NEB&W Guide to the Addison Branch, VTLast Update: 2008-11-11
- Overview
- The Lift-Out Section
- Shoreham
- Orwell
- Larrabee's Point
- Floating Bridge & Trestle
- Our Model
- Addison Branch, Not Modeled
Overview
- Topographic map pre-1923. The entire branch
was just over 13 miles long.
- [Map.]
- Each of the three villages, Shoreham, Orwell,
and Larrabee's Pt, all had a runaround track. However, we
have them so closely spaced, Jim Spavins and Will Gill
suggested we only have a runaround at Larrabee's. This
was to keep the branch from looking like it was double track
with each passing track ending just before the next one
started.
The Lift-Out Section
- We plan on making a removable
section of layout to go across the aisle
from Vergennes to the branch. We want
to make this a completely scenicked
section with a farm scene based
on a specific farm. Will Gill
took the following photos, 2004:
- [Photo.]
- [Photo, side view.]
- [Photo.]
- [Photo.]
- [Photo.]
- [Photo.]
- [Photo.]
- [Panoramic view, three photos combined.]
- [Photo of another barn, I believe.]
- [Photo of another farmhouse.]
- There was a road underpass near Whiting called "Baldwin
Dry Bridge". If you look
closely, it appears the center support is to one side
of the road, but centered under the bridge. Further
study seems to indicate there was a small stream
paralleling the road.
Floating Bridge
- Because of objections from the steamboat companies,
the railroad could not get permission to build a fixed bridge.
They were required to maintain a clear space of 200 feet.
In desperation, they got themselves a 201 foot barge and
put a track on it. The barge was operated under steamship
laws and was swung out of the way by a steam engine to
let a boat pass. Apparently when they dumped a train
in the lake in 1917, this was the final straw of a continuing
series of operational accidents. For a few years, they
would use an engine on one side to push a cut of cars out
onto the barge, and an engine from the other side would
creep out and couple onto them and pull them off the barge.
- [Navigation map c. 1924, still showing the tresle.]
- [Navigation map c. 1947. Note the trestle across Beadle's Cove still shows as "piles" while the one across the lake shows as "submerged piles". Apparently they cut the piles off at water level (to reduce the property tax assesment?)]
- [The trestle. Photo courtesy Jim Shaughnessy. I think we are looking west and the photo was taken from the Beadles Cove trestle.]
- [A pile driver working on the trestle.]
- [The floating barge bridge.]
- [Accident.]
- [Photo c. 1917 of the final and last accident. I'm pretty positive we are looking west to the NY shore.]
- [Another photo of flipped bridge. Since the barge section was near the New York state side, I'm pretty sure we are looking east. The trestle across Beadle's Cove is visible in the background.]
- [Another photo of flipped bridge. Looking east.]
- [Close-up of the shore. I tried my best to perform some Photoshop magic to bring out the details.]
- In 1923-'24, the Rutland drew up three plans of possible bridge sites
to replace the floating bridge. These maps are still on file with the
Vermont Agency of Transportation. All three versions would have located
the bridge at a different site than the floating one, requiring relocating
the railroad a little. The plans don't indicate the type of bridge(s)
they were thinking of.
- Looking across the lake to the New York side today.
Our Model
- On Saturday, Jan. 24th, 2004, we held a club
work session, working on Vergennes, North Troy, Proctor, Port
Henry, and most importantly, the benchwork for the Addison
branch.
- [In progress photo. Greg Snook and Jim Spavins attach a 1x2 to the top of a 1x4 to make an "L" girder.]
- [In progress photo. Cutting a 2x4 to length for the legs.]
- [In progress photo. Jim and Greg attach the one set of L-girders to the old pegboard frame.]
- [In progress photo.]
- [In progress photo. Richie, Will, Jim and Greg attach the second set of L-girders.]
- [In progress photo. Colin Murphy works on benchwork.]
- [In progress photo. Attaching the Masonite for the backdrop.]
- [In progress photo. The basic benchwork and backdrops are done.]
- [In progress photo. Starting to add the plywood.]
- [In progress photo. Ditto.]
- [In progress photo, March '05. The depot kit was built by Bill Gill (Will's father).]
- [In progress photo, March '06. (Yes, progress can be glacial.]
- [In progress photo, September '06. From the depot area looking toward the bridge.]
- [In progress photo, September '06. Broadside of the covered bridge mockup.]
- [In progress photo, September '06. Another view of the bridge mockup.]
- [In progress photo, September '06. From the road bridge to the railroad bridge.]
- [In progress photo, September '06. Ditto.]
- Since the initial construction, we found out enough
about the phantom plywood factory to want to model it. Instead
of combining Orwell and Larrabee's Point, we decided to
extend the benchwork about another 8 feet, and modeling
a Orwell in between. On September 11, 2004, we extended
the benchwork.
- [John Nehrich watches Will Gill work. Photo by Tom Amrine.]
- [Left to right, Nehrich, Jim Spavins, Greg Snook, and Matt Unright, with Will in the foreground. Amrine photo.]
- [Jim gets ready to drill while Matt and Nehrich hold up the Masonite. Amrine photo.]
- [Larrabee's Point, Oct. 2004. The pink Styrofoam is the mockup of the plywood factory. The train is on the "main".]
- For further updates on layout progress, see the layout section under each
individual town.
Addison Branch, Not Modeled
- We don't have room to model Whiting, but here are some
prototype photos and info.
- [Trackplan c. 1930, courtesy Bob Nimke.]
- [Bigger.]
- [Postcard c. WWI. Courtesy Melanie Sembrat.]
- [Postcard c. WWI of the "Farmer's Special".]
- [Photo c. 1972. Bob Gow holds the 6 foot stick against the corner for scaling purposes.]
- [Valuation notes of the depot's cross-section, courtesy Bob Nimke.]
- Another location not modeled is Hough's Crossing which just had
a depot and a spur for a Dairymen's League creamery. ("Hough
now, brown cow!" Actually on the c. 1900 topo, the town was
labeled "Huffs Crossing" and I understand that is how "Hough" is
pronounced.) The crossing refers to the crossing of the
stream and not the railroad.
- [Track schematic and other info courtesy Bob Nimke.]
- [More info courtesy Bob Nimke.]
- Addison Jct. was the station across the lake on the New York state side. The depot looked like the other depots on the branch.
See our Layout Guide for the Addison branch.
Also see the Addison Railroad website.