West River Railroad and Newfane Station
Inscription
The Newfane Railroad Station stands 100 yards east on Cemetery Hill Road. The Station includes the depot and water tank house, both of which were built in 1880 for the Brattleboro & Whitehall Railroad, intended to run from Brattleboro, VT, to Whitehall, NY. Only 36 miles of the rail was laid, terminating in South Londonderry.
In 1905, the narrow-gauge track was replaced with standard gauge and the line renamed the West River Railroad. Newfane’s water tank house was one of five on this line and is the only one remaining, a rare example of the steam engine era. With frequent accidents and weather disasters, the West River Railroad became known as “36 Miles of Trouble.
” The last train rolled down the tracks in 1936.
Location
Sources
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