steamhog

Middlebury, VT has a new rail tunnel under construction fabricated from precast concrete.  This could be a unique scene to model.   Clearances in the new tunnel accomodate new equipment and the town green is improved.

20top(1).jpg 

The above picture dated 7/28/20 shows the first top section in place. It's practically a mirror image of the U-shaped pieces lining the trench.  The trench is several feet deeper than the original rail bed running through the town.

bridge.jpg 

The 1920's bridges before demolition.  (photo by Melody Bodette)

This  google maps view shows the downtown area before construction.

ddlebury.jpg 

I added red lines to the dark trench that is the Vermont Railway track.  Triangle Park (green lettering) will be expanded once the tracks are covered.

https://vtrans.vermont.gov/sites/aot/files/projectsites/middlebury/Middlebury_2019_Storyboard_v4.pdf

alley.jpg 

Artist's rendition shows the north end of the tunnel with side walls tapering down next to "Printer's Alley".

taper.jpg 

7/28/20 northern portal, apparantly where sidewalls will taper as seen in the artist's rendition above

the crane lowers this precast section from a flat bed truck to the roadbed

t%20mats.jpg 

7/15/20 this is how the north end of the tunnel looked as the blast maps were removed from the rock

7.jpg 

storage area for tunnel pieces about 1 mile from construction

By fall, railroad tracks will be return to Middlebury station.  Barely visible in the distance are two orange pylons at the end of the line for now.

station.jpg 

https://addisonindependent.com/news/builders-set-timetable-intense-rail-tunnel-construction-middlebury

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

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Nick Santo amsnick

Big Job

No through traffic on the railroad between Burlington and Rutland until into September.  Traffic is going north through Essex Junction and on the New England Central tracks to Bellows Falls for the detour.  Makes me think I should head down to Middlebury to take some pictures too!  First rate construction company doing the job.

Nick

Nick

https://nixtrainz.com/ Home of the Decoder Buddy

Full disclosure: I am the inventor of the Decoder Buddy and I sell it via the link above.

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