Shoreham Covered Bridge in Vermont

The Shoreham covered railroad bridge on the Rutland's Addison Branch. The last time a train rolled across it was on May 21, 1951 -- the day after my parents got married, so forgive me if I don't think it was a long, long time ago.It is one of two remaining railroad covered bridges in Vermont. As it carried trains it is quite a bit bigger than your average, back roads county bridge.

 You can see a photo of that even at the Addison Railroad Historical Society. There is also a two-page spread in Jim Shaughnessy's The Rutland Road. All I can say from looking at the photos is: my how things have changed.

It takes a little bit of searching to find the bridge. I came up from Owell, Vermont and missed the turn off. I managed to find it with a little hunting. It is located on Shoreham Depot Road in East Shoreham. The bridge itself spans the Lemon Fair River. Apparently why they came up with that name for the river is a bit of mystery.

 You can park in a small lot off the Shoreham Depot Road, which is a narrow, rural route, and then walk along the old right of way to the bridge itself. It is relatively graffiti free, though there are the initials of a great many lovers carved into its beams. From the look of the roof the bridge got a make over in the not-too-distant past. The lumber has that new look without a lot of fading.

If you are interested in the Rutland or are just looking for a quiet place to contemplate life, then I would recommend a trip out to see the bridge. If you can bring along a copy of Shaughnessy's book or download a photo of the bridge's former glory on your phone, then I am sure the experience would be all the more significant. A true time travel experience and a reminder that everything changes so take those photos while you can.

And yes, I did get a train in Vermont, which I will post later.