Electric Railroads of Vermont

{updated} 14-Mar-2000

Bellows Falls & Saxtons River Street Railway

(1899 - 1924)

{Photo Post Card of Trolley on Atkinson Street} This post card's caption reads: Atkinson Steet, looking North, Bellows Falls, VT. Just below the caption reads: S.854 Published by Oscar A Gast

Bellows Falls & Saxtons River Street Railway Company

B F & S R Street Railway Company's mail address was listed in the 1924 McGraw Electric Railway Directory as: P.O. Box 711, Bellows Falls,Vermont.

The BF&SR Street Railway operated over 6.25 miles of track from the Boston & Maine and Rutland Railroad station to Barber park and the town of Saxtons River. Bellows Falls was one of the busiest railroad cities in Vermont. The BF&SR Street Railway hauled freight with a Box Motor. This electric railroad ceased operations after a carbarn fire in 1924. (Click on the pictures if you want to see a larger version).
{Photo Post Card of Trolley on Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls}



This a picture of a trolley on Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls.

There are many memories of the old trolley. The rushing wind as the open car sped up. The way the trolleys seemed to throw passengers out of their seats with every curve and corner. Other memories of the trolley include how cold it was in the winter and summer weekends and holliday afternoons at the park .2,3, 5

On June 13 1900, the first trolley ran from Bellows Falls Station to the corner of Atkinson and Henry Streets. This was not a revenue trip. It was to honor the wishes of Mr. C.L. Barber, a supporter of the line who was ill and close to death.2,3,4,5

July 1st was the first day of regular business for the railway.


The entire town of Saxtons River turned out to meet the first trolley that rolled into town on 20 June 1900. Round trip tickets were sold for twenty five cents each and one way tickets were eighteen cents each.2, 5
{Photo - Post Card of a trolley in Saxtons River}

This picture is of a trolley in Saxtons River.


Saxtons River located 5 miles out of Bellows Falls, on the Saxtons River.

Tracks & Opperations

The street railway purchased second hand, 56 pound rail from the Boston & Maine Railroad.

From the B & M and Rutland passenger station, the track was laid South, along parallel to the passenger platform and West, up Bridge Street to the village square. At the village square it turned North on to Rockingham Street. At Atkinson Street the track turned South. A spur, named Morgan's Switch followed Rockingham Street for a short ways. This spur was used to allow Bellows Falls Station bound cars pass. The track continued along Atkinson Street to Henry Street. Then on to and up the hill on Pine Street. From Pine street the track went where Route 121 is today, on to Gageville (North Westminster). There was a passing track at Barbers Park, the siding was used for loading and unloading both passengers and freight.

Much of the road bed and bridge abutments still exist. Some parts of the road bed have been paved over, or used as dirt/gravel roads while other parts of the line are barely visable in the woods or along side the road.2,3,5,6

If you are confused by the description of the route, click on the highlighted text, this link goes to a description that includes maps from "MAP BLAST".

An alternate collection of maps from Tiger Maps through the Census Bureau.

Electric Power

The Fall Mountain Electric Light & Power Company produced the electricity for the line using 2 rotary GE converters with a total out put of 300 kw at 600 volts 3 phase 60 cycles. Transmission voltage was 2200 v. The trolleys operated off the overhead at 550 volts DC. 1

Amusement Park

A local businessman, C.L. Barber donated some of his farmland to the street railway for development into a family park. The trolleys served the park, located between Saxtons River and Bellows Falls. Barbers Park was a local attraction, with terraced gardens, Dance Pavilion & Theater, tennis courts, play ground, ball field, polo field and zoological park. For 15 cents one could ride the trolley to the park from either Bellows Falls or from Saxtons River. On special holidays the an open trolley would carry the Barbers Park band filling the streets with music and spectators. The subsequent trolleys would be filled to capacity or over flowing with passengers en route to the park. It is interesting to note that the permanent structures that stand on the site today are a farm house and barn. So, Mr. Barber's property has returned to its original use as a farm.1,2,4,5

Power Failure and Ice Cause an Accident.
In 1921 a spectacular freight accident occurred. The freight motor was pulling a load of 80000 feet of pulp-wood from Saxtons River to Bellows Falls when a power failure caused the breaks to fail. The train went out of control on Pine Street Hill colliding with a flatcar and the company's snowplow. The snowplow was tossed about 20 feet in the air and all of four cars were derailed. An other account of the same accident indicated that the night before there had been a fire and that water had frozen over the rails adding to the problem.2,5

{Photo of Bellows Falls & Saxstons River's Freight Motor}

Bellows Falls & Saxtons River Freight Operations were handled by freight motor (car #3).

There were mills along the Saxtons River, that were sources of freight revenue for the street railway. Some of the mills and businesses in Bellows Falls and Gageville shipped freight via the electric line. Express freight was transferred into the heavy freight motor (car) # 3. Freight cars were also pulled by the freight motor.
more photographs coming soon!
CREDITS: Information was gathered from the following Resources:

1From the McGraw Electric Railway Directory 1924

2The Village Connection by John E. Cook.

3Saxtons River Historical Society.

4Railroads of Vermont Vol. I, Robert C. Jones.

5History of the town of Rockingham Vermont Including the Villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bertonsville 1907 - 1957 with Family Geneologies by Mrs. Frances Stockwell Lovell and Mr. Leverett C. Lovell.

6Personal first hand observations.

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