A short history of the housatonic railroad youre modeling what. Despite living in shelton all my life, this is the first train ive ever seen go through. Lynch, published by quarto publishing group usa, 2005. The housatonic was the very first railroad in american history to run a scheduled milk train. It has been reported that the railroad has received two gp382 high hoods. The two units are hihoods and used only for spare parts. On february 6, 1844, the berkshire railroad then leased to the housatonic leased the west stockbridge and hudson and berkshire railroads. Huges sketch was based on survivors accounts connecticut historical society and connecticut history illustrated. A history of the berkshire line barrington institute. Nov 12, 2012 this one is the first, and was cut through the ridge between the newtown villages of sandy hook and hawleyville in 1840 to allow passage of the original housatonic railroad that ran from bridgeport, ct, up to pittsfield, ma. Remember to subscribe to the channel and share with your friends. The original decision to build north instead of west now had returned to plague them the new york, new haven and hartford rr new haven had been chartered many years later to build the overland line to nyc, and prospered from it as advances in locomotive and engineering technology came about. The text is well written and almost provides a firsthand account of the golden era of railroading.
The morning freight train going up the housatonic railroad became disabled. Tonik reporting mark hrrc is a class iii railroad operating in southwestern new england. It started as a planning effort involving the city of bridgeport, the towns of monroe and trumbull, and several other interested stakeholder groups. From nyc to the litchfield hills and the berkshires.
The pequonnock river trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern connecticut. The original bridge was the first railroad bridge over the housatonic river, built by the new york and new haven railroad, and was a singletrack wooden covered howe truss, 1,293 feet 394 m in length and a draw of 4 feet 41 m, built in 1848. Massachusetts railroads date all of the way back to 1826 when the granite railway was chartered on march 4th of that year. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The berkshire line originated as the combination of the housatonic railroad, which opened between bridgeport and canaan, connecticut. Again we have to record a railroad accident, involving the wholesale slaughter of passengers, and caused by the carelessness of the railroad officers. Special excursions were widely advertised by early railroad and steamboat companies, and the housatonic rr was no exception connecticut historical society and connecticut history illustrated on august 14, 1865, the housatonic railroad was operating both freight and passenger trains on the southern end of their line connecting bridgeport with pittsfield, massachusetts. Part of that safety regimen is a program to keep areas within and adjacent to our track structure clear of vegetation. A frightful railroad disaster occurred this morning on the housatonic river railroad. Trains magazine offers railroad news, railroad industry insight, commentary on todays freight railroads, passenger service amtrak, locomotive technology, railroad preservation and history, railfan opportunities tourist railroads, fan trips, and great railroad photography.
It is part of the pittsfield, massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. To date, roughly ten miles of the hrt have been completed and open to the public, mostly along the northern sections through trumbull and monroe. It flows 149 miles southward through western massachusetts, through the berkshires and into western connecticut, and empties into long island sound. History the current bridge is the fourth railroad span in the same location, originally known as naugatuck junction. The arrival of the housatonic railroad in 1842 and its extension to pittsfield in 1850 made stockbridge more accessible and attractive to wealthy families who built grand cottages. This article presents a historical overview of connecticuts housatonic railroad. Railroads, the pioneers building americas transportation backbone, and more. The role of the housatonic river in our future lives will depend on how well. In the great railroad revolution, renowned railroad expert christian wolmar tells the extraordinary story of the rise and the fall of the greatest of all american endeavors, and argues that the time has come for america to reclaim and celebrate its oftenoverlooked rail heritage. New havens route to the hills, pages 4553, from the book new haven passenger trains by peter e. In this video we have a chase of nx12 from new milford to falls village before being picked up by 3601x in canaan. Housatonic railroad evolution of a layout design new 1890s plan givens and druthers. Barnum, of the barnum richardson company, and a founder of trinity church, the church that iron built, was also a trustee of the housatonic railroad and later its president. The housatonic was the first line to link new york city to the erie canal until the new york and new haven lines shattered its monopoly.
There will be operating layouts, dealer tables, railroad memorabilia and more. This is a must have reference for any nutmeggers into railroad history. Housatonic railroad tunnel newtown, ct abandoned train. The regional housatonic railroad trail hrt concept was conceived and initiated just after the passage of the intermodal surface transportation efficiency act istea in 1991.
By the time of the 1890s the housatonic was a strong and competitive railroad, but in financial trouble. Pequonnock river trail connecticut trails traillink. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Aug 14, 2019 collision on the housatonic railroad near bridgeport. Here is a photo of the bridge sometime around 1946 looking south across the housatonic river. Creameries and milk platforms were scattered all along the housatonic line. A brief history of the housatonic railroad welcome page links page send email the following is a short history of the actual housatonic railroad my layout is based on. The shepaug railroad 18721948 by fletcher cooper book the bridge was dismantled in 1948 when the shepaug railroad was abandoned. We also support the fairfield museum and history center with a model train display every year during the winter holidays. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great railroad revolution. Confirmation and locomotive data would be appreciated.
The regional housatonic railroad trail hrt consists of a shareduse trail primarily on a separate rightofway from downtown bridgeport to the monroenewtown town line, a distance of 16. Housatonic railroad evolution of a layout design 2012. Every year, the housatonic model railway club hosts a model railroad show and sale, now at the bigelow center for senior activities. Housatonic railroad pushes passenger plan to regional. Lets restore passenger service on the berkshire line. At that time, the railroad was 175 miles long, with 60 passenger depots. Though the last passenger train ran on april 30, 1971, that may soon change. The village formed in the early 1800s around textile and paper mills. It followed much the same route as the current company, but did not run west into new york.
Housatonic is a village and censusdesignated place cdp in the town of great barrington in berkshire county, massachusetts, united states. Following nx12 on its return run from pittsfield, ma to canaan, ct on a mild march afternoon. Why i chose to model a railroad over 100 years old. Everything you read is as true as i have been able to determine. Crash of the housatonic railroad american civil war. The northern pacific railroad, the sioux, and the panic of 1873 by m. Connecticut railroads have been established since the industrys infancy during the first half of the 19th century.
Popular railroad history books goodreads share book. O scale trains the continue reading forgotten railroads through westchester county. The housatonic railroad was also a company chartered in 1836 and leased by the new haven in 1892. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of exnew york, new haven and hartford railroad in northwestern connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into new york state. The housatonic railroad was one of the first railroads that existed in the northeast.
Forgotten railroads through westchester county new york. It was the main eastwest freight route of the new haven until its merger with the penn central in 1969. Railroad safety housatonic railroad, like all railroads participating in interstate commerce, is required to adhere to a strict safety regime administered by the federal railroad administration. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together existing paths that had developed separately on the former housatonic railroad lineone of new englands firstfrom urban bridgeport to rural monroe, with additional segments opening since then. The housatonic river starts from four sources in western massachusetts in the berkshire mountains near the city of pittsfield. Aug 11, 2008 housatonic railroad freight train passing nthrough great barrington massachusetts in january 2008. For the best new info about hollywood releases, movies, trailers and more visit the wide screen. These videos were taken on housitonic property with. While the constitution state has never had many miles of railroad it has held its importance in the northeastern rail system throughout the years. The history of trains in america kindle edition by wolmar, christian.
Housatonic railroad is a freight railroad that connects to the national rail system through csx transportation at pittsfield. Harpers weekly recounted the disaster in its september 2, 1865 issue. Housatonic railroad evolution of a layout design e 890s pa g e s a d ut e s model south norwalk, ct to danbury, ct p2p plan, around walls p2p plan, around walls 2 peninsulas2 peninsulas wide aisles an absolute must. Not surprisingly, there was not armslength independence between the iron industry and the housatonic railroad, as william h. On november 21, 1854, the western railroad bought the hudson and berkshire, which became a branch from the westerns line later the boston and albany railroad. It captivates the reader like no standard reference book can. The housatonic railroad railroad history and classic. Here are carefully selected articles, photographs, and art. Hrrc housatonic railroad company locomotive roster. Housatonic operates approximately 38 miles in massachusetts. The fall 2019 show will take place on sunday, october 20 th.
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