We are keen to instill a sense of safety in our guests by exceeding sanitization requirements.” They hope to expand the train schedule when the foliage season starts.Described as a 'Festival of Aviation' but in practice mainly an aviation trade fair exhibiting all types from ultralights through to piston props and helicopters, as well as aviation-related technology and accessories. “We have kept our employees safe, and to the best of our knowledge, we can say the same for our guests.” According to Rob, “all train and bike seats are sanitized between seatings, hand rails and doorways on the train the same, restroom and park benches sanitized frequently. Speaking of sanitizing, their training and retraining has been “intense and continual,” according to Rob. They are selling train and boat combination tickets so that the entire train empties out allowing it to be sanitized prior to the return trip. In July, VRR started operating a limited Train and Boat schedule. “EDC’s from both towns put together a visitation guide to keep folks in the Swing Bridge region and deeper into Haddam and East Haddam.” It’s nice to see the Economic Development Commissions in both towns working together to keep tourists here! “Most of our guests take the opportunity to shop and dine locally,” said Rob. They are on different parts of the track between Deep River and Shailerville, based at their Bridge Road site (behind Goodspeed Station gift shop). Seven rail bikes have been operating for 12 hours per day, five days per week. “These have been the Connecticut hit of the summer,” said Rob. In June, they started running their Rail Bikes. The economic toll of the pandemic is impossible to watch, we’ll not come close to employee the 450+ people per season that is our norm.” “With such limited operations, our need for the massive cadre of seasonal employees just has not been there, and that’s painful – they are not just employees, they are our friends. Rob explained that they have had to reduce the number of people they normally hire in a season, which was difficult.
In the spring, they performed a major project with the CDOT, resulting in all new signage and LED lighting/gates at the public railroad crossings from Old Saybrook to Haddam, which should enhance safety, giving motorists the most current devices to help them to be safe while crossing the tracks.The vintage concrete Mile and Whistle Posts along the line are being repainted “so they look sharp”.New railroad ties were installed in many locations.Landscaping and maintenance of all property continued through the pandemic.In the Essex Station, all of the restrooms received new touch-less sinks, soap, and towel dispensers in response to COVID-19.The Goodspeed Yard Office (which was the original 1871 Chester Station building, and believed to be the one remaining building from the original opening of the railroad in 1871) is getting some cosmetic work done on it.The River Valley Junction/Dickinson Bottling Plant building received a new roof.In days of old this is the building where a Crossing Tender would jump to his feet and flag a crossing upon approach of a train, to be a human version of a STOP sign. They also completed some other upkeep: Crossing Tender shanty at Essex Station. Vintage diesels 09 received tuning on all their engines (0901 is the front-line diesel for this season, and is believed to be the oldest regularly operating diesel locomotive in the country - built in 1939).Passenger Coach 603 is in the process of receiving the same treatment as 602.Passenger Coach 602’s interior was sanded, repainted in appropriate colors, and the woodwork was stripped and finished.Steam Engine 97 was lifted off its wheels and axles and is undergoing major mechanical rebuilding.Steam Engines 40 (which celebrates its 100th birthday this year!) and 3025 received their annual Federal Railroad Administration inspections.They performed upkeep on various engines: “In my 29 years on the railroad I’ve experienced nothing remotely like this.” Coach 602 “it’s been a tough year,” said Rob Bradway, VP of Track & Property. Valley Railroad, better known to locals as the Essex Steam Train, used their time “off” for many improvements and made some changes to their offerings. Some businesses closed their doors for good, others retooled machines or changed and adapted to stay open, some businesses used the time “off” to improve their business. In March, as we all know, many businesses had to shut down due to the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19.
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