Guest article by Ken Kinlock
Over the years we covered the historic “ALPHABET ROUTES”
More recently there has been a lot of activity in creating a “New England Gateway”. Because it involves several railroads, we will call it an “alphabet route”.
Before then, rail freight into and out of New England had been mostly Conrail (now CSX) or Guilford. Another route exists that avoids these carriers.
A test train has run to Johnson City, New York (January 2006). This coal train moved via the New England Gateway Route (P&W-NECR-VRS-D&H-NS)
“P&W” Providence & Worcester Railroad (the Providence and Worcester Railroad has joined the Genesee & Wyoming family of railroads)
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“NECR” New England Central Railroad
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“VRS” Vermont Rail System
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“D&H” Canadian Pacific Railway (was Delaware & Hudson once)
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“NS” Norfolk Southern
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A coal ship arrived at Providence, Rhode Island and was unloaded to a 50-car train.
The train travels to Worcester, Massachusetts, then to New London, Connecticut on the P&W.
It switches to the NECR for travel, back through Norwich, Connecticut then Palmer, Massachusetts, to Bellows Falls, Vermont.
At Bellows Falls, it is picked up by VRS and heads to Whitehall, Vermont.
From Whitehall, D&H takes it thru Saratoga, Schenectady and Oneonta to Binghampton.
NS carries it the last leg to Johnson City.
The route has varied, the owners have varied; but this is the basic “sketch” of the route.
PenneyVanderbilt 
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
AN ALPHABET ROUTE FOR MODERN TIMES!
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