Short Timer Bridge
GMCR GP9 804 and VTR GP40-2 307 are at MP 3.15 on Washington County Railroad's M&B Division crossing the Winooski River with a handful of empty gons destined for the top of The Hill at Websterville for loadout at Northeast Materials granite quarry.
The particular rails this train is on are ex Central Vermont, first laid in 1875 when the 1849 branch into the capital city was extended to Barre. In 1957 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased them and he quickly consolidated the parallel CV and old Montpelier & Wells River (later Barre &Chelsea) routes between this point at Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for abandonment and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally setting on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
But changes are coming to this location. Sometime within 5 to 6 weeks of this photo the last train will pass over these rails, and in a strange twist of fate a little over a mile of the old Montpelier & Barre (ex Barre & Chelsea, nee Montpelier & Wells River) will be coming to life. From about the point where I am standing, once known as Barre Transfer (where the CV, M&WRR mainline and Barre railroad branch to the quarries all met), west a little over a mile toward Montpelier rails are being relayed on the old right of way that was torn up in 1958 shortly after the M&B bought the CV branch.
Consequently a bit over a mile of the old CV including the bridge that this train is on, will be abandoned and removed. The purpose is to eliminate two aging bridges over the Winooski River, this one and a thru girder bridge to the west. Both of these ex CV bridges are at the end of life and arein need of major repairs to continue to safely support heavy loads of granite coming down from the quarries. It was determined to be cheaper for VTR to purchase the old RofW and relay the rails along the north side of the river than it would be to repair or replace the two bridges.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday April 24, 2020
Short Timer Bridge
GMCR GP9 804 and VTR GP40-2 307 are at MP 3.15 on Washington County Railroad's M&B Division crossing the Winooski River with a handful of empty gons destined for the top of The Hill at Websterville for loadout at Northeast Materials granite quarry.
The particular rails this train is on are ex Central Vermont, first laid in 1875 when the 1849 branch into the capital city was extended to Barre. In 1957 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased them and he quickly consolidated the parallel CV and old Montpelier & Wells River (later Barre &Chelsea) routes between this point at Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for abandonment and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally setting on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
But changes are coming to this location. Sometime within 5 to 6 weeks of this photo the last train will pass over these rails, and in a strange twist of fate a little over a mile of the old Montpelier & Barre (ex Barre & Chelsea, nee Montpelier & Wells River) will be coming to life. From about the point where I am standing, once known as Barre Transfer (where the CV, M&WRR mainline and Barre railroad branch to the quarries all met), west a little over a mile toward Montpelier rails are being relayed on the old right of way that was torn up in 1958 shortly after the M&B bought the CV branch.
Consequently a bit over a mile of the old CV including the bridge that this train is on, will be abandoned and removed. The purpose is to eliminate two aging bridges over the Winooski River, this one and a thru girder bridge to the west. Both of these ex CV bridges are at the end of life and arein need of major repairs to continue to safely support heavy loads of granite coming down from the quarries. It was determined to be cheaper for VTR to purchase the old RofW and relay the rails along the north side of the river than it would be to repair or replace the two bridges.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday April 24, 2020