Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-08-04
CHANGED TO BROAD GAUGE
THIRTY MILES OF TRACK WiD-
ENED IN SPITE OF RAIN.

Road Between Here and South Lon
donderry Now Of Standard Width
Task Accomplished by $50 Workmen
Under General Rosdmastsr EIrod.
The Brattleboro & Whitehall narrow
gauge railroad Is no more. In its
place has sprung up road of stand
ard width which will be known as the
West River railroad. The transfor-
nation was accomplished Sunday by
a force of between $50 and 400 men
who toiled from daylight to dark in
the pouring rain and succeeded in
changing the gauge Of all but about
a mile of the track between South
Londonderry and the Dummerston
lquarry. Had the weather been favor
able there is no doubt that the under
taking would have been completed by
the middle of the afternoon. AS 1t was
the task was so nearly finished that
only a few hours of Monday morning
were needed to accomplish its compile
ton, The first regular broad gauge
train over the road made its trip Mon
day morning leaving Jamaica at 1925
and arriving in Brattleboro promptly
upon the schedule hour. II was in
charge of A. W. Shattuck engineer.
and William Anderson. conductor,
and considerable crowd was on
hand to witness its arrival. The reg
ular north bound passenger train
Monday evening made its regular trip
through to South Londonderry and
since then all trains, both freight and
passenger. have been running regular
/ ly.
Preparations for changing the gauge
of the road were completed Saturday.
During the evening train from
Farnham, p. O., bearing load of
workmen from that portion of the
Grand Trunk system. and train from
New London loaded with section men
from the southern division of the
Central Vermont arrived in Brattle-
boro. Shortly after midnight these
men were taken up the narrow gauge
road and distributed at various points
so as to be able to begin work as soon
as it was light. On account of the
rain the work was not started until
about 4:30. although it might have
been begun nearly an hour earlier
had the weather been pleasant
The men We're divided into four
gangs of about 80 EACH one gang in
charge of Division Roadmaster M. H.
Vincent started at the West Dunn
merston quarry and worked north.
Two gangs started from mile post 20,
lust this side of West Townshend sta
ton, and worked in opposite direc-
tions, the one under +. e. Leclaire
coming toward Brattleboro and the
other in charge of Bert Buhl and John
Kelso going toward Londonderry.
The fourth gang was in charge of ].
p. Benny and started at South Lon
donderry and worked south. The gen.
eral supervision of the work was in
the hands of w. P. Elrod of st. AL
bans, general roadmaster of the Cen
trail Vermont.
Each of the four gangs was sub
divided into five sections and worked
lin the following manner: The first
section pulled the spikes from the
rails. the second threw the right hand
rail outward against the spikes which
had already been set. the third threw
the left hand rail. the fourth spiked
the left hand rail to standard gauge,
and the fifth completed any part OF
the work which was not done by its
predecessors. BY this method the
work could be continued without a
hitch. each gang being spread over
Iabout half-mile. On every curve OF
over IS degrees double guard raiis
We're put down.
The gangs under Roadmasters Vim
cent and Laclaire met at Salmon Hole
bridge about 4:30 in the afternoon,
thus completing their share or the
work in less than the specified time.
The other gangs worked until dark
but were then a mile apart. the men
under Kelso and Buhl getting as far
north as Jamaica station and tnose
under Benney coming down to Win
in a mile of that point, The upper
half of the road. however, contains
more curves and is harder in every
way to work upon.
AS soon as the work was fa1rly un-
der way Sunday morning speciai
train left .Brattleboro and followed the
men during the day. This train was
in charge of B. l.. Gates, engineer ana
f. NJ. Hays, conductor. On it were e.
C. Jones of st. Adams, general man
lager of the Central vermont. w. T.
Mullins of st. Albans. superintendent
of transportation. J. M. Morrison OF
St Albans, engineer and superintend-
ent of structures. E. d. Nash of New
London, superintendent of the south
ern division of the Central Vermont,
w. II. Sample of st. Adams, road fore
man Of engines. J. w. Wardlaw. sec
retary to the general manager, +. A.
Ross, secretary to the SUPERINTENDENT
of transportation. f. L. Cousins OF
Toronto. civil engineer, j. H. Burke
and r. j. Heaphy This train went as
far as Jamaica station and returned
late Sunday evening bringing down the
Grand Trunk workmen who went
home by special train early MONDAY
morning.
About 80 laborers were taken to Ja-
maica Monday morning and completed
the widening of the track in Iew
hours. A steam shovel Will be sem
here within a few days and the work
of ballasting the roadbed VIII oeeih
at once.
The regular equipment of the new
road consists of one passenger loco
motive. two freight locomotives. Two
regular passenger coaches. one COM
bination mail baggage and passenger
coach and one combination baggage
and passenger coach. They have been
used on the Central Vermont and New
London northern roads, but are In gooo
condition. The locomotives are pow
erfully built, the two freight locoino-
tives being of the mogul type OF tnree
sets of main drive, wheels. The pass
anger locomotive is No. Al and the
freight locomotives No. 301 and NO.
2O2 Locomotive No. 303 will be used
as a work engine for the present. while
tbe entire road is being reballasteo
and nut in first class condition by the
use If n steam shovel. The three loco
motives and 81 cars formerly used OIL
the BrattIeboro & Whitehall road nave
been stored at the south end OF tne
freight ward. 1t is expected tnat they
will be sold possibly for use on some
other road. The West River trains
will start from i'm front OF the raiiroa"
station.
III. w. Denison. native Nermonter.
has been for 25 years the legal ADVISER
of the foreign Office Of Japan. He
Ih.H