By way of introduction . . .
My HO scale model railroad represents the Southern Division of the Central Vermont Railway – also known as the Banana Belt - as it existed in the 1950s. This site presents details about my model railroad and its prototype. Since I am modeling the late 1940s and early 1950s, this site on that era. The prototype Banana Belt began at New London, Connecticut, just across the Thames River from the U. S. Navy’s submarine base. From there, the Southern Division proceeds north approximately 120 miles to Brattleboro, Vermont. From Brattleboro to White River Junction, the CV shared its mainline tracks with the Boston & Maine. Once beyond White River Junction the Northern Division of the CV ran north to the Canadian border. From 1931 until 1995 the CV was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. For that reason locomotives and rolling stock from the ‘parent’ CN and corporate cousins Grand Trunk Western, Grand Trunk (New England Lines), and Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific are frequently seen. Although much of the layout and equipment is an accurate as I can make this is a model railroad intended primarily for my amusement and entertainment and not a museum display. While I enjoy conducting extensive research on the CV and its predecessors, I do bend (or completely ignore!) historical fact if it will contribute to a better looking or operating model railroad.
Why the Banana Belt?
No one really knows why the Southern Division of the Central Vermont – the 121 miles that comprised the Willimantic and Amherst Subdivisions of the railroad between Brattleboro, Vermont, and New London, Connecticut - was nicknamed the “Banana Belt.” Some think it was a reference to the produce trains the CV received from the New Haven Railroad in New London for expedited transport to markets in Canada. Others think it was a reference to the relatively warm temperatures compared to the often bitter cold conditions along the CV’s northern division in its home state. Wherever it came from, the term stuck.
Why SNERY.COM?
The main url for this site is “SNERY.COM” – a reference to my prototype-freelanced Southern New England Railway. The “Sney” (pronounced “Snee” by all my friends) was introduced in Model Railroad Planning 2000. Since that article appeared we’ve moved – twice – and I’ve built two more SNE layouts, one large basement-sized layout in Colorado, the other a shelf switching layout in a rented townhouse. Although my current model railroad is based pretty faithfully on the prototype Central Vermont, the name “Sney” nickname remains. For a real-time look at progress (or lack thereof) on the layout, and to participate in discussions with other model railroaders, check out my Southern New England Railway Yahoo! Group
New London Northern
The railroad line between Brattleboro and New London was orignally the New London Northern Railroad. I created this Web site with some history and background on this corporate predecesor to the CV.
The Life of the Station Agent
Years ago, long-time CV employee Jim Murphy sent me a number of letters with his memories of working as a young agent-operator in Waterbury, Vermont. I compiled these into a Web page and added some photos of Waterbury. Click here for an interesting look into the life of the agent-operator at the end of the steam era.