A future built on generations of passion.
The first known image of Davis & Butler Railway 1906
Courtesy of The Northern Neck Historical Society
The Butler family purchased the Railway in 1925.
The Blacksmith shop is still standing and now an office of sorts.
This was one of the busiest Railways on The Chesapeake Bay and the first to get electricity on the Bay.
Many skiffs were built here by the Butler Family.
The Railway in the late 1960's.
Christmas time late 1980's.
1991 - The Railway is still working hard keeping local boats going.
Butler Built Skiffs would be rolled off on a wood ramp.
The Iris Marie is still running strong, note the TEXACO fuel storage tanks next door. Now removed.
Waiting for repair or worse.
“Getting lost in time, is the best way to spend time”
Matt
Restored original Benjamin Industrial lights were installed in all the buildings.
George Butler using the band saw that he has been using since he was a kid. Yes he still has all 10 fingers.
This is a monster drill. Looks scary and is.
Wayne and George hand drilling a shaft log last year with "THE DRILL"
The office is timeless even in Black and white
The new old Drilleville area.
The shop truck, photo 2021 on a vintage camera. Time does not march on here.
George B and Mr B working on the Railway together. Mr B is the real boss.
"Glenna Faye", the oldest Deadrise in the area. Built by the Butlers in the late 40's and still being serviced here. She works every day on the bay.
The "Elva C" is the Reedville Fishermen's Museum Buyboat she gives tours and gets checked out yearly at the Railway
The Machine Shop
Now a special place to unplug the machine
Old tools & old fools.
The Admiral's desk and globe part of the Smith Collection in the office.
The original belt driven drill press is now a sculpture since being replaced by a Dewalt battery drill.
All the tools at the Railway were steam driven by large belt drives. The gears are still here. The Steam? No, Mr B yes.
Woody Boater is written and published from here daily, as well as countless Zoom meetings.
Obsolete tools found around the railway are now part of a display. They are used way more often than one may think.
Seems a tad over designed but sure keeps the tools and old stuff looking good.
Ready for a summer of work..and play
New plantings, new gate, old parts...and old farts.
The Butler Building
“Sometimes you’ve got to make a mess in order to do a good job.”
George Butler
The section of the workshop with buffing wheels and grinders. The center table is from a hardware store from the early 1900's.
The original planer still works great.
The building is a great place to store collectable stuff.
It is a working shop. This 1930 model 99 Chris Craft is here to be repaired. It's Mr B's boat.
The parts room. This door is from the Butler family home. The lettering is repurposed boat letters .
Inside the parts room, referred to as "ROOM OF NUTS", has decades of parts. All in old storage bins from local stores.
Organizing the nuts, bolts and pipes was a huge job. We brought a friend and former owner of a local hardware store, and she had it done in short order.
Old paint. The good kind that will outlast anything including your liver. BUT, when you need to match an old painted boat color. We have it.
Parts and more parts collected over the years.
A small library, not that anyone reads stuff on paper anymore, but the magazines fill up the shelves nicely.
More vintage boat parts.
Note the old anvil and bent rod on the vice..
Ready to letter with some great One Shot. The old cans. The good stuff
Walls are made to hang art
Old tools have a home here and still used
Sometimes you just want to sit and enjoy it all.
