The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
AN OPERA BOUFFE RAILROAD.
Green wood and snow the Diet OF Its
Two Locomotives.

BRATrLKBoRo, Vt, Feb. 2l.-For print
tive methods Of railroad management the
people OF southern Vermont think that they
are rightfully entitled to long suffering
distinction. In summer weather they may
laugh when engines balk and trains break
down, but In the deep SHOWS OF winter
they feel like sending n protest TO the out
side world when they hav TO get out and
shovel snow and cnrry water every time
they take a little railroad journey. The
stories Of how trains in New York State
have been delayed a few minutes or a few
hours by tho recent snowstorm are read
with feelings Of mingled amusement and
cynicism here where a train may be two
or three days late without causing more
than casual comment.
The railroad that plays all these pranks
is the B%rattleboro and Whitehall Narrow
Gauge. II was built in the early seventies
by ten towns, which paid 500 600 toward
it's construction. II runs from B~rattleboro
to South Londonderry, a distance OF thirty
six miles.
This tiny railroad seems little more than
a plaything. anyway. But small az IT Is
il has not escaped the eye OF -Poor's
Manual which bravely says OF II: Gauge,
8 feet; locomotives, 8; passenger cars D;
freight cars, 1902" .
The three locomotives have been likened
to the mine little Indians sitting on q
gate; one fell of end then there were eight
because one Of the three locomotives blew
up and for a long time there we're only
two.
ANY railroad guide will tell you, II YOU
have the patience and good luck 70 find
tho right pa e, that the Marrow Gauge,
by which name the B~rattleboro and White
hall il not too specifically known here,
edvertises TO run two trains a day each
,-a,- lAe ..n nrottlaharA and South I'm
donderry. The schedule time for making
the thirty-six miles is two hours. The
road winds in and out among pretty steep
hills and it has many sharp grades and
curves.
No one denies that the situation has its
burlesque features. Troubles approached
the acute stage last July when a fire de-
stroyed the water tank at South London
derry. This tank has never been replaced.
Since that time the railroad employees
have had to use the primitive method OF
bringing water from the river In pals TO
fill the locomotive boilers at Londonderry.
This slow and laborious process OF giving
their engines drink is more than matched
by the way the fires are led. The engines
have a taste for dry wood. but last fall the
railroad managers failed to lay in a sup
ply, and green God has been burned all
this winter.
Instead of two trains a day each way
there have been days when no trains showed
up at either end OF the route, ana " mas
sometimes taken two days, instead OF two
hours, TO make the thirt y-six mile trip.
Recently a coal-burning engine, 10 re-
enforce the two roc burners, was brought
here and great things were expected OF II.
Its first trip out of Brattleboro was cele-
brated by cheers M tho blowing OF horns.
But the hopes Of the people we're disap-
pointed. Il lasted only until Dummerston,
four miles from here. was reached, when
it ANONYMOUSLY broke down.
During the first week the coal burner
was on The road IL made only one round
trip. On ore day a water famine occurred
and the engineer had 10 get out and shove
SNOW board to keep the boiler from burst
ing.
Il has been an exciting winter for pas
sengcrs on the narrow gauge. SNOW
drifts Just as deep In the West River Valley
a Il does elsewhere in Vermont, and the
Green Mountain State does not take a back
seat when IL is a question OF snowdrifts.
People relate, mournfully, stories Of "huffing
il" for miles through snowdrifts up 10 the
waist when trains have become stalled, OF
spending nights and days in the stufy
little coaches and making raids on nearby
f%armhouses for provisions; of getting out
with shovels to help the engineer water
the b%ulliine," and Of levying on farmers
for cordwood to make the "duTn thing go