Monochrome Monday
For Monochrome Monday here's a look at Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad job at Barre Transfer at about MP 3.2 on the WACR's Montpelier and Barre Division. They have just cut away from a cut of empties pulled from the NECR interchange yard at Montpelier Junction that they have temporarily set off on the old main.
GMRC 804 (a GP9r blt. Oct. 1955 as NW 13) and VTR 206 (a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38) are at this location which historically was known as Barre Transfer because it was where the rails of the Central Vermont, Barre Railroad and Montpelier and Wells River all met. The train arrived here via the nearly mile and a half stretch of trackage which was rebuilt on the former M&WR right of way four years ago (rails in lower right). This grade had been bereft of rails for 55 years when trains returned in 2021, and this was my first time photographing it. You can read more about why this happened here: vrs.us.com/reviving-a-historic-route-to-improve-service/non
The trackage coming in from the left where they left the empties is ex Central Vermont, first laid in 1875 when the 1849 branch into the capital city was extended to Barre. Out of sight is a track diverting to the right that once led another 35 miles east to a junction with the Boston & Maine / Canadian Pacific Conn River Mainline at Wells River. Opened in 1873, trains ran until November 1956 when the route was abandoned and the rails removed except for an 1800 ft stub on this end extending east from this switch to a couple long closed customer sidings in East Montpelier.
In 1957 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased the CV branch and he quickly consolidated it and the old Montpelier & Wells River (later Barre & Chelsea) routes between downtown Montpelier and Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for total abandonment, and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally settling on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025
Monochrome Monday
For Monochrome Monday here's a look at Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad job at Barre Transfer at about MP 3.2 on the WACR's Montpelier and Barre Division. They have just cut away from a cut of empties pulled from the NECR interchange yard at Montpelier Junction that they have temporarily set off on the old main.
GMRC 804 (a GP9r blt. Oct. 1955 as NW 13) and VTR 206 (a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38) are at this location which historically was known as Barre Transfer because it was where the rails of the Central Vermont, Barre Railroad and Montpelier and Wells River all met. The train arrived here via the nearly mile and a half stretch of trackage which was rebuilt on the former M&WR right of way four years ago (rails in lower right). This grade had been bereft of rails for 55 years when trains returned in 2021, and this was my first time photographing it. You can read more about why this happened here: vrs.us.com/reviving-a-historic-route-to-improve-service/non
The trackage coming in from the left where they left the empties is ex Central Vermont, first laid in 1875 when the 1849 branch into the capital city was extended to Barre. Out of sight is a track diverting to the right that once led another 35 miles east to a junction with the Boston & Maine / Canadian Pacific Conn River Mainline at Wells River. Opened in 1873, trains ran until November 1956 when the route was abandoned and the rails removed except for an 1800 ft stub on this end extending east from this switch to a couple long closed customer sidings in East Montpelier.
In 1957 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased the CV branch and he quickly consolidated it and the old Montpelier & Wells River (later Barre & Chelsea) routes between downtown Montpelier and Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for total abandonment, and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally settling on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025