Twin State Railroad (Former Pinsley line) St. Johnsbury-New Hampshire abandoned in place

[CandOforprogress2]

N of US 2 former Maine Central Mountain Div Line used to connect with Lamolle Valley RR that had covered bridge. VTRANS rail department has no info on current owners and we think the state of NH actauly owns the abandoned in place line.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4202073,-72.011046,822m/data=!3m1!1e3

[mudchicken]

If you do not know, don't guess. "We" and VTrans sound pretty stupid at first view..

Don't go tap-dancing in a minefield.

You never explained what the reason for finding out the ownership status was either.

Hire a professional that knows how to railroad. (Hint: it will probably take more than a trip to the local courthouse. As a rule, local government (and most title plants and DOT's for that matter) is stupid around railroads and it's only getting worse in the digital age.)

[rcdrye]

Twin State still operates the former B&M Groveton branch from a connection with the St. Lawrence and Atlantic (at Groveton) to Lancaster NH, plus a bit more south of Lancaster to Whitefield, home of the last ball signal in the U.S.  The fomer MEC line to St. Johnsbury isn't technically abandoned, but has no traffic generators at all. The line is owned by the state of NH from MP 51.13 in Conway to MP 111.57 in Lunenburg VT.  The remaining portion in Vermont has been embargoed since 1999.  While it is shown on Vermont AOT maps it's not marked as owned by Vermont, though Vermont has the right to buy it if it hasn't already. The only other active portion of the line is the Conway Scenic line through Crawford Notch - unless you count the Mt. Washington Cog Railway.

See https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailtransit/railandtransit/projects.htm for New Hampshire DOT's info.

[CandOforprogress2]

I have heard the term "Embargoed" does that mean that track conditions are so bad that no freight can go on it untill its repaired? PS-"We" refers to the Vermont Rail Advosory Commision which is the citizens oversight for the rail funding programs run by Vermont Agency of Transportation or VTRANs for short.

 

[mudchicken]

Try "Discontinuance of Service" (STB) ....Embargoes (AAR) have a finite length. (and the maps and OPSL Notes at RailLinc show nothing)

Both systems have "holes" in them, but NOTHING is officially abandoned until STB agrees in an AB- or FD- docket. (spent too many hour cleaning up after somebody failed to document an abandonment at the local level - even seen land having to be deeded back for railroad purposes after being sold.) I suspect that has happened here - In addition, TSRY and NHCR have issues of the organizational type with the state governments of VT and NH...

Again, if you are not clear with how the long established system works, find somebody that does (quickly)....Dancing in the dark in the minefield can be a pricey headache.