Lakeport railroad drawbridge repaired in time for Pumpkin Festival tours

LAKEPORT — The railroad drawbridge over Paugus Bay was not operational most of the summer, putting a temporary halt to scenic railway travel.

Just in time for Laconia Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 25, the drawbridge has been repaired, and train rides scheduled for during the festival and the evening before are full steam ahead.

“A problem was identified with the hydraulic system responsible for raising and lowering the bridge at the end of June, requiring the bridge to be closed to railroad traffic,” Jennifer Lane, chief communications officer for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, said. “We are pleased to report that the issue has been resolved, and the drawbridge has been fully operational since Friday, Sept. 19.”

The drawbridge is owned by NHDOT, but maintenance is the responsibility of Lakeport Landing Marina, according to Lane.

Lakeport Landing owner Erica Blizzard said the malfunction occurred just before July 4, and couldn’t be fixed immediately due to the high lake level, from heavy precipitation through the spring. Once the water level dropped, the marina was able to access the area and make the repairs.

She explained the hydraulic lines had deteriorated, and the pistons were not working properly. Trains were not able to travel over the bridge, as the pistons weren’t locking into place.

A conduit holds the hydraulic lines that go through concrete, and in order to tend to the issue, crews need to access the underside. This could not be done until the water level dropped. As rainfall dropped off through the summer, crews were able to get to the area and make the fix.

Blizzard said the repairs were started on Sept. 10, and completed by Sept. 12. The bridge was deemed operational a week later.

Blizzard’s father Paul Blizzard built the bridge between 1989 and 1991. She said it was a trestle years ago, and when her family bought the marina in 1978, only small boats could travel underneath. The drawbridge was built to alleviate this, and while the state owns it, maintenance and inspections have been paid for by the marina since 1991.

Sean Wheeler, general manager of Granite State Railway, confirmed there will be trains running the weekend of Pumpkinfest.

Granite State Railway is owned by Patriot Rail.

The Pumpkin Festival Turkey Dinner Train, including a turkey dinner catered by Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant, is set for 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. It's a two-hour trip, departing from downtown Laconia, traveling north along the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee over Paugus Bay and to Weirs Beach, toward Meredith. It will then head back along the same route.

The dinner includes carved roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter, apple crisp and a soft drink.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, the Pumpkin Express trains will bring riders on a 45-minute scenic tour departing from Laconia Station in Veterans Square. Rides will start at 11 a.m. and continue each hour until the last train departs at 5 p.m.

There are also excursions offered through the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad this fall.

A two-hour trip boards in Meredith Station, traveling along the western shore of Winnipesaukee.

Another train travels south from Weirs Beach, over Paugus Bay to Lakeport, and back. A second route heads north, from Meredith and back to Weirs Beach. These train rides are an hour or 90 minutes, respectively.

Brand new this year is a 2.5-hour journey that departs from the Laconia station in Veterans Square, and back.

For more information about the train rides, log onto gsscenic.com.