred the heavy standard gauge lines for hauling timber.

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June 13, 2018 | Categories: Railroads | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

2017 Favorite Images, White Mountains

20 Dec
2017
2017, reflection of mountains in a beaver Pond along Franconia Brook Trail in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshire during the summer months. This trail follows the Franconia Branch of the old East Branch & Lincoln Railroad.
Franconia Brook Trail – Pemigewasset Wilderness, New Hampshire
 

2017 Favorite Images, White Mountains – Another year is coming to an end. Can you believe it! It is that time of year when I look back on a year's worth of photography and share with you the images that stand out to me from 2017. But instead of doing my "ten favorite images of the year", like in previous years, I am going to do a year in review this year.

It has been a great year both in my professional life and personal life. But 2017 has been one of the strangest years I have ever had as a photographer. Over the last few years, I have been working on a few long-term photography projects. And one of these projects that focuses on the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad is currently being put into book format and will be published in the summer of 2018. And because of this the bulk of my field time this year didn’t involve photography, it involved mostly verifying information for the book.

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December 20, 2017 | Categories: Favorite Images of the Year | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

1907 Owl’s Head Mountain Fire

30 Sep
2017
Storm (rain) clouds engulf Owls Head Mountain from the summit of Bondlcliff Mountain in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshire during the summer months. Hellgate Ravine is in the foreground.
Storm Clouds over Owl's Mountain Head from Bondcliff, New Hampshire
 

Owl's Head Mountain Fire August 17, 1907 – During the late 1800s and early 1900s, logging activities from railroad logging contributed to a number of forest fires in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Sparks from locomotives were responsible for starting fires along the railroads. And the logging slash (unwanted part of the tree left behind after an area is logged) left on the mountainsides fueled the forest fires.

The infamous August 1907 Owl’s Head Mountain fire in the Pemigewasset Wilderness was started by a lightning strike on the eastern side of Owl’s Head Mountain in an area that had been previously logged by J.E. Henry and Sons. The included color photographs show the general area of where the forest fire took place.

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September 30, 2017 | Categories: Railroads | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 7

08 Apr
2017
Foot bridge along the Lincoln Woods Trail which crosses Franconia Brook in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Hikers enter into the Pemigewasset Wilderness on the righthand side of this bridge. Old abutments from Trestle 7 of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (1893-1948) are used to support this foot bridge.
The First Trestle 7 – Courtesy of the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society
 

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 7 – During the days of the East Branch & Lincoln (EB&L) Railroad, there were two trestles built at this crossing of Franconia Brook (above). And each trestle serviced different areas of the railroad in today’s Pemigewasset Wilderness. The first trestle 7, known as the original trestle 7, seen above, was unique because horses used the lower deck to cross the brook.

The first trestle was built in the early 1900s, probably 1902, and it serviced the Franconia Brook and Lincoln Brook Branches of the railroad. It was used until 1911. The second trestle was built, probably in 1905, just below the first one and it was abandoned in 1947. And it serviced the Upper East Branch of the railroad (the area surrounding the East and North Fork branches of the Pemigewasset River).

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April 8, 2017 | Categories: Railroads | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »