Woodstock Railway

The Woodstock Railway was an intrastate railroad in southeastern Vermont. It ran from White River Junction, Vermont to Woodstock, Vermont, a distance of approximately 14 miles (23 km).

History

The legislature of Vermont granted a charter to construct the railroad in 1863, but little was done until 1867, when enough money was raised to begin construction. Construction began in earnest in 1868, and proceeded fitfully until 1875, when the line was finally completed and the first train made the trip. Originally the Woodstock Railroad, a financial reorganization in 1890 caused the name to change to Woodstock Railway. While never very busy, the line continued running until 1933 when it was abandoned. The last run took place on Saturday, April 15, 1933.

During construction two major obstacles were overcome: a one mile (1.6 km) long cut in Stanley Hill, and a substantial trestle over the Quechee Gorge, formed by the Ottauquechee River, The original trestle was replaced first by a wooden arch bridge, then in 1911 by one made of steel. At one time the 163-foot (49.7 m) high structure may have been the highest railroad bridge in New England. The 1911 steel bridge purportedly still carries US-Rt4 across the gorge, as it has since the railway's abandonment. About a 3-mile portion of Rt4 was built on top of the railbed at a point immediately west of the gorge and thus eastward, as attested by the gradual grade and gentle curvatures of the reverse curves encountered upon today's Rt4.

Portions of the railbed west of the gorge remain visible along the north side of Rt4. It can be seen from the road as it shoots east out of Woodstock through certain fields, makes up treelines and fencelines, and in places it lays at the bottom of Rt4's embankment sandwiched tight between Rt4 and the river.

Stations

An 1877 timetable listed the following stops from east to west:

• White River Junction, Vermont - interchange with the Central Vermont Railway
• Hartford, Vermont
• Dewey's Mills, Vermont
• Quechee, Vermont
• Taftsville, Vermont
• Woodstock, Vermont

See also

• Frederick H. Billings
• Franklin Noble Billings
• F. H. Gillingham & Sons

References

• Jones, Robert C., Railroads of Vermont, Volume II, 1993.
• Mead, Edgar T., Over the Hills to Woodstock, 1967.

Archives and records

• Woodstock Railroad Company records at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.