Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad
The Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad is a class III shortline railroad operating on the Concord-Lincoln rail line in central New Hampshire, United States. The railroad consists of two distinct passenger operations, the Hobo Railroad, which offers passenger excursion trains in the White Mountains, and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, which operates passenger excursion trains along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. In addition to passenger operations, the railroad owns the Lincoln Shops, a railroad equipment maintenance and repair facility located in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
History
In 1986 the Plymouth and Lincoln Railroad was formed with the purpose of operating a theme park and railroad out of Lincoln, New Hampshire. Edward Clark and his wife Brenda Reynolds Clark were the owners. Trains have been operating since then between Lincoln and Woodstock, a distance of.After a few years of operating the railroad in Lincoln under the "Hobo Railroad" name, the railroad was invited to bid on the lease for the state-owned trackage from Tilton to Plymouth. They won the bid, and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad was formed, with trains running from Meredith to Lakeport, with a stop in Weirs Beach.
The railroad now holds the passenger rights on the entire state of New Hampshire-owned track running from Tilton to Lincoln, a total of. This additional mileage allows the operation of many special excursion trains. The state owns another of track from Tilton to Concord, which is used by the New England Southern Railroad for freight customers.
Edward Clark, founder of the railroad, died in the summer of 1998. Benjamin, his only son, assumed the post of President and promoted the business heavily.
The Lincoln Shops
From the mid-1990s, the Lincoln Shops have grown to be a major source of off-season revenue through its refurbishing and repair of numerous pieces of customer railroad equipment. Two Russell snowplows and some subway tampers were rebuilt for the MBTA. The privately owned ex-New Haven Railroad Roger Williams was in for major restoration to like-new condition, along with four or five caboose repaintings. The company's reputation increased the demand for the facility enough to make the business a 12-month operation. 2005 brought the three-car set of the Flying Yankee, under restoration, to the Lincoln Shops for completion.Current activities
The railroad has some of the most diverse and scenic fall foliage trains in New England, whether lakeside or on a journey along the Pemigewasset River to the mountains. Since 2003 the railroad has promoted heavily this important season for tourism. It also benefits from its -hour travel time from Boston. Bus groups, sometimes eight per day, converge in Meredith in the fall due to the town's location and to the offering of a full roast turkey dinner on the train catered by Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant, also located in Meredith.In winter 2005, the "Believe in Books Literacy Foundation" contracted with the railroad to provide a "Polar Express" out of Lincoln, to supplement the growing demand from the North Conway operation run by the Conway Scenic Railroad. The Tom Hanks movie of the same name was released in the 2004/2005 season, sparking even further interest.
Three ALCO S1 switchers, an ALCO S3 switcher from the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a former Rock Island Railroad EMD GP7 provide the motive power for the two railroads. Four former Erie Lackawanna Railroad cars and six former Budd RDCs from the MBTA in Boston comprise the railroad cars that they use for operations.
Service stations
The Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad provides passenger service to the following stations:| Station | Location | Scheduled service? | Milepost | Operation | Remarks |
| Laconia Station | Laconia | No | C 27.59 | N/A | Special events only |
| Lakeport Freight House | Lakeport | No | C 29.04 | N/A | Special events and charters only |
| Lakeport Engine House | Lakeport | Yes | C 29.33 | WSRR | Southern terminus for regular service ; no loading or unloading passengers; no station facilities |
| South Down Shores | Laconia | No | C 31.01 | WSRR | Flag stop for South Down Shores Housing Community |
| Weirs Beach Station | Weirs Beach | Yes | C 33.77 | WSRR | Regular service stop |
| Meredith Station | Meredith | Yes | C 37.65 | WSRR | Regular service stop; northern terminus for regular service |
| Ashland Station | Ashland | Yes | C 45.78 | WSRR | Limited service stop ; fall foliage tours only |
| Plymouth Station | Plymouth | No | C 51.26 | N/A | Special events and charters only |
| Common Man Inn | Plymouth | Yes | P 0.87 | WSRR | Limited service stop ; fall foliage tours only |
| Jack O'Lantern Resort | Woodstock | Yes | P 14.90 | HRR | Southern terminus for regular service ; no loading or unloading passengers; no station facilities |
| Hobo Junction | Lincoln | Yes | P 21.21 | HRR | Regular service stop; northern terminus for regular service ; Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad corporate headquarters |