Vermont Railway
Encyclopedia
The Vermont Railway is a shortline railroad
in Vermont
and eastern New York
, operating much of the former Rutland Railway. It is the main part of the Vermont Rail System, which also owns the Green Mountain Railroad
, the Rutland's branch to Bellows Falls. The trackage is owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation
except in New York, where VTR operates a line owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation.
shut it down in October 1961. The state purchased the main line south of Burlington, as well as a branch to Bennington, and the new Vermont Railway, incorporated in October 1963, began operations in January 1964. The company's first president was Jay Wulfson, who came from the Middletown and New Jersey Railroad.
During the early years of the Vermont Railway, a great deal of energy and money was expended replacing the old locomotives and rolling stock the railroad had inherited from the Rutland, buying several locomotives, both new and used, as well as leasing several hundred freight cars. The railroad continued to expand, entering the intermodal business in 1965, and acquiring the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad in 1972, which gave VTR access to a major limestone plant near Florence, VT. VTR retained the Clarendon and Pittsford name as a separate legal entity operating the acquired trackage. In the late 1970s, despite the deaths of several senior officials, including Wulfson, the railroad earned more than $2 million in revenues for the first time, although net earnings remained much lower, at about $20,000 a year, all of which was put back towards improving the railroad.
In 1982, VTR paid back the State of Vermont for the trackage the State bought in 1964 to allow VTR to begin operations. A year later, VTR bought a 24-mile stretch of track between Rutland and New York
from the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and assigned it to its Clarendon and Pittsford subsidiary. The track was severely deteriorated at the time of purchase, with track speeds as low as six miles an hour over the entire line. During the first years after the purchase, a major rehabilitation project was begun, upgrading the roadbed as well as the track and ties. Since the line was brought up to better standards, Whitehall has become a major interchange point between VTR and the D&H (now Canadian Pacific after their acquisition of the D&H).
In 1997, the Vermont Railway purchased the Green Mountain Railroad
, which ran from Rutland to Bellows Falls
. This led to the formation of an umbrella company, named the Vermont Rail System, which owned both railroads, as well as several other shortlines in Vermont and New York.
VTR plans to construct a new 3.3 miles (5.3 km) spur line in Middlebury, Vermont to serve a quarry. In early 2011, the Vermont Rail System created a new subsidiary railroad called the Otter Creek Railroad to purchase land and construct trackage in preparation for construction to begin in early 2013, with a late 2014 completion date.
passenger train, the Ethan Allen Express
. VTR moves large amounts of stone products from quarries in western Vermont, largely limestone
in the form of slurry from OMYA
mines above Rutland. VTR also moves a great deal of petroleum products into Vermont, including unit train
s of fuel oil from Albany, New York
, to Burlington.
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and eastern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, operating much of the former Rutland Railway. It is the main part of the Vermont Rail System, which also owns the Green Mountain Railroad
Green Mountain Railroad
The Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont.GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire and Rutland, Vermont. Corporate colors are green...
, the Rutland's branch to Bellows Falls. The trackage is owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation
Vermont Agency of Transportation
The Vermont Agency of Transportation is a Vermont executive agency . Its purpose is to develop and execute policy on transportation for the U.S. state of Vermont. The agency was created in 1979 by combining the departments of Highway, Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics and Public Transit...
except in New York, where VTR operates a line owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation.
History
The Rutland Railway was the only north-south line through western Vermont, but a strikeStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
shut it down in October 1961. The state purchased the main line south of Burlington, as well as a branch to Bennington, and the new Vermont Railway, incorporated in October 1963, began operations in January 1964. The company's first president was Jay Wulfson, who came from the Middletown and New Jersey Railroad.
During the early years of the Vermont Railway, a great deal of energy and money was expended replacing the old locomotives and rolling stock the railroad had inherited from the Rutland, buying several locomotives, both new and used, as well as leasing several hundred freight cars. The railroad continued to expand, entering the intermodal business in 1965, and acquiring the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad in 1972, which gave VTR access to a major limestone plant near Florence, VT. VTR retained the Clarendon and Pittsford name as a separate legal entity operating the acquired trackage. In the late 1970s, despite the deaths of several senior officials, including Wulfson, the railroad earned more than $2 million in revenues for the first time, although net earnings remained much lower, at about $20,000 a year, all of which was put back towards improving the railroad.
In 1982, VTR paid back the State of Vermont for the trackage the State bought in 1964 to allow VTR to begin operations. A year later, VTR bought a 24-mile stretch of track between Rutland and New York
Whitehall (village), New York
Whitehall is a village located in the town of Whitehall in Washington County, New York, USA. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
from the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and assigned it to its Clarendon and Pittsford subsidiary. The track was severely deteriorated at the time of purchase, with track speeds as low as six miles an hour over the entire line. During the first years after the purchase, a major rehabilitation project was begun, upgrading the roadbed as well as the track and ties. Since the line was brought up to better standards, Whitehall has become a major interchange point between VTR and the D&H (now Canadian Pacific after their acquisition of the D&H).
In 1997, the Vermont Railway purchased the Green Mountain Railroad
Green Mountain Railroad
The Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont.GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire and Rutland, Vermont. Corporate colors are green...
, which ran from Rutland to Bellows Falls
Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2000 census...
. This led to the formation of an umbrella company, named the Vermont Rail System, which owned both railroads, as well as several other shortlines in Vermont and New York.
VTR plans to construct a new 3.3 miles (5.3 km) spur line in Middlebury, Vermont to serve a quarry. In early 2011, the Vermont Rail System created a new subsidiary railroad called the Otter Creek Railroad to purchase land and construct trackage in preparation for construction to begin in early 2013, with a late 2014 completion date.
Traffic
The Vermont Railway moves a wide variety of freight, as well as playing host to an AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
passenger train, the Ethan Allen Express
Ethan Allen Express
The Ethan Allen Express is a 241-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Rutland, Vermont, via Albany. The total trip is scheduled to be completed in 5.5 hours. Its operations are subsidized by the State of Vermont, and the train is popular among vacationers travelling...
. VTR moves large amounts of stone products from quarries in western Vermont, largely limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the form of slurry from OMYA
Omya
Omya is a privately owned global producer of industrial minerals, mainly fillers and pigments derived from calcium carbonate, and a worldwide distributor of chemical products. The company's major markets are paper, plastics, coatings and adhesives....
mines above Rutland. VTR also moves a great deal of petroleum products into Vermont, including unit train
Unit train
A unit train, also called a block train, is a railway train in which all the cars making it up are shipped from the same origin to the same destination, without being split up or stored en route...
s of fuel oil from Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, to Burlington.
Fleet
As of October 2005, the Vermont Railway's fleet consisted of:| Number | Type | Power | Manufacturer and date manufactured |
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| EMD GP38 An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated .... |
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| EMD GP40 The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971... |
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| EMD GP18 An EMD GP18 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1959 and November 1963. Power was provided by an EMD 567D1 16-cylinder engine which generated... |
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