

Click image below to purchase your copy of Iron Road of the Monadnock Region.
Click here for listing of the chapters
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad: the “Hoosac Tunnel Route”
Westminster to Athol, Mass.
Chapter 2
The Cheshire Railroad: the “Main Line of Cheshire County”
South Ashburnham, Mass. to Bellows Falls, Vt.
Chapter 3
The Cheshire: East End
South Ashburnham, Mass. to Joslin, N.H.
Chapter 4
The Cheshire: at Keene
Chapter 5
The Cheshire: West End
Summit to Bellows Falls, Vt.
Chapter 6
The Cheshire: Wrecks and Misadventures
Chapter 7
The Cheshire: Special, Late, and Last moves
Chapter 8
The Sullivan (County) Railroad
Bellows Falls, Vt. to Charlestown, N.H. Townline
Chapter 9
The Ashuelot Railroad: the Valley Route to Keene
East Northfield, Mass. to Keene, N.H.
Chapter 10
The Ashburnham Railroad
Chapter 11
East of Monadnock: the Worcester & Contoocook Route
The Boston, Barre & Gardner, Monadnock, and Peterborough & Hillsborough Railroads
Gardner, Mass. to Hillsboro, N.H.
Chapter 12
The Ware River Railroad: “The Albany Road”
Templeton to Winchendon, Mass.
Chapter 13
The Manchester & Keene Railroad
Greenfield to Keene, N.H.
Chapter 14
The Connecticut River Railroad Extension
East Northfield, Mass. to Brattleboro, Vt. via Dole Jct., N.H.
Chapter 15
The Granite Boom: Quarry Roads
Chapter 16
Running Under Wires: Electric Roads
Index to Railroad Stations and Localities
Sources and Bibliography
Don’t want to order online? No problem…..print order form and mail to Historical Society of Cheshire County.
click here for order form
[Form id=”20″]
About The Authors

Bradford G. Blodget
Author
Growing up in Worcester, Mass. in the 1950s, author Brad Blodget could often be found on his bicycle, trackside along the Boston and Maine Railroad watching trains. After graduating from the Worcester Public Schools, he received his BA, with a major in biology at Clark University and later earned an MS in wildlife biology at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in 1978. He moved on to a career with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, most of it as State Ornithologist, before retiring in 2002. Soon after that, released from his professional career, a long-suppressed passion for railroad history exploded. He acquired the train symbol nickname “WX-1” for his frequent research trips between Worcester, Keene, and Bellows Falls, Vt. Brad, is an active member of the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society and the Railroad Locomotive and Historical Society and resides in Holden, Mass. His first book, Marium Foster’s Boston & Maine Railroad, appeared in 2011.

Richard R. Richards
Author
Growing up in Greenfield Massachusetts in the 1960’s, co-author Richard “Dick” Richards grew up in a railroad family. His father was a freight and passenger Conductor for the Boston & Maine Railroad. He developed his love of trains early on. He could often be found at the Greenfield railroad station watching trains or while on school vacations riding the rails with his father. After attending public schools and graduating from Greenfield High School Dick enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He served as a Security Policeman at bases in Southeast Asia, the Continental U.S., and the Republic of Korea. Upon leaving the service he followed in his father’s footsteps for a brief time as a Trainman and Conductor for the Boston & Maine Railroad. He moved to Keene New Hampshire and embarked on a 30 year career with the Keene Police Department. During that time he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Franklin Pierce College, retiring from the department at the rank of Lieutenant. Upon retirement he rekindled his interests in railroads and most specifically the historical aspects of the industry. He was able to pursue these interests through his volunteer efforts at the Historical Society of Cheshire County. This is also where he met and began working with co-author Brad Blodget. Dick is a member of the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society, the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Dick is married to his wife of 36 years, Louise Moody Richards, and resides in Swanzey New Hampshire. They have a grown daughter, Kathryn E. Richards, who is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.