Amtrak Bellows Falls, Vt., station, 1970s.

Located at a sharp bend in the Connecticut River, Bellows Falls spreads along a series of terraces carved long ago by the river’s waters. The depot in this image, which is still in use, was constructed when its predecessor was extensively damaged in a 1922 fire. Completed the next year, the building is located on a narrow triangular parcel bordered by tracks on two sides.

Passengers used one of two platforms depending on their destination: the Boston & Maine (B&M) operated the north- and southbound services while the Rutland Railroad oversaw those heading east or west. Inside, many of the original finishes such as the five cross-panel wood doors, cap trim and pendent lighting with acorn shaped bowls remain and have been refurbished.

After the B&M ended service in 1966, Bellows Falls was without regularly scheduled passenger trains for six years until newly-formed Amtrak instituted the Montrealer (Montreal-New York-Washington), replaced by the Vermonter (St. Albans, Vt.-New York-Washington) in 1995.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.