Arlington, Vermont

Any cars ever get spotted in or near there anymore? I used to have a camp there, and there were two tracks of sidings, but they hadn't been used in some time.

I'm clueless as to whether or not the VTR even gets down there that often.

Thanks, in advance...

Dave Becker

Chuck Petlicks Web Site http://home.comcast.net/~petlick/VTRAIL.HTM
shows no customers at Arlington. I believe the VTR runs a train from Rutland to North Bennington once a week. Check out Chuck's web site for lots of information on the VRS system.

Dick

I didn't see that train on the list of symbols that VTR runs, but I'd expect something going south at some point. Even when my camp was there, towards the end, it didn't seem that there were many moves through Arington. When I was very young, it seemed that daily, something would run through the town.

I was wondering if they pulled the switches there, or if they are still in.

Thanks for the help...and I'd like to know if anyone can help.

Dave Becker

I drive along the VTR south of Rutland on a fairly regular basis, and am also wondering how far often they head south of RUT. Driving past, the rails don't look like they're in the "best" shape, nothing like other areas of VTR, especially north and southeast of Rutland. I have seen a collection of 12 boxcars stored in the area of Mt Tabor, along Route 7. Haven't seen a train yet though, that's not saying they don't run... just not as often as they do in other directions from Rutland.

-JH

I know that the VTR used to interchange in Hoosic, I think, but that was back in the days of the ALCOs...though I don't think I ever remember seeing anything but the same RS3. I remember that it would usually be a GP-38, I think, and I think once or twice, there was a SW1500 that ventured south, though I might be confusing that with my trip to Burlington.

In any case, in Arlington, I know Mack molding used to get cars, many many moons ago, even if they were from a team track, and I think there was a lumber company there that might have gotten cars.

I have an old Rutland timetable, though no track chart, and Arlington doesn't seem like a very important place, but I know that into the 80's, there were still two tracks of sidings off the main, and the one closest to the main looked to be in decent shape at the time.

Long after my family sold the camp, I think there was some new type of industry put in south of Arlington that I thought I heard had a spur, but I seem to be wrong, or confused, or otherwise foolish.

Dave Becker

VTR south of Rutland is definetly alive and well... today observed a SB train with about half a dozen cars heading south along Route 7, in the Wallingford/Mt Tabor area. Also, stopped by the N. Bennington station, which is in excellent condition, and observed various boxcars and such in the yard adjacent. There appears to be a grain facility which receives cars there. I'll have some pics posted later this evening on the NERAIL photo archives.

-JH

I think alot of their freight out of rutland goes down towards the ludlow area...theres a pretty big lash-up that heads out at least once a week out there with 3-5 engines on it usually around 9 am.

I read work was underway before winter set in to re-open the interchange with Pan Am at Hoosick Jct, so when that's completed you'll be seeing more traffic through there. I read that VRS will use that route for westbound CSX traffic and for the OMYA tanks trains that currently go by way of Bellows Falls.

Usually on Thursdays, there's a run to Bennington. I love getting stopped at the crossing on the highway part of Route 4.. Not a lot of cars, hardly see more that 6 attached.. There's some really rough track sections between Manchester to Danby, and some bridges are weak on that line from what I hear.. I saw VTR #310 making the run just the other day. There are a lot of non-signaled crossings on that route..

I don't remember too many that had actual signals back in the day, especially with so many roads that were little more than lumber access roads later turned into "real" roads. Big ones, certainly, did, like the road off of 7 that leads up to East Arlington. The Arlington Station was up there then, and for sale. Looked to be in good shape.

How many customers are still in Bennington?

Dave Becker

The line between Manchester and North Bennington has been seeing minor upgrades for years, but now that the reopening at the interchange at Hoosic Jct. seems to be turning into a reality, things have started to become more "modernized"

That antique cast iron cantiliever crossing signal at North Bennington bit the dust this past fall--replaced by a new aluminum installation. A few more crossings along the line have insulated gaps installed for future crossing protection, some of which was never there originally.

The crossing at Arlington still retains its antique cast iron crossing protection, but the remnants of the GRS Model 2A semaphore/gate mechanisims dissapeared a few years ago. I believe the crossing at East Wallingford still retains the mechs, although they've been out of service for years. I sincerely hope that someone is smart enough to grab these before they hit a dumpster. There are a few historian types on the VRS staff, so I'd like to think that the North Bennington stuff went to a nice home instead of onto a slow boat to a Chinese scrap yard.

I have to wonder if they're ever going to make life easier for the crews and rebuild the east leg of the wye as they did the west leg.

To answer the specific questions: The passing track at Arlington retains it's switches to the main line. The lumber company adjacent to this track has another branch in Manchester where it receives it's rail cars. I suspect Mack Moulding's siding is gone, but I can't really see from public access areas.

Here's an arial photo:
http://maps.live.com/#JnE9eXAuYXJsaW5nd ... NDY4NzU=aq

I would guess that the plastic company would be most likely to get plastic from the Albany area. VTR has been cut off from good rail access there for 20 years or so, blocked by B&M. (I might be wrong)

I rode the VTR passenger train from North Bennington to Manchester and back about 6 years ago. By sitting on one side up and the other down I can say there were no active sidings between North Bennington and Manchester. There is a very active customer in Manchester (maybe more than one) and a couple in North Bennington. At that time the line had been repaired pending rerouting Amtrak NYC to Rutland service. However, 3 years ago to town of Hoosick Falls had paved over a crossing north of the town (there has been no service between North Bennington and the junction with Pan Am since the early '90's) and Amtrak service is a pipe dream. I was in Manchester a year ago and the customer had a brand new MMA boxcar in the siding. Could be a lumber/hardware dealer. It would be great to see VTR service into Hoosick Falls, but customers are few and far between in southwestern Vermont.