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.jpg) A boxcar of the Rutland Railroad, now preserved at theStrasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Reporting mark | RUT |
| Locale | New York andVermont |
| Dates of operation | 1843–1963 (not operated 1961-1963) |
| Successor | Vermont Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
TheRutland Railroad (reporting markRUT) was arailroad in thenortheasternUnited States, located primarily in the state ofVermont but extending into the state ofNew York at both its northernmost and southernmost ends. After its closure in 1961, parts of the railroad were taken over by the State of Vermont in early 1963 and are now operated by theVermont Railway.[1]
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The earliest predecessor of the Rutland Railroad was the Rutland & Burlington Railroad (R&B), chartered in 1843 by the state of Vermont to construct a line betweenRutland andBurlington. In 1855, when the Vermont legislature established the office of state railroad commissioner to oversee railway construction, maintenance, and operations, the first appointee wasCharles Linsley, who served as counsel to R&B and was a member of its board of directors.[2] Several other railroads were formed in the region during this period, and by 1867 R&B had been renamed the Rutland Railroad.[3]
From 1871 to 1896, the Rutland Railroad was leased to theCentral Vermont Railway (CV), regaining its independence after CV entered receivership. TheNew York Central Railroad (NYCRR) acquired a controlling interest in the Rutland in 1904 but sold half of its shares to theNew York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1911.
In 1901, the Rutland completed construction of a series of causeways and trestles acrossLake Champlain through the Champlain Islands ofSouth Hero andNorth Hero, creating a direct connection between Burlington andRouses Point, New York. This project provided the railroad with independent access toCanada, avoiding reliance on CV trackage. Both railroads shared the bridge over theRichelieu River at Rouses Point by means of agauntlet track, which allowed alternating use by trains without switches and limited occupancy to one train at a time.[4][5]
The Rutland Railroad also operated a line from Rutland southeast toBellows Falls on theConnecticut River, oppositeNorth Walpole, New Hampshire. This line remains in operation under theVermont Railway (VTR). Another line extended south from Rutland toNorth Bennington and onward toChatham, New York. Chatham served as a significant junction, providing connections via NYCRR to New York City and via theBoston & Albany Railroad (B&A) to Massachusetts. The branch between North Bennington and Chatham was abandoned in 1953 and had been the first Rutland division to lose passenger service, in 1931.[6]
The railroad operated a daytime passenger train known as theGreen Mountain Flyer and a nighttime counterpart, theMount Royal, which ran betweenMontreal andNew York City via Burlington and Rutland.
Freight traffic on the Rutland Railroad was dominated by dairy products, particularly milk. At its maximum extent, the system comprised approximately 400 miles (640 km) of route, forming an inverted L-shape extending from Chatham north toAlburgh, Vermont, and west toOgdensburg, New York on theSt. Lawrence River. The northernmost terminus was located atNoyan, Quebec. In 1925, the railroad reported 259 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 38 million passenger-miles over 413 miles (665 km) of road and 559 miles (900 km) of track. By 1960, traffic levels had declined to 182 million ton-miles over 391 route-miles and 476 track-miles.
The Rutland Railroad enteredreceivership for the first time in 1938 following prolonged financial instability. In response, the company implemented cost-cutting measures, including wage reductions. The financial condition of the railroad remained sufficiently severe that, in March 1939, the State of Vermont agreed to suspend the company's tax obligations for two years in an effort to support its recovery.[7]
A temporary increase in traffic duringWorld War II produced a short-lived improvement in revenues. Following the war, however, declining traffic resumed and intensified, leading to renewed pressure to reduce operating costs.[8] As part of these efforts, the Chatham Division betweenNorth Bennington, Vermont andChatham, New York was abandoned and dismantled in 1953. This segment, characterized by numerous curves and long regarded as unprofitable, had provided connections with NYCRR'sHarlem Division and B&A at Chatham. Following its removal, Rutland freight traffic was rerouted via NYCRR connections atTroy, New York.[9]
A corporate reorganization in 1950 resulted in the railroad being renamed the Rutland Railway. In 1953, a three-weekstrike by employees led to the permanent discontinuation of passenger service. That same year, the railroad removed all remaining steam locomotives from active service; they were subsequently scrapped by 1955 to generate additional revenue.[10]
In early 1961, following additional labor disputes that included demands for wage increases the company stated it could not sustain, the Rutland applied to theInterstate Commerce Commission for authority to abandon its entire system. Approval was granted, and operations ceased later that year, although formal abandonment had not yet occurred. The labor disputes stemmed in part from proposed operating changes that would have shifted the railroad's operational center from Rutland to Burlington, requiring employee relocation and extending crew run times through the introduction of overnight layovers. Under previous operating practices, crews typically completed round trips between Rutland and Burlington orBellows Falls within a single day, as well as runs betweenMalone, New York andOgdensburg.[11]
In 1961, the State of Vermont petitioned the bankruptcy court to delay liquidation of the railroad for scrap value. The court granted the state two years to identify a new operator in order to preserve the possibility of continued rail service. When no private operator was secured, the state purchased substantial portions of the line in 1963.[12] Following formal abandonment in 1963, much of the remaining right-of-way, track, and facilities were acquired by the State of Vermont through the bankruptcy proceedings. A 132.4-mile segment betweenUnion Station in Burlington andNorwood, New York, via the Champlain Islands,Alburgh,Rouses Point, and Malone, was closed in 1961, formally abandoned in 1963, and dismantled in 1964.[13] The removal of this segment left Malone without rail service, following the earlier abandonment of the northern portion of NYCRR'sAdirondack Division through the village in 1960.[14]
The westernmost 26 miles of the Rutland's Ogdensburg Division, between Ogdensburg and Norwood, remain in service and are operated by VTR. As a result, all remaining former Rutland trackage is now operated by a single company. Ownership of the former roadbed between Norwood and Burlington has since been dispersed. Portions have been converted to recreationalrail trail use, including a 21-mile segment between Norwood andMoira that forms part of the multi-useRutland Trail. Other former sections have been incorporated into the Hudson & Delaware, Corkscrew, and Alburgh Recreation rail trails, respectively.
Passenger service returned to the Rutland–Burlington route in 2022, whenAmtrak extended theEthan Allen Express to Burlington.[15]
Prior to its relocation toScranton, Pennsylvania, theSteamtown Foundation operated excursion trains from its museum site nearBellows Falls toChester, Vermont. Following Steamtown's departure, additional tourist operations were conducted over portions of the former Rutland Railroad using original rolling stock.
Media related toRutland Railroad at Wikimedia Commons
