Does the ex-Rutland route across Lake Champlain still exist?

Does anyone know if the route over Lake Champlain into NY State is still in that the Rutland used? I undertand the rails are gone but was wondering if the fill was removed too. A recent map I saw didn't show any evidence of it but I thought that some of the roads heading to the islands may have been built on it. Thanks.

Charles Woolever

I don't think the Rutland used much fill at all. There was a long wooden trestle across Lake Champlain and the remains of the trestle can still be seen south of the Route 2 bridge (at least could be seen in 2000.) The Rutland ROW through the islands can still be traced, but is disappearing in some built-up locations.

If you mean the one from Addison County VT (formerly the Addison Branch, and before that the Addison Railroad) its gone in the lake and NY, tho the ROW is still pretty much intact in VT from what I understand. If you mean the route thru the Islands I think theres a road on some of the ROW now.

If you mean the one down south towards Albany, isn't that still in use? For a rather Vt centric road they certainly did have alot of routes into NY.

My question on the fill was based on two color books I've read and they have photos of trains on fills (fills longer than trains). The fill was made of large pieces of white rock, almost like granite.

Charles

I'm sure the original post dealt with the northern part of the railroad over Lake Champlain, but in regards to a more recent post for this thread, the southern part had an extension from Bennington, VT., to Chatham NY, or somewhere thereabouts, and that line was long ago ripped up, and I don't think any part of it is in use anymore. The branch was known as the "corkscrew" due to its winding nature, and it was exactly due to the poster's comments that they had a lot of ways into NY that this one became expendable. The Rutland was able to interchange with roads from NY at Whitehall, West of Rutland, and the aforementioned bridge over the Lake in the North.

You can still easily see where the "corkscrew" was if you take Rt. 7 east from Troy, NY, in numerous places, at least as you approach the Vermont border, and then you can easily see the line's remnants and where it crosses Rt. 7 (NY) and Rt. 9 (VT) in at least three places I can remember.

Dave Becker

I think this is a map of the area in question (please correct me if I am wrong, Charles).

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/images/ca ... y-topo.jpg

and more information on the RPI model railroad club's web site:

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/images/ph ... useway.asp

-otto-

That's the right causeway, Otto. See the photos from 1970s as an example at the bottom of the page you reference. You would think something that large would not be ripped out but left to nature. That's what I'm wondering about.

Charles

We went camping up there in 2002, and the fills were there then. However there was not much more. I went trying to find any old stations on the islands and didn't have much luck. Also some of the piling was left of the original bridge on the NYS side. I believe I may have some pictures of the fills in my collection from that trip. I'll have to ask Tiffany where they are, but that may take a while!

Eric

Otto, that is not the right causeway. What you have sent is a map of the causeway across Mallett's Bay between Burlington and South Hero, VT. This is now a rail trail and can be accessed from Burlington, but not from South Hero because of a torn up drawbridge.

What I ASSUME the question be originally about is the trestle linking Alburg, VT with Champlain, NY. The Rutland built this line north from Burlington to Alburg in 1904. The line went across Lake Champlain, interchanged with the D&H and CP in Champlain and then went west to Ogdensburg. The trestle was a long wooden structure and the trains were forced to slowly cross the lake. Jay Wulfson, the late original owner of the Vermont Railway, once said he was sorry that he didn't have the foresight to save this link when the VTR took over from the Rutland. The line north of Burlington, across Lake Champlain, to the NYC line near Ogdensburg was torn up in 1964.

Here is a photo link to this line:

http://www.lavigneworld.com/rutland/

All great information. Thanks for providing the followup.

-otto-