Submitted by Kristin Robertson
Nestled in downtown New Lebanon, lies a gem that few even know exists. Built in 1863, the train depot and corkscrew railroad connecting to the B&R railroad was, in its day, a thriving business. As there were no eighteen-wheelers or airplanes back then, the train was the main source of transportation for all goods like coal, produce, bread, livestock, and of course, people.
The railroad ran from Rutland, VT with a small section extending up to Canada and down to the town of Chatham. Children would board it to get to school and back home every day. Vacationers boarded it as transportation to the famous destination of Lebanon Springs Spa, to experience the healing mineral waters.
Dubbed the Corkscrew Rail Trail, aptly named due to the twisting and sometimes dangerous dips and curves the train tracks took, there were, as can be imagined, many derailments along the way, over embankments, into river beds, and a few unfortunate deaths.
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