The Story...

Maple Mountain Railroad (MMR) filed for incorporation on November 5, 2006 to meet the transport needs of a new logging operation begun by sister company, the Maple Mountain Lumber Co. of Goffstown, New Hampshire.

Resistance to the creation of a new railroad came from two separate quarters:  the environmental movement and local historical societies.  The first group was drowned out surprisingly enough, by the local municipal governments who were eager for the economic boon to their communities in the form of employment and revenue.  The second group posed a significantly greater obstacle, whose oposition was only overcome when the MMR agreed that two bridges on the new line would be fashioned to look almost identical to some near-by stone bridges dating from the 1820's.

Having addressed the obstacles to incorporation, the MMR was granted it's petition for incorporation on June 8, 2007 and was cleared to build new a new rail line from Manchester, NH through Goffstown and further north as well as operate on the rail lines of the state of New Hampshire.

Keen to establish itself as a good citizen and project a responsible image to the communities it traversed, management hired the marketing firm of Smirkware, Inc., also of Goffstown, to create the brand identity and follow-up promotion material.  Smirkware artists suggested that the MMR company name could be leveraged to provide an "eco friendly" brand identity and interestingly enough used a maple leaf picked up off the MMR office parking lot as the basis for the logo.

The railroad acquired 4 former BNSF GM Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SD75M and one EMD MP15AC for switcher duty.  In keeping with the effort to make a good impression on the community, these locomotives were refurbished mechanically and then sent to the paintshop to be decked out with the MMR's colors.  When painting was completed the units were placed in temporary storage awaiting the MMR's own yard completion.

The MMR is currently looking into opportunities beyond the initial Lumber venture and has identified several rail-served customers in the Manchester area.  Ciment Quebec of Bow, NH generates a large number of cement trains weekly and Summit Packaging in Manchester, NH which receives plastic pellet deliveries.  Additionally there is the opportunity for aggregates service as well as metal scrap service.  These companies, however are served by a small local railroad, which may need to be acquired to gain the business.