Release: Oct 8, 2013 Windsor County Railroad Calendar 2014
Old Windsor county railroad scenes are featured in a just-released Windsor County Railroad Calendar. “This is really a nice picture booklet disguised as a calendar” says publisher David Allen of West Chesterfield, NH. “We found a great selection of photos and used nice paper to make the pictures stand out. I bet people will be saving this calendar at the end of the year”.
Locomotives and other sights from four Windsor County rail lines are featured. Two railroads don’t exist any more, the White River and the Woodstock Railroads. “Some of the best pictures we found came from the most obscure railroad – the “White River Railroad from Bethel to Rochester” said Allen. “We have a nifty cover picture from Rochester that shows a playful group perched on a locomotive and a water tower.”
The thirteen photos featured this year include: Bethel, Cavendish, Chester, Gaysville, Hartford, Ludlow, Quechee, Rochester, Sharon, White River Junction, Windsor and Woodstock.
Bethel – Rochester Area
The Sharon Depot photo shows a smoking locomotive about to stop to pick up freshly filled milk cans. The “witches hat” design for this depot was a standard of the times. An excellent view of Bethel from Sand Hill in 1910 is featured on our November page. And, we have a bit of a “mystery” photo of Rochester showing over a hundred people at a ceremony with a band and color guard, taken Aug.10, 1905. What was the occasion? is there some VIP coming to town?
Woodstock – White River Junction
Stagecoaches await the arrival of passengers at the Woodstock station in 1890. Then, as now, tourists were treated well, as shown by the well-built canopy to protect them from the elements. There is a wonderful set of two photos of the Quechee Gorge Bridge in 1875 showing the spiderweb trestle “false bridge” used in construction, and the finished timber bridge in 1899.
Chester – Ludlow Area
A locomotive in motion approaches the Chester Station with many waiting passengers and a four passenger stagecoach. Our Ludlow Depot photo is surprisingly devoid of people considering that 6 to 8 trains a day used to stop here. The station still stands today, but without the station master’s quarters on the second floor,
The calendar is available at bookstores and giftshops throughout the county (suggested retail $13), including Gillinghams in Woodstock, the White River Junction Visitors Center, Singleton’s (Queechee and Cavendish, the Rochester Cafe and Sandy’s Bakery in Rochester, Bethel Central Market, South Royalton Coop, Misty Valley Books in Chester, Dan & Whit’s in Norwich, the Windsor Station Restaurant and Ascutney Market in Windsor. The website below lists more locations.
The pictures can be seen on the website, which also has old topographic maps, showing the location of the old rail lines. For more information, contact Dave Allen at info@old-maps.com, or check the website: www.vhist.com/calendars/railwindsor2014. Allen has also produced a Windham County Railroad Calendar.
Dave Allen
413-772-2801 days
info@old-maps.com