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On Saturday June 4, it was off to White River Junction with my friend Pete for a ride on the Green Mountain Railroad’s White River Flyer special excursion. We met at the Amtrak station in Waterbury and then drove down to White River Junction, picked up our tickets, then boarded the train. Our destination was Farmway in Bradford, an excursion I last took in 2007.
(left) NECR GP-38 #3857 at White River Jct
(right) Boarding underway for our train on the adjacent platform
Our consist:
GP40-2 #308 (leading NB)
Coach #1323 (we rode here)
Coach #1301
Cab Control/Coach #1317 (leading SB)
We departed about 15 minutes late (10:15am) and slowly began to make our way north up along the Connecticut River. It was a beautiful cloudless morning in the Upper Valley. Once we got to Wilder, we picked up some speed and would alternate between running at track speed and running at 10 mph due to slow orders.
(left) Norwich-Hanover Bridge
(right) Serious rock ledges alongside I-91, US 5, and the railroad in Fairlee
It was a picture perfect day, a welcome change from our recent bouts with heavy rain and severe weather. We rambled up the river valley, passing through Thetford, Ely, and Fairlee, before arriving at around noon at the Farmway “station” in Bradford. As we departed the train, a large group was boarding to ride north to Newbury. While they did that, we headed off to the complimentary BBQ for some hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, and snacks. We then browsed around Farmway and the area for a while. Just around 2pm, our train returned from Newbury, and we reboarded for the trip back south to White River Junction, arriving at about 3:45pm.
(left) Farmway complex alongside VT Route 25 in Bradford
(right) Special excursion crosses VT Route 25 heading south
Thanks to Vermont Rail System for another great trip!
To view my complete photo gallery from this trip,
click here!
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