Rockingham Jct.

Photo on left 2020 and 1964 on right.

by Dane Malcolm 

About a week ago Eric Emery and I made a trip from Sandown to Greenland NH stopping at Rockingham Junction , where a local freight was waiting for clearance to Portsmouth. It was obvious that the station at Rockingham was about to be moved to the west away from the main line . I realized I had a last chance to take a photograph with the station at the same location as it was in 1964 . At that time I met agent/operator Harold Thompson who came out to the door and talked to me for a while. Probably in his 60's 0r 70's he wore a straw hat that was common in the 1890's through the 30's at least. His appearance captured that of many an old time railroad worker. . Back to the present in 2020 Eric snapped an image of me in the same place that I had taken Mr. Thompson's photograph c1964. Superimposing the two images produced a photograph covering 56 years of time at the same location. I was born in 1942, Mr. Thompson was born circa 1910.This produces a photo covering 110 years of lifespan , quite remarkable to think about. The day was a landmark to me and left me with a feeling of satisfaction and thankfulness for a long life . So for all of you who work hard to capture railroad history, every moment has an opportunity to tell a story. You just have to work a lot harder to find traces of the past , I wish you success.