Date: Fri 30-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Naugatuck-Railroad-trains

Full Text:

(feature on Naugatuck Railroad/RR Msm of New England in Waterbury, 5/30/97)

The Naugatuck Railroad Opens In Waterbury-

Living History: Riding The Rails Once Again

(with photos)

BY SHANNON HICKS

WATERBURY - In the early 19th Century, railroading made its way from England

into the United States. For the next century and a half, railroads in America

provided a reliable, low-cost, high-volume system of transportation over land.

Connecticut was a hub of railroading activity, with the New York-New

Haven-Hartford Railroad, one of the country's best-known and prosperous lines,

hitting two of the state's largest commerce centers in its heyday.

Last fall, local railroad enthusiasts saw a dream come true when the Railroad

Museum of New England re-opened the Naugatuck line from Waterbury to

Thomaston. After closing for the winter months - the train cars are not heated

- the Naugatuck Railroad has re-opened for the season, offering train lovers

of all ages scenic rides and trips through history along the old Naugatuck

line.

The museum had its inaugural run last September 26, followed by an abbreviated

schedule of weekend runs through the fall. It opened for the season last

month, and rides will continue each weekend through October.

The Naugatuck Railroad - the "Naugy" - takes passengers from the old

Waterville station along a 16-mile round trip. It runs through the Mattatuck

State Forest and continues on to the Thomaston Dam before returning.

Train excursions are along the Waterville-Thomaston line, with the coaches

pulled by the museum's 1950 Alco RS-3, 1600 hp diesel locomotive. The vehicle

is the type designed to power freight or passenger trains with equal ease.

Engine 529 is a black and orange New Haven car.

Behind the locomotive, passengers ride in standard heavyweight passenger cars

- the same ones that carried American soldiers to World War II and brought

them home again. When the museum opened last fall, it owned two such coaches

and a third car, a private coach that was formerly the elegant business car

"The Sherry Lynette Brannon."

The Sherry Lynette - the Baltimore and Ohio RR Office Car 907 - is an office

car. Cars of this type were owned by every affluent American railroad for the

use of its executives and guests to travel over their, or other, rails.

The car was built for Harvey Middleton, then-B&O general superintendent. It

was completed and entered in the company's books as the Ohio, car number 707,

on June 1, 1897; it was based at the Mt. Clare (Baltimore) shops.

During its history, the car rolled under a few different numbers and names. It

became the 907 after being used by the US Railroad Administration shortly

after World War I. It was named The Sherry Lynette Brannon in 1981, when its

current owner purchased the car and gave the car his wife's maiden name.

The Sherry Lynette is 79'9" long and weighs 97 tons. Its interior is of

mahogany and contains an observations lounge/office, two state rooms (each

with private bath), a dining room, a large common bath complete with shower, a

kitchen, and crew's quarters. The car is fully self-contained and is capable

of sleeping nine people comfortably.

For its inaugural run last September, the Sherry Lynette carried among its

guests Patricia Rowland, Connecticut's First Lady.

Three New Coaches

Since its fall 1996 opening, the museum has acquired three new coaches. The

cars will provide additional seating capacities, which will help the museum

avoid the sell-outs in tickets it had problems with in 1996.

While there have been improvements made during the winter months, such as a

larger, sturdier platform to make boarding the train much easier, the museum

is still looking for its permanent home.

"We are being careful with our expenditures," explained Bob Sample, a trustee

of the museum and editor of its newsletter, Along The Line . Mr Sample, who

works during the day with Amtrack, can occasionally be found driving the

museum's trains.

"I can't get enough of these trains," he laughed.

While working on a permanent home, however, the museum does have plans to

establish a gift shop/museum display car within the month. At the moment, the

museum is sharing parking space with the Jaymar Crafts store. In the meantime,

the museum is searching for a location easily accessible to I-84 and Route 8.

Line Began In 1849

The English had mining railways by the end of the 16th Century, horse-drawn

railways by the 18th Century, and the first public railway in the world to

employ locomotive traction and intended to carry both freight and passengers

began service September 27, 1825. The United States commenced railroad service

in 1830, with privately-owned systems.

The Naugatuck Railroad line first opened in 1849, running from Bridgeport to

Winsted. By 1938, the line was incorporated into the New Haven line (New

York-New Haven-Hartford). At this point the railroad carried 16 million tons

of freight annually. By 1943, that number was up to 38 million.

The line carried raw materials into Connecticut factories, then left the

buildings with brass products, machinery, clocks and other products. It was

one of the most profitable lines in the nation.

Waterbury was a median stop along The Naugatuck Railroad's line.

The Torrington-to-Winsted line was abandoned in 1963, and the

Waterbury-to-Watertown line stopped being used during the 1970s. Service from

Waterbury to Bridgeport was changed over to Metro North, a passenger-only

line.

The "Naugy" was given a new life in 1995, when the Connecticut State

Legislature granted the Naugatuck Railroad its new charter. A 30-year lease

was signed by the Railroad Museum of New England, giving the subsidiary

Naugatuck Railroad Company operating rights over the line.

The Naugatuck Railroad is run by volunteer-members from the non-profit

Railroad Museum of New England, which is based in Willimantic. The parent

group was founded in January 1968 and is concerned with recovering and

preserving New England railroad artifacts from the 1840s to the present.

The museum's growing collection focuses on New England railroad exhibits. It

includes everything from steam, diesel and electric cars, passenger cars,

freight cars and cabooses, to tickets and signal towers.

The museum is open through October 26, with departures every Saturday and

Sunday at 10:30 am, noon, 2 and 3:30 pm. Each trip lasts approximately 90

minutes. The schedule is the same for selected holidays.

The Naugatuck Railroad is at 176 Chase River Road in Waterbury. Take Exit 36,

for Huntington Avenue, off Route 8 and follow posted signs. Tickets are $8 for

adults, $6 for children 12 and under, and infants ride free. For information,

call 597-9527.