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The mileage measurements begin at the Range Road crossing in Salem, NH.
0.3 mi - The old Manchester & Lawrence Branch enters into Windham just north of where Cycles Etcetera is located. All of the rails and ties have been removed leaving behind just a dirt rail bed. I found this small section of right of way fencing a short ways north of the town line; it is probably the only evidence left on this stretch that a railroad was once here, besides the usual rotting ties on the banks of the rail bed.
0.4 mi - There is a new steel and concrete bridge in this location, and it is not original (nor a replacement) by any means. The bridge was constructed when Route 111 was rerouted so that cyclists and pedestrians would not have to cross the busy roadway.
0.8 mi - At this point, the right of way crosses over Roulston Road and becomes a paved pathway. This was planned by the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, and eventually the section of rail bed to the south of Roulston Road will be paved too. Here is a shot of the crossing looking south and then one looking north.
1.0 mi - A little north of Roulston Road is the first of two bridges. This bridge is a stone arch bridge and is made out of granite and mortar. Here is a picture of the west side of the arch and then one of the east side. I would have never even known this structure was here if it was not for the WRTA website; when looking down the banks of the rail bed it is barely noticeable. There was once a road going under here, but it has since been abandoned. The road is shown on the old Windham map, but I do not know the name of it.
1.1 mi - This is where the second bridge is located. Just before the span though there is a marker on the east side of the rail bed. It has the same inscription, 9/89, on both sides, but I am not positive as what it is for. I think it may be some sort of identification number for the bridge, as it does not match the mile markers on this line. Here is a shot of the south side of the marker and then one of the north side.
The bridge right after that concrete marker is different from the previous bridge in that it is constructed out of steel beams and mounted on two stone retaining walls. Here is a picture of the west side of the span and then one of the east side. This bridge also had a road running under it at one time; the remnants of it can be seen when looking over the side of the structure. I believe that the name of the road was Governor Dinsmore Road, and today it comes to a dead end well before it reaches the railroad bridge.
1.3 mi - Located here is a stone culvert which allows a stream to pass under the right of way. Compared to most other structures of the same type on this branch, the opening is rather large. This is an easy item to spot since the rail banks are very short and also because the WRTA constructed a wooden railing on both sides of the pathway.
1.5 mi - One thing about the construction of the Manchester & Lawrence Branch was that a lot of bedrock needed to be blasted through when building the right of way. This stretch of ledges is a good example of where the rail bed was carved out of the earth. The ledges run for over one tenth of a mile in this location.
1.6 mi - Just as that particular section of ledges comes to an end, there is a stone wall on the west side of the rail bed preventing the dirt above from crumbling down. It looks to be in good condition for its age. I can not tell for sure if the workers used debris from cutting though the bedrock when building this wall, but that makes sense to me.
1.7 mi - There are a few bodies of water which the rail bed goes by in Windham. In my opinion this pond is one of the nicer scenes. I enjoy stopping and looking around to see if I can spot any wildlife, but so far I have not had any luck.
3.2 mi - This is the first mile marker which I noticed along the right of way for this section of branch line and it is located on the east side of the rail bed. It is obvious that the mile marker has been beat up over the years as there is a big chunk missing out of it. The good thing though is that the marker is still standing. At this point, it is fifteen miles north to Manchester, NH and twelve miles south to Lawrence, MA.
3.9 mi - Here at Windham Junction the Manchester & Lawrence Branch intersects with the Worcester, Nashua, & Portland Division main line. The first thing I noticed around the depot was this piece of concrete in the ground. There is a lot of dirt and brush around it, so not much is visible anymore. The piece is just south of the station and is on the west side of the rail bed. From the historic photograph above it appears to be in the same location as the black water spout, so this may in fact have been the foundation for it.
Next is the station itself, which is located on the east side of the Manchester & Lawrence Branch right of way. Currently the property is being used by the town as a place to store plows, sand, trucks, and other winter equipment. All of the windows are boarded up and the paint is peeling off. The passenger station has a few additions built onto it; the original ends and back side of the structure are just about completely covered up. When looking at the point of the building, it can still be seen where the signal light poles attached to the walls and where they went up through the roof. Here is a picture gallery of the passenger station.
Located directly across the Manchester & Lawrence Branch right of way on the west side of the rail bed is the freight station. Like the passenger station everything is boarded up. There is only one addition to the original freight station, but it practically doubled the size of the structure. This goes to show how much Windham Junction expanded over the years. Here is an image gallery featuring the old freight station.
There was another structure located near the station, although it did not have anything to do with the Boston & Maine Railroad. Down the western bank of the Manchester & Lawrence Branch and the southern bank of the Worcester, Nashua, & Portland Division main line there is a stone foundation built up around a stream. Here is a photograph looking down at the structure and then one looking into the structure. At one time there was a sawmill located here, although I am not sure what happened to it. Since the foundation is still there yet the wooden building is gone, fire is the cause of destruction which comes to my mind.
The last thing at the Junction that I was able to find was another concrete base. It is located in the parking lot to the north-west of the freight station. From what I could see, there is a main center piece with four mounting points for posts; then there is a set of bases to the south and to the north of the main piece. When all of these parts are put together the missing structure would have been rectangular in shape and about twice as long as it was wide. I thought it may have been the water tower, but the location seems off.
4.0 mi - Just north of Windham Junction are the Depot Road and Frost Road crossings. Here is a picture of the crossings looking south and then one looking north. Nestled in between the two roadways on the east side of the rail bed is a Boston & Maine N5B caboose, number C-16. The caboose was brought in mid-2007 and was repainted shortly afterwards. Here is a picture of the west side of the caboose and then one of the east side.
Across the road from where the caboose sits is a small beige colored house. This was the original Manchester & Lawrence Railroad station in Windham. Although I do not have a source, I am assuming that the station was moved when the Worcester, Nashua, & Portland Division main line was constructed through Windham because a bigger station would have been needed to handle the increased passenger flow.
4.1 mi - At this point, on the west side of the rail bed there is a short stone wall. This would have been used to unload freight from the boxcars which rolled though town. The entire length of the wall was capped with wooden beams at one time, but much of that has rotted away and there is only a short section of wood still remaining.
4.2 mi - Located here is the second mile marker which I found in Windham. Like the first, it is located on the east side of the rail bed. The marker is still in great condition for its age, although the trees and brush growing around it seem to be swallowing the concrete post up. Here, just south of the Derry town line, it is fourteen miles north to Manchester, NH and thirteen miles south to Lawrence, MA.
Right past the mile marker is the North Lowell Road (also known as Windham Road) crossing. This is where the paved right of way comes to an end. I remember seeing tracks buried beneath the pavement here when I was younger, but they have since been torn up. Here is a photograph of the crossing looking south and then one looking north.
On the west side of the rail bed, just before the orange gate which keeps motorized vehicles off the right of way, I found some remnants of the old railroad. There were a couple ties, not that unusual, but there were also a couple pieces of rail along with a metal plate. I guess the people who tore up the line forgot they were there.
   
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