The Heritage Com- mission and Londonderry Historical Society have accepted a donation of railroad artifacts from Londonderry Trailways and Iron Horse Restoration, the latter a railroad preservation group. The commission met in special session Thursday, May 9, to consider the donation. heritage chairman Arthur Rugg said that according to town ordinance, any changes to Historically Society property must have a public hearing and approval by the Heritage Commission. The donated switch and track will be installed in the Historic District, on Historical Society property.
“This is a change in the Historic District and is a request from the Londonderry Historical Society for a Certificate of Approval to install the switch and donated rail on the property at 140 Pillsbury Road,” Rugg said. “The most we think that we are going to get is the switch, which is about 30 feet, and another 32 feet of track down the main line and up the main line and out the switch,” said Historical Society member Bill Bringhurst. “The track and switch will be located behind the Parmenter Barn, about 10 feet in from the tree line and about 15 feet from the back of the property.” Bringhurst said there could be extensions south or east of the proposed location.
“It’s not going to affect anybody else,” he added. “What they are going to do is bring it all from North Londonderry, and my understanding is they’ll put down the ballast and pick up a little of the topsoil and put down the ties and rails. It should look like a railroad track. So it’s a little different from our Morrison
House museum but it is a part of Londonderry’s history.”
Bringhurst said Iron Horse Restoration will install the track. Trailways made the offer to the Historical Society, and it was accepted. The track was removed from the Rail Trail.
Rugg said the reason for the special meeting was to work within the timeframe needed by Iron Horse to install the track. Resident Ann Chiampa asked Bringhurst if the original railroad crossing signpost would be part of the donation, and Bringhurst said that it would A motion by Pauline Caron and seconded by Janet Cichocki to issue the Certificate of Approval was approved unanimously.