Salem and Hillsborough Railroad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Salem and Hillsborough Railroad | |
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| Reporting marks | SHRR |
| Locale | New Brunswick, Canada |
| Dates of operation | 1982 – present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Hillsborough, New Brunswick |
The Salem and Hillsborough Railroad (S&H) is a Canadian tourism railroad and museum located in Hillsborough, New Brunswick.
The S&H was created in 1982 by a group of volunteer railroad enthusiasts and retired railroad employees. They took possession of a section of former CN Rail branch line trackage which ran from CN's Moncton-Saint John mainline at Salisbury east to just beyond the village of Hillsborough, approximately 20 miles away. CN had operated this subdivision to service a gypsum quarry until the late 1970s when the quarry was closed, resulting in the company applying for abandonment.
The S&H initially operated several historic CN and CPR steam locomotives which had been used in New Brunswick until the early 1960s when both railways completely dieselized. The S&H operated regular coach and dinner tourist trains between Hillsborough and a location halfway between Hillsborough and Salisbury, named Salem, from 1982 until 2004.
In 1994, a disastrous fire occurred as a result of an arson attack on the railway's engine shop in Hillsborough, destroying or damaging several locomotives and historic freight and passenger cars. The rebuilding effort took many years, during which time the volunteer base began to dwindle.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the S&H saw its liability insurance increase dramatically. In addition, ongoing repairs to two bridges over Weldon Creek, a small tributary of the Petitcodiac River near Hillsborough, were proving to be extremely expensive for an organization which did not receive much support from the provincial or federal governments.
It was decided in 2005 to not operate any tourist trains, and to maintain the equipment for static displays only, in addition to a museum which was recently established on the station and shop grounds in Hillsborough. It is unknown as of 2005 whether the S&H will operate trains again.
