East Barnet Inwood Station

If you’re cruising along US Route 5, following the Connecticut River on the eastern side of Vermont, you’ll pass by this Vermont oddity: the East Barnett Inwood Station. Apparently saved from demolition and relocated from Quincy, NH, this small depot sits among abandoned train cars and rail side lines, with trucks and a water tower on board. It is private property, but take a look at these images from the road.

Box cars set to appear approaching Inwood Station in East Barnett Inwood Station.

East Barnet Inwood Station rail side lines, in foreground and background.

East Barnett Inwood Station. The building says Inwood.

East Barnett Inwood Station, rail side lines. See the water tower (yellow with conical top).

Despite my best efforts at searching, I cannot dig up any information on this property. Who can shed some light?

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Preservation Photos #163

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a happy 2013. The Vergennes Depot has a bright future; here it sits on its new foundation where it is undergoing rehabilitation. Stay tuned for updates.

On the Move: Vergennes Railroad Depot

Exciting news in the world of historic preservation, transportation, enhancements and community: the Vergennes Railroad Station will be relocated and rehabilitated. This past weekend the community came out with great anticipation to watch the building move up and over the tracks and around some tight curves.

There she goes over the railroad tracks. Prior to Saturday the building was braced, stabilized and set on the custom hydraulic jacks. The haul road was constructed, too.

Once over the tracks, the depot had to turn between the building and silos.

And she turns.

A closer view of the hydraulic jacks.

 

Still on the move, about to head down a hill.

Making another tight turn; the building remains secure and stable.

 

Parked for the night, awaiting the next move across Route 22A.

Talk about an impressive day and what a great project this will be. Stay tuned for news throughout the project.

Abandoned Vermont: Fair Haven Depot

Looking northeast on the tracks at the Fair Haven Depot.

A train depot is a type of structure that is easily recognizable by many people, partially because it is adjacent to railroad tracks and partially because of its form and massing. Tell tale features to look for include 1) a bay window or projection from the building that would offer a better line of sight, 2) a long, narrow building, usually with a gable  or hipped roof, 3) large freight doors on one end and pedestrian sized doors on another, and 4) infrastructure for signals on and near the building.

This depot in Fair Haven,VT was constructed c. 1890 in order to service the nearby slate quarries in addition to passenger traffic. It is a historically significant structure. The railroad owns the building and was an Amtrak stop (not station) until 2010, when Amtrak left Fair Haven in favor of Castleton, VT (located five miles east). Currently it sits abandoned and neglected. Well, I consider it abandoned because of the neglect. Officially, this building has an owner. The painted plywood windows and doors serve as a detraction from its neglect, but the building is suffering from masonry deterioration.

Quite the sunny, warm January day in Fair Haven.

Here you can see the bay window projection and freight doors at the end of the building. Also note the slate shingle detail in the gable above the bay projection and the beadboard beneath, used as siding.

The gable above the bay and the former location of the signal arms.

Extensive masonry deterioration on the south wall.

One of the largest piles of railroad ties that I have ever seen.

The gateway to the depot is a 1938 concrete bridge.

Aside from neglect, the good news is that the building appears secure (save for lots of critters). The bad news is that there are no plans by the railroad or by the town to do anything with the depot. (I could be mistaken, however, and I hope I am.) Train depots are iconic buildings that all people can connect to whether due to memories or movies or the lure of trains. If you have a train depot in your area, contact your local officials and potentially interested organizations – get your town geared up for a rehabilitation project! Need some success stories? Check out the Swanton Railroad Museum, the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe or the South Londonderry Depot. Find others here.

Transportation related structures benefit immensely from the Transportation Enhancements Grants program, which is severely at risk right now. Please tell your legislators how important TEs are to your community. Remember this post? The Importance of Transportation Enhancement Grants to Historic Preservation.