LAYOUT AT A GLANCE

The modeled portion of the Great Lakes Eastern will represent the former New England Central (nee-Central Vermont) mainline segment now known as the  River Subdivision.  The River Subdivision reaches roughly 120 miles north from Brattleboro to Montpelier Junction, Vermont. 

Plans are to construct a single-track mainline with multiple passing sidings.  Traffic control for the route will be Track Warrant Control along with signals similar to that which fall under NORAC Rule 251, Automatic Block Signal rules.

Multiple online industries are planned that will supply the railroad with a comfortable traffic base, while not clogging the line for interchange to/from the Vermont Rail System’s Washington County Railroad at Montpelier Jct. and White River Jct.; the Claremont & Concord Railroad at White River Jct., VT and Claremont, NH; the Vermont Rail System’s Green Mountain Railroad Company at N. Walpole, NH and Bellows Falls, VT.  As part of the agreement for the GLE to acquire the former New England Central, trackage rights were granted to the Vermont Rail System between Essex Jct., VT and Palmer, MA.  Pan Am Southern continues to own trackage rights from East Northfield, MA to White River Jct., VT under the Boston & Maine subsidiary.

The VRS will be a key interchange partner with the GLE and be shipping intermodal trains out of Essex Jct. (Burlington), VT to Worcester, MA, as well as interchange of freight traffic at Montpelier, White River Jct. and Bellows Falls, VT.  Unit salt loads off the Canadian Pacific will also be delivered to the GLE via the VRS at N. Walpole, NH, in addition to regular freight interchange in Bellows Falls.

As has been the case for this line since the Central Vermont Railway days, traffic will be highly dependent on the lumber and logging industry, coupled with paper mill supplies, a variety of liquid fuels and several other smaller key businesses.   

Unit trains will exist in the form of unit stone, coal, grain and salt.  Stone - specifically granite chunks - will move from Montpelier Jct. to Selkirk, NY and ultimately Chicago for shipment to the west coast.  Coal will move from points in the south - including the GLE's own coalfields, import moves from the Providence & Worcester and from the Powder River Basin from BNSF to a new power plant in Burlington, VT.  Grain will arrive for export from the CN and ship south to New London for overseas loading.  Salt will move from either the GLE Boston Subdivision or the CPR (via VRS) north to White River Jct. for classification and rebuilding for delivery to a variety of locations. 

The main yard for the layout will actually be located at the halfway point in White River.  Montpelier Jct. will be a small yard/crew change point, while White River will host a daily yard switcher – a single six-axle/slug set – as well as a few locals.  Brattleboro will also have a small yard area, however only as a basis for local trains swapping out car cuts.

Canadian National and Vermont Rail System will be the main supplier of traffic to the north, while a variety of online customers and interchange partners will generate River Sub traffic.

Additionally, the settings for the layout will be multi-faceted, however mostly set in the Fall and Winter, to replicate heavier shipping periods for the railroad, especially road salt moves.  

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