NEB&W Guide to the North Bennington, VT Depot

Last Update: 2009-09-11

The depot was an ornate mansard-roofed affair, built in 1880. The mansard roof was all the rage during the 1870's and early 1880's.
- [Prototype photo c. 1900.]
- [Prototype photo c. 1916.]
The tower roof was taken down in the 1930's, I understand after it was damaged in a hurricane.
Post-steam. After being neglected to almost the point of no return, the depot was restored, including a new tower roof added. The depot now serves as the town hall.
- [Prototype view c. 1960's. (Yes, there IS a steam loco but this was a fan trip, not regular service.)]
- [Prototype photo. This slide (ignore the dust) was taken c. 1972 of the depot, with club member Jeff Otto taking his own shot.]
- [Contemporary photo.]
- [Street side c. 2002.]
- [Main street side c. 2002.]
- [Main street side c. 2002.]
Interior
- [Interior view c. 1980's. (The wainscoting had been painted a thick dark brown. During the restoration, they stripped the paint and found the wood was alternating oak and cherry, which stains up light and dark.)]
The model is being scratchbuilt. As would be expected, the eye-catching roof was also the most difficult.
- [Roof construction. Getting the uprights vertical. Note the cardboard mockup of the roof in the background.]
- [Further along.]
- [Another view.]
- [Making the tower roof.]
- [All the ribs are in place.]
- [Another view.]
- [Close-up of the roof of our unfinished model, 2004.]

The Rutland had no block signals but still had three old-fashioned ball signals, one at North Bennington to the east of the depot, which I guess was used to control the main line from the line coming up from Chatham.
- [Ball signal c. 1944. At this point, any working ball signal was a national oddity.]

Also see The Fund for North Bennington, Inc. - Information about past and present North Bennington.