Dateline: May 01, 2024

View of trail looking south

Allenstown Highway Dept. workers are close to completing the walking trail built on the bed of the old Boston & Maine Railroad. This railroad once ran from Manchester and Hooksett past the China Mill in Allenstown and across the Suncook River into Pembroke and Concord.

Opening Day was tentatively set for the end of June 2024 but other more pressing projects may cause this date to slip. This project was inspired by the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition which promotes conversion of old NH railroad corridors into trails for year round recreation.

Some Background

Since December 2022, countless days have been spent by Highway Dept. workers cutting down and hauling away the jungle of shrubs, bittersweet vines, and trees that had taken over the railroad bed. Tons of crushed stone and stone dust were hauled in and spread out. Low bridges for drainage were rebuilt. The town would have faced a large cash expenditure were it not for the generous donation of paving materials by Allenstown Aggregate and the donation of reclaimed timbers from a local contractor.

The Allenstown Rail Trail, about 10 feet wide, runs from the lower end of Ferry St. near Canal St. southward to the rail trail coming from Hooksett. It traverses wetland that is dense with skunk cabbage, shrubs, vines, and trees. For most of its length, the bed is about 3-8 feet above the surrounding terrain. It is designed for non-motorized travel only.

The project began to take shape in May 2021 when the Selectmen signed a Purchase and Sales Agreement for three railroad lots. In July 2021, the Selectmen approved the transfer of $17,900 from the Parks & Recreation Capital Reserve Fund to the general fund for the purchase. Later that year, it was determined that the railroad bed needed to be cleaned of barbed wire, shrubs, vines, and dead trees. Locations for bridges were also identified.

Taking a Tour

During an inspection tour in mid-April, Road Agent Chad Pelissier pointed out several concrete foundations. "We determined that this was the base for an old water tower that was used to refill the boilers of the steam engines. I'm going to ask Armand Verville at the Historical Society for ideas for signage."

Huge boulder in the woods

A huge boulder could also be seen a short distance from the bed. Mr. Pelissier remembered that "This rock used to provide outdoor entertainment for local kids in the pre-social media era.

Work began in December 2022 when the trail was roughed out from Ferry St. to the trail at the Hooksett town line. Starting at Ferry St., Mr. Pelissier explained how shrubs, vines, and trees were steadily cut down and hauled away. Some of the invasive bittersweet vines choking the trees were over one inch in diameter. With a lot of wetland on either side of the roadbed, old bridges had to be rebuilt to allow for drainage. Mr. Pelissier described the first bridge. "We pulled up the old timbers and repaired it with 'swamp logs.' Those are heavy timbers laid one beside another on wet ground to support construction equipment passing through."

First bridge made of "swamp logs"

One day in June 2023, Mr. Pelissier took a phone call from a local contractor. The company had reclaimed a number of timbers from a renovation project and offered to donate them to Allenstown, to which Mr. Pelissier said, "You bet! I sure could use them for our rail trail project and maybe others! Thanks!" He sent Allenstown Highway Dept. trucks to retrieve the timbers, some of which were up to 12 x 14 inches thick. Those timbers were then used to rebuild the remaining small bridges.

Next bridge made of recycled timbers

Once the railroad bed was cleared and graded, the next phase was to truck in the crushed stone base. Allenstown Aggregate, in a spirit of economic generosity, offered to donate 3/4-inch crushed stone and stone dust from their quarry. When asked what prompted this amazing donation, Manager Aaron Furman offered the following recollection: "Allenstown Aggregate has been a successful part of the town for many years and we decided that, as a member of the community, it was important to give something back to the town. The Rail Trail Project was a good way for us to support the town, so we donated the gravel and stone dust so that residents and visitors can have a new, safe place for hiking and biking."

Highway Dept. dump trucks loaded at the quarry and dumped the stone along the railroad bed. A steer skidder then spread the stone. How did the trucks get back to a paved road? At the Hooksett end, Mr. Pelissier pointed out that "they drove south on the railroad bed to McNamara's Farm where a dirt farm road led back to South Main St." When asked about the electrical insulators nailed to trees, he laughed and said that "When Mr. McNamara used to keep cows, he installed an electric fence along the railroad bed to keep the cows from wandering away."

To prevent another takeover of vegetation, Mr. Pelissier pointed out a roll of woven geotextile fabric. "We are going to spread this material over the entire length of Allenstown's trail to smooth out the surface. Then we will cover it with a layer of stone dust, once again donated by Allentown Aggregate. The stone dust will provide a final smooth surface for walking or biking."

Mr. Pelissier also mentioned that "You might have noticed that the Highway Dept. has been accepting wood chips recently from tree service companies. Well, we are going to use that material as a final touch to dress the edges of the rail trail." As a final touch, Armand Verville, President of the Allenstown Historical Society, is building a welcome sign to be posted on Ferry St. A park bench was being considered in memory of long time Selectman Sandy McKenney who died on February 21st.

Due to a backlog of other projects, the rail trail may not be completed until later this year. Under investigation is a structure to cross the Suncook River and join the rail trail in Pembroke.

What You Can Do

Put on your hiking boots or bring your bike. Get a few friends together. Try out the new Allenstown Rail Trail. You should also stop by the Highway Dept. and thank them for all their hard work bringing to fruition this new recreation area for residents and visitors. Go next door and thank Allenstown Aggregate for donating the tons of stone materials that form the bed of the new rail trail.