Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway ( CV) is a former railway company in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut (United States), as well as in the province of Québec ( Canada). It existed as an independent company of 1843 until 1995.
- 3.1 Notes and references
- 3.2 Literature
- 3.3 External links
History
Prehistory
The company was first established on 31 October 1843 Vermont Central Railroad (VCR). They planned to build a railroad across the state of Vermont, and thereby to bind also the capital of Montpelier. As lying in the middle of federal Green Mountains constitute a natural barrier, you had to choose a path that led around by these mountains. They opted for a route in the valley of the White River and the Winooski River. At the point where the White River flowed into the Connecticut River, which forms the border to New Hampshire, southeastern end point should be. In Burlington, where the Winooski River flows into Lake Champlain, the new route was to find its northwestern end point.
Construction of the network
Construction began in 1843 still from White River Junction from. Meanwhile, other tracks were under construction, should also end there. The Northern Railroad was opened in 1847 and joined the junction with Concord. Also from the south, in the valley of the Connecticut River, the railway builders penetrated ever further. At the same time the railway was built to the northwest hence the construction in a southerly direction took place. On the western shore of the Connecticut River were built against the Sullivan County Railroad, which reached the state border between Vermont and New Hampshire to Windsor on 5 February 1849. Eight days later, closing the gap between Windsor and White River Junction went into operation. The section of the state border to White River Junction belonged to the Vermont Central. In the same year we also continued the construction in Burlington direction and continued on December 31, 1849 finally went the remaining distance to its final stop in Burlington operation. The entire railway Windsor Burlington, including the branch to Montpelier, had a length of 192 km. Montpelier could not be connected by the solid line, as the city was in a tributary of the Winooski River. They built a track triangle and the passing trains that stopped in Montpelier, there had to change direction.
Further development
Even before the completion of the main line to Burlington leased the VCR on August 24, 1849, the Vermont and Canada Railroad for 50 years. It had been founded on 31 October 1845, planned a route that would branch off in Essex Junction from the VCR main line and northward should lead to Rouses Point, New York. It was opened in 1851. There was also a branch line to the Canadian border, to the north, the Montreal and Vermont Junction Railroad joined. This route took in Canada to St. Johns ( now St. -Jean -sur- Richelieu) and was commissioned in the early 1860s. From the beginning, the VCR had leased the track and continued the business. On the route of the Grand Trunk Railway between St. John's and Saint Lambert was a shared right. The Stanstead, Shefford and Chambly Railroad with its branch line from St. Johns to Waterloo in 1861 leased. This railway extended the VCR in the 1880s to Sherbrooke. On 31 October 1923, the CV leased the line to the Canadian National Railway.
In the following years the VCR expanded its network, especially to the south and west. This was achieved not by new buildings, but by lease agreements that have been concluded with several railway companies. Some of these contracts were terminated, however, after a few years. So it was from 1866 to 1876 into a lease agreement with the Sullivan County Railroad ( Route Windsor VT Bellows Falls VT). From 1 March 1870 to 1878 and again from June 1st 1886 to September 27th 1901 was a contract with the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad ( Route Rouses Point NY - Ogdensburg NY, including branch lines ). The Rutland Railroad, which operated an extensive network in the southwest of the state, was from 1 January 1871 to May 7, 1896 the control of the VCR, which in turn was renamed on November 2, 1872 in Central Vermont Railroad. The Ogdensburg & Lake Champlain and the Rutland Railroad were leased in equal parts by the VCR and the Vermont & Canada.
On 1 December 1871, the VCR leased the New London Northern Railroad, whose main line from New London to Brattleboro led. Moreover, had this path own leases on some branch lines, including from February 1880 about the narrow- West River Railroad. With this contract, the VCR expanded its operation from the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
A branch line from St. Albans to Richford had been built by the Missisquoi Railroad, from December 24, 1886 Missisquoi Valley Railroad. The CV leased this track on from its opening on 1 July 1873, led the operation. In Richford consisted transition to the Missisquoi and Clyde Rivers Railroad, which later became under the control of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Although the lease agreement on 15 November 1877 already dissolved, a new treaty was concluded on June 30, 1888. The Missisquoi Valley came into the possession of the CV on April 15, 1899. From 1 December 1873 to 1877, the CV leased the Harlem Extension Railroad, whose route from Rutland to the south led to Chatham, where connection was to the Boston and Albany Railroad. It was later taken over by the Rutland Railroad.
The short spur route to Montpelier was first extended by the Montpelier and White River Railroad to the southeast to Barre. From the foundation of this path to the CV had leased it. Later, the CV extended this distance to Williamstown. The final merger with the Company took place on 9 December 1891., Montreal, Portland and Boston Railway, the route of Saint Lambert (later Montreal ) led about Marienville to West Farnham, was leased from 1877. It was later extended by Frelighsburg.
After financial problems acquired on 30 June 1884, the Consolidated Railway of Vermont CV, which was leased back to the Central Vermont Railroad on the following day. At the same time the merger took place with the leased since 1849 Vermont and Canada Railroad. 1885 finally leased to the whole of society to the Grand Trunk Railway, which acquired the property of the web on March 20, 1896, was merged into the Canadian National Railway on 20 January 1923.
1888 or 1889 was the CV nor the Burlington and Lamoille Valley Railroad, with its route Essex Junction Cambridge Junction lease before they got into financial problems again. For the sake of simplification of administrative CV therefore merged on 29 September 1898 and the Montreal & Vermont Junction, the Missisquoi Valley Railroad, which was in 1886 emerged from the Missisquoi Railroad, with the Montreal, Portland and Boston, as well as the Burlington & Lamoille Valley Railroad. On 18 November of the same year, the Central Vermont Railway Company was founded, the Central Vermont Railroad bought on 1 May 1899.
After the takeover of the Grand Trunk by the Canadian National Railway initially calm returned to the business structure. When in November 1927, floods destroyed large parts of the CV mainline and several branch lines in southern Vermont, extensive financial resources had to be mobilized. The state of Vermont took part in it, though some tracks were no longer economical. Nevertheless, most routes were reopened in February 1928. Resulting from these construction projects as well as from the global economic crisis renewed financial problems meant that the railway company was acquired on January 31, 1930 by the Central Vermont Railway Inc., founded on July 30, 1929. In addition, certain subsidiaries were transferred to the ownership of that company who were independent until then. These were the Central Vermont Terminal, Central Vermont Airways, Central Vermont warehouse, cents Mont Corporation and Brooksay Realty.
1951 was the merger with the last leased Society, the New London Northern Railroad, instead. For U.S. standards rather late ended in 1957 with the completion of Verdieselung the scheduled use of steam locomotives. In 1971, the Canadian National Railway sold its lying in the U.S. track pieces to the Grand Trunk Corporation, including large parts of the CV network.
After the Amtrak, which performs remote passenger transport in the United States, its Express Montreal had to stop due to the poor track position on the former Vermont Valley Railroad, it acquired this route and sold it on September 9, 1988, to the CV. The track has been renewed and the passenger was resumed. On 4 February 1995, the Grand Trunk Corporation sold the CV to local investors, the umgründeten society in New England Central Railroad.
Today the network of CV consist of only the mainline New London - White River Junction - Burlington, including the branch to Montpelier, and the former Vermont & Canada from Essex Junction to East Alburgh. The New England Central Railroad also operates former GT line of East Alburgh after Cantic (Québec). Passenger is on the main route between Amherst ( Massachusetts ) and St. Albans (Vermont ) through the Amtrak Vermonter whose express daily on the relation Washington -St. Albans wrong.
Passenger on the CV- trunk route
The schedule from September 28, 1913 saw on weekdays and four on Sundays before two trains that ran between White River Junction and Montreal. They led some coaches coming from Boston and New York. Another train perverse daily from White River Junction to St. Albans. Between Windsor and White River Junction perverted seven weekday and three Sunday trains. On the section went to Burlington after all trains of the mainline commuter trains. Overall wrong here eleven trains on weekdays and five on Sundays. The change in direction, which was completed by the passage of trains beginning in Montpelier, had already given way to an operation by commuter trains, the connections of the main line trains were waiting in Montpelier Junction and partly drove to Barre. The travel time from Windsor to Burlington was 4 to 5.5 hours. For the distance from Essex Junction to St -Jean you needed about two hours. Between St. Albans and Rouse 's Point wrong on weekdays three pairs of trains that sailed the route in 55 to 80 minutes.
According to the timetable of 15 January 1934, was at that time from Windsor, three daily trains to Montreal as well as a weekday train to St. Albans and a weekday train which traveled only to White River Junction. After Montpelier wrong eight weekday and six Sunday shuttle trains, which all went to Barre. The section Essex Junction Burlington was served in the rail replacement bus service with buses that went to the trains in the port. The travel time from Windsor to Burlington and St. -Jean had not changed since 1913. Between St. Albans and Alburgh wrong with a factory daily passenger pair that sailed the route in 37 minutes.
The Roadmap from October 25, 1964 three long-distance trains are included which operated on the former CV- trunk route. The Ambassador frequented daily on the route New York -Montreal and led through coaches from Boston. The Vermonter commuted daily between White River Junction and St. Albans and Montreal ( in north), or Washingtonian ( in the south) ran between Washington and Montreal. The travel time from Windsor to Essex Junction was between 2.5 and 3.5 hours, with only the Ambassador held in Windsor. The sections to Montpelier, Burlington, to the Canadian border at Highgate Springs and between East Alburgh and Rouse 's Point were no longer operated.
2007 reversed the Vermonter between Washington and St. Albans. He needed to haul Windsor -St. Albans about three hours. In Essex Junction is connected to a bus to and from Burlington.