Farewell to a roundhouse

[o anderson]

I don't think there will be very much to save from the CV roundhouse at White River Junction, Vermont. Tire fires are known to run hot.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20081102/NEWS02/81102004/1001/NEWS

[Matthew Gustafson]

Holy Smokes!   Hope there was no historical steam engines in there?

[Ed Lecuyer]

No steam engines there now, but there could have been....

At one time, that site was targeted for a railroad museum. That roundhouse is in White River Jct. (WRJ) Vermont - there was an article about WRJ in Trains not too long ago. Anyhow, there was a plan for a railroad museum to use that roundhouse, the WRJ station, and/or the Westboro, NH roundhouse across the river for a museum. The plans never got farther than some displays at the WRJ station, where a B&M steamer is on display.

My great-grandfather was the conductor for the Woodstock Railroad, which ran from Woodstock Vermont to WRJ. It's ROW passed right by that roundhouse.

[Matthew Gustafson]

Was that turntable spared?

[Ed Lecuyer]

I *think* I heard that the railroad still used the turntable there on occasion. I may be wrong. To my knowledge, the turntable survived the fire but what remained of the roundhouse was demolished.

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

Interesting thing to hear about that poor building.   Though in retrospect, it's a good thing that the museams never made it.  the loss of the engines and the building would have decimated the organization anyway.  For confirmation, take a look at the Valley RRs new engine; purchassed from the Knox & Kane with fire dammage.  And now the K&K has been liquidated.

I also believe the WW&Fs roundhouse fire contributed to the RRs eventual colapse.

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

From what I've been able to gather, (while not nowing the actual cause of the fire itself,) if the roundhouse hadn't been used as a tire warehouse the fire would either never have happened, or not as likely been so bad.