What I found in Vermont

I came back from my rail trip to Vermont when my wife ran out of quilting funds. I would like to thank those New England rail fans for their suggestions. I first visited Chester to photograph the station and was pleasantly surprised when a freight went by, though I was quite surprised by the lead unit which turned out to be an ex Sanat Fe in blue and gold with the Santa Fe logo intact. Next I went to White River Junction where I saw Amtrak, Green Mountain, an RS 1 and a Geep, a GP 38-2, I think, and New England Central. That is some fine station for what is a pretty small town but I guess it was built when the place was booming some decades long past. We stayed at the Hotel Coolidge which seems to have been a favorite of rail workers at one time. Now, that building is something else. It was like staying in the Smithsonian. I don't think they have changed a thing in that building since before the first diesel was invented. Our room even had a bottle opener mounted on the wall. What was really scarey was that it all looked familiar to me, a technology long gone from the Western World but still being used in Bagladesh, Botswana and White River Junction. What I found sad, though, is that the town itself looked as though it has fallen on hard times. Many of the buildings were run down, vacant and it seemed that many properties were for sale and had been for some time. If Hollywood is looking for a location for a sequel to the Grapes of Wrath, this is it. It also looked like some of the state's famed summer excursion trains may not have been running regularly, that is acording to nearby shop owners who seemed to be unsure about this summer's schedule. I hope that they just were not paying attention to running times. Thanks again, if my wife runs out of fabric, or maple syrup, i'll try to get to Rutland.

Actually White River Junction (WRJ) has improved over the last 3 - 4 years. The area across the tracks from the Coolidge Hotel has just been finished and as added office space and some lofts. The old Post Office across from the Coolidge also has several lofts for sale. Not sure if they have sold. The nude bar burnt down, leaving a big hole but the town is better off. Most of the growth has been across the river in West Lebanon/Lebanon NH.

The rail yard used to be on both the NH and VT side of the river but now it’s just on the VT side. There is a short spur going into Lebanon but the rest of the track is a rail-trail.

I did see a crew shoring up the old rail bridge just outside of Lebanon. No track but it looks like they are keeping the ROW open.

kevikens wrote: What I found sad, though, is that the town itself looked as though it has fallen on hard times. Many of the buildings were run down, vacant and it seemed that many properties were for sale and had been for some time. If Hollywood is looking for a location for a sequel to the Grapes of Wrath, this is it.

Sadly, that's quite true. White River Junction isn't what it used to be, either from a railroading or a commercial perspective. As Mr. Mike wrote, most of the big retail businesses these days are across the river in Lebanon, NH, where taxes are lower, and efforts to revive downtown WRJ as a tourist center have so far largely fallen short. There's a nice visitor's center in the railroad station but it's far enough off I-89 and I-91 that it doesn't get much traffic. At least the Polka Dot Diner survives!

Not in White River Junction. Catamount was bought by Harpoon and they built a larger brewery in Windsor a few miles south.

To get an idea of just what was at White River Junction lets say a little over 50 years ago, 1956 to be exact. On the Boston
and Maine side the yard was active 24/7 and was south of the station and I think at least some of it is still intact although
there is no longer an office there. The engine terminal was across the Connecticut River in West Lebanon (Westboro), NH
and this was also active around the clock.
On the Central Vermont side the yard was just northwest of the station and so was the engine terminal which had a big
concrete coal tower and a decent roundhouse which was also active 24/7. The best thing about the CV in 1956 was the
presence of steam power, the passenger trains north of WRJ were practically all steam as were at least some of the local
freights and occasionally through freights were too. Often there was an extra from St. Albans to White River Junction and
return and that was practically always steam powered.
Finally the passenger station which was active around the clock too. About six round trips daily between White River Junction and both Boston via Concord and Springfield via Brattleboro. Three trains daily north on the Central Vermont, Three
or four trains north on the Boston and Maine two of which would go to Montreal via the Canadian Pacific from Wells River and the other two would stay on the Boston and Maine to Berlin, NH. In the summer there was more service especially to
the White Mountains from both Boston and New York. The ticket office was open at all times as was the station restaurant
and there were wagons of Railway Express shipments all over the place and headed everywhere in the area and beyond.
There was a station switcher much of the time too because cars needed to be switched between trains. Some of the time
the station was switched by a Boston and Maine switcher and other times by a Central Vermont switcher.
Finally the Coolidge, busy at that time and still there. I would not hesistate to stay there again if I were to be traveling in
that area. This has been a great place for both railroad employees and railroad travelers for a good many years.
Even after things went downhill in the early 60's there was still a four way meet with a train from Boston, New York, Montreal
via the Central Vermont and Montreal via the Canadian Pacific all meeting at the same time, I'll bet you remember that, Tom. The Boston - Montreal via the CPR was through Budd Cars in each direction but the New York - Montreal trains via
Central Vermont/Canadian National were still through trains with engines and coaches right up till the bitter end in
September, 1966 thanks to the McGinnis management of the Boston and Maine. This train ran through both ways but it
changed engines with the CV providing a really neat and spotless GP-9 and the B & M providing a pair of ancient F units
that were often run down and quite dirty.
Finally if you are able to, find yourself a Boston and Maine timetable from lets say 1956 or so and just read through it to
discover what a true railroad town White River Junction was at that time. OH! what wonderful memories.
Noel Weaver

Beer wise, not casting any dispursions on Noel ...OK, I guess.

Harpoon, on tap at least, has a nice spicy flavour.

I do remember going on a Mass Bay RRE trip up to White River Junction and having a tour of the Brewery.

The only trouble was when I showed up, no one was there, but the taps & cups. It was a nice trip back to Boston....

TomNelligan wrote:At least the Polka Dot Diner survives!

Did you eat here? Every time I head up to WRJ I eat here.

Noel, I guess the "hub" concept used by airlines must have had its roots with the railroads of White River Jct.
I know that the VT Transit bus line also once had a hub there, but Greyhound took over full control of VT and service was cut way back on the bus side as well. Too bad the rail and bus couldn't have been coordinated - maybe WRJ would still have been a passenger hub today.

I'm old enough to remember the early 60's at WRJ. Things had already started to deterioate. In '61, just before entering college, I took a RT Lowell, MA to WRJ. Consist, a B&M RDC2 and and RDC 1. By then, I believe the Red Wing and the Alouette were history.

Rockingham Racer wrote:I'm old enough to remember the early 60's at WRJ. Things had already started to deterioate. In '61, just before entering college, I took a RT Lowell, MA to WRJ. Consist, a B&M RDC2 and and RDC 1. By then, I believe the Red Wing and the Alouette were history.

I don't recall whether it was still called the "Alouette" or not but in 1961 the day train still operated between Boston and
Montreal via White River Junction and the CP from Wells River. It was Budd RDC equipment by then, probably an RDC-2 at
least north of White River Junction. I will have to check back as to just what year I rode that line but I think it might have
been after 1961.
The "Red Wing" which was the night train came off somewhat earlier, maybe around 1958 or 1959, McGinnis when he was
running the B & M destroyed passenger service on that railroad although some of it was beyond hope, some of it had
potential but he wanted none of it.
Noel Weaver

The Polka Dot Diner was sadly closed and for sale when I visited WRJ last month on Father's Day mid-morning. I'm not sure if it was completely closed or it was just that it was that Sunday but I thought I recalled eating there before on a Sunday.

NHOwl wrote:The Polka Dot Diner was sadly closed and for sale when I visited WRJ last month on Father's Day mid-morning. I'm not sure if it was completely closed or it was just that it was that Sunday but I thought I recalled eating there before on a Sunday.

It would be horrible to see it go. I went on a Sunday earlier in the year and they closed at around 12 I believe. But they may have been closed for father's day.

NHOwl wrote:The Polka Dot Diner was sadly closed and for sale when I visited WRJ last month on Father's Day mid-morning.

Another sign of the impending collapse of Western civilzation, I guess! It was a neat place to go for 5 AM breakfasts while awaiting the northbound Montrealer years ago. For those who haven't seen it, the Polka Dot is/was a classic old diner located basically next door to the White River Junction station and about 15 feet from the CV/NEC track.

It was closed by 6:00 PM on Tues. evening and, yes it has a for sale sign on the window but it was open at 6:30 AM on Weds. I ate at the nearby bakery, though.