Woodstock Railway

The Woodstock Railway is a former railway company in Vermont (United States).

History

Prehistory

Already on 26 October 1847, the company had been founded as Woodstock Railroad in Vermont. She intended to connect the town of Woodstock with the rail network, with an east-west connection from the Connecticut River about Quechee, Woodstock and Bridgewater to Rutland, where it should connect to the Rutland and Burlington Railroad. The construction was not started because it could be applied not enough money. The railway construction project was part of a planned connection from Portland ( Maine ) to Chicago, which was never realized.

It was not until 1863, after the founding of the operation was renewed on 30 October of the year, began the construction preparations. Now they had decided, however, first connect the city only to the Vermont Central Railroad, which was opened in 1849. The main railway station in White River Junction, where already met three routes, should also take this path.

Construction

The topographic situation did not allow rapid construction of the line. First, had the mountain ridge between White River and Ottauquechee River, which Shallies Hill, to be crossed. At Quechee the planned route led through a ravine. First one built here a Trestle, replaced it but in the autumn of 1911 by a steel arch bridge. With 50 meters above the valley floor, it is one of the highest bridges in New England. It was therefore not until October 1, 1875 before the 13.88 miles ( 22.34 km ) long was officially opened standard gauge track. Just two days before the regular operation had been taken. The extension of the railway to be built by the Rutland Woodstock and Rutland Railroad, but this did not materialize.

Further development

The railway was never really lucrative and the company had to repeatedly be restructured as a common practice at that time to meet insolvencies. 1880 was maintained for a name, on July 1, 1890, however, we changed the company name in Woodstock Railway. Again, ten years later, on August 11, 1900 you left it again with the old name.

Since none of the larger railway companies willing declared to take over the web and to build the planned route to Rutland, one finally laid it quietly on April 15, 1933. The tracks were dismantled. The bridge over the Quechee Gorge and the route from White River Junction to serve there today U.S. Highway 4

Operation

The schedule from September 27, 1913 saw each direction to four weekday passenger trains that went through the course in 35 to 50 minutes.

The final schedule of the route, valid from 1 August 1932 saw only a pair of trains before, the wrong from Monday to Thursday.

Route description

The route starts in White River Junction Railway. It runs first westward next to the railway line Windsor Burlington, rises steeply along the valley wall, however, to. After a few kilometers is followed by a tight curve, over which the comb is crossed. Today runs on this mountain ridge Interstate 89 The route now turns to the south in order to turn westbound just before the breakpoint Dewey 's Mills. Immediately after the breakpoint crossed the track on a 85 -meter-long bridge, the Quechee Gorge. The tracks here were 50 meters above the valley floor. Like the entire route from White River Junction to here, the bridge now bears the U.S. Highway 4 along the Ottauquechee River, the route now through the towns of Quechee and Taftsville to Woodstock, where the terminus of the route was on today Maxham Meadow Way.