Staples (BNSF Staples Sub) – Staples, Minnesota, USA | Train Spotting Location

Perched at the northern edge of Vermont’s busiest freight terminal, St. Albans (CN/VRS) rewards patient railfans with up-close views of heavy New England Central road freights, colorful Vermont Rail System locals, and the daily Amtrak Vermonter as they ease into the yard or thunder past the classic brick shops that once flew Canadian National colors. Few spots in the Green Mountain State offer such a consistent mix of 286-k-rated freights, interchange moves, and passenger action framed by 19th-century railroad architecture and broad vistas toward Lake Champlain.

🛤️ The Trainspotting Experience

A typical visit begins at the public sidewalks near Lake Street and Federal Street, where the double-track throat of the yard fans out in full view. From here you can monitor the yardmaster’s radio channel and watch power shuffle at walking speed before road trains accelerate southward toward Essex Junction or north to the Canadian border. Wheel squeal from tight ladder tracks gives way to deep GE and EMD notes once throttles notch up; expect generous horn action at the nearby grade crossings. Southbound road freights often hit 25–30 mph by the time they clear the final switch, while northbounds roll in slowly, bells clanging, headlights reflecting off the original walls of the 1860s roundhouse. Trains typically run 75–120 cars long; when two road jobs meet, the combined consist can block crossings for several minutes, providing extended photo opportunities.

🌄 Landscape, Setting and Local Atmosphere

St. Albans Yard sits at about 430 ft above sea level on a broad, level terrace just east of Lake Champlain. The setting blends small-city charm—church steeples, vintage mill buildings, and maple-lined streets—with open sky to the west, where sunsets often backlight departing freights in golden hues. To the east, low ridges of the Green Mountains rise in soft blue layers, especially clear after a cold front. Summers bring lush greenery right up to the right-of-way, while winter snow highlights rail contours and amplifies locomotive exhaust. The atmosphere is relaxed; locals are accustomed to railfans and conversations with crew members are common if safety rules are respected.

🚂 Type and Frequency of Train Activity

• New England Central Railroad (NECR, a Genesee & Wyoming company) bases its northern division here. The road freights 323/324 (St. Albans–Brattleboro) usually run once per day in each direction, often with six-axle SD40-2s or SD70M-2s in G&W orange mixed with older NECR blue and gold.
• Locals 611/612 work north to Swanton and south to Essex Junction on weekdays, switching industries and lifting interchange traffic.
• Vermont Rail System’s Washington County Railroad interchanges plywood, grain, and fuel cars several times a week; expect red VTR GP38-2s or GP40-2s swapping cuts on the east side of the yard.
• Amtrak’s Vermonter (trains 54 and 55) terminates and originates at the passenger station a half-mile south of the yard throat, arriving late evening northbound and mid-morning southbound. Power is usually a Siemens Charger or GE P42 with a cab car or business class coach on the north end.
In total, 8–14 train movements can be seen over a 24-hour cycle, with longer dwell times midday and increased action around 07:00–11:00 and 17:00–22:00.

📸 Best Angles for Photos and What Railfans Enjoy Most

1. Lake Street Overpass: Elevated, unobstructed three-quarter views of the entire throat; morning light favors northbound arrivals, late afternoon light silhouettes southbound departures against the lake sky.
2. Federal Street Grade Crossing: Eye-level roster shots as power pauses for signal clearance; side lighting is best from noon to early afternoon.
3. Barlow Street Curve: A gentle eastward bend south of the station provides sweeping telephoto compositions with the roundhouse in the background; golden hour fills locomotive cab windows with warm light.
   Tripods are welcome on public sidewalks, but stay clear of private parking lots adjacent to the engine facility. A 70–200 mm lens covers most needs; winter sun angles allow dramatic low-glint shots after 15:00.

🕰️ Historical or Cultural Relevance

St. Albans became the headquarters of the Central Vermont Railway in 1860, boasting one of the region’s first all-brick roundhouses and a car-repair complex that employed hundreds. Canadian National absorbed CV in 1923, introducing the maple-leaf herald still faintly visible on some shop walls. During World War II, the yard processed 40 trains a day carrying Quebec iron ore and munitions south. Though CN sold the line in 1995, the shops remain active for NECR maintenance, and the town’s annual “Rail City” festival celebrates this heritage with speeder rides and historical exhibits.

🧭 What Makes This Spot Different from Others

Unlike many Northeastern yards now fenced off, St. Albans offers clear public sightlines within walking distance of downtown cafés and a passenger station. The seamless blend of modern G&W orange units, classic VRS red Geeps, and Amtrak stainless steel provides color variety rarely found in a single venue. Add in the intact 19th-century brick shop complex and the broad vista toward Lake Champlain, and you have a backdrop that pairs heavy rail action with quintessential Vermont scenery—something no highway overpass or remote mountain grade can replicate.

📚 Additional Resources

Genesee & Wyoming – New England Central Railroad
Vermont Rail System
Central Vermont Railway Historical Society