TylerCityStation.Info

This beautiful structure is all that is left of the twin facades and the 145-ft underground aqueduct that once connected them. This culvert complex was in place by 1871, built by the New Haven and Derby RR and buried under a 50-ft high embankment to carry Oil Mill Creek, now Two Mile Brook, under the right of way.

The embankment had been cut down and erosion, old age, and construction traffic caused the aqueduct to collapse, necessitating a costly rebuild, now to 100-year-storm state standards. The matching facade on the east has come down since we last saw it still in place in late December and plans are to take down the headwall of the west portal to provide the maximum water flow through it. This will, sadly, remove the arch and destroy the beauty of this structure from an aesthetic and preservationist point of view.

Update: We have contacted Mount St. Peter Cemetery and the folks there have been very helpful and not at all happy that this has had to be done. They made valiant efforts to save the aqueduct by shoring it up from within, at no little personal peril, but they were unsuccessful. They have promised to keep us posted as to when the end is near so that we can get some photographs and better understand the workmanship that went into building this impressive structure.

All this is doubly ironic. First, because we would never have been able to see the intricate stonework unless it was revealed prior to its removal. And, secondly, because the simple construction method used of placing stones in position and letting their weight and that of the earthen fill above hold them in place, has thwarted the suggestion of lifting the western headwall and moving it out of the way. The only mortar that has been found was in the roof of the aqueduct to prevent the sandy fill from falling through the spaces between the stones. Gravity did the rest!

Change is part of life, and as much as we want to preserve everything we see value in, sometimes it just isn't realistic. But that should not stop us from keeping an eye on these structures and working with state and local agencies and historical societies to see what can be done to save them. Advances in technology may create new ways to let these monuments stand for future generations to behold, so they can appreciate what great-great-great grandpa did with a pick, a shovel, a lot of sweat and his bare hands. We owe it to the kids to preserve these things.

We will try to work with Mount St. Peter Cemetery and the Orange and Derby historical societies to put up a plaque on the new wingwall and perhaps some photographs there as well. This is all we can do now.


		Welcome to TylerCityStation, or as we like to say, "All Aboard!" Scope This website, born on Christmas Day, 2008, aspires to be an informative cyber-destination for those interested in the history of railroads. The focus will be on those in southwestern Connecticut, but side tracks may also lead us elsewhere. The important role that the railroad played in the development of this state and this country can hardly be overestimated. To many of us, the subject is almost sacred. The .info domain was chosen to reflect this sentiment. Mission TylerCityStation is a non-profit, educational endeavor that seeks to bring print and electronic research materials together to better understand the people, places, and events that played a role in the building of our railroads. Newly digitized resources, Internet connectivity, and greater online interaction has already enabled us to answer long-standing questions about lines, stations, facilities, personnel, and equipment even for obscure places like Tyler City. Authenticity It is our intention to present research of the highest quality, with sources identified and verified and dates specified as fully as possible. Periodical references will be an important source category and will be given in this format [NYT/01/01/1901/01 = abbreviated title/month/day/year/page] in the text or in endnotes. Ongoing research will mean changes in the text that will be highlighted in blue. Revision dates will be indicated on the home page. Credit Material that is not in the public domain is published here only with owner permission. Any further use requires similar permission. The reproduction of this site in its entirety or in substantial part is not permitted. Scholarly use of data should acknowledge TylerCityStation. The visuals we use add greatly to the content and we hope contributors will share material, regardless of the quality, which we try to enhance as best we can. Collaboration Many thanks to the Friends of TylerCityStation, especially: Charlie Dunn for his numerous contributions and the cooperation of the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association; Richard A. Fleischer for significant corrections of technical detail; John Babina, Jr. for the world-class photographs; Max Miller for the PUC inspection photographs; the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at UConn, in the person of of Laura Katz Smith. We are happy to acknowledge all past and future contributors, or not, as you wish. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Order Board - Table of Contents Home - TylerCityStation Track 1. Tyler City - Railroad Boom Town Track 2. The New Haven and Derby Railroad, 1864-1941 Track 3. New Haven and Derby Extra: Locomotive roster, statistics, officials. Track 4. New Haven and Derby Main Line: Tour from New Haven to Ansonia. Track 4A: New Haven to West Haven Track 4B: West Haven to Derby Jct. Track 4C: Derby Jct. to Ansonia Track 5. New Haven and Derby Extension: Tour from Derby Jct. to Botsford. Track 6. The Iron Horse in New Haven, 1838-1920 Track 7. New Haven Extra - Photo and archival materials (in progress) Track 8. West Haven: Railroads and Orphans Track 9. Brookfield and its Railroads, 1840-1941 Track 10. Danbury and its Railroads, 1850-1920 Track 11. Bridgeport (projected) Track 12. Waterbury (projected) Track 13. Terryville (projected) Track 14. Middletown (projected) Track 16. CT Passenger Stations, A-M Track 17. CT Passenger Station, N-Z %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Abbreviations used for frequently cited newspapers The following are the major newspapers cited. Many underwent name changes in their publishing history and this can be confusing. We have attempted to represent the masthead names as accurately as possible and these are grouped together below for the same paper. In most cases, long-running papers like the Hartford Courant are microfilmed or digitized in one continuous series under the primary title, regardless of variant titles in different years. Most of these newspapers are available at Yale's Sterling Memorial Library Microfilm Dept. Click here for the Yale catalog and select 'Newspaper/Journal/Magazine Title' from the drop-down options. Stacks passes to access these papers can be purchased at the Privileges Office on the main level. Click here. Many of these newspapers are also available at the Connecticut State Library or other public and academic libraries and historical societies across the state. Click here and choose the 'Magazine Catalog' option to search for these holdings. AES Ansonia Evening Sentinel; also published as ES Evening Sentinel DTR Derby Transcript DT Danbury Times; also published as DEN Danbury Evening News, DN Danbury News, DNT Danbury News-Times HC Hartford Courant; also published as HDC Hartford Daily Courant NB Newtown Bee NHDP New Haven Daily Palladium; also published as NHWP New Haven Weekly Palladium NHER New Haven Evening Register; also published as NHR New Haven Register NHJC New Haven Journal Courier; also published as New Haven Daily Morning Journal and Courier NYT The New York Times WA Waterbury American %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Links to Important Research Resources [with acronyms used at TylerCityStation] Connecticut Digital Library. [iCONN] Search the catalogs of most CT libraries. Click here. Connecticut Historical Society. [CHS] Catalog link here. Connecticut History Online. [CHO] Search link here. Connecticut Railroad Commissioners. [CRC] Selected annual reports, 1857-1911. Click here. Connecticut Railroad Structures. [CRS] Railroad Station Historical Society. Click here. Connectcut State Library. [CSL] Catalog link here. Aerial maps link here. Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, UConn. [Dodd] Railroad collection link here. Archive here. I.C.C. Historical Railroad Investigation Reports. [IRIR] 1911-1994. Click here. I.C.C. Valuation Maps. [Val] UConn Digital Mosaic. Click here. Library of Congress. [LOC] Catalog here; American Memory here; newspapers here; maps here. Maintenance of Way Cyclopedia. [MOWC] E.T Howson, American Railway Engineering Association, 1923. Online via Google Books with hyperlinked index. Click here. Map and Geographic Information Center, UConn. [MAGIC] Link here. New Haven City Year Books. [NHCYB] Selected years available, 1873-1922. Click here. New Haven Free Public Library. [NHFPL] Catalog link here. Inquire about local history items. New Haven Museum and Historical Society. [NHMHS] Website here; catalog is not online. New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association. [NHRHTA] Click here. New York, New Haven and Hartford RR. [NHAR] Annual reports, 1873-1912. Click here; here; here; here. Others also may be available online. New Haven RR Steam Locomotives A-Z. Ed Ozog's fabulous photo collection. Click here. Official Railway and Shipping Guides. [ORSG] Online via Google Books: 1858 here; 1875 here; 1879 here; 1902 here; 1908 here; 1912 here; 1892-1915 here. Others may also be available online. Railroad Structures and Estimates. [RSE] by John Wilson Orrock. 2nd ed.,1918. Click here. Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. [RLHS] Click here. See especially Taber's Antebellum American Railroad 1830-1860 Compendium: click here. Railway Signal Dictionary. [RSD] Railway Signal Association. 2nd ed., 1911. Click here. USGS Historical Topographic Maps. [USGS]. Maptech here; University of New Hampshire here. Yale University Libraries. [Yale] Catalog link here.


				TylerCityStation.Info



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