Woodstock Railway
| Woodstock RY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Route length: | 22.34 km | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks: | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Woodstock Railway is a former railway company in Vermont ( United States ).
history
prehistory
On October 26, 1847, the company was founded as Woodstock Railroad in Vermont. It intended to connect the city of Woodstock to the railroad network, with an east-west connection from the Connecticut River via Quechee , Woodstock and Bridgewater to Rutland , where it was to connect to the Rutland and Burlington Railroad . However, construction was not started because not enough money could be raised. The railway construction project was part of a planned connection from Portland (Maine) to Chicago , which was never realized.
Only in 1863, after the establishment of the company was renewed on October 30th, did the building preparations begin. Now, however, it had been decided to initially only connect the city to the Vermont Central Railroad , which had opened in 1849. The White River Junction junction , where three lines already met, should also take this line.
construction
The topographical situation did not allow the route to be built quickly. First the ridge between the White River and Ottauquechee River , the Shallies Hill, had to be crossed. At Quechee, the planned route led over a ravine. Initially, a yoke bridge was built here , but it was replaced by a steel arch bridge in autumn 1911. At 50 meters above the valley floor, it is one of the tallest bridges in New England. It was therefore not until October 1, 1875, before the 13.88 miles (22.34 km) long standard gauge line could be officially opened. Regular operations had already started two days earlier. The extension of the railway to Rutland was to be built by the Woodstock and Rutland Railroad , but this did not materialize.
Further development
The railway was never really lucrative and the company had to be reorganized several times, a common practice at the time in order to counter bankruptcies. In 1880 the name was retained, but on July 1, 1890, the company name was changed to Woodstock Railway . Ten years later, on August 11, 1900, the old name was left again.
Since none of the larger railway companies agreed to take over the railway and build the planned route to Rutland, it was finally shut down on April 15, 1933. The tracks were dismantled. The bridge over the Quechee Gorge and the route from White River Junction to it now serves US Highway 4 .
business
The timetable of September 27, 1913 provided for four weekday passenger trains in each direction, which would complete the route in 35 to 50 minutes.
The last timetable for the route, valid from August 1, 1932, only provided for one pair of trains that ran from Monday to Thursday.
Route description
The route begins at White River Junction station. It initially runs westwards directly next to the Windsor – Burlington railway line , but climbs steeply along the valley wall. After a few kilometers there is a tight bend over which the ridge is crossed. Today Interstate 89 runs along this ridge . The route now turns south, only to turn west again shortly before the Dewey's Mills stop. Immediately after the stop, the train crossed the Quechee Gorge on an 85-meter-long bridge. The tracks here were 50 meters above the valley floor. Like the entire route from White River Junction to this point, the bridge now carries US Highway 4 . Along the Ottauquechee River, the route now leads through the towns of Quechee and Taftsville to Woodstock, where the terminus of the route was on today's Maxham Meadow Way.
literature
- Robert C. Jones: Railroads of Vermont, Volume II. New England Press Inc., 1993. ISBN 978-1881535027 .
- Edgar T. Mead, Jr .: Over the Hills to Woodstock; the Saga of the Woodstock Railroad. Stephen Green Press. 1967.