The original Wolfeborough Railroad was an independent line, chartered in 1868, and opened for traffic on August 19, 1872. The railroad built 12 miles of track from Wolfeboro to Sanbornville, the same track you will travel today.
The line was leased to the Eastern R.R., which operated it until 1892, when the Boston and Maine bought the Eastern. The B&M operated the railroad right up to the end of 1972, when the new Wolfeboro R.R. bought the line and continued the operation into the 10lst year of service to the Lakes Region.
Like the original, the Wolfeboro is an independent railroad, and a licensed public utility. Most people are surprised to find that it transports freight. Incoming freight is mostly lumber for Diamond International, outgoing freight is shredded wood excelsior from the old Berry Mills at Wolfeboro Falls. These mills have been making excelsior in a water-powered factory built in 1840, and still ship out about 20 carloads a year over the line.
The aim of the Wolfeboro, over a period of years, is to recreate the scene of railroading as it was in great grandpa's day - before the auto, the taxi, or the bus - when the only competition was the horse. Ten passenger trains a day served the town of Wolfeboro for forty years! It is hard to conceive a day when there was no automobile, and the passenger train was truely America's answer to the transportation problem.
There were eight stations in the twelve miles. The only one still standing on its original location is in Wolfeboro, and this once beautiful building had been badly "butchered" through the years. The Wolfeboro Branch Railroad Club, a non-profit organization, has been rebuilding the station, and the work still progresses with voluntary contributions of cash, labor and materials. The sale of candy on the train, for example, helps the restoration fund. Wakefield Station, on Route 16, is the first to be built from "scratch". The other stations will be rebuilt as time and money are available, in this continuing historical restoration project. Our objective is to create a true picture of old-time railroading, where people learn of the past, free from red-white and blue locomotives and fake Indian attacks, and to bring back a period which great grandpa would remember, if he were to visit Wolfeboro.
Every nickel is poured back in to accomplish this end, and dozens of hard-working volunteers are still helping the railroad reach its ultimate goal. You, by your interest and patronage, are helping, and we thank you.
You can follow the trip by reading the mile-by-mile description on the right hand page as the conductor calls the stations. Once again you will experience the thrills of old-time railroading, as six generations of passengers have done before you.
ALL ABOARD !
| Miles from Wolfeboro | |
| 0 | Wolfeboro - As many as 10 trains a day served Wolfeboro for many years, before the automobile. Tracks originally extended down Railroad Ave. to the Steamer Dock, where trains connected with the lake steamboats. Trains still connect with the excursion ship "Mount Washington", but you have to walk 2 blocks (see pictures on Historic cards No. 1 & 2). Present trip starts at Wolfeboro Station (in process of complete restoration, inside and out) (cards 3 & 4), past the old freight station and location of former round house and turntable (card 5), along Lake Winnipesaukee, and upgrade to the Historic mills at Wolfeboro Fails. Tracks cross bridges on Smith River, over mill pond and dam, which supplies power to Berry Mills (1840). These mills still ship shredded wood excelsior out over Wolfeborough R. R |
| .6 | Wolfeboro Falls Station (card No. 6) stood at Route 28, and will be
rebuilt. Train is "flagged" across highway. |
| .8 | Up grade through Falls Cut (card No. 15)--20 feet of rock, blasted out in
1871, to Mast Landing on Crescent Lake. In colonial days masts for English Navy were cut
and hauled out here. |
| 1.0 | Across Crescent Lake on 1200 ft. long stone causeway. Smith River beside
causeway connects Crescent Lake with Lake Wentworth. |
| 1.2 | Site of Crooked Pond Station (Crescent Lake was formerly called Crooked Pond.) |
| 1.5 | Past location of former Lake Wentworth Station (card No. 7), across Lake Wentworth on a spectacular causeway, 1800 ft. long, built of 6000 tons of granite over 100 years ago. Through Allen "A" Resort and across six private roads leading to beaches and camps on Lake Wentworth. Huge ice houses on Hersey Point formerly shipped out 10 carloads of ice a day before electric refrigeration. |
| 3.1 | Site of Fernald Station (card No. 8). Train is "flagged" across
Rte. 109. New Engine House and Shops for Rail Road at this location. |
| 3.5 | Willey Brook Trestle. 70 ft. long, 25 ft. high. |
| 5.1 | Frost Crossing. Very steep grades from Willey Brook to Cotton Valley
Station. Much wild life in woods, including deer, moose, fox, beaver, bobcats, bear, etc. |
| 6.1 | Cotton Valley Station (card No. 9). Once a thriving community with station, general store, post office, telegraph office, steam saw mill. Cotton Valley was once a big center for milk shipments, and thousands of gallons were shipped to creameries from this station. Now all is gone, except for the saw-mill siding. Track goes through 4 miles of old pasture land and forest, past many beaver ponds (which have increased greatly in recent years) to: |
| 9.0 | The 100 Miles to Boston Milepost (erected in the 1870's). |
| 10.0 | Location of Brookfield Station (card No. 10), a flag stop which was two
miles from the center of Brookfield. |
| 11.0 | Wakefield Station. A new station is under construction at this crossing of
the White Mountain Highway (Rte. 16). Train is "flagged" across road. |
| 12.0 | Sanbornville Station (cards No. 13 & 14). Sanbornville was once the headquarters of B & M Northern Division, and had many railroad buildings, including coal towers, water tanks, a 7 stall round house (card No. 12), a machine shop, carpenter shop (card No. 11) and other facilities. A great fire in April of 1911 wiped out much of the area, and Sanbornville ceased to exist as a major railroad center. The shops were moved south to Dover, and the trees and brush have grown through the years. Wolfeboro Rail Road is restoring the old turntable for locomotives, and will use a small piece of the old station which survived the fire as our Sanbornville Station on Main St. (Rte. 109) in Sanbornville. |
(NOTE: The Historic Post Cards mentioned above are available in sets of 18 different for 75 cents at the "Depot Shop" and the "Different Drummer" Shop)
Wolfeboro Rail Road connects at Sanbornville with B&M Conway Branch. where freight is interchanged.
The preceding text was published in an old leaflet for distribution to the passengers of the tourist train operated by the Wolfeboro Railroad. The railroad has not been operated since 1985, accordingly, numerous statements made in the preceding text are no longer true!