Uploaded October 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
September through October is a period of transition of the seasons and color of the leaves, but daily run of the Vermonter is matched by the same stroke of the watch each day. This video captures the southbound Vermonter, as well as one run of the Ethan Allen departing on its voyage, through the changing leaves in the Green Mountains of central Vermont. While most Amtrak trains look the same across the country, the uniqueness of its passing in Vermont is defined by the horn echo that channels through the valley walls creating a poetic symphony of the natural landscape.
In 2013, the colors were the best at peak as they had been in years. Unfortunately, most of the good array of colors does not happen trackside, but I believe there are two shots in here that capture the foliage well.
August 24: The southbound Vermonter crosses the Dog River and Route 12 shortly after departing the station at Montpelier Junction, already making its way to track speed (currently 59 MPH in dark territory).
0:00 - 57 - Vermonter - St. Albans, VT - Washington, D.C.
Amtrak P42DC 104
August 25: After cresting the grade to Roxbury, the town that gives the subdivision its name (NECR Roxbury Subdivision), the Vermonter rolls across the Roxbury flat.
0:35 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 111
September 15: On a sunny morning, the Vemonter flies by a close camera at the straightaway at Milepost 67.
1:10 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 167
September 27: The Ethan Allen has just departed Rutland early in the morning, crossing Otter Creek in Center Rutland.
1:50 - 290 - Ethan Allen - Rutland, VT - New York City
Amtrak P32AC-DM 700
September 29: At the base of Camels Hump, the Central Vermont railway makes one of several crossings of the Winooski River. I took some time to capture extra footage of the bridge and fog lifting off the river because the scene is too wide to capture in one frame.
3:00 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 1: The colors are passing peak at the summit of the Roxbury Sub, seen here as the Vermonter rolls across the Roxbury Flat along Route 12A south of the town of Roxbury.
4:30 - 55 - (Weekday Symbol)
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 3: A couple of days later, the same locomotive in the cycle is seen leading the train through an explosion of colors on the Green Mountains along the Third Branch of the White River.
5:45 - 55
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 10: In the middle of the woods along the Dog River, the Vermonter sneaks past the waning foliage.
7:00 - 55
Amtrak P42DC 115
October 12: The Vermonter speeds by Norwich University with bells from the campus bell tower playing in the distance.
7:45 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 115
October 13: With the leaves gone except for the evergreens, the Vermonter passes Mud Pond in Roxbury.
8:30 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 108
Thanks for watching!
September through October is a period of transition of the seasons and color of the leaves, but daily run of the Vermonter is matched by the same stroke of the watch each day. This video captures the southbound Vermonter, as well as one run of the Ethan Allen departing on its voyage, through the changing leaves in the Green Mountains of central Vermont. While most Amtrak trains look the same across the country, the uniqueness of its passing in Vermont is defined by the horn echo that channels through the valley walls creating a poetic symphony of the natural landscape.
In 2013, the colors were the best at peak as they had been in years. Unfortunately, most of the good array of colors does not happen trackside, but I believe there are two shots in here that capture the foliage well.
August 24: The southbound Vermonter crosses the Dog River and Route 12 shortly after departing the station at Montpelier Junction, already making its way to track speed (currently 59 MPH in dark territory).
0:00 - 57 - Vermonter - St. Albans, VT - Washington, D.C.
Amtrak P42DC 104
August 25: After cresting the grade to Roxbury, the town that gives the subdivision its name (NECR Roxbury Subdivision), the Vermonter rolls across the Roxbury flat.
0:35 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 111
September 15: On a sunny morning, the Vemonter flies by a close camera at the straightaway at Milepost 67.
1:10 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 167
September 27: The Ethan Allen has just departed Rutland early in the morning, crossing Otter Creek in Center Rutland.
1:50 - 290 - Ethan Allen - Rutland, VT - New York City
Amtrak P32AC-DM 700
September 29: At the base of Camels Hump, the Central Vermont railway makes one of several crossings of the Winooski River. I took some time to capture extra footage of the bridge and fog lifting off the river because the scene is too wide to capture in one frame.
3:00 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 1: The colors are passing peak at the summit of the Roxbury Sub, seen here as the Vermonter rolls across the Roxbury Flat along Route 12A south of the town of Roxbury.
4:30 - 55 - (Weekday Symbol)
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 3: A couple of days later, the same locomotive in the cycle is seen leading the train through an explosion of colors on the Green Mountains along the Third Branch of the White River.
5:45 - 55
Amtrak P42DC 4
October 10: In the middle of the woods along the Dog River, the Vermonter sneaks past the waning foliage.
7:00 - 55
Amtrak P42DC 115
October 12: The Vermonter speeds by Norwich University with bells from the campus bell tower playing in the distance.
7:45 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 115
October 13: With the leaves gone except for the evergreens, the Vermonter passes Mud Pond in Roxbury.
8:30 - 57
Amtrak P42DC 108
Thanks for watching!
![Wheeling on the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XkQ8XX-mDQU/mqdefault.jpg "Wheeling on the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad [4K]
On October 22 & 23: A trip to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad these days reveals the story of a modern Alphabet Route. Car loads that dodge Class I railroads, particularly coke trains that take a WLE-AVR-BPRR routing, have brought locomotives from the respective shortlines onto the G&W property, giving reprieve to the corporate orange consists. On the 22nd, chasing SIRI with Wheeling & Lake Erie power south from the NY/PA border would be the main target, but RISI and JB-1 also make an appearance. On the morning of the 23rd, we stuck around for the RISI further south in Punxsutawney which is led by one of the P&W units that are currently on the property.
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0:00 - A patch of wetlands reflects SIRI heading south between Limestone and Carrollton, New York, just minutes after the train departed Salamanca with:
WE SD40-3 3068
WE SD40-2 6318
WE SD40-2 6996
PW SD70M-2 4301
1:15 - SIRI makes no stop at Foster Brook, passing the part of refinery complex displaying its old namesake.
1:45 - Sand flies as SIRI climbs up the hill at Lewis Run, rounding the horseshoe curve at Droney Road. Normally, trains are struggling here, but today a light train of 37 cars moves with ease.
3:00 - Upon arrival at Mt. Jewett, SIRI will make a pick up that will triple its train length. The old Color Position Light (CPL) signals provide evidence that this line was once part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The CPLs are still in use here as part of the Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) Islands along the B&P railroad.
4:50 - Positioning further south, SIRI rips south through Mt Jewett with all four units online. We would end our chase here as they would spend a couple hours waiting to do start work in Johnsonburg after meeting RISI.
7:05 - RISI heads north over the Clarion River in Johnsonburg with typical B&P power.
B&P SD40T-2 3301
B&P SD40-2 457 (retains SD45 carbody)
B&P SD40-2 3318
B&P SD40-3 452 (retains SD45 carbody)
8:00 - B&P GP40 3001, the JB-1 switch job was also moving around the yard in Johnsonburg.
9:45 - The next day we drove over to Riker Yard: RISI departs north with yesterdays power in reverse. Here is a scene that is typical in the oil-rich northwestern Pennsylvania: oil wells dot the region home to the first oil rush in the United States.
10:35 - Just down the road at the first grade crossing, we get a closer look of the train departing, as a cloud decided to steal the gorgeous sunlight.
11:30 - Further north along an acid-washed creek in Sykesville, RISI leans through the bend at track speed.
Thanks for watching!")
