Exploring the ABANDONED Manchester B&M Switch Tower (Manchester, NH)

J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial

At one time, the Boston and Maine Railroad was the premier railroad system in northern New England, stretching across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and even New York. This railroad system was made up of numerous railroad branches that connected with each other for efficient and reliable transportation, and many of these branches were controlled by operators with crucial infrastructure. In Manchester, New Hampshire--the largest city in the state--stood a switch tower, today known as the Manchester B&M Switch Tower, but was known as "MA Tower" during its period of operation. This switch tower, which was constructed in 1944, was located directly beside the Manchester and Lawrence Branch, which it controlled, but it also operated the Portsmouth Branch and the Goffstown Branch. Throughout the mid-20th century, the Manchester B&M Switch Tower was staffed by 24/7 train directors who controlled these railroad branches with a crucial "Manchester-Type" control machine. Operations at the switch tower would continual as normal until 1974, when it was officially closed down; all operations where then moved to Billerica, Massachusetts. Today, the switch tower is owned by Pan Am Railways, who use it as a storage facility, although it is abandoned in the sense that it has not controlled any railroad or trains in decades.

Exploring the abandoned Manchester B&M Switch Tower was a fascinating experience; it felt like I was looking back in the past at the city's once-thriving industrial rail history! During the mid-1900s, the switch tower was surrounded by dozens of railroad track in what was once a massive rail yard; today, only a few remnants of these tracks remain intact. There are also other unique remnants scattered around the property, including a former spring switch and a fuel box. The Manchester B&M Switch Tower itself is heavily-tagged with graffiti, and while it is still owned and supposedly used as a storage facility, it is completely shuttered with boards. As a result, I was sadly unable to access the interior of this structure. Still, this was such a fascinating piece of the Boston and Maine Railroad's history, and a symbol of New England's storied railroad history! I'd highly recommend anyone interested in trains, railroads, or New England history to check this one out, even if briefly! If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England!

https://static1.squarespace.com/stati...

00:00 "J-MASS Explores New England" Intro
00:20 Introduction to the Manchester B&M Switch Tower
02:57 History and Exploration
09:07 Outro