People need to realize that when they build/buy a residence next to out of use railroad tracks there is always a chance the tracks could be put back into active use. Years ago the Boston MBTA wanted to reopen a former south shore rail line and residents of the tony town of Hingham squawked so they built a tunnel through town, which I thought was wimpy and a huge waste of money. As they say, caveat emptor.
While this may be beneficial to local residents and some tourists, I don't see it of much use to railfans. Since the Rutland route diverts from the Adirondack's in Whitehall, at the very southern tip of Lake Champlain (and one of several places claiming to be the birthplace of the Navy), you lose the lake views of the latter. Decades ago, roughly around Y2K, there was a Burlington-Middlebury tourist train that I once took to Middlebury, had a very nice lunch (I think at Storm Café), then cycled back to Burlington - where the group was staying. It was a pleasant trip scenery-wise, but nothing to compare to the lakeside running of the Adirondack.
A tip for anyone transferring from the LSL to the Adirondack. Instead of doing this at Rensselear/Albany with a $12 taxi ride (each way) across the river to a downtown that dies at 5-6 PM, do it in Schenectady where several hotels are blocks away from the station and the downtown is lively in the evening, with many dining options. I made my switch from the Maple Leaf to the LSL here and was very glad of it, and wished I had on the outbound leg to the Adirondack.