Minuteman Tales: Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire was once one of the busiest railroad cities in New England. While it has lost much of that activity and presence today, its railroad history is still palpable all across the city. In this episode we travel around the Queen City and dive into the story of its rich railroading past.

[aksyoutube]

Another amazing video. Growing up in Manchester in the 90s i remember seeing the tracks everywhere and various other rail road devices. Occassionally my friends and i would venture down to the tracks to watch trains go by. looking back ive forgotten how much was there and has been removed due to development. Your videos help keep this nostalgia alive and do it the justice it deserves. Thank you.

[rickdee]

Phenomenal writing in this excellent video. The images, soundtrack and narration are how it is supposed to be done! I grew up in Nebraska and because of how well done this channel is, I have become fascinated with the B&M .

[drblast]

So grateful for this video. My Grandfather Oliver W Buswell was the most senior Steam Qualified B&M Engineer then, and he was the Engineer bringing the Freedom Train into Manchester from White River Junction in April 1975. I was almost 10 years old then and I rode in the Cab with him the entire duration. He operated the Freedom Train thru Franklin and radioed to Ross Roland that they should take on water in Franklin as he used to operate these rails and Ross told him to High Ball it to Manchester. When we arrived my Grandfather got right over to the Tender and asked the Fireman how much water was in it, it was empty...they only had water in the boiler. Disaster avoided!

[gusfring]

Yet another award winner! You set the gold standard for these types of documentaries. Period. Since I have been a 65-year resident of central Virginia, my working knowledge of the B&M is limited. Thanks so much for the highly detailed coverage of the subject matter. I found myself frequently pausing the video so I could follow the narration using Google Maps to get a proper frame of reference. I never knew that there was a canal in Manchester that had been filled in!

[WFMeyer]

Wonderfully done! Although I didn't grow up here, I moved to Manchester in 2016, I entirely appreciate the transformative and all important RR and Mill history of the city. I had a friend who worked on the B&M right after he returned from WWII, retiring in the mid 1980s. He reglaed me with lots of stories of his years as a trainman. Although you and I are decades apart, we are both born old souls yearning for the experiences of a time before our own. One we know in which we''d have fit in better...

[eastcoastmodz]

Thank you for this. I moved to Manchester in 1999 and now in 2025 many of the buildings that were once there are now gone. Living on Spruce Street I was able to witness the redevelopment of that street and the removal of Trolly lines and cobblestones. So much history now just a photograph or a memory. Cheers 🥂

[minutemanmac]

Thanks for this Rick! Provided some more info and images in addition to your book and the slide show a few years ago!

[JessicaKasumi]

Funny you cover Manchester, yesterday, I sent an idea off to the MBTA about bringing commuter service to Concord via Manchester and Nashua. Along with extending the Newburyport / Rockport Line to Portsmouth. I hope to hear from them.

[keyinkeyout]

To Rick and everyone involved in this, excellent work! This video is a great companion to Rick’s book.

[aceadman]

Your videos are really just great. I love the storytelling and history lessons, but the “feel” of them is so relaxing and easy to watch. They always make the day better. Very old school and perfectly suited to the subject matter. Thank you as always for all you’re doing to create this record and entertainment. 😊👍👍

[chauvettes]

Love the video. I was born in 1958 in Manchester so most of my history is a blur but I do remember many of the factories where the trains stopped.

[tedfisk]

Very well done. I learned a lot about the B&M in Manchester and all the many customers it had.

[hughbishopnh]

Nicely done; maybe a "what's still going on rail in Manchvegas" would be a follow on to this well detailed documentary.

[JoeJoe-fglr]

Great historical documentary and very fascinating. I especially liked your outro about Manchester Tower. I look forward to your next one.

[cmdrflake]

Golly! This brought back memories of 1971-4. Chasing the Portsmouth local was a highlight as it had a friendly crew. They were allowing us to board the unit during the lunch break. Oh, to be able to do that now!

[Steve]

Another great presentation. Well done. Thanks for sharing.

[DBRF]

Another spectacular job! Your videos are absolute treasures! Thank you for sharing. I work in Manchester, and pass over the tracks near Elm St. right off 293. I wish every time for those lights to flash, but they never do. Wonder if any traffic goes through anymore.

[whitneyallison]

Very interesting video! Well researched and well done!!!

[Spaceman_spliff]

The soundtracks are 100/100 every single dang time, love this channel forever.

[joefin]

Great informative work! Was a rowing coach in Lowell 1977-1984 and saw the MBTA trains daily.