Green Mountain Railroad

Last updated
Green Mountain Railroad
Green Mountain Railroad logo.png
Overview
Headquarters Burlington, Vermont [1]
Reporting mark GMRC
Locale Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York
Dates of operation1964 (1964)–present
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Other
Website www.rails-vt.com

The Green Mountain Railroad( reporting mark GMRC) is a class III railroad operating in Vermont. GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Rutland, Vermont. GMRC's corporate colors are green and yellow.

Contents

Once owned by F. Nelson Blount, the founder of Steamtown, USA, GMRC controlled the tracks that were used for Steamtown's excursions between Riverside Station in Bellows Falls and Chester, Vermont. After Blount's death in 1967, GMRC changed hands, and a bitter relationship between the two organizations developed. [2]

History

The Green Mountain Railroad was formed in early 1964 when F. Nelson Blount, who also operated a museum of steam locomotives, called Steamtown, USA, in North Walpole, New Hampshire. Blount convinced the State of Vermont to acquire 52 miles (84 km) of track between Bellows Falls and Rutland, which he would operate as the Green Mountain Railroad. [3] Also in 1964, incorporation papers were filed for the "Steamtown Foundation for the Preservation of Steam and Railroad Americana". The first order of business for the non-profit charitable and educational organization was to acquire the Blount collection at North Walpole and relocate it to property once owned by the Rutland Railroad in Bellows Falls. [4]

In 1966, the GMRC obtained trackage rights over Boston and Maine track between Bellows Falls, Vermont and North Walpole, New Hampshire: just across the Connecticut River, allowing the GMRC access to servicing and storage facilities for locomotives, which had previously been lacking. Blount was killed when his private airplane hit a tree during an emergency landing in Marlborough, New Hampshire on August 31, 1967, flying back to his home. [5] He had held the controlling interest in the GMRC, owning 746 of the 750 shares of the company. In 1968, in response to Blount's death, 49% of the railroad's shares were sold to private investors, with the remainder being held by Robert Adams, president of the railroad from 1968 until 1978. [6] By 1976, the relationship between Steamtown and GMRC was strained as the two organizations fought over maintenance of the tracks, which were owned by the state of Vermont. [2] Steamtown relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1983, and, shortly afterward, GMRC began offering its own passenger excursions with diesel-powered trains over the same stretch of track.

During the 1980s, the GMRC struggled to maintain consistent profits, relying largely on on-line traffic. Despite a position as a bridge carrier between the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and the Clarendon and Pittsford Railway at Rutland, and the Boston and Maine at North Walpole, this traffic was limited, as the Boston and Maine was consistently unfriendly toward the Green Mountain. Reflecting this uncomfortable position, the GMRC's traffic during the 1980s was generally less than 2000 cars moved per year. In 1986, a strike at the Delaware & Hudson led to the evaporation of what little overhead traffic the railroad was handling. During the early 1990s, however, overhead traffic like limestone and fly ash had increased, making up for a decrease in traditional on-line traffic like talc. By the mid 1990s, traffic had increased to upwards of 4,000 annual carloads, and has increased today to upward of 5,000 annual carloads. When the New England Central Railroad commenced operations in 1995, this allowed the GMRC to offer service southward on the NECR, which had previously been prohibitively-expensive when the route was owned by the Central Vermont Railroad. In 1997, the GMRC was acquired by the Vermont Railway, forming the basis for the Vermont Rail System, which would grow to include five railroads in Vermont, one in New Hampshire, and one in New York. [6]

Locomotive fleet

As of July 2021, the GMRC's fleet consisted of the following: [7]

TypeNumbersManufacturerBuilt
GP40 302, 304, 305 EMD 1970-1971
RS1 405 ALCO 1951
GP9 803, 804EMD1955-1956

Former units of the Green Mountain Railroad fleet

These units are no longer in service on the Green Mountain Railroad. They have either been sold to other railroads or have been scrapped for parts.

NumberTypeNotes
15
Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as Oneida and Western Railroad #20 in 1916. Sold to the Rahway Valley Railroad in 1937. It last ran in revenue service in November 28, 1953, before being replaced by #17, a GE 70-ton switcher. No. 15 was then placed on the deadline for the next six years before it was sold to F. Nelson Blount in May 1959 and later became GMRC #15. Last ran in 1973 and was later reverted to Rahway Valley #15. Now on static display at Steamtown National Historic Site.
89
Former Canadian National Railway. Purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road in 1972.
302
Sold to GMTX as #3008 with four other Vermont Rail Systems GP40s in late 2015 as deal for FEC SD70M-2s 431/432.
303
S4
Former Delaware and Hudson #3036, later sold to the Quincy Railway. After serving on the GMR, sold to the Concord and Claremont Railroad in the 1980s.
304
Built by Electro-Motive in January 1971, #36737, FN 7275-17, as Baltimore and Ohio Railroad #3756. It was renumbered #9756 in March 1980. It was then renumbered #6532 and became CSX Transportation #6532. It was retired on June 23, 1994, and sold to Helm Atlantic Leasing Corp as #400 on May 13, 1994. It was sold as GMRC #304 in December 1998. In late 2015, it was sold to GMTX as #3011 with four other Vermont Rail Systems GP40s as deal for FEC SD70M-2s 431/432.
305
S4
Former Delaware & Hudson #3050. Became a People's Mover Mover and repainted black and white. Later became Washington County #406 and repainted back in GMR colors. Later sold to the Concord and Claremont Railroad as #102.
305
Built by Electro-Motive in May 1970, #35907, FN 7229-11, as Seaboard Coast Line #1606. It became Seaboard System #1606 and renumbered #6760. It then became CSX Transportation #6760. It was sold as HATX #419 and GMRC and renumbered #305 in January 2000. Sold to GMTX as #3012 with four other Vermont Rail Systems GP40s in late 2015 as deal for FEC SD70M-2s 431/432.
382
Formally Texas Mexican Railway #870. It was sold as Helm Leasing Corp 7701 and leased as GMCR 382 in February 2002. It was returned as Helm 7701 in September 2004 and sold to the BNSF Railway in August 2011 and renumber 169.
400
Former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio 1053. Bought by the Danbury Railway Museum in December 1995 and sent there in January 1996. Repainted as New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad #673. [8] [9]
401
RS1
Former ITC 756, became GMRC in July 1976 and sold to the Catskill Mountain Railroad in June 1988. [10]
901
GP9
Cannibalized for parts, later scrapped.
1064
RS1
Former Bay Colony Railroad 1064. Bought by the Green Mountain in the late 1990s as a part source locomotive for #405. Later scrapped by the early 2000s.
Class G5c
Built in June 1946 as Canadian Pacific 1246. It was retired in January 1964 and was later acquired by the Steamtown Foundation. In June 1967 it was relettered GMRy #1246. It was sold back to Steamtown in July 1973 and moved to Scranton with the collection in 1984. It was sold to the Connecticut Valley Railroad in October 1988. Moved to the Railroad Museum of New England operated the Naugatuck Railroad in 2008, where it remains on static display.
1848
GP9
Built in June 1954 as Bangor and Aroostook Railroad #76. It was bought by the Green Mountain Railroad in the 1980s as #1848 and later sold to the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in November 1997. [11]
1849
GP9
Built June 1955 as Northern Pacific #223. Became Burlington Northern #1849 after merger. Purchased by Chrome Crankshaft in June 1983 and then by the Green Mountain Railroad in March 1984. It was then sold to the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in April 1997. [11]
1850/803
GP9
Former Chesapeake & Ohio # 6181, renumbered 803 in 1998, sold to the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in 2006 and renumbered back to 1850.
3026
S2
Former Delaware and Hudson #3026. Was going to be Green Mountain #302, but was in too poor condition to run. It was cannibalized for parts and scrapped in the 1980s.
4261
Built by Electro-Motive in November 1952, #16787, as Pennsylvania Railroad 5761A, Class EP-22. It was renumbered #4261 in 1966 and became Penn Central #4261, Class EP-22, in 1968. It went to Conrail as #4261, Class E8A, in April 1976, and then to Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority as #4261. It was sold to the Green Mountain Railroad as #4261 in 1987, but was not used and sat in storage in the North Walpole yard. Later sold to Central New York Division, National Railway Historical Society, where it was painted as Delaware Lackawanna & Western #807.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston and Maine Railroad</span> Former railroad in New England

The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutland Railroad</span> Defunct US rail company

The Rutland Railroad was a railroad in the northeastern United States, located primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New 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 the Vermont Railway.

The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad</span> Railroad in northern New England

The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short-line railway operating between Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Montreal, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Canada–US border at Norton, Vermont, and Stanhope, Quebec, and is owned by short-line operator Genesee & Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine Central Railroad</span> Defunct American Class I railway

The Maine Central Railroad was a U. S. class 1 railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England. Maine Central had expanded to 1,358 miles (2,185 km) when the United States Railroad Administration assumed control in 1917. The main line extended from South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada–United States border with New Brunswick, and a Mountain Division extended west from Portland to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and north into Quebec. The main line was double track from South Portland to Royal Junction, where it split into a "lower road" through Brunswick and Augusta and a "back road" through Lewiston, which converged at Waterville into single track to Bangor and points east. Branch lines served the industrial center of Rumford, a resort hotel on Moosehead Lake and coastal communities from Bath to Eastport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown National Historic Site</span> Railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on 62.48 acres (25.3 ha) in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The museum is built around a working turntable and a roundhouse that are largely replications of the original DL&W facilities; the roundhouse, for example, was reconstructed from remnants of a 1932 structure. The site also features several original outbuildings dated between 1899 and 1902. All the buildings on the site are listed with the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Yard-Dickson Manufacturing Co. Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. Nelson Blount</span> American businessman

Francis Nelson Blount was an American businessman, railroad enthusiast and president and founder of Blount Seafood Corporation and the founder of Steamtown, USA, the Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern Railroad, and the Green Mountain Railroad. A millionaire and a railroad enthusiast, Blount's collection of vintage steam locomotives and rail cars—originally based in New England—was one of the largest ever assembled and still remains the cornerstone of the modern-day Steamtown National Historic Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Railway</span> Vermont railroad

The Vermont Railway is a shortline railroad in Vermont and eastern New York, operating much of the former Rutland Railway. It is the main part of the Vermont Rail System, which also owns the Green Mountain Railroad, the Rutland's branch to Bellows Falls. The trackage is owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation except in New York, where VTR operates a line owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation. The rail line employs about 150 people in Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellows Falls station</span> Railroad station in Bellows Falls, Vermont, US

Bellows Falls station is an Amtrak intercity rail station located in the Bellows Falls village of Rockingham, Vermont, United States. The station is served by the single daily round trip of the Washington, D.C.–St. Albans Vermonter. It has a single side platform adjacent to the single track of the New England Central Railroad mainline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 47</span> Preserved CN class X-10-a 4-6-4T locomotive

The Canadian National 47 is a preserved class "X-10-a"4-6-4T type tank locomotive located at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of only three preserved CN 4-6-4Ts and is the only Baltic-type suburban tank locomotive remaining in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown, U.S.A.</span> Former museum in Vermont, United States

Steamtown, U.S.A., was a steam locomotive museum that ran steam excursions out of North Walpole, New Hampshire, and Bellows Falls, Vermont, from the 1960s to 1983. The museum was founded by millionaire seafood industrialist F. Nelson Blount. The non-profit Steamtown Foundation took over operations following his death in 1967. Because of Vermont's air quality regulations restricting steam excursions, declining visitor attendance, and disputes over the use of track, some pieces of the collection were relocated to Scranton, Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s and the rest were auctioned off. After the move, Steamtown continued to operate in Scranton but failed to attract the expected 200,000–400,000 visitors. Within two years the tourist attraction was facing bankruptcy, and more pieces of the collection were sold to pay off debt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1293</span> Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1293 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Built for passenger service, 1293 served an eight-year career until being replaced by diesel locomotives where it was then retired in 1959. Purchased in 1964 by F. Nelson Blount for use at his Steamtown site in Bellows Falls, Vermont, 1293 was easily restored to operation for hauling fan trips for the general public. 1293 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad in 1996 for tourist train service. Today, the locomotive is out on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1246</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1246 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. In 1965, it became one of three G5 locomotives to be purchased by Steamtown, U.S.A. for excursion service. After operating in Scranton for a few years in the 1980s, No. 1246 was sold at an October 1988 auction to the Railroad Museum of New England with plans to restore and operate it, and it was initially put on static display. As of 2023, No. 1246 is stored at the Railroad Museum of New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel Plate Road 759</span> Preserved NKP S-2 class 2-8-4 locomotive

Nickel Plate Road 759 is a class "S-2" 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio as a member of the S-2 class for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road". Built as a fast freight locomotive, No. 759 served the Nickel Plate until being retired in 1959 and placed into storage. In 1965, No. 759 was purchased by F. Nelson Blount for display in his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection in North Walpole, New Hampshire. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1967 by New York commodity broker Ross Rowland for use in hauling his Golden Spike Centennial Limited, a special commemorative train that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1969. Afterwards, No. 759 pulled numerous excursions for Ross Rowland and Steamtown until being retired once more and placed back on display in 1977. As of 2023, the locomotive remains on static display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sibling engine No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston and Maine 3713</span> Preserved B&M class P-4a locomotive

Boston and Maine 3713, also known as the "Constitution", is the sole survivor of the "P-4a" class 4-6-2 "Heavy Pacific" type steam locomotives. It was built in December 1934 by the Lima Locomotive Works for the Boston and Maine Railroad, hauling passenger trains around the New England region. In 1956, No. 3713 was given the duty to haul B&M's Farewell to Steam excursion between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine, marking the end of steam operations on the B&M.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 89</span> Preserved CN class E-10-a locomotive

Canadian National 89 is a 2-6-0 "Mogul" type steam locomotive originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in February 1910 for the Canadian National Railway. It is now owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

The Green Mountain Flyer was an international day train between Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the Northeast United States, with sections to New York City and Boston. It was operated in cooperation between the Rutland Railroad, the Canadian National Railway and the New York Central Railroad. The train carried the number 65 running north, and number 64 running south. The Mount Royal was the night train counterpart to the Green Mountain Flyer. Following years of cutbacks, both trains were discontinued in 1953 when the Rutland Railway ended all passenger service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western 6039</span> Preserved GTW U-1-c class 4-8-2 locomotive

Grand Trunk Western No. 6039 is a preserved class "U-1-c" 4-8-2 "Mountain type" steam locomotive built in June 1925 by Baldwin. It served the Grand Trunk Western Railroad by pulling fast passenger and freight trains throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, until the railroad decided to dieselize their locomotive fleet. During that time, it was leased to the Central Vermont Railway for freight service, only to become one of the very last steam locomotives to regularly operate in the state of Vermont. After being retired in the late 1950s, No. 6039 became one of the first steam locomotives to be owned by F. Nelson Blount, and it subsequently became part of his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection for static display. In 1984, the locomotive was moved along with every other locomotive in the Steamtown collection from Bellows Falls to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the name would late be changed to Steamtown National Historic Site under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. As of 2023, No. 6039 remains on static display at Scranton with very meticulous cosmetic care.

References

  1. ↑ "Contact". Scenic Vermont Train Rides. Green Mountain Railroad. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  2. 1 2 Steamtown Seeks Increased Control Over Tracks. Lewiston Daily News. October 5, 1976. Pg. 10 Accessed July 14, 2010
  3. ↑ For a detailed history of the railroad, see Nimke, R. W., "Green Mountain Railroad: Southern Vermont's Mountain Railroad," (1995, R. W. Nimke Publisher).
  4. ↑ Sawyer, Mina Titus. Maine's 'Iron Horses' Head For Their Last Dramatic Round-up . Lewiston Evening Journal. February 1, 1964. Accessed July 12, 2010
  5. ↑ Millionaire Dies in Plane Crash [ permanent dead link ]. The Milwaukee Journal, September 1, 1967. Pg. 2. Accessed July 14, 2010
  6. 1 2 Jones, Robert C. (2006). Vermont Rail System: A Railroad Renaissance. Evergreen Press. ISBN   0-9667264-5-6.
  7. ↑ "Vermont Rail System". www.thedieselshop.us. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  8. ↑ "Danbury Connecticut Community Network. Alle overnattingssteder i London".
  9. ↑ "New Haven 0673 at Danbury Railway Museum".
  10. ↑ "Catskill Mountain Railroad".
  11. 1 2 "BRW sp1848".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.