Rutland Ry. Milk Train Modeling

A Rutland Milk train departs Bellows Crossing on the White River Division. Today one finds four milk cars heading south.

Rutland Ry. Milk Run 
Trains #88 and #87

on the White River Division

Re-post from April 8 2012

Over the years I have been working on building a selection of milk related equipment that emulate New England milk trains operations.  I want to be able to model a milk train for each the CV, B&M and Rutland Ry. Included in this post are views of my equipment that is currently completed and in use on the Rutland Ry. milk runs along the White River Division.

The fastest train schedule on the Rutland Ry. in 1953 was the milk train, #88. In the diesel era an RS-3 was the regular power most of the time but on occasion a RS-1 would be used. The last car on the train regularly was a Rutland #700 series steel coach but combines would be seen at times. The passenger car would carry passenger north of Rutland, Vt. only until the strike of 1953 which ended passenger service altogether. South of Rutland, Vt. the coach was used by the crew only.

The make up of milk trains 88 and 87 would include milk cars on the head end, a Rutland RPO, followed by a baggage car, then a coach or combine on the tail end. I have been working on reproducing this consist for my White River Division. I currently have a Rutland Ry. RPO which I have just finished reconstructing and a Rutland 700 series coach I built last year. I still need to find a Rutland Baggage car to complete my train. I also have a Rutland Ry. combine partially completed.

Train #88 southbound with milk loads begins in Ogdensburg as train #8. It would change into train #88 at Alburgh, Vt. Train #8 left Ogdensburg with milk cars, baggage car and a coach. At Alburgh the RPO is added along with area milk cars. The train would run though to New York City via Chatham, NY till the strike of 1953 ended passenger service and this routing. Train #83 northbound with empties ran from New York City to North Bennington,Vt. The train number changed there to #87 to Alburgh. At Alburgh, Vt. #87 became #7 and the RPO was set off  for lifting southbound the next day. There has been many photos published of the coach being cut off the milk train and RPO cut in or out at Alburgh, Vermont.

My friend Warren Dodgson put together a chart of train consists for 88-87 which is helpful in picking an era and making up a Rutland Ry. milk train. A 1953 timetable is also included. This material can all be found in the Rutland Railroad Historical Society's Winter, 1990 Newsliner. At that time Warren and I helped the RRHS as contributing editors. John Nerich was editor during the early years of the RRHS Newsliner and covered a good amount of detailed information about milk operation and creameries. The year 1988 of the Newsliner was dedicated to milk train no. 88.There maybe back issues available if you check their web site...George Dutka

On the tail end of milk train #88 is a Rutland RPO followed by a Rutland steel #700 series coach. The Borden's detachable milk car was built by Warren Dodgson from a F&C kit.

In this 1951-1953 era view a Rutland milk train powered by a Rutland RS-1 heads the daily train from Ogdensburg to New York City as no.88. By this era milk traffic has started to fall off and the trains are shorter. My milk consist is a B&M can car followed by a wooden Whiting milk car. A wooden Borden's milk car is next followed by a Borden's detachable milk car which was a very common sight on most Rutland milk trains. The last two cars are a Rutland RPO and Rutland coach #717.