New Hampshire Two footer proposed in 1893.

[Eric Larsen]

I had seen this before years ago and had forgotten where to find it again.  Sure would have been an interesting line if they had built it.  Long & Otter Lakes Railroad.

https://books.google.com/books?id=MqtAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA593&lpg=PA593&dq=Long+and+otter+lake+RR+New+Hampshire&source=bl&ots=nr-gzY8R0D&sig=4JJQxCTBB1ezMiuCvI_-ZzEApBI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjImqmFuuzMAhWH6oMKHUuYCFEQ6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&q=Long%20and%20otter%20lake%20RR%20New%20Hampshire&f=false

[Philip Marshall]

Wow, thank you Eric. I had not heard of this proposal before. It's a shame it wasn't built.

I, for one, think we should revive the term "Mansfield System" as a synonym for two-foot gauge. It has such a wonderful Victorian elegance to it

[Eric Larsen]

I'm guessing one of the reasons it wasn't built because it didn't go any place that other lines didn't already go except for Washington, NH.  Looking at the topographical maps and trying to figure out it's possible route one sees that it basically duplicates the Peterboro and Hillsboro RR for the first half and then heads off towards Washington, NH. That second more northerly section would be the only unique part of the line as far as service goes and would presumably comes out of Antrim going N-W through Stoddard to reach Washington. 
If you have ever been in this area and know the railroads that were there it sure would have had some interesting company but I would bet that the folks in Washington were the main drivers for the proposal.  It is a beautiful area but it is getting way up into the hills and it would have had to have been a dead end line without possibilities for future expansion or any through route further north.

[Jeff Schumaker]

There was also the proposed North Conway & Mt Kearsarge RR, chartered in 1884. George Mansfield was listed as Superintendent.

Jeff S.