Eastern Railroad Discussion > Old Railroad Grade in New York by Mass?

Does anyone know what RR, or if it is in use, a RR grade in NY? I shows on the map running along Route 22 for some miles. Looks like it is just south of Stephentown, NY, by the intersection of Route 43 and 22. Also it looks like it runs along Kinderbrook Creek if that helps.

Thanks

That would be the Rutland branch from Bennington to Chatham, abandoned in the mid 50's, only a few years before a strike in 60 shut down the Rutland for good. The VTR and GMRC revived the moribund line.

Just to clarify -- the VTR and GMRC revived the portion of the Rutland that remains active today, but the branch to Chatham has been dead since its abandonment.

All correct, I believe.

And to further clarify, a portion of the line remains, from North Bennington to Bennington, in use (though I believe sporadically) by the VTR.

The map here shows the stub. To the south would have been the line you're describing. In the upper left, the depot at N Bennington shows, and the line from the left comes from the B&M connection at Hoosic Jct, with the line to the upper right going up to Rutland and Burlington.

Note that the Depot at N Bennington is a famous one. Stop and see it if you're up there.

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The "corkscrew division" was abandoned in 53, ripped up soon thereafter. Goodluck trying to find remnants :)

SLR62, you should take a drive down there. There is plenty to find. Plenty!

The "Corkscrew", as the line was called, was not a branch, it was the Chatham Division of the Rutland, and it was thier primary rotue for traffic tot he south and east, hosting the famous milk trains to and from New York City via the New York Central south of Chatham. The line was abandoned in 1953, though Rutland traffic ran to Chatham for a few more years via the B&M to Troy and the NYC/B&A Old Post Road route and over to Chatham.

There is track in place to Bennington, where the wonderful stone station is a good restaurant. Heading south and climbing museum hill, the grade is very evident, as it is all the way to Chatham. It is a very pretty abandoned "chase" and easy as the grade is so obvious.

There is a bridge on museum hill standing, but I have not seen it.

There are several depots left south of Petersburg, as well.

As you said, it is a heck of a climb!

The Corkscrew and the Ogdensburg route north of Burlington are the only parts of the Rutland abandoned.

The rest is run by Vermont Railway System where portions, like the Bellows Falls route, see more traffic now than they did in Rutland days.

Hope this info helps!

Rob Davis

Back just before abandonment, the Chatham,NY Exchange Club operated about three or four (at the time annual) one day Fall Excursions over the Rutland's Corkscrew Line from Chatham up to Rutland and return. I believe that the first was in 1949 and as a youngster just out of high school, I rode it and the next two as well. The power at the time was steam and all of the many coaches used were wooden ones. It is my understanding that after the last of these excursions was operated (either 1951 or 1952), the Rutland simply torched the cars.