102-615: The Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad (PGF&C) (later known as the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad ) is a former rail line between Rollinsford and Intervale , New Hampshire , in the United States. At Rollinsford, the line connected to other lines to provide service between the White Mountains and coastal cities such as Boston . At Intervale, it connected to
204-431: A Kevlar composite construction. Older snowmobiles could generally accommodate two people; however, most snowmobiles manufactured since the 1990s have been designed to only accommodate one person. Snowmobiles built with the ability to accommodate two people are referred to as "2-up" snowmobiles or "touring" models and make up an extremely small share of the market. Most snowmobiles do not have any enclosures, except for
306-437: A fuel-injection technology called "Cleanfire Injection" on their two-strokes. The industry is also working on a direct-injected "clean two strokes" that is better in terms of NO X emissions. Independent researchers, undergraduates and graduate students participate in contests to lessen the impact of emissions from snowmobiles. The Clean Snow Mobile Challenge is held yearly at Michigan Technological University regrouping
408-502: A snowmachine , motor sled , motor sledge , skimobile , or snow scooter , is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow . Their engines normally drive a continuous track at the rear. Skis at the front provide directional control. The earliest snowmobiles were powered by readily available industrial four-stroke , air-cooled engines . These would quickly be replaced by lighter and more powerful two-stroke gasoline internal combustion engines and since
510-441: A snowmobile suit . Depending on jurisdiction, there may be penalties for driving outside permitted areas, without an approved helmet, without a driver's license, with an unregistered snowmobile, or while under the influence of alcohol or other substances. There may also be regulations regarding noise and wildlife. In some jurisdictions, a driver's license is required to operate a snowmobile. A specific snowmobile driver's license
612-679: A windshield . The first snowmobiles made do with as little as 5 horsepower (3.7 kW) engines, but engine sizes and efficiency have improved drastically. In the early 1990s, the biggest engines available (typically 600cc-800cc displacement range) produced around 115 hp (86 kW). As of 2022, several snowmobiles are available with engines sizes up to 1,200 cc, producing 150+ hp, as well as several models with up to 1,000 cc engines producing closer to 210 hp (160 kW). Recently, some models are turbo-charged , resulting in dramatic increase of engine horsepower. Snowmobiles are capable of moving across steep hillsides without sliding down-slope if
714-427: A 1.2L 3-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine. The Sherpa and Superclass are designed as working snowmobiles for carrying supplies, pulling cargo sleds, pulling trail grooming implements, carrying several passengers, and negotiating deep snow. Engine and transmission combination are designed to deliver optimum power to pull or carry large loads while top-end speeds are kept below 52 mph (84 km/h), depending on
816-474: A cowl-cover, side-by-side seating, and a set of sled-runners fore and aft. While it did not have the tracks of a true snowmobile, its appearance was otherwise similar to the modern version and is one of the earliest examples of a personal motorized snow-vehicle. In 1915 Ray H. Muscott of Waters , Michigan, received the Canadian patent for his motor sleigh, or "traineau automobile", and on June 27, 1916, he received
918-600: A line between Worcester , Massachusetts , and Rochester , New Hampshire , via Nashua . The W&N leased the N&;R in 1874, and the two companies merged into the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883. The B&M leased the line on January 1, 1886. This acquisition also included the continuation from Rochester to Portland , Maine , incorporated in 1846 as the York and Cumberland Railroad . It opened partially in 1851 and 1853,
1020-583: A manufacturer of various on-snow implements that had been building dual-track snowmobiles since 1995. Alpina manufactures one basic dual-track snowmobile design. In 2002 the Sherpa was introduced and is the model name for the four-stroke machine. Prior to introducing the Sherpa, Alpina offered a two-stroke series designated the Superclass . The four-stroke Sherpa is currently the top machine in production. A new version of
1122-643: A new alignment was built from Wilmington north to North Andover, Massachusetts in order to better serve Lawrence, Massachusetts . A new alignment to Portland opened in 1873, splitting from the old route at South Berwick, Maine . The old route remained a part of the Eastern Railroad 's Main Line (described below). This completed the B&;M "main line", which would become known as the Western Route Main Line. As
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#17328513585571224-540: A non-operating ward of PAR. Boston & Maine owned the property (and also employed its own railroad police), while Springfield Terminal Railway , a B&M subsidiary created by owner Timothy Mellon to break the unions' higher wage scales, operated the trains and performed maintenance. Pan Am Railways and all its subsidiaries are now owned by CSX. Pan Am entered a joint venture with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in April, 2009 to form Pan Am Southern (PAS). PAR transferred to
1326-683: A number of named passenger trains , which were often the premier intercity service on their routes. Most were through service that were shared between the B&M and other railroads, including the Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), Central Vermont Railway (CV), Maine Central Railroad (MEC), New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NH), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Quebec Central Railway (QC), and Rutland Railroad (RUT). Trains originating in New York City or Washington, D.C., ran through Springfield (using
1428-447: A passenger carrier. After steady growth from 1901 to 1913, passenger rail ridership around Boston peaked in 1920 and began to decline due to competition from private automobiles and service cuts during World War I. In the mid-1920s, after several difficult years, the B&M discontinued service on some marginal lines and began using small self-propelled railcars on others. A second round of discontinuances occurred from 1931 to 1936 as
1530-509: A propeller-driven and running on skis, was built in 1909–1910 by Russian inventor Igor Sikorsky of helicopter fame. Aerosanis were used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II . There is some dispute over whether Aerosanis count as snowmobiles because they were not propelled by tracks. Adolphe Kégresse designed an original caterpillar tracks system, called
1632-516: A rubber-and-cotton track that wraps around the back wheels) was his first major invention. He started production of the B-7, an enclosed, seven-passenger snowmobile, in 1937, and introduced the B-12, a twelve-passenger model, in 1942. The B-7 had a V-8 flathead engine from Ford Motor Company . The B-12 had a flathead in line six-cylinder engine from Chrysler industrial, and 2,817 units were produced until 1951. It
1734-651: A second route to Maine, ending competition along the immediate route between Boston and Portland. Along with the Eastern, the B&M also acquired many branch lines, including the Conway Branch , the Saugus Branch , the South Reading Branch , and branches to Marblehead and Rockport , Massachusetts. The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was organized in 1845 (opened 1848) and the Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1847, forming
1836-433: A similarly powered four-stroke. However, four-stroke powered snowmobiles have been gaining popularity steadily in the last fifteen or so years, with manufacturer Yamaha producing four-stroke snowmobiles only. The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort is testing Taiga's electric snowmobiles with lower noise, and similar vehicles exist. Early snowmobiles used simple rubber tracks, but modern snowmobiles' tracks are usually made of
1938-513: A single entity. The B&M operated the whole MBTA Commuter Rail system under contract to the MBTA until 1987. The final B&M line to lose passenger service was the Woburn Branch (former Woburn Loop), which was cut on January 30, 1981, due to poor track quality. Under public control, commuter rail service has returned to several lines cut by the B&M, and Portland intercity service returned with
2040-468: A snowmobile could easily cause extensive damage, injury, or death. One such cause of snowmobile accidents is loss of control from a loose grip. If the rider falls off, the loss of control can easily result in the snowmobile colliding with a nearby object, such as a rock or tree. Most snowmobiles are fitted with a cord connected to a kill switch, which would stop the snowmobile if the rider falls off; however, not all riders use this device every time they operate
2142-488: A snowmobile operator engages in the illegal practice of "rail riding", riding between railroad track rails over snow-covered sleepers . Inability to hear the sound of an oncoming train over the engine noise of a snowmobile makes this activity extremely dangerous. Collision with large animals such as moose and deer, which may venture onto a snowmobile trail, is another major cause of snowmobile accidents. Most often such encounters occur at night or in low-visibility conditions when
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#17328513585572244-447: A snowmobile. Swerving off of the path may result in rolling the snowmobile or crashing into an obstacle. In unfamiliar areas, riders may crash into suspended barbed wire or haywire fences at high speeds. Each year a number of serious or fatal accidents are caused by these factors. Each year, riders are killed by hitting other snowmobiles, automobiles, pedestrians, rocks, trees, or fences, or falling through thin ice. On average, 10 people
2346-435: A typical dirt bike and replaces the rear wheel with a single tread system similar to a snowmobile and the front wheel with a large ski. It is much smaller and nimbler than a snowmobile, and it has a tighter turning radius, which lets the rider go where many snowmobiles cannot. The first prototype of motorcycles with a rear tread date to the 1920s, with subsequent failed attempts to bring them to market. Many motorcycles made after
2448-459: A year have died in such crashes in Minnesota alone, with alcohol a contributing factor in many cases. In Saskatchewan , 16 out of 21 deaths in snowmobile collisions between 1996 and 2000 were caused by the effects of alcohol. Wrestler Lindsey Durlacher died in 2011 following surgery for a broken sternum he sustained in a snowmobile accident. Fatal collisions with trains can also occur when
2550-603: Is absolutely no visible path to follow. However, this type of trailblazing is dangerous as contact with buried rocks, logs, and frozen ground can cause extensive damage and injuries. Riders look for large open fields of fresh snow where they can carve . Some riders use extensively modified snowmobiles, customized with aftermarket accessories like handle-bar risers, handguards, custom/lightweight hoods, windshields, and seats, running board supports, studs , and numerous other modifications that increase power and maneuverability. Many of these customizations can now be purchased straight off
2652-608: Is low. Snowmobiles designed to perform various work tasks have been available for many years with dual tracks from such manufacturers as Aktiv (Sweden), who made the Grizzly , Ockelbo (Sweden), who made the 8000, and Bombardier who made the Alpine and later the Alpine II. Currently, there are two manufacturers of dual-track snowmobiles; Russia's Buran and the Italian Alpina snowmobiles (under
2754-447: Is required in, for example, Norway and Sweden. In Finland, a snowmobile driver's license is not required if the driver already has another type of appropriate driver's license (for example car or tractor). The environmental impact of snowmobiles has been the subject of much debate. Governments have been reacting slowly to noise and air pollution , partly because of lobbying from manufacturers and snowmobilers. For instance, in 1999,
2856-684: Is the Swedish Larven , made by the Lenko Company of Östersund , from the 1960s until the end of the 1980s. It was a very small and basic design, with just an engine in the rear and a track. The driver sat on it and steered using skis on his feet. Most modern snowmobiles are powered by either a four- or two-stroke internal combustion engine , with the exception of the Taiga TS2. Historically, snowmobiles have always used two-stroke engines because of their reduced complexity, weight and cost, compared to
2958-565: The Alouette , Ambassador , Cheshire , Day White Mountains , East Wind , Green Mountain Flyer , Gull , Kennebec , Minute Man , Montrealer / Washingtonian , Mountaineer , Pine Tree , Red Wing , and State of Maine . The B&M even promoted its passenger trains with the Timetable Marble radio advertisement. However, the popularization of the automobile doomed B&M as
3060-579: The Amtrak Downeaster , in 2001. The B&M filed for bankruptcy in December 1970. During bankruptcy the B&M reorganized. It rebuilt its existing fleet of locomotives, leased new locomotives and rolling stock and secured funds for upgrading its track and signal systems. For much of the 1970s, the Boston and Maine limped along. In 1973 and 1974 the B&M was on the brink of liquidation. The B&M
3162-600: The Burlington Northern’s famous Pioneer Zephyr , was retired in 1957 and was then displayed at the Edaville Railroad for another 36 years. The equipment was relocated and eventually purchased by the State of Maine, but both public and private restoration efforts were unsuccessful. In November 2023, the state of New Hampshire put the equipment up for sale, with a focus on "the relocation and encouraged restoration" of
Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-645: The Connecticut River Line ) or Worcester (using the Worcester Branch ) and bypassed Boston. Certain commuter trains with wealthy clientele were also named; several of these lasted into the MBTA era. These tables list major named intercity trains operated by the B&M. The 1935 three-car trainset known as the Flying Yankee , virtually identical to the streamlined equipment the Budd Company built for
3366-735: The Fitchburg Railroad on July 1, 1900. This was primarily the main line from Boston west via the Hoosac Tunnel to the Albany, New York , area, with various branches. On December 1, 1919, the B&M purchased the Fitchburg Railroad. At one point, the B&M also owned a majority of stock of the Maine Central Railroad , stretching from Quebec via northern New Hampshire to southern and eastern Maine . The B&M flourished with
3468-498: The Kégresse track , while working for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia between 1906 and 1916. These used a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments and could be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track , suitable for use over soft ground, including snow. Conventional front wheels and steering were used but the wheel could be fitted with skis as seen in the upper right image. He applied it to several cars in
3570-536: The Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad . The rail line takes its name from the city of Portsmouth , near its southern terminus; the city of Somersworth (formerly known as "Great Falls"); and the town of Conway , near its northern terminus. Today, the infrastructure of the former PGF&C is owned by different entities, including the State of New Hampshire, the Conway Scenic Railroad , and
3672-623: The New Hampshire Northcoast Corporation . Some segments are still operated as freight or heritage railways , while other segments are being maintained as rail trails . The PGF&C was founded as the Great Falls and Conway Railroad on June 19, 1844, as an extension of the Great Falls and South Berwick Railroad, founded in 1841 and opened in 1854. The two railways were consolidated on December 30, 1848. On February 28, 1849,
3774-793: The St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad to northwestern Vermont , and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad from White River Junction into Quebec . However, the BC&;M was separated in 1889 and merged with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad , which the B&M leased on April 1, 1895, gaining the Concord Railroad's direct line between Nashua and Concord . Additionally,
3876-574: The United States Midwest suited the converted Ford Model Ts and other like vehicles, but they were not suitable for humid snow areas such as southern Quebec and New England . This led Joseph-Armand Bombardier from the small town of Valcourt , Quebec , to invent a different caterpillar track system suitable for all kinds of snow conditions. Bombardier had already made some "metal" tracked vehicles since 1928, but his new revolutionary track traction system (a toothed wheel covered in rubber, and
3978-533: The "REV" framework platform. Most two-stroke mountain snowmobiles have a top engine size of 800 cc, producing around 150 hp (110 kW), although some 1,000 cc factory machines have been produced. These may not be as popular as many 800 cc models outperform them because of weight and an increase of unneeded power. Cornices and other kinds of jumps are sought after for aerial maneuvers. Riders often search for non-tracked, virgin terrain and are known to "trailblaze" or "boondock" deep into remote territory where there
4080-484: The 1930s, freight business was hurt by the leveling-off of New England manufacturing growth and by new competition from trucking. In 1925, B&M reported 2956 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 740 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 2291 route-miles, including "42.85 miles of electric street railway". (Those totals do not include B&C, M&WR, StJ&LC or YH&B.) The B&M's most traveled and well known passenger trains included
4182-478: The 1950s saw the loss of more significant intercity routes. September, 1952 saw the first cut to the four main intercity mainlines, as Eastern Route service was cut from Portland, Maine to Portsmouth, New Hampshire . (Portland continued to see service to Boston on the Western Route through Dover, New Hampshire .) The New York–Montreal Green Mountain Flyer / Mount Royal , which had Boston sections running on
Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-423: The 1957 Polaris Sno Traveler, and started selling it under the brand name Ski-Doo through his company Bombardier Inc. (now manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products ). Competitors copied and improved his design; in the 1970s there were over a hundred snowmobile manufacturers. From 1970 to 1973, two million machines were sold, peaking at 500,000 sold in 1971. Many of the snowmobile companies were small and
4386-481: The 1970s. However, these rules were not applied to snowmobiles. In 2015, following a decision in a lawsuit brought by Winter Wildlands Alliance against the Forest Service, the rules were extended to snowmobiles, referred to as an over-snow vehicle (OSV). National Forests with sufficient snow for winter recreation are now required to designate where OSVs are allowed to travel and where they are prohibited. In doing so,
4488-517: The 1990s can be fitted with kits that transform them into snow bikes. In 2017, Winter X Games XXI introduced the first snow bike event in the form of a SnowBikeCross race. The following year they introduced a Best Trick event. As a result of their inherent maneuverability, acceleration, and high-speed abilities, skill and physical strength are both required to operate a snowmobile. Snowmobile injuries and fatalities are high compared to those caused by on road motor vehicle traffic. Losing control of
4590-529: The Ashuelot Railroad, which had been acquired in 1877. The B&M acquired the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1887, but gave it up in 1889, allowing it to merge with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad . That company did poorly on its own and was leased by the B&M on April 1, 1895, giving the B&M the majority of lines in New Hampshire . The B&M leased
4692-494: The B&M grew, it also gained control of former rivals, including: On March 28, 1883, the boards of directors of B&M and the Eastern Railroad Company voted to ratify the proposition that Eastern Railroad would be leased by B&M. However, a disagreement about the wording of the contract delayed its execution until December 2, 1884. On May 9, 1890, B&M purchased Eastern Railroad outright. This provided
4794-652: The B&M via Bellows Falls, ended when the Rutland Railroad discontinued all passenger service, in 1953. The northern section of the Boston– Wells River, Vermont route ended in 1954 (thus ending connections to Quebec City ), as did Manchester –Portsmouth service. Concord – Claremont Junction service ended in 1955, and the Boston section of the Ambassador was reduced to a Boston– White River Junction RDC connecting train in 1956. Fitchburg mainline service
4896-587: The Boston and Portland Railroad on April 3, 1839, opening to the New Hampshire state line in 1840. The Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835, and the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839, in Maine , both companies continuing the proposed line to South Berwick , Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to Exeter , New Hampshire , and on January 1, 1842,
4998-688: The Canadian government adopted the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 , but the set of rules governing pollution emissions for off-road vehicles was only released in January 2005. In another example of regulation, only four-stroke snowmobiles are allowed in Yellowstone National Park since a bylaw was recently passed to minimize CO 2 emissions and noise. In Yellowstone , snowmobiles account for 80% of total hydrocarbon emissions and 50% of carbon monoxide emissions in
5100-494: The Forest Service must minimize 1) damage to soil, watershed, vegetation, and other forest resources; 2) harassment of wildlife and significant disruption of wildlife habitats; and 3) conflicts between motor vehicle use and existing or proposed recreational uses of National Forest System lands or neighboring Federal lands. Most snowmobiles are still powered by two-stroke engines, although Alpina and Yamaha have been using four-strokes since 2002 and 2003, respectively. However, in
5202-528: The Great Depression reduced traffic. Ridership sharply increased during World War II; the B&M had a slower postwar decline than its contemporaries, though major frequency reductions occurred in 1949–1950. The B&M began testing Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) in 1952; in 1954, the railroad decided to switch all commuter service to RDCs to cut costs. Discontinuances in the 1920s and 1930s primarily affected minor branches and rural intercity routes, but
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#17328513585575304-584: The PAS assets that included its 155-mile (249 km) main line track between Mechanicville, New York, and Ayer, Massachusetts, including the Hoosac Tunnel and Fitchburg line as far as Littleton, Massachusetts, and 281 miles (452 km) of secondary and branch lines, plus trackage rights , in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. NS transferred cash and other property valued at $ 140 million to
5406-774: The Quebec-based AD Boivin, manufacturer of the Snow Hawk and the European Alpina snowmobile. The second half of the 20th century saw the rise of recreational snowmobiling, whose riders are called snowmobilers , sledders , or slednecks . Recreational riding is known as snowcross/racing, trail riding, freestyle, boondocking, ditchbanging and grass drags. In the summertime snowmobilers can drag race on grass , asphalt strips, or even across water (as in snowmobile skipping ). Snowmobiles are sometimes modified to compete in long-distance off-road races. A patent (554.482) for
5508-658: The Royal garage including Rolls-Royce cars and Packard trucks. Although this was not a snowmobile, it is an ancestor of the modern concept. In 1911 a 24-year-old, Harold J. Kalenze (pronounced Collins), patented the Vehicle Propeller in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. In 1914, O. M. Erickson and Art Olsen of the P.N. Bushnell company in Aberdeen , South Dakota, built an open two-seater "motor-bob" out of an Indian motorcycle modified with
5610-549: The Sled-Propeller design, without a model, was submitted on Sept. 5, 1895 by inventors William J. Culman and William B. Follis of Brule, Wisconsin . The American Motor Sleigh was a short-lived novelty vehicle produced in Boston in 1905. Designed for travel on snow, it consisted of a sleigh body mounted on a framework that held an engine, a drive-shaft system, and runners. Although considered an interesting novelty, sales were low and production ceased in 1906. An Aerosledge,
5712-561: The St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad, owned by the B&M through stock, was leased to the Maine Central Railroad by 1912. The Central Massachusetts Railroad stayed a part of the B&M, as did the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (as the Passumpsic Division). The Northern Railroad was leased to the Boston and Lowell in 1884, but that lease was canceled and the Northern
5814-465: The Superclass has been released in 2017, with a lot of innovations and a new four-stroke engine. The Sherpa and Superclass series shared the same basic dual-track platform, twin 20 in × 156 in (510 mm × 3,960 mm) tracks with dual skis up front. Power for the Sherpa is supplied by a 1.6L in-line four-cylinder gasoline automotive engine. The new Superclass power is provided by
5916-626: The Swampscott Branch, Marblehead Branch, Danvers Branch , and the north half of the Woburn Loop . The State of Maine Express - the last through service between New York City and Maine - and the Boston–Halifax Gull were discontinued in 1960. Long rural lines to North Conway and Berlin, New Hampshire were cut on December 3, 1961. By 1962, the B&M was preparing ICC applications to discontinue all remaining service. After
6018-411: The United States were killed. Avalanche safety education is critical for those accessing the backcountry. Risks can be reduced through education, proper training, appropriate gear, attention to published avalanche warnings and avoiding drinking alcohol. In some areas of Western U.S., organizations provide avalanche training, some of which is free. It is recommended that snowmobile riders wear a helmet and
6120-421: The animal could not be seen in time to prevent a collision. Also even when successful, a sudden maneuver to miss hitting the animal could still result in the operator losing control of the snowmobile. The next leading cause of injury and death is avalanches , which can result from the practice of highmarking , or driving a snowmobile as far up a hill as it can go. During the 2018–2019 season, 7 snowmobilers in
6222-443: The applications, the B&M discontinued most interstate service on January 4, 1965. Service via Concord to Laconia, New Hampshire and to Montreal via White River Junction ended, though a single Boston–Concord round trip remained. Western Route service to Portland and Eastern Route service to Portsmouth were discontinued; single Boston– Dover and Boston– Newburyport round trips were retained. On January 18, 1965, commuter service
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#17328513585576324-510: The biggest manufacturers were often attempts by motorcycle makers and outboard motor makers to branch off in a new market. Most of these companies went bankrupt or were acquired by larger companies during the 1973 oil crisis and succeeding recessions. Sales rebounded to 260,000 in 1997 but gradually decreased afterward, influenced by warmer winters and the use during all four seasons of small one- or two-person ATVs . Alpina Snowmobiles are manufactured in Vicenza , Italy , by Alpina s.r.l.,
6426-411: The first United States patent for a snow-vehicle using the now recognized format of rear track(s) and front skis. Many individuals later modified Ford Model Ts with the undercarriage replaced by tracks and skis following this design. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversion of cars and small trucks was Snowflyers . Carl Eliason of Sayner developed
6528-444: The first segment from Great Falls (now Somersworth ) to Rochester was opened. In 1850, it was extended to South Milton , and in 1855 it was extended to Union . Further works were delayed due to financial problems. On June 30, 1865, the railway was re-established as the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad, and work on the railway resumed. In 1870, the Eastern Railroad leased the PGF&C, and on October 1, 1878, it renewed
6630-452: The first taking place in 1941. This closed the original route from Somersworth to Jewett station in South Berwick, Maine , where it had joined the Eastern Route (formerly the Eastern Railroad) to reach Portsmouth. The current section between Rollinsford and Somersworth was originally a branch built by the B&M to reach the mills in Great Falls. The second abandonment came in 1972 when the section from Mt. Whittier (West Ossipee) to Intervale
6732-447: The growth of New England's mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but still faced financial struggles. It came under the control of J. P. Morgan and his New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad around 1910, but anti-trust forces wrested control back. Later, it faced heavy debt problems from track construction and from the cost of acquiring the Fitchburg Railroad , causing a corporate reorganization in 1919. Beginning in
6834-449: The joint venture, $ 87.5 million of which was expected to be invested within a three-year period in capital improvements on the Patriot Corridor , such as terminal expansions, track and signal upgrades. Springfield Terminal provides all railroad services for the joint venture. Service at B&M's former yard in Mechanicville, New York , was restored as an intermodal and automotive terminal in January 2012, under PAS. The B&M operated
6936-510: The last decade several manufacturers have been successful in designing less polluting motors, and putting most of them in production. Yamaha and Arctic-Cat were the first to mass-produce four-stroke models, which are significantly less polluting than the early two-stroke machines. Alpina offers only four-stroke EFI engines equipped with a catalytic converter and dual oxygen-probe. Bombardier's E-Tec two-stroke motors emit 85% less pollutants than previous carbureted two-strokes. Polaris has developed
7038-471: The lease for 60 years. The line continued growing after Eastern's lease. In 1871, it was extended to West Ossipee , and in 1872 it was extended to North Conway . By 1875, it was extended to Intervale , where it connected with the recently opened Portland and Ogdensburg Railway . Finally, on May 9, 1890, the Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway was absorbed into the Boston & Maine, which operated it as its Conway Branch. Abandonment came in two phases, with
7140-495: The line between Rochester and Ossipee, and began operating the line as a freight railway. The section south of Rochester to the terminus in Rollinsford, just outside Dover , was sold to the NHN in 1994, ending Boston & Maine operation of the Conway Branch. NHN mostly uses the tracks to carry quarried sand to its parent company Boston Sand & Gravel in Boston . In 2001, the 21-mile (34 km) section between New Hampshire Route 28 in Ossipee and West Main Street in Conway
7242-438: The line, including the abandoned portion, which was sold off in sections, with the final section (the Route 28 overpasses in Ossipee to the Madison town line) being sold to the state in 2001; this also included the small section in Albany, New Hampshire . The section from Mt. Whittier south to the NHN property line (the Route 28 overpasses) was officially abandoned in the mid-1990s. The northernmost 7 miles (11 km) of
7344-631: The major cuts by the B&M and the New Haven Railroad in the late 1950s, public opinion in Massachusetts began to favor supporting Boston commuter service to prevent it from being cut entirely. From January 1963 to March 1964, the state Mass Transportation Commission funded an experiment testing various fares and service levels on the two railroads. On August 3, 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
7446-468: The mid-2000s four-stroke engines had re-entered the market. The challenges of cross-country transportation in the winter led to the invention of an all-terrain vehicle specifically designed for travel across deep snow where other vehicles foundered. As of 2003 , the snowmobile market has been shared between the four large North American makers ( Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Arctic Cat , Yamaha , and Polaris ) and some specialized makers like
7548-504: The model. The large footprint of the dual tracks and dual skis allows the Sherpa and Superclass to "float" on top of deep snow and not sink in and get stuck. Taiga Motors in Montreal created the first commercially produced electric snowmobile. The Taiga TS2 can go from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3 seconds, with 250 N⋅m (180 lb⋅ft) of instant torque. The Taiga TS2 weighs 470 lb (210 kg). A snow bike takes
7650-621: The name Sherpa and Superclass ). Edgar and Allen Hetteen and David Johnson of Roseau , Minnesota, invented what we now know as the modern snowmobile in 1955–1956, but the early machines were heavy (1,000 lb or 450 kg) and slow (20 mph or 32 km/h). Their company, Hetteen Hoist & Derrick Co., became Polaris Industries which introduced their first commercial model, the Polaris Sno Traveler in 1957. In 1960, Joseph-Armand Bombardier introduced his own snowmobile using an open-cockpit one- or two-person form, similar to
7752-531: The patent to a Canadian subsidiary. In 1917, Virgil D. White set up to create a patent for his conversion kit that changed the Ford Model T into a "snowmobile". He also copyrighted the term "snowmobile". At the time, the conversion kit was expensive, costing about $ 395. Virgil White applied his patent in 1918 and created his own snowmobile. In 1922, his conversion kit was on the markets and available only through Ford dealerships. The relatively dry snow conditions of
7854-457: The prototype of the modern snowmobile in the 1920s when he mounted a two-cylinder motorcycle engine on a long sled, steered it with skis under the front, and propelled it with single, endless track. Eliason made 40 snowmobiles, patented in 1927. Upon receiving an order for 200 from Finland , he sold his patent to the FWD Company of Clintonville . They made 300 for military use, then transferred
7956-663: The rail line between Conway and the Mountain Division in Intervale are owned by the Conway Scenic Railroad . This heritage railway operates seasonal passenger trains on this and also on a portion of the Mountain Division. The Conway Scenic Railroad allows the use of its portion of the Conway Branch by snowmobilers outside of its operating season. In 1986, the New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad (NHN) purchased
8058-449: The research center RISE, approximately 135,000 snowmobiles will be sold worldwide yearly. Snowmobiles are widely used in arctic territories for travel. However, the tiny Arctic population means a correspondingly small market. Most snowmobiles are sold for recreational purposes in places where snow cover is stable during winter. The number of snowmobiles in Europe and other parts of the world
8160-648: The rider transfers their weight towards the uphill side, a process called side-hilling . Higher-powered modern snowmobiles can achieve speeds over 150 mph (240 km/h). Drag racing snowmobiles can reach speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h). Mountain sleds permit access in remote areas with deep snow, which was nearly impossible a few decades ago. This is mainly due to alterations, enhancements, and additions of original trail model designs such as weight, weight distribution, track length, paddle depth, and power. Technology and design advances in mountain snowmobiles have improved since 2003 with Ski-Doo's introduction of
8262-622: The showroom floor on stock models. Trail snowmobiles improved in the past 15 years as well (many of them borrowed from endeavors to produce winning mountain sleds). Heavy "muscle sleds" can produce speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) due to powerful engines (up to 1,200 cc stock, and custom engines exceeding 1,200 cc), short tracks, and good traction on groomed trails. Sno-cross oriented snowmobiles often have an engine size cap of 440 or 600 cc, but lighter machines with redesigned stances, formats, and weight control have produced extremely fast and quickly accelerating race sleds. According to
8364-639: The track in the Ossipee area for recreational use of speeders , between Route 28 and Route 16 . In 2007, the Silver Lake Railroad began operating small, seasonal tourist trains along 3 miles (5 km) of track in Madison , using large speeders. As of 2017, the Silver Lake Railroad has ended its operations. Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad ( reporting mark BM )
8466-542: The trainset. In April 2024, the trainset was sold to the Flying Yankee Association, who hopes to restore and operate the set in the Mt. Washington Valley, with a possibility of running it on the Conway Scenic Railroad . The trainset was moved to North Conway where it regained its trucks. [REDACTED] Media related to Boston and Maine Railroad at Wikimedia Commons Snowmobile A snowmobile , also known as
8568-572: The two companies merged with the Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad. On February 23, 1843, the B&M opened to Agamenticus , on the line of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad in South Berwick. On January 28 of that year, the B&M and Eastern Railroad came to an agreement to both lease the PS&;P as a joint line to Portland . The Boston and Maine Railroad Extension
8670-508: The vehicle was steered via a steering wheel and cables linked to two small skis on outriggers either side of the vehicle. In the mid-1950s, a United States firm built a "snowmobile the arctic area of Alaska that had the drive train reversed of today's snowmobiles with two front wheels—the larger one behind the smaller one—with tires driving an endless loop track". Little is known about this "snowmobile" meant to haul cargo and trade goods to isolated settlements. An odd version of snowmobile
8772-508: The winter. This is just less than 2% and 1% respectively of the overall annual pollution within the park. Snowmobiles are only allowed to be ridden on the unplowed roads used in the summer, and riding off the roads is prohibited. This accounts for less than 1% (0.002%) of the park area. In 2005 the US Forest Service published a Travel Management Rule for off-highway vehicles, strengthening the implementation of Executive Orders issued in
8874-541: Was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England . It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B&M operated 1,515 route-miles (2,438 km) on 2,481 miles (3,993 km) of track, not including Springfield Terminal . That year it reported 2,744 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 92 million passenger-miles. The Andover and Wilmington Railroad
8976-459: Was abandoned after the last train departed North Conway, on October 31, 1972. (The last train to depart Intervale was about a week before when the B&M picked up equipment dropped off by the MEC for the soon-to-be Conway Scenic Railroad.) The Conway Scenic Railroad purchased the line within the town of Conway two years later, and began operating on August 4, 1974. The Boston and Maine retained ownership of
9078-574: Was cut from Clinton to Hudson . Almost all inner-suburb commuter stations within the MTA transit district were closed. Intercity service to Bellows Falls, Vermont and Brattleboro, Vermont (the Cheshire ) via the Cheshire Branch was also cut. Service was trimmed again from Williamstown to Greenfield on December 30, 1958, and cut to Fitchburg on April 23, 1960. Further cuts on June 14, 1959, terminated
9180-595: Was cut to the MBTA district and subsidies began. Fitchburg Route service was cut to West Concord ; New Hampshire Route and Western Route service to Wilmington , save for the Concord and Dover trip; Eastern Route service to Manchester and Wenham except for the Newburyport trip; and Central Mass service to South Sudbury . After out-of-district communities agreed to subsidies, service was re-extended to Ayer , Lowell , Ipswich , and Rockport on June 28. The Montrealer
9282-563: Was discontinued in September, 1966; local service on the Connecticut River Line lasted until the end of that year. On June 30, 1967, the Concord trip was cut to Lowell, and the Dover trip to Haverhill . The four routes with single daily round-trips slowly ended: South Sudbury on November 26, 1971; Newburyport in April 1976; Haverhill in June 1976; and Bedford on January 10, 1977. (However, Haverhill service
9384-499: Was formed (as an expansion of the MTA funding district) to subsidize suburban commuter rail operations. In December 1964, the MBTA and B&M reached an agreement for the MBTA to subsidize in-district service (within about 20 miles (32 km) of Boston) should the ICC applications be approved. Municipalities outside the MBTA district could directly subsidize continued service. After approval of
9486-476: Was incorporated March 15, 1833, to build a branch from the Boston and Lowell Railroad at Wilmington, Massachusetts , north to Andover, Massachusetts . The line opened to Andover on August 8, 1836. The name was changed to the Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, reflecting plans to build further to Haverhill, Massachusetts (opened later that year), and yet further to Portland , Maine , with renaming to
9588-409: Was incorporated on March 16, 1844, due to a dispute with the Boston and Lowell Railroad over trackage rights rates between Wilmington and Boston. That company was merged into the main B&M on March 19, 1845, and opened on July 1, leading to the abandonment of the old connection to the B&L (later reused by the B&L for its Wildcat Branch ). In 1848, another original section was abandoned, as
9690-482: Was offered the opportunity to merge its properties into the new Conrail in 1976, but opted out. By 1980, though still a sick company, the B&M started turning around thanks to aggressive marketing and its purchase of a cluster of branch lines in Connecticut. The addition of coal traffic and piggyback service also helped. In 1983, the B&M emerged from bankruptcy when it was purchased by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries for $ 24 million. This
9792-605: Was on its own until 1890, when it was re-leased to the B&L, then part of the B&M. The Northern owned a number of lines running west from Concord . On January 1, 1893, the B&M leased the Connecticut River Railroad , with the main line from Springfield, Massachusetts north along the Connecticut River to White River Junction, Vermont , where the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (acquired in 1887) continued north. Along with this railroad came
9894-591: Was purchased by the state of New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation now maintains this section as the Conway Branch Recreational Rail Trail . The railroad in this section is abandoned, and roads are paved over the rails, but much of the rails are still in place, as there is no trail surface. This rail trail is used by hikers and snowmobilers. The Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club uses about 8 miles (13 km) of
9996-535: Was reorganized as the Portland and Rochester Railroad in 1867, and opened the rest of the way in 1871. It was again reorganized in 1881 and then operated in conjunction with the line to Worcester. On April 1, 1887, the B&M leased the Boston and Lowell Railroad , adding not only trackage in the Boston area, but also the Central Massachusetts Railroad west to Northampton , the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad into northern New Hampshire ,
10098-483: Was restored by MVRTA subsidy in 1979.) On December 27, 1976, the MBTA bought all B&M commuter equipment, as well as most of the B&M's trackage on Boston's northside (including several abandoned lines). On March 12, 1977, the B&M also won the contract for the southside commuter rail lines that had once been part of the New Haven and B&A : the first time that Boston's commuter rail system had been operated by
10200-539: Was the beginning of the end of the Boston & Maine corporate image, and the start of major changes, such as new labor issues which caused the strikes of 1986 and 1987, and drastic cost-cutting such as the 1990 closure of B&M's Mechanicville, New York , site: the largest rail yard and shop facilities on the B&M system. Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Up until CSX Transportation acquired Pan Am Railways on June 1, 2022, Boston & Maine Corporation continued to exist, but only as
10302-463: Was trimmed from Troy, New York , to Williamstown, Massachusetts , in January 1958, and discontinued soon afterward. The B&M became unprofitable in 1958 and moved to shed its money-losing passenger operations. On May 18, 1958, the B&M severely reduced Boston commuter service. The Maynard Branch, Saugus Branch, Essex Branch , and Stoneham Branch were cut, and the Central Mass Branch
10404-517: Was used in many applications, such as ambulances, Canada Post vehicles, winter "school buses", forestry machines, and even army vehicles in World War II . Bombardier had always dreamed of a smaller version, more like the size of a motor scooter . In 1951 Fritz Riemerschmid devised what he called a snow scooter. The machine had a track mounted beneath a snowboard like base, on top of which were an enclosed engine with motorcycle like seat and fuel tank.
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