Sleeping in and having a morning to relax was needed on this trip after which Robin and I left Waterbury taking Connecticut Highway 8 north to Thomaston and our first stop of the day.
The Thomaston New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad station built in 1881 and restored after the 1993 fire.
Railroad Museum of New EnglandWe are a not-for-profit educational and historical organization whose mission is to tell the story of the region’s rich railroad heritage through our educational exhibits and operation of the Naugatuck Railroad. Founded in January 1968 as the Connecticut Valley Railroad Association, we are more than 500 members strong and growing. Our museum includes a diverse collection representative of New England railroading including locomotives, passenger and freight cars, and cabooses.
The original Naugatuck Railroad was chartered in 1845, and opened in 1849 between Bridgeport and Winsted, adjacent to the Naugatuck River. Changing economic climates over the years led to a number of ownership changes until regular service north of Waterbury ended in 1995. Around the same time, after three decades of preserving and restoring New England’s railroad heritage, we were looking for a new home, and we chose Thomaston. The old Naugatuck Railroad name was restored by state charter, and the new Naugatuck Railroad was incorporated June 7, 1995 as a wholly owned subsidiary of RMNE. Our first passenger trains ran in October of 1996 and continue to be a popular attraction. We currently operate between Torrington and and Waterbury.
Our VisitThe museum was closed but we were able to explore the exterior displays.
New Haven Railroad baggage carts.
Metro North coach 2110, exx. Conrail 2110, exxx. Penn Central 2110, exxxx. New York Central 108-seat commuter coach 1710, nee New York Central coach 2570. It has been heavily modified and is now storage and workshop car W-10 with side doors, no windows and interior racks and bins for the various tools and parts used in the specialized work on the overhead catenary power system.
Track equipment vehicle.
Museum view.
Portland Terminal Railroad 25 ton crane 198 built by American Hoist in 1954.
Maine Central Railroad 40 foot low side gondola car 17080 built by Bethlehem Steel in 1939.
Boston & Maine Railroad box car 77843 built by Pullman-Standard in 1956.
Museum view.
Boston & Maine Railroad outside braced box car 72480 built by Standard Steel in 1930.
ULTX one-dome tank car 69369 built by Union Tank Car in 1923.
Boston & Maine Railroad milk refrigerator car 1920 built by General American in 1957.
This is the bathroom and storage car.
Boston & Maine Railroad caboose C72R built by International Car in 1959, originally constructed in 1921 by the Laconia Car Company as a wooden caboose.
Boston & Maine Railroad SW-1 1109, later Pioneer Valley Railroad 27 built by Electro-Motive Corporation in 1939 for use in the yards around North Station in Boston, long before the days of Amtrak and the MBTA. This locomotive worked for its original owner for twenty years before the start of its second life in service on New England shortlines owned by the Pinsly Company. Number 1109 was acquired by the museum in the fall of 1986. The paint scheme on the locomotive matches those of the steam locomotives it once worked alongside, before the days of the Minuteman and Bluebird looks for the B&M's diesel fleet. It is one of quite a few pre-World War II constructed diesels preserved throughout the Northeastern United States, representing a time when the diesel was still an outsider on the railroad scene and mainly confined to yard movements.
The display train here. We left Thomaston taking US Highway 6 east to Interstate 84 north to our next destination.
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