Track 12: CT Passenger Stations, B-BO
See TCS Home Page links for notes, abbreviations, and sources.
Use link for CTTRAXMAP on Track 11 to locate stations, rail and trolley lines, and POIs.
Use link for CTTRAXMAP on Track 11 to locate stations, rail and trolley lines, and POIs.
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BAILEYS [HP&F, c1860]
This location was almost exactly one mile each way between the BOLTON and ANDOVER stations on the HP&F, a point within the short distance its rails entered Coventry's extreme southwest corner. The stop is not listed in 1858 but is on on our 9/18/1872 HP&F timetable. A picnic grove at Bailey's crossing was frequented by Hartford church groups and this station is mentioned specifically in reference to a Bailey family event nearby in 1876. In the PUC photo [upper left], the stop is ahead, west, of the Baileys crossing, as corroborated by the 1915 val map at upper right [click here]. The arrows on the current and the 1892 topo map show the approximate location, the latter showing a road that is gone today but once paralleled the track west from the crossing. Though the Geer directories list this stop from 1876 to 1913, it only appears on the PTH timetables from 1872 to 1878 and possibly was only used informally after the NY&NE took over. We do not know what, if any, structure stood here. BAILEYS is still labeled on the val map, though with nothing there at the time, and it is found on no other list or timetable in the NYNH&H era. [REFS: PTH117.1858.11: no; HDC/07/23/1868/02; PTH421.1875.17: yes; HDC/04/04/1876/04; PTH458.1878.35: yes; PTH470.1879.34: no; RRM1876-1878, gone 1882, map gap 1879-1881; GHD1879-1913: yes; 1907, 1911TTs: no]
This location was almost exactly one mile each way between the BOLTON and ANDOVER stations on the HP&F, a point within the short distance its rails entered Coventry's extreme southwest corner. The stop is not listed in 1858 but is on on our 9/18/1872 HP&F timetable. A picnic grove at Bailey's crossing was frequented by Hartford church groups and this station is mentioned specifically in reference to a Bailey family event nearby in 1876. In the PUC photo [upper left], the stop is ahead, west, of the Baileys crossing, as corroborated by the 1915 val map at upper right [click here]. The arrows on the current and the 1892 topo map show the approximate location, the latter showing a road that is gone today but once paralleled the track west from the crossing. Though the Geer directories list this stop from 1876 to 1913, it only appears on the PTH timetables from 1872 to 1878 and possibly was only used informally after the NY&NE took over. We do not know what, if any, structure stood here. BAILEYS is still labeled on the val map, though with nothing there at the time, and it is found on no other list or timetable in the NYNH&H era. [REFS: PTH117.1858.11: no; HDC/07/23/1868/02; PTH421.1875.17: yes; HDC/04/04/1876/04; PTH458.1878.35: yes; PTH470.1879.34: no; RRM1876-1878, gone 1882, map gap 1879-1881; GHD1879-1913: yes; 1907, 1911TTs: no]
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Bock-Elker Collection
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Bock-Elker Collection
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BALDWINS [NRR, 1849; depot, 1880?]
This was an original NRR flag stop from 1849 and made news in 1858 when a hundred dollar reward was offered by the railroad "for the arrest and conviction of the scoundrels miscreants laid a rail across the track... near Baldwin's Platform." The 11/8/1916 val photo at upper left shows an 1880s-vintage shelter like ones at BROWNS and REYNOLDS BRIDGE and, indeed, one 1882 newspaper article refers to this stop as 'Baldwins's Station, perhaps an indication of the shelter being built where there may have only been a platform in the past. Note the pole mechanism for signaling the train. This is still a timetable flag stop in 1923 but is not in 1937, probably lost with the severe passenger service cutbacks of 1925. In spite of that and though the station structure was gone by the late 1940s, local residents still accessed trains for New York here. The Form 19 train order, with the 1949 date from the original inserted on this photocopy, instructs the conductor and engineer of Train 158 on Tuesday, May 24 to let passengers off at BALDWINS. On our 4/25/1948TT, this train is The Naugatuck, running through from Grand Central Station to Winsted daily except Sundays. The order was given to the crew at SS 60, Peck Tower, on the Pequonnock River drawbridge at Bridgeport. The map shows the location of this stop on today's Oronoque Rd., a street name that came, interestingly, from across the river as did also the Baldwin name. The WPA's Milford history says that Zachariah Baldwin was given 'liberty to set up a ferry at the said Oronoque" in Stratford in 1723 and that "the landing on the Milford side of the river was at the point where Oronoque Road goes down to the river bank." Hence, the word 'crossing' here was due not to the railroad, but rather to the ferry that plied the river from Stratford. Our thanks to Richard Platt, Milford city historian, for this reference. The BALDWINS signboard survives today, as do the brackets [upper middle] that later adorned the chicken coop of a local farm. [REFS: RF/06/26/1849/03; HDC/10/23/1858/02; CR/09/01/1860/02; NHER/10/06/1882/04; C92; 1923TT, 1937TT, 1947TT; History of Milford, 1639-1939, p46]
This was an original NRR flag stop from 1849 and made news in 1858 when a hundred dollar reward was offered by the railroad "for the arrest and conviction of the scoundrels miscreants laid a rail across the track... near Baldwin's Platform." The 11/8/1916 val photo at upper left shows an 1880s-vintage shelter like ones at BROWNS and REYNOLDS BRIDGE and, indeed, one 1882 newspaper article refers to this stop as 'Baldwins's Station, perhaps an indication of the shelter being built where there may have only been a platform in the past. Note the pole mechanism for signaling the train. This is still a timetable flag stop in 1923 but is not in 1937, probably lost with the severe passenger service cutbacks of 1925. In spite of that and though the station structure was gone by the late 1940s, local residents still accessed trains for New York here. The Form 19 train order, with the 1949 date from the original inserted on this photocopy, instructs the conductor and engineer of Train 158 on Tuesday, May 24 to let passengers off at BALDWINS. On our 4/25/1948TT, this train is The Naugatuck, running through from Grand Central Station to Winsted daily except Sundays. The order was given to the crew at SS 60, Peck Tower, on the Pequonnock River drawbridge at Bridgeport. The map shows the location of this stop on today's Oronoque Rd., a street name that came, interestingly, from across the river as did also the Baldwin name. The WPA's Milford history says that Zachariah Baldwin was given 'liberty to set up a ferry at the said Oronoque" in Stratford in 1723 and that "the landing on the Milford side of the river was at the point where Oronoque Road goes down to the river bank." Hence, the word 'crossing' here was due not to the railroad, but rather to the ferry that plied the river from Stratford. Our thanks to Richard Platt, Milford city historian, for this reference. The BALDWINS signboard survives today, as do the brackets [upper middle] that later adorned the chicken coop of a local farm. [REFS: RF/06/26/1849/03; HDC/10/23/1858/02; CR/09/01/1860/02; NHER/10/06/1882/04; C92; 1923TT, 1937TT, 1947TT; History of Milford, 1639-1939, p46]
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BALTIC1 [HP&F, 1856?]
This village was formed around a cotton mill established along the Shetucket River on land purchased in 1856 by William Sprague, a former Rhode Island governor and U.S. senator. According to the HP&F annual report of 1857, this location was first called LORDS BRIDGE and, while it may have been an original stop when the railroad opened in 1854, the first timetable we have that shows it is 1858. We have no photograph yet of the presumably modest BALTIC1 that preceded our next entry and what happened to this first depot is not known. One possibilty is that it fell victim in 1876 when the newspaper reported that "the whole of the village is submerged and the people homeless," after storms caused the dam to break. While the railroad station is not spoken of as a casualty, one wonders how it could have survived when 155 feet of the "Mammoth mill" had been destroyed, some 25 feet of it entirely carried away. The complex burned in 1887 and was rebuilt as the Baltic Mills Co. in 1899 and it went up in flames, a century later, in 1999. The town of Sprague is currently looking for investors to purchase the vacant site; rail service provided by New England Central rail service is still available, of course, on the old NLN line. [REFS: HPFAR8.1857.11; HDC/03/27/1876/03; BH/10/15/1887/04; NB/09/18/2010/00][rev020413]
This village was formed around a cotton mill established along the Shetucket River on land purchased in 1856 by William Sprague, a former Rhode Island governor and U.S. senator. According to the HP&F annual report of 1857, this location was first called LORDS BRIDGE and, while it may have been an original stop when the railroad opened in 1854, the first timetable we have that shows it is 1858. We have no photograph yet of the presumably modest BALTIC1 that preceded our next entry and what happened to this first depot is not known. One possibilty is that it fell victim in 1876 when the newspaper reported that "the whole of the village is submerged and the people homeless," after storms caused the dam to break. While the railroad station is not spoken of as a casualty, one wonders how it could have survived when 155 feet of the "Mammoth mill" had been destroyed, some 25 feet of it entirely carried away. The complex burned in 1887 and was rebuilt as the Baltic Mills Co. in 1899 and it went up in flames, a century later, in 1999. The town of Sprague is currently looking for investors to purchase the vacant site; rail service provided by New England Central rail service is still available, of course, on the old NLN line. [REFS: HPFAR8.1857.11; HDC/03/27/1876/03; BH/10/15/1887/04; NB/09/18/2010/00][rev020413]
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BALTIC2 [HP&F, 1881?]
This two-story depot looks very much like PLAINFIELD/H2 that we know was built in 1881, but we find no specific mention yet of this one coming in either the annual reports or the newspapers. An 1881 article in the Boston Herald does say that a new freight house was being planned for here and perhaps this large combination station came instead, if not in 1876 as discussed in the previous listing. The upper items are undated but we do note the harp switch in the image on the left, which would definitely make it the earliest, likely a late 1800s, view. The val map at lower left shows the passenger station arrangement in 1915 -- just east and across the the street, the adjoining map shows several sidings, a large storehouse and a freight depot -- and the PUC photo at lower right was taken on 9/24/1924. The val photo at bottom left is dated 6/18/1917. Passenger service on this line ended ca. 1927 and this depot is no longer standing. At lower right, the MBRE's Advance Willimantic Special from Worcester brings a train by the station site on 10/13/2012. [REFS: BH/03/05/1881/06; C175; K84; PTH107.1858.11; R33][rev020413]
This two-story depot looks very much like PLAINFIELD/H2 that we know was built in 1881, but we find no specific mention yet of this one coming in either the annual reports or the newspapers. An 1881 article in the Boston Herald does say that a new freight house was being planned for here and perhaps this large combination station came instead, if not in 1876 as discussed in the previous listing. The upper items are undated but we do note the harp switch in the image on the left, which would definitely make it the earliest, likely a late 1800s, view. The val map at lower left shows the passenger station arrangement in 1915 -- just east and across the the street, the adjoining map shows several sidings, a large storehouse and a freight depot -- and the PUC photo at lower right was taken on 9/24/1924. The val photo at bottom left is dated 6/18/1917. Passenger service on this line ended ca. 1927 and this depot is no longer standing. At lower right, the MBRE's Advance Willimantic Special from Worcester brings a train by the station site on 10/13/2012. [REFS: BH/03/05/1881/06; C175; K84; PTH107.1858.11; R33][rev020413]
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BANTAM [SRR, 1872]
This was an original stop on the Shepaug RR which opened in 1872 and this depot debuted with the railroad. This is the only station we have ever seen pictured here and it is no longer extant. Passenger service ended on the line in 1930. [REFS: D138; K60; R35]
This was an original stop on the Shepaug RR which opened in 1872 and this depot debuted with the railroad. This is the only station we have ever seen pictured here and it is no longer extant. Passenger service ended on the line in 1930. [REFS: D138; K60; R35]
BARKHAMSTED [CW, 1871]
The only place we have seen this stop listed is on a George Cram map [RAM c1905], where it is shown to be two miles east of EAST WINSTED. There was no stop here when the Connecticut Western RR opened [HDC/12/21/1871/02] and it is not even in the town statistics section in RAM1908. We will be on the lookout, but we may have to conclude that the map is in error. Though there was a siding here, no other map or timetable shows an actual station at this location.
The only place we have seen this stop listed is on a George Cram map [RAM c1905], where it is shown to be two miles east of EAST WINSTED. There was no stop here when the Connecticut Western RR opened [HDC/12/21/1871/02] and it is not even in the town statistics section in RAM1908. We will be on the lookout, but we may have to conclude that the map is in error. Though there was a siding here, no other map or timetable shows an actual station at this location.
BARNARDS [> NORTH BLOOMFIELD]
BARTLETTS [NLN, c1880; depot, c1900?]
This is seen at the yellow mark on the 1893 topo map, about two miles above the NLN's WATERFORD stop. It does not show on RRM1878 but does show on RRM1882. Since we are missing the intervening maps, we can't say for sure yet but this stop may have been created with the first Yale-Harvard regatta on the Thames River in 1878 when Bartlett's Cove began figuring as a start or finish point. The use of railroad cars to observe the contest also goes back to this same year, when "a train of 25 platform cars, each capable of accommodating 80 persons" was to be run by the N&W on the west side of the river, under its NLN trackage rights. Interestingly, the shorter, two-mile races usually start at Mamacoke Hill to the south, possibly the location and origin of another obscure depot, MAMACOKE. The NYNH&H continued the observation-train tradition and new, larger cars made their debut in 1930. [REFS: NYT/06/27/1878/05; HC/03/23/1930/C6][rev101212: photo moved to WATERFORD4]
This is seen at the yellow mark on the 1893 topo map, about two miles above the NLN's WATERFORD stop. It does not show on RRM1878 but does show on RRM1882. Since we are missing the intervening maps, we can't say for sure yet but this stop may have been created with the first Yale-Harvard regatta on the Thames River in 1878 when Bartlett's Cove began figuring as a start or finish point. The use of railroad cars to observe the contest also goes back to this same year, when "a train of 25 platform cars, each capable of accommodating 80 persons" was to be run by the N&W on the west side of the river, under its NLN trackage rights. Interestingly, the shorter, two-mile races usually start at Mamacoke Hill to the south, possibly the location and origin of another obscure depot, MAMACOKE. The NYNH&H continued the observation-train tradition and new, larger cars made their debut in 1930. [REFS: NYT/06/27/1878/05; HC/03/23/1930/C6][rev101212: photo moved to WATERFORD4]
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BATES CROSSING [NYNH&H, c1900?]
Following Karr, we had thought that this flag stop was over the line in Massachusetts, but Al Weaver's diligent val map review found it in the Nutmeg State, just feet from the border. That map shows shows the structure standing in the southeast quadrant at the grade crossing in 1915. This stop was on the Southbridge branch about two miles from East Thompson. The shelter looks to be early 1900s but we know little else about the establishment of this stop. We have found it on a 1908TT and on the 1931ETT [add110112] shown at right. Karr says passenger service ended in 1937. [REFS: K110][rev110112]
Following Karr, we had thought that this flag stop was over the line in Massachusetts, but Al Weaver's diligent val map review found it in the Nutmeg State, just feet from the border. That map shows shows the structure standing in the southeast quadrant at the grade crossing in 1915. This stop was on the Southbridge branch about two miles from East Thompson. The shelter looks to be early 1900s but we know little else about the establishment of this stop. We have found it on a 1908TT and on the 1931ETT [add110112] shown at right. Karr says passenger service ended in 1937. [REFS: K110][rev110112]
Dave Peters Collection
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BEACON FALLS1 [NRR, c1855]
This does not appear to have been an original station on the NRR. It is not listed on the 7/4/1849 'Grand Excursion' poster, though even the minor stop at BALDWINS is shown there, and it is not seen on an 1851TT. It does show up on an 1858TT and was probably established in the interim as a flag stop. Rockey says the NRR opened a "regular station" with Julius A. Hart becoming the agent on 12/21/1868 and remaining so even as the History of New Haven County was being published in 1892. The expansive depot in the photos is the only one we have ever seen for this stop, and it may not have been the first here. Since all the photos of this structure are later ones, they most certainly reflect the remodeling the railroad commissioners reported in 1899. The val photo at upper left is probably from 1916 and the undated shot at upper right has the freight depot, also from 1899, in the distance. The 1916 val map at lower left shows the passenger station at the red arrow and the freight house at the blue arrow. The red arrow in the panorama at lower right points to the corner of the passenger station which was located right where the half covered/half elliptical truss bridge carries Depot St. over the river from the main part of the village. East of the passenger depot is a stub-ended siding and another freight facility, probably owned by the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Co. which started operating the factory complex in the distance in 1898. The val photo at lower left probably dates to 1916. A list of NYNH&H buildings shows the passenger station being sold on 9/8/1940 to Alex Szozzeine for $150. Its fate thereafter is unknown to us. [REFS: CRC47.1899.29; C92; R2.621]
This does not appear to have been an original station on the NRR. It is not listed on the 7/4/1849 'Grand Excursion' poster, though even the minor stop at BALDWINS is shown there, and it is not seen on an 1851TT. It does show up on an 1858TT and was probably established in the interim as a flag stop. Rockey says the NRR opened a "regular station" with Julius A. Hart becoming the agent on 12/21/1868 and remaining so even as the History of New Haven County was being published in 1892. The expansive depot in the photos is the only one we have ever seen for this stop, and it may not have been the first here. Since all the photos of this structure are later ones, they most certainly reflect the remodeling the railroad commissioners reported in 1899. The val photo at upper left is probably from 1916 and the undated shot at upper right has the freight depot, also from 1899, in the distance. The 1916 val map at lower left shows the passenger station at the red arrow and the freight house at the blue arrow. The red arrow in the panorama at lower right points to the corner of the passenger station which was located right where the half covered/half elliptical truss bridge carries Depot St. over the river from the main part of the village. East of the passenger depot is a stub-ended siding and another freight facility, probably owned by the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Co. which started operating the factory complex in the distance in 1898. The val photo at lower left probably dates to 1916. A list of NYNH&H buildings shows the passenger station being sold on 9/8/1940 to Alex Szozzeine for $150. Its fate thereafter is unknown to us. [REFS: CRC47.1899.29; C92; R2.621]
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BEACON FALLS2 [MN, 2000?]
Current Metro-North station, a little south of the earlier passenger depot.
Current Metro-North station, a little south of the earlier passenger depot.
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ICC / National Archives
BECKLEYS [MRR, 1849]
This was an original station on the Middletown RR in the section of Berlin known as Beckley Quarter, named for a prominent local family. The map at upper left is probably from the 1869 Baker & Tilden Atlas of New Haven County and our red arrow shows the location as the northwest quadrant of the grade crossing. The Courant reported that a man was killed just west of this station in 1853. Timetables in the 1890s and early 1900s list this as a flag stop. Passenger service lasted through 1930, when the PUC allowed motor buses to take over for some of the trains, which by then were "gas-electric coaches" running between New Britain, Berlin, and Middletown. Interestingly, the buses, which paralleled the railroad right of way, were to make all the stops the trains did, except for BECKLEYS. We are not sure why that was, since it is implied that trains were still stopping here. The house pictured here is the only station we have seen for this stop. We do not know if any earlier structure preceded it but it is likely that none followed it. John Roy visited BECKLEYS in November, 1997 when the residence and depot were in sad shape and again on 12/28/2001 when he says in his book, A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses, that only an empty lot remained. The image at lower left is the ICC's field notes in 1916, which say that the passenger station here was a "room in dwelling rented from outside parties" with seating for 22 persons. Total worth of the railroad property here was $269.85, mostly for the value of the platform, but the examiners did not miss the 15-cent dust pan either! [REFS: HDC/05/14/1853/02; HC/07/15/1890/06; HC/09/01/1891/06; HC/07/07/1930/02; TTS: 1894, 1907, 1911, 1923; R306][rev112212]
This was an original station on the Middletown RR in the section of Berlin known as Beckley Quarter, named for a prominent local family. The map at upper left is probably from the 1869 Baker & Tilden Atlas of New Haven County and our red arrow shows the location as the northwest quadrant of the grade crossing. The Courant reported that a man was killed just west of this station in 1853. Timetables in the 1890s and early 1900s list this as a flag stop. Passenger service lasted through 1930, when the PUC allowed motor buses to take over for some of the trains, which by then were "gas-electric coaches" running between New Britain, Berlin, and Middletown. Interestingly, the buses, which paralleled the railroad right of way, were to make all the stops the trains did, except for BECKLEYS. We are not sure why that was, since it is implied that trains were still stopping here. The house pictured here is the only station we have seen for this stop. We do not know if any earlier structure preceded it but it is likely that none followed it. John Roy visited BECKLEYS in November, 1997 when the residence and depot were in sad shape and again on 12/28/2001 when he says in his book, A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses, that only an empty lot remained. The image at lower left is the ICC's field notes in 1916, which say that the passenger station here was a "room in dwelling rented from outside parties" with seating for 22 persons. Total worth of the railroad property here was $269.85, mostly for the value of the platform, but the examiners did not miss the 15-cent dust pan either! [REFS: HDC/05/14/1853/02; HC/07/15/1890/06; HC/09/01/1891/06; HC/07/07/1930/02; TTS: 1894, 1907, 1911, 1923; R306][rev112212]
BEERS MILL [> LONG HILL]
BEERS STATION [> RIDGEFIELD1]
BEE STREET [> EAST MERIDEN2]
BELAMOSE [> DIVIDEND]
BELLE DOCK [> NEW HAVEN1]
BELLE DOCK JUNCTION [> TIN BRIDGE]
BEERS STATION [> RIDGEFIELD1]
BEE STREET [> EAST MERIDEN2]
BELAMOSE [> DIVIDEND]
BELLE DOCK [> NEW HAVEN1]
BELLE DOCK JUNCTION [> TIN BRIDGE]
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BENVENUE [NYNH&H, 1904]
This stop was created for William A. Engeman's Benvenue Granite Co. quarry that flourished from ca. 1897 to 1908. The Courant said in May, 1904 that "Benvenue, a small settlement south of Middletown, is enjoying a decided boom. The railroad company is erecting a station which it promised some time ago. A shed to accommodate 100 stone cutters will soon be finished, and two air plants are being put in. Beside this six new cottages are being erected and there are calls for twelve more." The station looks like a standard NYNH&H shelter of the era about and it was located about two miles north of MAROMAS. The BENVENUE stop is seen on the 1907 and 1911TTs and on the RAM maps from 1910 until 1926, even though the name was changed to LAUREL, perhaps as early as 1910. The 1,000-acre operation employed as many as 500 men at its height and had its own five-mile railroad with switchbacks up the steep slope, two locomotives and a roundhouse. The 'granite railroad' could deliver product to boats at the quarry's river dock or could load it into NYNH&H cars for rail shipment via the Valley branch. The Courant reported in 1902 that there was an "an inexhaustible supply of blue gray granite of unusual strength" here but in 1908 said that the company was dismantling its equipment and sending it to Maine where it had another quarry. A 1912 article reported that the supply had run out suddenly and that activity had ceased four years earlier. Another chapter in the life of this station would come with its renaming as LAUREL. A new owner from New York so named the property for the profusion of the shrub in the area and began renting out the old cabins to tourists who came by trains that stopped here in the summer only. By 1915 the Interstate Feature Film Co. of New York was said to have purchased the old Benvenue property with the intention of using the rocky terrain for making movies. Famed actors Hamilton Crane and Sydney Shields were soon shooting The Brand of Shinto, an action film set in the Canadian Rockies that included a scene with Ms. Shields, a la Lillian Gish, crossing the Connecticut River on thin winter ice. We don't think this film made it to the big screen and we are not sure how long this Hollywood in Middletown lasted, but LAUREL remained a flag stop at least until 1923. Passenger service ended on the Valley branch ca. 1933. The fate of the station building is unknown. [REFS: SR/01/14/1895/07; HC/08/05/1897/11; NHER/12/07/1899/05; HC/08/02/1902/12; HC/05/30/1904/17; HC/07/14/1904/14; 1907TT; HC/03/07/1908/17; 1911TT; HC/08/02/1912/12; HC/08/30/1912/12; HC/08/13/1914/15; HC/01/17/1915/X2; 1923TT; HC/07/04/1937/B1; HC/06/14/1953/SM9; K98][rev021413]
This stop was created for William A. Engeman's Benvenue Granite Co. quarry that flourished from ca. 1897 to 1908. The Courant said in May, 1904 that "Benvenue, a small settlement south of Middletown, is enjoying a decided boom. The railroad company is erecting a station which it promised some time ago. A shed to accommodate 100 stone cutters will soon be finished, and two air plants are being put in. Beside this six new cottages are being erected and there are calls for twelve more." The station looks like a standard NYNH&H shelter of the era about and it was located about two miles north of MAROMAS. The BENVENUE stop is seen on the 1907 and 1911TTs and on the RAM maps from 1910 until 1926, even though the name was changed to LAUREL, perhaps as early as 1910. The 1,000-acre operation employed as many as 500 men at its height and had its own five-mile railroad with switchbacks up the steep slope, two locomotives and a roundhouse. The 'granite railroad' could deliver product to boats at the quarry's river dock or could load it into NYNH&H cars for rail shipment via the Valley branch. The Courant reported in 1902 that there was an "an inexhaustible supply of blue gray granite of unusual strength" here but in 1908 said that the company was dismantling its equipment and sending it to Maine where it had another quarry. A 1912 article reported that the supply had run out suddenly and that activity had ceased four years earlier. Another chapter in the life of this station would come with its renaming as LAUREL. A new owner from New York so named the property for the profusion of the shrub in the area and began renting out the old cabins to tourists who came by trains that stopped here in the summer only. By 1915 the Interstate Feature Film Co. of New York was said to have purchased the old Benvenue property with the intention of using the rocky terrain for making movies. Famed actors Hamilton Crane and Sydney Shields were soon shooting The Brand of Shinto, an action film set in the Canadian Rockies that included a scene with Ms. Shields, a la Lillian Gish, crossing the Connecticut River on thin winter ice. We don't think this film made it to the big screen and we are not sure how long this Hollywood in Middletown lasted, but LAUREL remained a flag stop at least until 1923. Passenger service ended on the Valley branch ca. 1933. The fate of the station building is unknown. [REFS: SR/01/14/1895/07; HC/08/05/1897/11; NHER/12/07/1899/05; HC/08/02/1902/12; HC/05/30/1904/17; HC/07/14/1904/14; 1907TT; HC/03/07/1908/17; 1911TT; HC/08/02/1912/12; HC/08/30/1912/12; HC/08/13/1914/15; HC/01/17/1915/X2; 1923TT; HC/07/04/1937/B1; HC/06/14/1953/SM9; K98][rev021413]
BERLIN1 [H&NH, 1839]
This was an original stop on the H&NH when it opened in 1839. The first ticket office and depot here was in a general store. According to John Roy, it was located about a half mile south of the present station, putting it about where we have the yellow highlight on today's map. [REFS: R33]
This was an original stop on the H&NH when it opened in 1839. The first ticket office and depot here was in a general store. According to John Roy, it was located about a half mile south of the present station, putting it about where we have the yellow highlight on today's map. [REFS: R33]
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BERLIN2 [H&NH, 1848]
The station [above left] appears to be wooden which would make it the 1848 depot that lasted until 1893. Later structures were brick. R&LHS notes say that a Springfield contractor by the name of J.J. Smith made an offer on 4/3/1848 to build a depot here for $1760 and one at Wallingford for $1805, $3550 if he got the contract for both. BERLIN2 likely is his work and WALLINGFORD2 may also be. The H&NH annual report for indicates buildings put up at BERLIN and at the NEW BRITAIN stop. The gathering of folks to the right is at the main entrance to the depot, where the Dutch clock shows the last northbound train passed at 9:03. Looking at the 1855 HC map at upper right, one can see the station on the east side of the track within the full wye connection for the 1850 Middletown RR. [REFS: HNHAR13.1848.14; HDC/01/28/1850/02; B621][rev021613]
The station [above left] appears to be wooden which would make it the 1848 depot that lasted until 1893. Later structures were brick. R&LHS notes say that a Springfield contractor by the name of J.J. Smith made an offer on 4/3/1848 to build a depot here for $1760 and one at Wallingford for $1805, $3550 if he got the contract for both. BERLIN2 likely is his work and WALLINGFORD2 may also be. The H&NH annual report for indicates buildings put up at BERLIN and at the NEW BRITAIN stop. The gathering of folks to the right is at the main entrance to the depot, where the Dutch clock shows the last northbound train passed at 9:03. Looking at the 1855 HC map at upper right, one can see the station on the east side of the track within the full wye connection for the 1850 Middletown RR. [REFS: HNHAR13.1848.14; HDC/01/28/1850/02; B621][rev021613]
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Copyright NHRHTA
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Copyright NHRHTA
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Copyright NHRHTA
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BERLIN3 [NYNH&H, 1893]
This station opened around August 24, 1893 and the Courant article says that a canopy over the Middletown platform on the south side of the station was yet to come. The railroad commissioners praised the 1893 changes here with the "capacious and pleasant waiting room" and sheltered platforms. The valuable photo on the right appears to show in progress, in the commissioners' words of December of 1895, the Middletown and New Britain branches "being united and extended" as "one continuous line" across the tracks of the Hartford Division. The commissioners express their hope that precaution would be taken that would "render a collision at this point physically impossible," acknowledging that, though less likely on branches of the same railroad, such an event was still possible. The superior quality clay of the new Yale Brick Co., which had 13 adjacent acres of land eastward of the railroad tracks, was the raw material for the exterior facing of the new station. The NYNH&H chose yellow from the offering "of any desired color" for the 150,000 bricks it needed. The plan sheets are dated October, 1892. This depot burned in 1896. [REFS: NHER/08/13/1892/04; NHER/10/01/1892/01; HC/12/10/1892/19; CRC40.1892.19; NHER/06/10/1893/03; HC/08/24/1893/08; CRC41.1893.18; CRC43.1895.13; R34]
This station opened around August 24, 1893 and the Courant article says that a canopy over the Middletown platform on the south side of the station was yet to come. The railroad commissioners praised the 1893 changes here with the "capacious and pleasant waiting room" and sheltered platforms. The valuable photo on the right appears to show in progress, in the commissioners' words of December of 1895, the Middletown and New Britain branches "being united and extended" as "one continuous line" across the tracks of the Hartford Division. The commissioners express their hope that precaution would be taken that would "render a collision at this point physically impossible," acknowledging that, though less likely on branches of the same railroad, such an event was still possible. The superior quality clay of the new Yale Brick Co., which had 13 adjacent acres of land eastward of the railroad tracks, was the raw material for the exterior facing of the new station. The NYNH&H chose yellow from the offering "of any desired color" for the 150,000 bricks it needed. The plan sheets are dated October, 1892. This depot burned in 1896. [REFS: NHER/08/13/1892/04; NHER/10/01/1892/01; HC/12/10/1892/19; CRC40.1892.19; NHER/06/10/1893/03; HC/08/24/1893/08; CRC41.1893.18; CRC43.1895.13; R34]
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BERLIN4 [NYNH&H, 1896]
This station was built of red brick in a design very similar to both its predecessor and successor, a fact that makes it difficult to distinguish between them. This one opened in August of 1896. Struck by lightning, it burned on 6/27/1900. While postcards like the one at upper left are not always colorized accurately, we would have a genuine image of BERLIN4 if this one is correct. What may also be a fortuitously captured clue, however, is that the track that joined the two branches as one continuous line is severed, according to the Courant as of May, 1900, because the diamond necessitated the slowing of main line express trains and it was not used much after third rail electrification was introduced and did not extend from here to Middletown. Electric service to that city was reported to be in operation in the June, 1907 NYNH&H annual report and used the overhead trolley system with cars like the one pictured at upper right. The card also shows the curved canopy for the New Britain line to the far right and the west end of the one for the Middletown trains in the extreme left. The bottom photo has a William Howard Taft look-alike at the controls of an electric car pointed toward New Britain. With the Middletown crossover apparently in place beyond the right side of the car, this view would have to be between 1898 and 1900. To the car's left, one can see the factory of the Yale Brick Co. that supplied the building material for BERLIN3. Third-rail service began on 5/27/1897 both from here and from Hartford to the Hardware City and was further extended to Bristol in 1898. It lasted until 7/7/1906 when the city of New Britain got an injunction against its use there because of the numerous electrocutions. Thereafter, the entire third-rail operation was curtailed and service replaced by dinky engines. [REFS: CRC44.1896.17; HC/08/24/1896/06; HC/05/27/1897/08; HC/05/07/1900/09; HC/07/28/1900/05; HC/06/30/1906/10; NHAR36.1907.7; HC/10/03/1907/11; HC/11/03/1910/05; NL23.1.2; SL15.1.6; R33]
This station was built of red brick in a design very similar to both its predecessor and successor, a fact that makes it difficult to distinguish between them. This one opened in August of 1896. Struck by lightning, it burned on 6/27/1900. While postcards like the one at upper left are not always colorized accurately, we would have a genuine image of BERLIN4 if this one is correct. What may also be a fortuitously captured clue, however, is that the track that joined the two branches as one continuous line is severed, according to the Courant as of May, 1900, because the diamond necessitated the slowing of main line express trains and it was not used much after third rail electrification was introduced and did not extend from here to Middletown. Electric service to that city was reported to be in operation in the June, 1907 NYNH&H annual report and used the overhead trolley system with cars like the one pictured at upper right. The card also shows the curved canopy for the New Britain line to the far right and the west end of the one for the Middletown trains in the extreme left. The bottom photo has a William Howard Taft look-alike at the controls of an electric car pointed toward New Britain. With the Middletown crossover apparently in place beyond the right side of the car, this view would have to be between 1898 and 1900. To the car's left, one can see the factory of the Yale Brick Co. that supplied the building material for BERLIN3. Third-rail service began on 5/27/1897 both from here and from Hartford to the Hardware City and was further extended to Bristol in 1898. It lasted until 7/7/1906 when the city of New Britain got an injunction against its use there because of the numerous electrocutions. Thereafter, the entire third-rail operation was curtailed and service replaced by dinky engines. [REFS: CRC44.1896.17; HC/08/24/1896/06; HC/05/27/1897/08; HC/05/07/1900/09; HC/07/28/1900/05; HC/06/30/1906/10; NHAR36.1907.7; HC/10/03/1907/11; HC/11/03/1910/05; NL23.1.2; SL15.1.6; R33]
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BERLIN5 [NYNH&H, 1900]
Since the val photos are dated 1916 and 1917, we can be sure they show the station that opened in December, 1900. According to 'Berlin Bill' Sample, the old foundation was reused and may have been served earlier structures as well. An article recently found in the Register says "the walls of the old station [BERLIN4] remain in good condition and will be utilized... the new station will not differ from the old one in any important particular." Over a century later, this station continues to serve Amtrak passengers today. The top left photo looks north, with the yard and line to New Britain curving off to the west. The top right image looks at the east side of the station with the covershed for the Middletown cars in the background to the north. At lower left is a shot showing the northwest corner of the station. The old diamond was just above the planked walk across the tracks. The image at lower right shows the southwest corner of the station, with the Middletown canopy again seen in the distance. The val map [click here] snippet shows this important junction in 1915. [REFS: NHER/07/11/1900/01; CRC48.1900.21]
Since the val photos are dated 1916 and 1917, we can be sure they show the station that opened in December, 1900. According to 'Berlin Bill' Sample, the old foundation was reused and may have been served earlier structures as well. An article recently found in the Register says "the walls of the old station [BERLIN4] remain in good condition and will be utilized... the new station will not differ from the old one in any important particular." Over a century later, this station continues to serve Amtrak passengers today. The top left photo looks north, with the yard and line to New Britain curving off to the west. The top right image looks at the east side of the station with the covershed for the Middletown cars in the background to the north. At lower left is a shot showing the northwest corner of the station. The old diamond was just above the planked walk across the tracks. The image at lower right shows the southwest corner of the station, with the Middletown canopy again seen in the distance. The val map [click here] snippet shows this important junction in 1915. [REFS: NHER/07/11/1900/01; CRC48.1900.21]
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BERLIN6 [NYNH&H, c1920]
The photo at left shows this building in the distance and the 11/14/1935 val photo [middle] has this structure labeled as the westbound station. It is not seen on the 1916 val map in the previous entry but the 1934 aerial survey shot at right appears to show this depot at the red arrow. Located here it would have served passengers going to New Britain or even south to New Haven.
The photo at left shows this building in the distance and the 11/14/1935 val photo [middle] has this structure labeled as the westbound station. It is not seen on the 1916 val map in the previous entry but the 1934 aerial survey shot at right appears to show this depot at the red arrow. Located here it would have served passengers going to New Britain or even south to New Haven.
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BETHEL1 [D&N, 1852]
The left shot is from the 1856FC map and the right snippet is from the 1879 Bailey bird's-eye map [click here]. The latter shows the 1872 Hawleyville branch running straight above the station while the D&N line to Danbury curves to the left. The photograph, in spite of its damage and deterioration, has been identified as the D&N's first Bethel station, presumably dating to the opening of the railroad in 1852. The 'teardrop' gingerbread design is virtually identical to the company's DANBURY1 station and it is quite similar to WILTON1 as well. The enlargement of the depot as seen on the Bailey map likely dates to 1867 when the newspaper said the D&N had finished an addition to their Danbury freight house and that they had "completed a similar operation" at the station in Bethel and "considerably lengthened the platform." The locomotive has been identified as HRR No. 15, an 1871 Rogers engine named for HRR director David S. Draper. Richard Fleischer points out that the engine has an extended smokebox, a later rebuild that perhaps occasioned the removal of the Draper name that is not seen here. If we grant that damage to the photograph is masking the right-side roof extension, the ca. 1880 date he suggests for this scene is plausible. Draper died on 4/2/1885 and that fact may also explain the removal of his name and argue for a date thereafter. The date could then go all the way to 1892 when the HRR as well as the D&N it leased in 1886 were absorbed into the NYNH&H. If between 1880 and 1886, it may validate the claims that some have made that the HRR had trackage rights from Hawleyville to Bethel in those years. Since there was no connection between the two roads in Danbury, this may have been a way for the two long-time competitors to begin to cooperate prior to the lease. BETHEL1 burned on 12/15/1898 and the Register commented that the fire department was unable to save the structure "which was of wood and very old." It also said that the station was an important one for "it is a changing point for a large number of passengers" transferring to the Shepaug line and that "a temporary office has been located in a baggage car." [REFS: DT/12/05/1867/03; HDC/04/06/1885/03; NHER/12/16/1898/01; CWN/12/22/1898/03]
The left shot is from the 1856FC map and the right snippet is from the 1879 Bailey bird's-eye map [click here]. The latter shows the 1872 Hawleyville branch running straight above the station while the D&N line to Danbury curves to the left. The photograph, in spite of its damage and deterioration, has been identified as the D&N's first Bethel station, presumably dating to the opening of the railroad in 1852. The 'teardrop' gingerbread design is virtually identical to the company's DANBURY1 station and it is quite similar to WILTON1 as well. The enlargement of the depot as seen on the Bailey map likely dates to 1867 when the newspaper said the D&N had finished an addition to their Danbury freight house and that they had "completed a similar operation" at the station in Bethel and "considerably lengthened the platform." The locomotive has been identified as HRR No. 15, an 1871 Rogers engine named for HRR director David S. Draper. Richard Fleischer points out that the engine has an extended smokebox, a later rebuild that perhaps occasioned the removal of the Draper name that is not seen here. If we grant that damage to the photograph is masking the right-side roof extension, the ca. 1880 date he suggests for this scene is plausible. Draper died on 4/2/1885 and that fact may also explain the removal of his name and argue for a date thereafter. The date could then go all the way to 1892 when the HRR as well as the D&N it leased in 1886 were absorbed into the NYNH&H. If between 1880 and 1886, it may validate the claims that some have made that the HRR had trackage rights from Hawleyville to Bethel in those years. Since there was no connection between the two roads in Danbury, this may have been a way for the two long-time competitors to begin to cooperate prior to the lease. BETHEL1 burned on 12/15/1898 and the Register commented that the fire department was unable to save the structure "which was of wood and very old." It also said that the station was an important one for "it is a changing point for a large number of passengers" transferring to the Shepaug line and that "a temporary office has been located in a baggage car." [REFS: DT/12/05/1867/03; HDC/04/06/1885/03; NHER/12/16/1898/01; CWN/12/22/1898/03]
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BETHEL2 [NYNH&H, 1892]
The railroad commissioners mention that a new station was built here in 1899. As it was nearing completion, a May article in the Danbury News is reported to have said that "the interior of the new station is fitted up very comfortably. The waiting room is neatly finished off and furnished with all the accommodations necessary. The ticket and telegraph office is in the center of the building, between the freight and passenger departments. Agent McMahon has a cozy little office, and just opposite is a small baggage room, which will be in charge of Baggagemaster Beaupin. The new station, although not a large one, will probably meet all requirements, and is certainly substantially built and nicely arranged." Further improvements were cited in the NYNH&H annual report in June, 1909 which puts Bethel under the category of "new passenger stations or increased facilities" in progress or to be completed in the coming year. [REFS: DN/05/24/1899/??; CRC47.1899.30; NHAR38.1909.7]
The railroad commissioners mention that a new station was built here in 1899. As it was nearing completion, a May article in the Danbury News is reported to have said that "the interior of the new station is fitted up very comfortably. The waiting room is neatly finished off and furnished with all the accommodations necessary. The ticket and telegraph office is in the center of the building, between the freight and passenger departments. Agent McMahon has a cozy little office, and just opposite is a small baggage room, which will be in charge of Baggagemaster Beaupin. The new station, although not a large one, will probably meet all requirements, and is certainly substantially built and nicely arranged." Further improvements were cited in the NYNH&H annual report in June, 1909 which puts Bethel under the category of "new passenger stations or increased facilities" in progress or to be completed in the coming year. [REFS: DN/05/24/1899/??; CRC47.1899.30; NHAR38.1909.7]
Wikipedia
BETHEL3 [MN, 1996]
This is the Metro-North station that opened in 1996, at which time BETHEL2, still standing just to the south, was taken out of service. [REFS: R35]
This is the Metro-North station that opened in 1996, at which time BETHEL2, still standing just to the south, was taken out of service. [REFS: R35]
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BIRMINGHAM1 [NH&D, 1872]
Based on the customary reliability of Mr. Bailey, this sketch of the Birmingham station is probably pretty accurate. Click here for the full 1876 map. This substantial combination station stood west of the track at the northeast corner of Foundry and Second Streets, the latter of which would later become Main St. Rockey says this station opened in March of 1872, but the Journal Courier says it was nearing completion in December of 1871. It was largely paid for and "owned principally" by William E. Downes, who would be on the NH&D board of directors from 1882 to 1889. The depot was "practically ruined" in a serious fire, arson suspected, on June 30, 1879. Lost freight contents included jute, used for manufacturing manila paper, lime belonging to Wilkinson Bros. & Co. of Shelton, and wool for the A.H. & C.B. Alling knitting mill at Birmingham. [REFS: NHJC/12/15/1871/02; NHER/06/30/1879/04; NHDP/07/01/1879/04; NHER/08/01/1879/04; CRC26.1879.186; R2.377]
Based on the customary reliability of Mr. Bailey, this sketch of the Birmingham station is probably pretty accurate. Click here for the full 1876 map. This substantial combination station stood west of the track at the northeast corner of Foundry and Second Streets, the latter of which would later become Main St. Rockey says this station opened in March of 1872, but the Journal Courier says it was nearing completion in December of 1871. It was largely paid for and "owned principally" by William E. Downes, who would be on the NH&D board of directors from 1882 to 1889. The depot was "practically ruined" in a serious fire, arson suspected, on June 30, 1879. Lost freight contents included jute, used for manufacturing manila paper, lime belonging to Wilkinson Bros. & Co. of Shelton, and wool for the A.H. & C.B. Alling knitting mill at Birmingham. [REFS: NHJC/12/15/1871/02; NHER/06/30/1879/04; NHDP/07/01/1879/04; NHER/08/01/1879/04; CRC26.1879.186; R2.377]
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BIRMINGHAM2 [NH&D, 1879]
This station debuted in early August, 1879, just a month after the first one burned. With an 1886 article in the Register referring to "freight rooms" in this depot, the new structure must have initially been a combination station like its predecessor. A freight wing was added in 1883 at a cost of $2200, according to a letter on 11/30/1883 to the railroad commissioners from Supt. Quintard. The caption on the middle shot says 'Housatonic R.R. station, Birmingham' and shows the freight depot standing on the NH&D property that the HRR leased in 1887. The photo at right shows the huge area to the east that was filled in for the double-tracking of the NH&D line that would become the new Naugatuck Division on the west bank of its namesake river. The NYNH&H had gained control of this property in 1892 with its lease of the HRR and all its lessors and changed this station name to DERBY in 1896 to reflect the borough becoming the city of Derby in 1893. The old NRR depot on the east side of the Naugatuck River, DERBY1, was renamed EAST DERBY at that time. DERBY3 and a new freight house would open on this fill in 1903. See Track 4C, MP 4.63.1 for more. [REFS: NHDP/07/01/1879/04; NHER/08/01/1879/04; NHDP/08/08/1879/04(?); BA33.1880.00; NHER/1886/03/06/04; HC/06/26/1896/11]
This station debuted in early August, 1879, just a month after the first one burned. With an 1886 article in the Register referring to "freight rooms" in this depot, the new structure must have initially been a combination station like its predecessor. A freight wing was added in 1883 at a cost of $2200, according to a letter on 11/30/1883 to the railroad commissioners from Supt. Quintard. The caption on the middle shot says 'Housatonic R.R. station, Birmingham' and shows the freight depot standing on the NH&D property that the HRR leased in 1887. The photo at right shows the huge area to the east that was filled in for the double-tracking of the NH&D line that would become the new Naugatuck Division on the west bank of its namesake river. The NYNH&H had gained control of this property in 1892 with its lease of the HRR and all its lessors and changed this station name to DERBY in 1896 to reflect the borough becoming the city of Derby in 1893. The old NRR depot on the east side of the Naugatuck River, DERBY1, was renamed EAST DERBY at that time. DERBY3 and a new freight house would open on this fill in 1903. See Track 4C, MP 4.63.1 for more. [REFS: NHDP/07/01/1879/04; NHER/08/01/1879/04; NHDP/08/08/1879/04(?); BA33.1880.00; NHER/1886/03/06/04; HC/06/26/1896/11]
BLACK HALL1 [NH&NL, 1852?]
This stop appears on the 1858TT and may well date back to the 1852 opening of the NH&NL. A station is noted on the 1854NL map. We have assumed that there was some early structure here but we have no photo as of yet.
This stop appears on the 1858TT and may well date back to the 1852 opening of the NH&NL. A station is noted on the 1854NL map. We have assumed that there was some early structure here but we have no photo as of yet.
BLACK HALL2 [NYNH&H, 1883]
Erected in 1883, the railroad commissioners said that a new station was being built in their 1884 report covering the previous calendar year. This depot would be replaced in 1907 by a centralized LYME AND BLACK HALL station that eliminated the two separate predecessors. [REFS: CRC31.1884.20]
Erected in 1883, the railroad commissioners said that a new station was being built in their 1884 report covering the previous calendar year. This depot would be replaced in 1907 by a centralized LYME AND BLACK HALL station that eliminated the two separate predecessors. [REFS: CRC31.1884.20]
BLACK POINT [> CRESCENT BEACH]
BLAKES SUMMIT [> WASHINING]
BLAKES SUMMIT [> WASHINING]
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BLOOMFIELD [CW, 1872]
This was an original stop on the CW when it opened on 12/21/1871. The foundation was already laid, according to the Courant, but the station was not finished until early 1872, the Winsted Herald saying in February that "the depot structure is ready for the plasterers." The appraisal done for the projected NY&NE lease of the CW said in 1880 that the station condition was good at the time, that it needed about $200 in repairs, and that the overall value was $1500. The building was razed on 5/31/1940, according to the notation on a photo in our collection. [REFS: HDC/12/14/1871/02; WH/02/02/1872/02; D16][rev101812]
This was an original stop on the CW when it opened on 12/21/1871. The foundation was already laid, according to the Courant, but the station was not finished until early 1872, the Winsted Herald saying in February that "the depot structure is ready for the plasterers." The appraisal done for the projected NY&NE lease of the CW said in 1880 that the station condition was good at the time, that it needed about $200 in repairs, and that the overall value was $1500. The building was razed on 5/31/1940, according to the notation on a photo in our collection. [REFS: HDC/12/14/1871/02; WH/02/02/1872/02; D16][rev101812]
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BLUE HILLS [CW, 1871]
This was an obscure station stop two miles north of Hartford Union Station. It was not mentioned in the pre-opening list of stations [HDC/12/14/1871/02] but it was on the opening day list [HDC/12/21/1871/02] and, on the timetable of the same date shown here, it appears as a flag stop, like HOSKINS and CANTON. The map to the left shows the approximate location. No other historical reference or representation has been found.
This was an obscure station stop two miles north of Hartford Union Station. It was not mentioned in the pre-opening list of stations [HDC/12/14/1871/02] but it was on the opening day list [HDC/12/21/1871/02] and, on the timetable of the same date shown here, it appears as a flag stop, like HOSKINS and CANTON. The map to the left shows the approximate location. No other historical reference or representation has been found.
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BOARDMANS BRIDGE [HRR, c1873?]
The milk cans seen on the platform in the val photo at upper right indicate the primary purpose of stops like these but passengers appear to be waiting as well. This station stood in the northwestern quadrant of the grade crossing. The PUC photo at upper left looks west and is dated 9/25/1924. Employee timetables would help determine when this particular milk station began service but an association of New Milford dairy farmers with a $100,000 capitalization may have initiated it in 1873. The HRR was known for bringing the dairy products of Litchfield County down for shipment to New York City and reportedly ran the first scheduled milk train in the country. Our 1894 public timetable does not list this station but 1907, 1909, 1911 and 1923 public timetables do have it, mostly as a flag stop for one or two daily and even Sunday trains. The BOARDMANS BRIDGE location is shown on the 1893 map [lower left] and the present day map [lower right]. [REFS: HDC/02/17/1873/04; D63]
The milk cans seen on the platform in the val photo at upper right indicate the primary purpose of stops like these but passengers appear to be waiting as well. This station stood in the northwestern quadrant of the grade crossing. The PUC photo at upper left looks west and is dated 9/25/1924. Employee timetables would help determine when this particular milk station began service but an association of New Milford dairy farmers with a $100,000 capitalization may have initiated it in 1873. The HRR was known for bringing the dairy products of Litchfield County down for shipment to New York City and reportedly ran the first scheduled milk train in the country. Our 1894 public timetable does not list this station but 1907, 1909, 1911 and 1923 public timetables do have it, mostly as a flag stop for one or two daily and even Sunday trains. The BOARDMANS BRIDGE location is shown on the 1893 map [lower left] and the present day map [lower right]. [REFS: HDC/02/17/1873/04; D63]
BOLLES GROVE [> THAMES GROVE]
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BOLTON1 [HP&F, 1849]
Also called BOLTON NOTCH for the rift in the mountain through which the railroad was built. The 1857TC map shows the location of the depot. The railroad commissioners reported that BOLTON1 burned and was replaced by a new structure in 1902. The fire was on May 23, 1902 and was thought to have been caused by sparks from the Boston Flyer, which passed the station around 5:22 in the afternoon. Station agent Alsever and others were unable to save the building, which also housed the Bolton Notch post office, but did rescue the mail and the rest of the station's contents. A passenger coach and freight car were expected to serve until a new depot could be built. [REFS: CRC50.1902.21; HC/05/24/1902/15]
Also called BOLTON NOTCH for the rift in the mountain through which the railroad was built. The 1857TC map shows the location of the depot. The railroad commissioners reported that BOLTON1 burned and was replaced by a new structure in 1902. The fire was on May 23, 1902 and was thought to have been caused by sparks from the Boston Flyer, which passed the station around 5:22 in the afternoon. Station agent Alsever and others were unable to save the building, which also housed the Bolton Notch post office, but did rescue the mail and the rest of the station's contents. A passenger coach and freight car were expected to serve until a new depot could be built. [REFS: CRC50.1902.21; HC/05/24/1902/15]
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BOLTON2 [NYNH&H, 1902]
The old station burned, as noted above, and was replaced by this one. Though passenger service on this line lasted until the 1955 floods and this stop still had train service in 1923, New England Transportation Co. motor coaches had taken over by 1937 and all service was gone by 1947. The BOLTON2 station was reportedly removed on 4/15/1939. [REFS: CRC50.1902.21; 1923, 1937, 1947TTs; K84]
The old station burned, as noted above, and was replaced by this one. Though passenger service on this line lasted until the 1955 floods and this stop still had train service in 1923, New England Transportation Co. motor coaches had taken over by 1937 and all service was gone by 1947. The BOLTON2 station was reportedly removed on 4/15/1939. [REFS: CRC50.1902.21; 1923, 1937, 1947TTs; K84]
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BOSTON NECK [WL&S, 1870]
According to an article in the Springfield Republican, this as well as WOODS and SOUTH STREET were original stops on the branch that terminated at SUFFIELD. In spite of that early inauguration date, no stops on this 4.5-mile line are shown on the RRM maps and this station doesn't appear until 1904 on the RAM maps. The first regular train ran on 12/20/1870. Though chartered as the Windsor Locks and Suffield RR, the line was constructed by the H&NH, with an eye on continuing to Westfield, Mass. for a direct western connection with the Boston and Albany without going to Springfield. Those plans never came to fruition. Karr says passenger service ended in 1925. This small structure probably stood in the southeast quadrant of the crossing at Mather St., then we think a part of Boston Neck Rd. The location is shown on the val map [center] and at the red arrow on the present day map [right]. [REFS: HDC/12/12/1870/02; HC/05/27/1911/14; 1907, 1911, 1923TTs; K75][rev110112]
According to an article in the Springfield Republican, this as well as WOODS and SOUTH STREET were original stops on the branch that terminated at SUFFIELD. In spite of that early inauguration date, no stops on this 4.5-mile line are shown on the RRM maps and this station doesn't appear until 1904 on the RAM maps. The first regular train ran on 12/20/1870. Though chartered as the Windsor Locks and Suffield RR, the line was constructed by the H&NH, with an eye on continuing to Westfield, Mass. for a direct western connection with the Boston and Albany without going to Springfield. Those plans never came to fruition. Karr says passenger service ended in 1925. This small structure probably stood in the southeast quadrant of the crossing at Mather St., then we think a part of Boston Neck Rd. The location is shown on the val map [center] and at the red arrow on the present day map [right]. [REFS: HDC/12/12/1870/02; HC/05/27/1911/14; 1907, 1911, 1923TTs; K75][rev110112]
NHRHTA, Charlie Grabert Collection
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BOTSFORD1 [HRR, 1840]
The location, seen on the 1856FC map, was diagonally across what is now Botsford Hill Rd. from where the next depot stood. The 1840 opening schedule shows this stop listed as LAND'S END. However ominous that might sound, it was possibly based on some topographical feature that may still be in evidence today. We have found no photo yet.
The location, seen on the 1856FC map, was diagonally across what is now Botsford Hill Rd. from where the next depot stood. The 1840 opening schedule shows this stop listed as LAND'S END. However ominous that might sound, it was possibly based on some topographical feature that may still be in evidence today. We have found no photo yet.
Edward J. Ozog Collection
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Archives & Special Collections, UConn
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BOTSFORD2 [NYNH&H, 1894]
This station was designed according to plans dated October, 1893 and it opened the next year. It replaced the earlier "dilapidated structure," as reported by the Newtown Bee, which said that the new depot was 24x65 feet in size and was painted olive with dark trim. This station spans the era before the grade crossing and double-tracking of 1910. The photo at upper left shows the arrangement after the project was completed with the overpass for today's Botsford Hill Rd. ahead of the train and the concrete abutments looking like they are pretty new. The top right shot shows the grade crossing still in place. The photo at lower right was taken after a redesign that gave the station a saltbox-like appearance, different enough to make us wonder if it was not a whole new structure. But, at Kevin Daly's suggested closer look, the window and door locations on the front are the same and the exterior molding and wainscoting remain the same. What the railroad did was to shear off the covershed and face the forward edge of the roof with angled boards, giving the structure a much taller profile. Curiously the freight station no longer appears in all the photos we have seen after the changes. Perhaps accommodations were made in this building when it was remodeled. BOTSFORD2 was reportedly used until just after WWII and razed in the 1980s. [REFS: CRC42.1894.20; NB/02/23/1894/01]
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This station was designed according to plans dated October, 1893 and it opened the next year. It replaced the earlier "dilapidated structure," as reported by the Newtown Bee, which said that the new depot was 24x65 feet in size and was painted olive with dark trim. This station spans the era before the grade crossing and double-tracking of 1910. The photo at upper left shows the arrangement after the project was completed with the overpass for today's Botsford Hill Rd. ahead of the train and the concrete abutments looking like they are pretty new. The top right shot shows the grade crossing still in place. The photo at lower right was taken after a redesign that gave the station a saltbox-like appearance, different enough to make us wonder if it was not a whole new structure. But, at Kevin Daly's suggested closer look, the window and door locations on the front are the same and the exterior molding and wainscoting remain the same. What the railroad did was to shear off the covershed and face the forward edge of the roof with angled boards, giving the structure a much taller profile. Curiously the freight station no longer appears in all the photos we have seen after the changes. Perhaps accommodations were made in this building when it was remodeled. BOTSFORD2 was reportedly used until just after WWII and razed in the 1980s. [REFS: CRC42.1894.20; NB/02/23/1894/01]
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