The Central Vermont Railway avi

[Music] in the mid-1950s the Central Vermont Railway was busily writing the final chapters of steam railroading in southern New England too enthusiastic rail fans were equally busy with their eight millimeter movie cameras to preserve that chapter for all of us Bill Radcliffe senior then of Webster Massachusetts would often pack his family a picnic basket and his camera into the automobile for a Saturday of railfanning the central Vermont's Palmer sub division between Brattleboro Vermont and New London Connecticut and E schools fresh out of the service with his new camera in hand set out with a vengeance to capture the final hours of steam Andy roamed the southern division of the CV from San Albans Vermont to New London Connecticut thanks to the dedication of these fans we can now take you back to the Central Vermont railway in steam the Palmer sub local freights were in the hands of the Seavey's feisty and fast running consolidations we see a - a tow powered local freight running on the northern end of the Palmer sub at Vernon Vermont [Music] a few miles to the south another local passes the Millers Falls Massachusetts Depot then climbs the grade on belchertown Hill also in Massachusetts CV to a toes were in two classes the m3 a class numbers 450 through 455 and the n5 a class numbers 460 through 475 the m3s were out of Alko in 1916 with 57 inch drivers the n5 s with 63 inch drivers came from the Alko Schenectady works in 1923 we see a local in Three Rivers Massachusetts approaching the yard limits at Palmer [Music] the Palmer to East New London local is running this Saturday with n5a number for 72 Bill Carter and Stafford Springs Connecticut at the south end of the long state line passing siding in Tolland Connecticut at the sweeping curve to the west of highway 32 and in Willington Connecticut the Central Vermont railway has been a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway and its predecessors since before the turn of the century in the more recent past it has come under the umbrella of the Grand Trunk Corporation CNS United States operating arm the mainline connects the CN to the deepwater port of East New London Connecticut since 1860 headquarters have been in Sint Albans the shops are still there as is Italy Yard the major classification facility our material covers the southern division between San Albans and New London and the cities of Essex Junction White River Junction and Brattleboro Vermont with Massachusetts communities such as Millers Falls Amherst Belchertown and Palmer in Connecticut Stafford Springs Willimantic and new London are among the online cities another local is seen crossing the bridge at Jannik Connecticut [Music] the Palmer subdivision extended from Brattleboro to East New London the CV has always maintained its right-of-way in an immaculate condition Andy found Palmer's supp work extra 452 at Stafford Springs the crew invited him up on the engine for a short ride we also watched the work train from the ground [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Stafford Springs is an old Connecticut mill town and even in 1956 the local always had worked there we watches the 450 putters around the yard ties on to her northbound train and departs [Music] a quick ride north on Connecticut route 32 gets us to the north end of the state line passing siding the 450 was the only m3 with Anna Lesko feet water heater the others had the coffin heaters she's hurrying north to Palmer yard and the end of her days work [Music] [Music] Stateline was favored for meats by CV dispatchers bill captured two meats of the south end of the sighting first southbound number 451 holds the main with its drain while number 470 to running light takes the siding after the departure of 451 the 472 backs onto the main and resumes her trip to Palmer [Music] Canadian national EMDs on a northbound manifest probably train number 429 past CV 450 in the hole the CV has always been cooperative at operating excursions and fan trips in 1956 the Amherst Massachusetts Grange sponsored an excursion to New London they borrowed passenger equipment from the New Haven Railroad and assigned number 466 for power bill captured the special running through Palmer Yard southbound [Music] he caught up with a train in East New London yard the locomotive after being serviced and turned backs to the coaches for the return trip [Music] [Music] after tying on the train departs for home in Amherst [Music] and II caught a similar northbound special rounding the curve through Stafford Springs yard [Music] [Music] this beautiful run by was at Munson Massachusetts just south of Palmer [Music] [Music] at st. Albans Andy has captured an ethereal view of number 451 with its distinctive coffin feet water heater being tended to by the hostler [Music] [Music] [Music] the CV has been headquartered at st. Albans since about 1860 all major locomotives service is performed in the shops the hustlers are busy preparing the 472 and 461 for service [Music] [Music] [Music] contrary to most expert opinions the Grand Trunk did leave at least one locomotive the 5280 one in unpainted brass as seen here [Music] the remaining passengers service on the Central Vermont was handled in the mid-50s by the U on a class mountain types here the 602 departs and Albans [Music] during the end of the milk train era we watch as an OE dose switcher 504 shuttles a milk car at the sin Albans station the CV remained loyal to alko and the purchase of the 8p1 A's 500 through 507 in 1923 [Music] and II was again fortunate to get an invitation into the cab we depart st. Albans in the 602 482 we wend our way through the northern Vermont countryside then hold the Maine at Randolph for a meet with a brace of Montreal locomotive works FAS on a manifest Freight [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] it was a crisp cold day when Andy took a side trip to graniteville Vermont the home of the Rock of Ages Granite Quarry the diminutive steamers on the quarry's roster including oh six Tootsie Hercules were in action force the quarry still operates a tourist railroad and the Hercules is preserved and on display [Music] [Music] at Essex Junction Vermont the branch to the City of Burlington leaves the main line at the ancient train shed we watched the 6:02 makers station stop with southward train 332 [Music] north of Essex Junction the local freight is in the charge of the 469 on one day and the 465 the next [Music] we're back at the st. Albans engine house p1a 504 is moved into its stall by the hustler and II was up early the next morning in the pre-dawn darkness the hustlers were already hard at work getting the fires on three consolidations in shape for the day's locals the simmering steaming machines provide ample evidence of the frosty temperature [Music] [Music] [Music] the Richford subdivision led north east from st. Albans the Richford local handled the industrial switching on the branch as well as the interchange with the st. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain and the Canadian Pacific Railroad's the Richford local attempts to depart st. Albans with the 465 on the head end and the 466 shoving at the rear despite the power the cold stiffened bearings and the heavy grade brought the consoles to their knees [Music] the stalled local was blocking the highway grade crossing the crew made a hasty reverse move back into Italy yard [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] here they come again with a new head of steam it looks like they'll make it this time [Music] but what's this a diesel on the rear the Alko switcher kicks the local over the grade and cuts off on the fly [Music] in the 1960s the CV ran several excursions using Canadian Nationals preserved 484 number 62 18 the big u2g class northern was a September 1942 product of the Montreal locomotive works she will deadhead from White River Junction to New London where an excursion will originate running north to Brattleboro and return the hansom machine is being prepared for the trip and is immaculate [Music] after servicing she is turned and backed onto her train [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we are able to catch up with the sixty-two eighteen as she turns a photogenic curve in Tolland Connecticut [Music] at West Willington we join the faithful as the extra pound southward [Music] Connecticut countryside at its best the 60 to 18 glides along the valley approaching Mansfield Depot [Music] at Willimantic Connecticut the train passes under US Route six [Music] [Laughter] [Music] between Willimantic and New London and II was able to pace the 60 218 for a considerable distance [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we get one final run by on the deadhead move as we near New London [Music] on the northbound leg of the trip Andy was waiting at the photo curved intolerant then a quick run four miles north and she was again at his lens as she snaked around the tight curve in downtown Stafford Springs [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the faithful then challenged the speed limits to the great crossing at the north end of state line siding for one more run by [Music] again we catch up with a special at Miller's Falls will leave the special to continue its journey north while we return to some more Freight action on the Palmer sub don't worry we'll catch up with it later in Brattleboro [Music] let's get back to the 50s on the Palmer sub it's brisk this Saturday the 15th of February 1955 there's the feel of snow in the air the 472 is pulling hard in Monson and is making a great plume of smoke [Music] by the time bill could drive to stafford hollow road just a few miles south snow really was in the air the 472 is still pulling hard as she crests the gray [Music] another - south for a mile on route 32 gets us to a vantage point north of stafford springs [Music] and then once again at the photo curve in Holland [Music] the South Coventry depo though not used for passengers for decades still stands guard over the white ballasted mane in 1989 the for seventy-two pounds passed in snowy 1955 the 462 Braves the winter weather in Monson [Music] again the 462 is stepping through the white stuff this time at the curve in Tollin [Music] on this day in 1956 it's the 450s turn to whiten her pilot in this moody shot she's northbound around the curd and on route to her usual chores of switching at Stafford Springs [Music] after switching around for a time here at Stafford and having broken the fresh snow in the yard tracks the venerable consolidation reassembles it strain see you in a few minutes at state line [Music] here she comes again our final look at the CV and the snow as the 450 heads into the homestretch of her daily romp on the Palmer south [Music] the 467 here is running south toward Amherst [Music] then arrives at Palmer [Music] this location is Willington Connecticut [Music] in a scene to warm a steam fans heart the 467 bales out a/c and diesel with a long cut of reefers at Willimantic [Music] [Music] the local down from Brattleboro climbs Belchertown hill [Music] and arrives in Palmer [Music] south of Palmer this Freight rolls through Monson in South Monson the second scene is very near to the location of the cassette Jacket photograph [Music] [Music] [Music] the city of Willimantic was a very important railroad Junction two lines of the New Haven Railroad crossed the CV at grade in the mid-1950s there was still a lot of traffic for the railroad here the 450 has improved weather upon arrival at Willa Matic yard [Music] the 462 is working at Willimantic in this scene after spotting a car she runs around her train then heads for East New London [Music] [Music] we catch up with her again at South Windham recognize this su boxcar [Music] [Music] Yenta Connecticut has several customers online the local pulls through a trust bridge [Music] on August 14th 1955 this wreck occurred as the result of a washout caused by a period of heavy rains the New York Central Steam crane assists in getting things cleared up we conclude our tour of the Palmer subdivision through the lens of Bill Radcliffe a work Trane is keeping the right-of-way neat near the state line siding [Music] the 451 is in Three Rivers Massachusetts [Music] [Music] this view looks northa Tolland the opposite side of the highway from the curve [Music] the local is probably delivering those bunk cars to a worksite [Music] now we could catch up with a 62 18 [Music] here she crosses the Connecticut River Bridge on the Boston and Maine and enters Brattleboro [Music] [Music] after a reverse move to cross over into the yard the 484 turns on the Y where the huge CV 210 fours were once turned [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the Connecticut River and the hills beyond provide a magnificent setting for the Canadian giant as she starts back to New London [Music] the 62 18 has been preserved by the Canadian national and is now on permanent display at Fort Erie Ontario [Music] [Music] she pulls hard through Miller's Falls [Music] [Music] our final scenes are of the 62 18 on yet another excursion we're unsure of the exact locations but we think these scenes are a fitting way to end our visit to the Central Vermont railway in steam [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] it's 12 miles by rail and actually by highway it was only like five and a half mile a st. Jeon LC railroad track a sinuous possibly winds it dips and dives and drops and climbs and twists and curves and fence till through the travelers dizzy thoughts the fancy chased and ran this railroad is constructed on faith zig-zag plan this was a very mountainous run at the time that I started we had eight covered bridges that we used to go through and this was known as the root of the covered bridges the Saint J in LC passed through some of the most picturesque country in Vermont but it was slow and subject to many derailments not to mention other unscheduled stop they were moving along at their usual rate then all of a sudden they stopped North character even out in the middle of nowhere and nothing happened and nothing happened and finally the lady got up and went to find the conductor and she said what has happened and he said well we ran into a cow but we'll be leaving now shortly and so they did yeah and she went up to the conductor and said now don't tell me we've hit another cow and he said no ma'am it's the same one we just ran into her account now retired from CP Rail Archie had 9 years of his own adventures driving trains for the st. J in LC all of a sudden a guy running down the track stopped the train but an emergency looked down the track I couldn't believe my eyes and there was an elephant so I called a dispatcher and I says oh boy we're in trouble again I says where it will cut and we're stopped here and we're gonna be delayed for a little while he said I told you Archie don't stop if you tell the section man they'll take care of the problem well I said the problem isn't a Liz it's elephant and he has a theta4 minute and he says are they pink elephants and I says no I says they're great matter of fact two of them what it actually happened was a circus truck on the highway and he had a high trailer and there was an underpass there at Wilkin where they rolled one under the track and he didn't clear and tip the trailer over the elephants get out and get on the track never without problems the st. J and Elsie struggled on into the late 20th century some railroads had much shorter history and covered much shorter distances one of them was a classic the Woodstock railroad or railway as it became known after 1890 is generally regarded by rail historians and fans of which I I'm one as the epitome of a short line a branch or a local railroad it was exactly 13.8 eight miles long it ran from Woodstock Vermont White River Junction it was first thought of in the 1918 60s and came to fruition in 1875 and for 58 years it was wood stocks linked to the outside the greatest engineering challenge on the Woodstock was bridging the cuicci gorge the first bridge was wouldn't with steel reinforcements and spanned the Gulf at a height of a hundred and sixty-three feet on August 12 1875 the old wood Winooski moved cautiously across the structure of course the pierced locomotives over it will wait about 23 tons and by the turn of the century not only was the wear and tear of being taken on it but the locomotives were now off to 44 tons and they brought in the current all steel bridge and it was built by the american bridge company in 1911 for the princely sum of $26,000 that bridge still stands today in his wrote for when the railroad was disbanded we they saw the road up right away the state of a model immediately later Road yeah and that is the basis of the of the cuicci Dodge Bridge today so they did a pretty good job in 1911 for $26,000 once it was up and running the railroad provided both freight and passenger service to the area Juiz mills and the cuicci woolen mill were steady customers and the prestigious Woodstock Inn was attracting ever-increasing tourist trade I at one time they tell a story that you could go to New York's Grand Central Station it see a nice what they call an all varnish car or a luxury car or with a sign on it saying this car for Woodstock you know we take about eight hours to get up the White River Junction and a little Woodstock would pick you up bring in the last 14 or so miles for the station on Pleasant Street and start with a Concord coach pians advance would meet you there and bring you to the Woodstock Inn tourists traveled from the depot to the end by coach and later electric bus Woodstock Ian was to become one of New England's most attractive resorts and the surrounding area would become an important leisure destination [Music] instead of numbering its locomotives the Woodstock railroad named them after men who had provided outstanding service AG Dewey had been president of the railroad when it began construction [Music] the Woodstock's most famous president had achieved success building the Northern Pacific Railroad Frederick Billings then turned his attention to his home state he always did long for come on like many native among us and when he retired for that having made his fortune he came home to Woodstock and so that's another little unique thing about the 15.8 eight mile Woodstock railroad they got to get a local boy as was former president of a Transcontinental Railroad to be their president Billings died in 1890 in step with other railroads the Woodstock was about to enter a period of relative prosperity [Music] the glory days were ruled by steam today its fascination and significance are preserved through the efforts of many groups and individuals mark Smith publishes books and magazines on railroading and build steam equipment in his shop at home steam always fascinated me and and when I was a kid I didn't know why it just left me kind of moved the sound of the whistle in the distance though the laboring locomotive with a heavy train the Express train going by so fast that it took your breath away it can be very very quiet almost whisper quiet and on the other hand it can blast labor and trash and here's tournament in the early days Vermonters themselves build steam engines at places like White River Junction and Lyndonville but the railroads bought most of their locomotives from out of state they would buy the locomotives and right away there was maintenance required adjusting bearings for example inspecting parts for cracks and stuff like that but also the railroads did all their major overhaul work so a lot of sophisticated work went on it in towns like Rutland with a Rutland railroad they had complete facilities certainly the Central Vermont in the st. Albans had very extensive facilities they had a foundry that was built in here to make railroad parts wheels for their cars there was a national car company but built railroad cars here there was a st. Albans a steel mill which made iron and steel rail for the rare Oh everything grew and grew and grew like other railroad town saint alban's prospered it became headquarters of the central vermont and its buildings reflected the new optimism Jim Murphy is a trustee of the st. Albans Historical Museum and a dispatcher with the New England Central Railroad we're standing on the main line of the but just be the center one really of course which was here perfect many many years but just beyond us about by about probably 50 feet was the train shed which was built in 1866 and 1867 there were four tracks across total and it had four large arches portals that the trains were coming in and out freestanding building nothing in the center to hold up the ball arched inside they had to keep changing the size of the portal but over the years because of the cranes got bigger and bigger the railroads built their stations to last and to please the eye and the Depot became the focal point of the community there are many fine examples still standing throughout the state first of all the depot was always a dignified structure the railroads tended to over build everything their locomotives our facilities their bridges and whatnot well they over built the depots and many of them were just splendid architectural buildings this is the Shelburne Railroad station at Shelburne Museum built in 1890 by dr. William Seward Webb whose father-in-law like the web cool founded the Shelburne Museum all kinds of activity went on here of course passenger ticketing express freight Telegraph yeah it has it's an interesting station it's an attractive station it has two waiting rooms man's it one and women at the other I'm not sure that it was compulsory but women could avoid tobacco chewing spitting swearing and so on and so forth the depot was where you met trains arriving from distant exotic places where you went for news where you saw visiting dignitary it was where you met a loved one the old days the depot was the heart of the town [Music] stay tuned Northern Rail road's for Montana turning green blue and I worked up to the position of the locomotive Hofstra now a hustler is a position where you handle the local orders once they are brought in off the road and you have them for servicing that is for calling for watering fire cleaning turning and in this particular instance here in Bellows Falls which was a small terminal we also responsible for doing a considerable amount of mechanical work that was within our ability to accomplish the Rockland of course terminated here historical standpoint it be interesting to note the Rockland was the first rare it involves all the steel roads connected Vermont communities with each other and with the outside world in junction towns like Bellows Falls the growth was impressive I had the CV running through here the bnm had the Rutland coming in here was a mainline from Boston to Montreal about ten trains a day ten or twelve and they had switchers working it in three different yardage here it was a Bowman railroad town business was booming for Vermont farm machine who shipped their goods far afield Vermont fire made what they call the Davis wing churn which was all wood and you rocked it back and forth like a cradle they also had bow turn to turn and that was one of the big industries here they shipped all over the world the railroads brought new trade and prosperity to the towns they serve salesman arrived by train and stayed at busy hotel nope and other agricultural products traveled out of the state goods and people moved through at an ever-increasing pace the Rutland had always sought to outflank the Central Vermont back at the turn of the century it devised a spectacular plan the causeway across Lake Champlain between Colchester and south hero came into being in 1900 and again this was to bypass the Sun from a lot because Eve up to that point in order to get to the to the West they were obligated to go over the CV between Burlington and st. Albans and fence over to rouses point thrusting more than three miles across open water the causeway provided direct connection with the West Rutland trains would thread their way along it for the next 60 years huge slabs of scrap marble were used as fill along the causeway now empty of the traffic which used to rumble across the lake we can't for years at Colchester point or the Brooklyn the long run until took off across for South arrow and the arrangement the way the trees were and everything when a northbound train came on you knew it was coming couldn't hear it very much as soon as they got free get free of trees it was almost like a loud explosion in the Rutland's case they finally did achieve some sort of practicality because they were a link between a greater network of traffic between Boston and Chicago in the Midwest by virtue of the fact that the trains could come up to Bellows Falls and then go on the Rutland up through the causeway that was build across the islands it was the the glory years for the Rutland when that particular situation was involved for some people the glory years meant opulence and luxury dr. William Seward Webb was ambitious and well-connected forted in his plans to become governor of New York he sought that office in Vermont he married a Vanderbilt girl which tied him into the New York Central and the New York Central sent him up here to to see if the central wanted to take over the Rutland railroad and they decided against it finally but when when in Vermont he saw in love with the countryside and established its now Shelburne farms as president of the Rutland wept toward the rails of a line aboard the luxuriously appointed inspection engine mahasin a which he had brought with him from New York I also should mention that he was president of the Wagner Palace car cover which built the Grand Isle which is here also I had to museum it's all mahogany panel that seats ten people has an observation room at the rear by the platform two bedrooms dining room secretaries your home in a room for the porter and or cook dr. Webb never became governor of Vermont but the Rutland railroad was profitable under his management with a good deal of support from the New York Symphony it was an optimistic time but railroading has never been without peril perhaps the most vivid example was the disaster at what was called the Woodstock bridge today at West Hartford a steel bridge crosses the White River a century earlier in February 1887 it was made out of wood it was here that the Central Vermont experienced the worst train wreck in its history the Train reduction struck a piece of rail which had a break in it the rail was actually broken out some of the cars toppled off the bridge off the trestle onto the frozen White River the oil lamps and the stoves that were in each car immediately caught fire but not only did it just burn up the cars but because the bridge was also wood they could probably burn this horrifies ban bridge also in there was nothing left for the pyro done when it was all over there were 25 passengers dead and five crew members were also killed after it rebuilt the bridge the Central Vermont loaded it up with a dozen locomotives to demonstrate its strength a decade earlier a remarkable feat of engineering had been completed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire a group of railroad enthusiasts have gathered at the train station in Conway New Hampshire for an historic event Gordon Evans and his brother Raymond have joined members of their family for the occasion the first passenger train through Crawford notch in 37 years the Conway Scenic Railroad is launching its new excursion line to Crawford station on the tracks of the main central mountain division descendant of the old Portland and Ogdensburg railroad for the Evans brothers the trip has special meaning it will take them past the house high on Mount Willard where they grew up the Train works its way to Bartlet through the beautiful Sacco River Valley the stop in Bartlet affords an extra photo opportunity per railfans in the days of the mountain division Bartlet was a busy station handling passengers and freight traffic bound for distant locations [Music] here extra power was added for the steep ascent which lay ahead [Music] for the steam locomotives that climb through the knotch was a real challenge the railroad games almost 1,400 feet from North Conway to the Crawford station there is one section nine miles long that rises at a rate of a hundred and sixteen feet to the mile for all the heavier frayed up the grave helper engines were added at both ends of the Train [Music] today's train ride will carry the Evans brothers over familiar ground at the site of the old Bemis station now known as notch land there is music to celebrate the event [Music] trees have filled the once open ravine below the spectacular Frankenstein trestle the train passes over Willowbrook Bridge approaching the site where once stood the section house that was home to the Evans family during the early years of the century the house was built in 1887 for workers who maintained the two-mile section of track carved into the side of the mountain in nineteen three Loring Evans the father of Gordon and Raymond was hired as a section foreman and moved into the house with his wife Hattie once a week she'd sent her an honor and she can't Howard he was one and the storm bad mother and what she did was we put it on the train baggage car sometimes he'd take it across and a section minute take it down or sometimes they'd stop at the house put it off at the house the railroad was their main link to the world he'd brought coal groceries and clothing from the valley and it brought the doctor who delivered the for Evans children it was also the railroad that carried the children to school because of the steep grade an unusual method was devised for getting them aboard we went to school with Athens and the Train in the winter could not stop because there's one on a curve and he'd just been sat down spin and my mother would spaces 40 feet of path or something like that and the conductor enough brakeman pave which Cooper shine the winters on the steep slopes of Mount Willard were rugged and the deep snows all was a threat well we had a lot of snow in those days we had monstrous snow slides off the legends of not willing and then we had a telephone in the house and then when the slow slide came we had to call by that so they would send the snow power ahead of the passenger train Africa it was snowing on Thanksgiving Day in 1913 as Laurie heaven has cleared switches at prophets well gonna stop me today and interest you thought it's gonna go on the paintings they've done maybe they backed up on the side track and he was someone that side track out so it turns everything he misunderstood the engineers signal and was struck and killed by the backtracking helper engine paddy was left with the four children and a decision to make so afterwards they said that talked with her she could stay on and boy the section men leave what else you want to go her since she didn't know anything different so she stayed right there according to section man we lived in one side of the house one side of the house and detection crew lived on the other side had he raised her family and continued to cook for the section group she would remain on the mountain for another 30 years passenger trains would continue to run through the Gateway and on into Vermont until 1958 after ceremonies at the Crawford station its back through the notch and down the mountain for each traveler the trip has its own meaning for the Evans brothers it is meant revisiting the pathways of their early years and reliving some special moments [Music] rain was coming down hard on the 3rd of November 1927 people in northern New England were not surprised October had been an unusually wet month but this was a tension storm lasting two days the ground was saturated rivers were already sloped it would prove to be the worst disaster in the history of the region for its people and for its railroad you know all it wrecks up and down the line but the 27 flood November 3rd and 4th of 1927 top it at a time when there were no flood control on any of the River dams both various places culverts washed out and when it was all over the state's railroad system had been virtually decimated at Proctor the station almost floated away and the tracks washed out under Ruffins milk train number 88 stranding it and its crew the city of Rutland was not spared as the raging waters destroyed rails and bridges [Music] though the flood crippled the Rutland railroad it all but destroyed the Central Vermont everything on a settlement railway almost from around Sharon Vermont up to Williston almost every Bridge and all the roadbed everything was completely annihilated the head of the railroad here call along the Canadian National to help out the rebuild of arrow and they sat down I believe it's somewhere around 1600 people along with equipment to rebuild the railroad it was a monumental effort the mainline was back in service in three months and a ceremony was held on the steps of the Capitol but the Central Vermont could not pay the bill with a reconstruction well the TV had no choice but they had a foreclosure sale and at the foreclosure sale the representative of the Canadian National Railway purchased the central Montrell for 22 million dollars and Canadian national took over control of the central lot from from that time on they were virtually no railroads that escaped unscathed some of the marginal smaller operations this was the end they just didn't have the money they didn't have the economic future to even rebuild even think about rebuilding in the early 30s many of the short lines in New England disappear by the flood the depression and the steady advance of the automobile [Music] following its early financial struggles the Woodstock railroad had enjoyed a period of success but revenues had been declining steadily throughout the 20s the decision was made in 32 the handwriting was on the wall it was one of those things that had been I lived in railroad no one wanted to face it but there was really no choice it was decided that the last run would be made on April 15 the day before Easter in 1933 at the very height of the Great Depression remember I was 16 years old at the time and the Woodstock railroad station had always been my playground as a kid because I lived right across from the railroad right yeah and so I was anxious to go on the ride though I know we went down to the station early and stood in line to get a ticket there was quite a few people doing a small office there 11 o'clock I wasn't God he closed the ticket office Chow's Berbick came out and saw that everyone was on board and he called 2hh Paine who was the engineer - go ahead man by the name of George piper was the fireman and of the train pulled out of Woodstock shortly after 11 a.m. just beyond Dewey's Mills as a slight elevation called Shelley's health and the train started up that hill and their wheels kept spinning and didn't get anywhere somebody put axle grease on the rails and the Train had to make three passes to climb up over this deep gray some time within the last year someone came out and put a piece in the Vermont standard that local newspaper to admit that he was one that was involved in that finally they got up over it and had their luncheon in White River near the Train reversed for Woodstock tolling his Bell all the way home to his Depot I've also had people tell me of various ages in the village that throughout the whole thing people turned out the wave goodbye to it the engineer acknowledged every one of them and more than one tear was shed on that day [Music] movies out there and they had a lot of well we'll call summer stock today they had show was out there now this one here is that's the car stopping at the ball field off the barbers Park and everybody's in the game must have started because they're all bailing off of there and hurt as would soon be the case with steam locomotives the trolleys of New England would disappear brought down by an agent of change that didn't ride on Rails was the automobile when Henry started putting out Model T's everybody started getting the carnevale finally he went bankrupt in in 1925 shortly afterwards they tore up the rails when did the bankruptcy in 1938 and there was some pretty tough times immediately following that there was a lot of question whether the rare it could survive among the various ideas that that came about probably one of the most successful was to save the Rutland Club which was organized and they succeeded in hiring professional traffic people took abandon and help improve their traffic base one of the ideas of course was the inauguration of a fast food service and they called it was called the weapon they were able to offer good service and they offered it at a slightly reduced rate with the sighting through Sheppard this is one of successful ventures that they shave the rock club belt with and it did increase their traffic to pressure level degree other lines emphasized more glamorous features in their promotions once upon a winter's day Grand Central Terminal pummeled with excitement the snow Express was about to the plot it's best to get your tickets early for when departure time starting in the early 30s Ski trains ran north out of cities like New York and Boston except for the war years they continued throughout the 40s bringing skiers to the resorts that were springing up in New England or in Canada and you pulled oil out of Grand Central and chugged right along of the New York New Haven and Hartford changing engines and in New Haven as usual and then after that you really didn't know much about it because you were in bed and asleep you were waiting by that by the change of the engines at Dover they stopped in Ossipee for let people off and they stopped in Conway and North Conway and then Intervale was the end and then you had breakfast and menu we're all set pretty much to go off to ski school which started at 10:00 across the river in Vermont ski trains also race north carrying skiers to the slopes around the state including the trails on Mount Mansfield at stove [Music] ski instructors were on hand to help novices and advanced skiers alike perfect their techniques and maybe provide other diversions well the side skiing I met a very attractive ski instructor and it took me two or three tons coming before he really really noticed me married now what 54 years nearly the ski trains disappeared as passenger and freight service gave way to the advance of cars and trucks once again the Rutland was struggling but things would change with the arrival of a new president Gardner Caverly he brought about what is termed in what I feel was the rebirth of the ruble when he came on board it was about sixty Stephen local water still in existence on the Rollo a study was made professional study they that was felled that the Rutland could be operated with a total of about fifteen diesel units where it took about 60 steam engine and he was successful in getting banking to start visualizing her Eric across the country diesel power was pushing steam locomotives onto the siding Vermont was late to make the change but it was inevitable the demands of efficiency were writing the final chapter of a remarkable story [Music] this is a steam locomotive number 220 it's a de for a tall and and and so Normandy was built for passenger service but we did use it in way freight service and at Hanford Engine and that was no glory days they called the shovel lady shoveled any coal they called de baño and he was if you could play the banjo good you it'll be alright Jim Findlay came up to st. Albans from Alabama in 1946 and went to work for the Central Vermont as a fireman during the last days of steam six years later he was on the roster as an engineer I fired this engine that's when we had the steam I fired this thing gonna find many others but they used sometimes in a way Freight he was in a fashion train when you start to gain weight off your brake down there put it on just a little bit you get started gets a slack out of train than on and if you got gone and you got on the mainline where you could hide vault in you we need to keep pulling up and they bring this bar wheeling up here and this is the old John College Johnson bar that she's new gear you hook it up from the lower downloads to work real hard when you have two high ball in you you bring it up here really high almost near the center this is de val which furnished the steam of the ratio if you set with the johnson guard up in the cab but Steve's into the piston and drives it back back of course it coming in the rough pushes back and then come back then push it forward it's Tuffy spikey top and bottom corners priority Becky top in modern quarters that's the that's the ratio or set up during gym friendlies early days as an engineer a strict timetable applied to all trains whether passenger or Freight the first train that got was the milk train I'm saying all the ways river and those days they were hot on the run in time between stations and if you if you didn't make the time between station boy they'd be on your neck you did bill wires it get hot you'd have to write a little note and tell them why you didn't make it run time I was back in the old days where they were real railroad these diesels you know that's to call the Thunder outer air look the whole steamers are zip just love the old steamers some retired railroad employees have gathered for their annual luncheon at White River Junction about half the men worked for the Boston and Maine the others for the Central Vermont White River Junction was once a very busy railroad town I've seen times when I when I started then the first part of the 50s where that platform down there was literally covered with people his trains sitting on every track they just came in that they're getting ready to go I worked in White River Junction as a telegraph operator I work third trick most of the time and work-release jobs here we had three sets operators here on the station and three down on the yard today freight traffic through White River Junction is sparse and passenger service is reduced to the single daily trip that Amtrak's Vermonter makes in each direction and on this side was the main station this was the Express office Railway Express and this is the baggage room here and the main passenger station was here they had a restaurant in there where you could get a pretty good meal for the railroads that came to this town freight trains paid the bills and passenger service brought the prestige White River Junction had a chair of both for Montreal trains arrived on two roads the Central Vermont and the combined Boston and Maine Canadian Pacific line sometime back in that era they had about 32 passenger trains in and out of here I've seen times when the bnm yard they had 17 tracks a set off track and running track and every one of those would be full freight currents this was one of the busiest stations in New England like the Central Vermont the Boston and Maine had its glory years it maintained an extensive network of tracks in New Hampshire and bnm trains were a familiar sight in Vermont as well the line was a favorite among photographers and during the final days of steam its classic features were documented by many people most notably by Philip Hastings Phil Hastings was brought up in Bradford Vermont which is on the Connecticut River and also on the Boston Main Aur south main line between White River Junction was River and right from the start is his photographs had a unique quality Phil [Music] had the sensitivity and the awareness to make each one of his pictures of composite he saw it all one of my favorite pictures was taken at Bradford just to Twilight and it was a long a train and the RPO clerk was loading the last the mail and what you saw was a community a train time [Music] although the short lines are almost entirely gone the trunk lines in Vermont are still active while passenger service is more glamorous Freight has always been the revenue generator for the railroads the railroad industry right now is probably as healthy as it has been at any time in history the railroads are handling more Freight than they did at any time in history including the peak years during World War two which were the previous records today the New England central hauls freight along the same road traveled by the CV and because of decisive action by the state of Vermont the old Rutland tracks are still in use the state got into the picture and purchased the right-of-way of the Rutland railroad and they did this with taxpayers money and I think legitimately so in order to preserve the opportunity to have rail transportation within the state and likewise it was the case with the Bellows Falls ranch from Rutland the bellows walls and that's operated by a different company the V Mountain Railroad but they're doing very well too and interesting enough on the bellows falls branch they run a tourist train which has been very successful for a number of years the green mountain flyer carries passengers through historic Vermont landscapes from Bellows Falls to Chester and back in restored wooden coaches complete with varnished interiors and plush upholstery travelers can experience something love the magic of railroading as it used to be the Train part of the landscape there's a look-alike kind of homogenized quality to traveling nowadays but in railroading the railroads always traveled through the landscape whether it's Meadows mountains it's a unique encounter with a landscape the railroad industry as the saying goes gets in one's blood but what started I don't know just gets in your blood [Music] I've been retired now since 1988 and I go around the rare to put every day to see what's going on I would seem to get in your blood I don't know you know for some reason it does you get attached to it you stick with it you stick with it [Music] this program was made possible by a grant from the Robert Fleming and Jane how Patrick foundation we're racing to the end of the WGBH fiscal year at midnight on August 31st seven days from now so many of you have already called but we still have over 800 thousand dollars left to raise we can make it across the finish line with your support act now and thanks well in the mid-1800s when train service came to northern New England it was not very long before trains started running on time here in New England you'd set your watch by the conductor's pocket watch that he had right there as we're learning on this wonderful program well we've got a time problem at WGBH we've got a long way to go between now and August 31st and not much time in which to do it that's why I want you to come forward right now and dig deep and make your pledge to channel 2 if you pledge $80 right now we'd love to send you the video of this program produced by our sister station of Vermont educational television up in Burlington Vermont for you and it's yours for a pledge of $80 all you have to do is ask for it and you'll automatically become a member of WGBH you'll get a year subscription to GBH the members magazine you'll get the discounts at many of the area's most popular educational and cultural institutions and you'll also be helping us produce and broadcast the very best programs there are on television so as you learn about the railroads of northern New England and as you think about your own travels on trains and you think about your own life think about what channel 2 has done for you and make your pledge as large as you possibly can now don't forget if you haven't called this is the time to do it to go to your phone to call four nine two one one one one and to make your pledge thanks very much for your support right now use our 800 toll-free number and don't forget to use your Visa Mastercard or American Express card when you call many many facts if you like museums did you know that as a member of WGBH you're entitled to significant discounts at great museums like the computer Museum the Institute of Contemporary Art the Children's Museum the Sports Museum and the New England quilt museum just by showing your WGBH member card these are only a few of over 250 New England locations that offer terrific money-saving discounts to wgbh members don't miss out become a member today well those member discount organizations are a wonderful way to extend your membership and train travel it's a wonderful way to see New England this is a time for you to call right now see you folks have a great time wherever you're going the romance of train travel one of the things that channel two has been talking about of this program I used to travel on the trains when I was young you know I'm old enough to remember the steam trains coming through those big puffs of smoke going before everything switched over to diesel it's a wonderful time and it really changed the way New England works and the way our whole economy works of course villages and towns spreading and starting up along the train tracks here and there I hope you'll do what you can to help us produce the best programs there are on television anywhere whether they have to do with trains or whether they have to do with the best symphony music that there is or whether they have to do with the best drama or take you to wonderful places that you could never go to any other way but on television I hope that you'll support this right now as we race to the end of our fiscal year August 31st that's it it's over then at midnight on August 31st and we've got a lot of money to raise if you've been watching so go to your phone call us right now become a WGBH member if you're not and don't forget 480 dollars we'll send you this video northern railroads for Maude and her neighbors call right now here's another reason to give right now as far as far as I'm concerned public TV and WGBH are the best bargain we've got they provide access for me my family to two events and performances in places that would be prohibitive otherwise how else am I gonna get a front row seat on the live performance of different cameras visit museums around the world travel from continent to continent I mean it provides access to the ideas people and places and sites that just wouldn't be possible though without public TV well I hope that persuaded you to pick up your phone and call us at four nine two one one one one these rusty rails right here used to be the siding right here in Lincoln Massachusetts the freight cars used to pull in here and get loaded with stock or with vegetables for the for the market in town used to be market gardens around here things are changing a lot it's one of the old rusty railroad spikes think how the railroad has really changed things in New England and think of all the changes that Channel 2 has documented and watched over the years that it's been doing the best television that there is I hope you'll support it right now as we race to the end of our fiscal year on August 31st don't forget we'd love to send you the videotape of this program call and pledge $80 or if you'd like to pledge $60 we'll send you the WGBH t-shirt and you'll still be a member of WGBH we'd like you to sign up as a member if you're not and if you already are how about an extra gift between now and August 31st thanks [Music]

Channel: Raddion's Channel

Views: 4,267

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Trains, New London, Steam, Vermont

Id: OspWcc1g13M

Length: 107min 23sec (6443 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 19 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/6Feet0ver]

Now THAT's trainspotting.

*notworthy*

[u/I_Am_Raddion]

I have several of these old railway videos, I'll try to put up a couple more as time (and YouTube) permits.

[u/mattsylvanian]

I love seeing shots of steam trains around New London. Wish these magnificent machines were still around. Thanks for sharing!

[u/T-DownSandyEggo]

How about some appropriate music from "The Singing Brakeman" ?

https://youtu.be/iyHulWOZBpk

[u/[deleted]]

on Dish network, there used to be the Rural Channel and RFDTV. One of these channels had a trains and locomotive program where videos made by train aficionados where shown. My wife would tease me about watching them. They were very fascinating and dated too which made them more fascinating.