Weather was great today. Temps in the low eighties. Gas sitting at about 1.47 at Hafners at the line. Last week I was in Springvale and gas there was only a buck twenty four. No MTBE so that brings the price down.

Ok, today's mission was to take a look around Rollinsford NH. Take a look at the map below..

As most readers probably already know, Rollinsford is where the Conway branch currently breaks off from the Western Route. This topo show a full wye and it shows the Western Route as double tracked. Of particular interest is the line that came in from S. Berwick and ran parallel to the Conway Branch for a short distance. This parallel line joined the Conway branch at a place in Somersworth less than a mile north of Foundry.

As far as I can tell, the orignal line to go to Somersworth was the Portsmouth, Great Falls, and Conway. It was owned by the Eastern RR. You took the Eastern East out of Portsmouth and at Conway Jct you headed North through S. Berwick, into Rollinsford, and then up to Great Falls,, now Somersworth, and then on up to Conway.

At some point the B&M built a line from Rollinsford up to Somersworth. The two lines ran parallel up to the middle of Somersworth, probably where the station is.

One of todays goals was to see where the NHN trains came off the Conway branch and onto Guilfords system. From the center of Dover I took a right and crossed underneath the very low railroad bridge that carries the freight main over what Street Atlas 6 says is Rollins Rd, I followed this road for a mile so so until Rollins Rd took a sharp right. I then took a right onto a small dead end street called Watson. This little street goes to the entrance of some company and crosses the Conway branch on what would have been the West wye, very close to the freight main. I was able to get in close and see where the two lines come together. There are signal signals for both lines and where was also a whistle post near where the lines converged.

The mainline is single tracked at this point although looking west you could see where there was a siding on the South side of the freight main.

Looked as I may, there was no sign of the East Wye.

Near where the two lines converged there was what appeared to be a stone foundation for a tower perhaps. I remember seeing something similar at Lowell Jct.

I suspected that the East wye was gone, but I did expect to find some trace of it. I'll come back and take a look around this fall when the foliage is gone.

I headed back out Watson to Rollins, took a rright, crossed over the Conway branch again, at grade, and then took a left onto Somersworth Road. A mile or so up is Crocketts crossing. The road again crosses the Conway branch at grade. This crossing is right on the Somersworth line and is located on a curve. I pulled over and got out to take a look. I did see a miilepost. Milepost 71 I beleive it was. It was a short post with the mileage painted on it.

I headed North and took the next side street on the right. I crossed the tracks and pulled over. The original P, GF, and C right of way was plain in both directions. I went up a little further, found the next milepost which I beleive was close to a location known as Foundry, near Indigo Hill Rd.

Headed back, when I got to Crockets crossing there was no definate sign of the parallel line, as I headed back towards Rollinsford I looked behind the houses on Somersworth Rd and could see traces of the embankment clearly behind the houses. The right of way appeared intact. No easy way to get back behind the houses to have a closer look.

Headed out towards the Salmon Falls river. Found the road that went under the bridge carrying the line over the river. There appers to  be a park where people can look at the river. I followed a dirt road that headed in the general direction of where the P, GF, and C would have been. In a short time it was apparent that this was indeed the old riight of way. I drove into the woods for what seemed like half a mile or so. The ROW was in good shape, finally I got to a point where it was getting worse and I didn't want to have to back up all the way so I turned around at the first place that I could. This was a very interesting find. It appears that P, GF, can C is in good shape from the river, maybe all the way up to Crockets crossing. Beyond Crockets crossing, you can see it but it's not a great row to ride on.

In Rollinsford, not too far from the river there was a building on the South side of the tracks that appeared to be a freight house. Near the river there were a lot of big brick mill buildings. Some appeared to have been converted into housing. The P,GF, and Conway line was much lower in grade than the freight main. It crossed under the freight main and then across the river at an angle as it headed South towards Conway junction.