• Welcome to Toad Hall

    The home of the WXToad
  • Steamtown - NH/VT

    Steamtown was established by F. Nelson Blount, and opened in North Walpole NH in 1960 in former B&M facilities. Space quickly became a problem and in 1964, Blount began the process of moving his collection across the Connecticut River to former Rutland RR property. The move was more or less complete by 1966, but hard times were ahead: Blount died in a plane crash in 1967, and promised funds from the state of New Hampshire did not materialize. Steamtown moved to Scranton in 1984, and had problems there as well. The US government created the Steamtown National Historic Site and took over the collection in 1986. The new park opened in 1995. We visited there in 2004.

    24
    The coaling tower at North Walpole.

    5 Sep 1964

    25
    A string of old wooden boxcars.

    5 Sep 1964

    26
    CN 4-6-4T #47, Montreal Locomotive Works, September 1914. #54896. The only Baltic tank locomotive in the United States.

    5 Sep 1964

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    Mogul #96

    AC&Y 4-6-0 #304, ex-NKP #44 Alco Brooks Works Dec 1905 #38831

    5 Sep 1964

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    Pacific #1246 and #2929 CP 4-4-4, CLC 1938 #1943

    5 Sep 1964

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    Mass Electric #1

    5 Sep 1964

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    Bullard Co #2, 0-4-0T

    H.K. Porter 1937

    5 Sep 1964

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    NKP #759 2-8-4 Berkshire

    5 Sep 1964

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    MEC #519 2-8-0 Alco (Schenectady), February 1913. Builder's no. 52991

    GTW #6039 4-8-2 Baldwin Locomotive Works, June 1925. Builder's no. 58463

    5 Sep 1964

    34
    2-8-0 #15 approaches Riverside, VT

    Baldwin Locomotive Works, June 1916. Builder's no. 43529

    ex-Rahway Valley, now in Scranton

    Bellows Falls VT

    5 Sep 1964

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    #15 on the way to Chester.

    5 Sep 1964

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    #15 running around the train at Chester.

    5 Sep 1964

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    Coupling back onto the train for the run back to Riverside.

    Chester VT

    5 Sep 1964

    42
    #15 heading out of Chester.

    5 Sep 1964

    43
    Later that same day #1293 had the afternoon run to Chester.

    5 Sep 1964

    44
    Checking her out before heading up the line to Chester.

    5 Sep 1964

    47
    Running around the train.

    Chester VT

    5 Sep 1964

    48
    About to couple onto the rear of the train.

    Chester VT

    5 Sep 1964

    130
    More buggies beside the North Walpole roundhouse.

    8 Jun 1965

    131
    I climbed up the hillside a ways to get some panoramic shots of the yard and collection of power. That's UP #4016, a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.

    8 Jun 1965

    2312
    #2929 CP 4-4-4 (CLC 1938)

    8 Jun 1965

    2313
    An overall view of the engine facilities.

    8 Jun 1965

    2318
    This shows how tightly packed the display of locomotives was.

    8 Jun 1965