The Housatonic Railroad ( ) is a
Class III railroad
In the United States, railroad carriers are designated as Class I, II, or III, according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With annual adjustments for inflation, the 2019 thresholds were US$5 ...
operating in southwestern
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
and eastern
New York. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
in northwestern
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
.
The Housatonic Railroad was also a company chartered in 1836 and leased by the New Haven in 1892. It followed much the same route as the current company, but did not run west into New York.
History
Regional railroad: 1836–1898
The Housatonic Railroad, originally (mis)spelled as 'Ousatonic Railroad', was chartered in May 1836 to build a line from
Bridgeport, Connecticut, north to the
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
state line, along the
Housatonic River valley. On February 19, 1840, regular service began from Bridgeport to
New Milford, and on December 1, 1842, it opened to the state line.
On the other side of the line, the Berkshire Railroad was incorporated April 13, 1837, to continue the line north to
West Stockbridge, where it would connect to the West Stockbridge Railroad (see below) and the never-built
Lee and Hudson Railroad. Construction began in February 1841, and it was completed on December 1, 1842, the same day the line in Connecticut opened. The Housatonic Railroad leased the Berkshire Railroad on January 1, 1843.
The West Stockbridge Railroad was chartered in 1831 and incorporated April 5, 1836 to run from West Stockbridge west to
State Line, where it would continue to the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
in
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
as the
Hudson and Berkshire Railroad
The Hudson and Boston Railroad was a railroad that spanned across Southern and Central Columbia County, New York. It was chartered in 1855 and acquired by the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1870, only to face its gradual demise beginning in 1959. ...
. The line opened on August 10, 1838. On February 6, 1844, the Berkshire Railroad (then leased to the Housatonic) leased the West Stockbridge and
Hudson and Berkshire Railroad
The Hudson and Boston Railroad was a railroad that spanned across Southern and Central Columbia County, New York. It was chartered in 1855 and acquired by the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1870, only to face its gradual demise beginning in 1959. ...
s. On November 21, 1854, the
Western Railroad bought the Hudson and Berkshire, which became a branch from the Western's line (later the
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pa ...
) from
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
to
Hudson, and was abandoned east of Hudson. The West Stockbridge Railroad stayed part of the Housatonic system.
The final section of main line was incorporated March 20, 1847, as the Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad. This line split from the original main line at
Van Deusenville in
Great Barrington and ran east and north to
Pittsfield
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...
. The full line opened on January 1, 1850, under operation of the Housatonic, and was formally leased January 25.
For a time the Housatonic operated the
Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad
The Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad was a railroad based in northwestern Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1842 and was purchased by the Western Railroad of Massachusetts before construction was finished in 1846, then acquired by the Boston ...
, running north from the
Western Railroad east of Pittsfield to
North Adams, but it was returned to the
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pa ...
, the successor to the Western, in the early 1870s.
The
Danbury and Norwalk Railroad
The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, chartered in 1835 as the Fairfield County Railroad, was an independent American railroad that operated between the cities of Danbury and Norwalk, Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Rai ...
opened in 1852 from
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
south to
Norwalk. The
New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
was chartered in 1863 to run from
White Plains, New York
(Always Faithful)
, image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png
, seal_link =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State
, su ...
, northeast via Danbury to
Brookfield, Connecticut
Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, situated within the southern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The population was 17,528 at the 2020 census. The town is located northeast of New York City, making it part ...
, on the Housatonic. It was only built north of Danbury, and on May 1, 1874, the Housatonic leased and opened it. On May 6, 1881, the Housatonic outright bought it, and on July 27, 1887, the Housatonic leased the Danbury and Norwalk, by then including branches to
Ridgefield and
Hawleyville
Hawleyville is an unincorporated community in Fairfield County in the town of Newtown, Connecticut, about 1 mile outside the borough of Newtown. It was listed as a census-designated place prior to the 2020 census.
History
Hawleyville is named ...
(the latter on the Housatonic's main line) and a southern extension to
Wilson Point.
In the meantime, the
New Haven and Derby Railroad was chartered in 1864 to run from
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
west to
Derby, Connecticut
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 8 miles west-northwest of New Haven. It is located in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. It borders the cities of Anson ...
, and north to
Ansonia, planned as part of the route over the never-built
Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
. It opened in 1871. On November 14, 1888, a 3.79-mile (6.10 km) extension from
Derby Junction to a point in
Shelton Shelton may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
* Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire
* Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire
* Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bed ...
was opened. The rest of the extension, 9.79 mi (15.76 km) from that point to the Housatonic Railroad at
Botsford, was built by the Housatonic and opened on November 28. On July 9, 1889, the Housatonic leased the New Haven and Derby.
On July 1, 1892, the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
leased the Housatonic, forming the Berkshire Division; it was merged on March 29, 1898.
New Haven's Berkshire Division: 1892–1969
By the end of the New Haven's life, the Housatonic's original main line had been abandoned south of
Botsford, where the old New Haven branch ran only east to
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
. The main line was also gone between
Brookfield and
Hawleyville
Hawleyville is an unincorporated community in Fairfield County in the town of Newtown, Connecticut, about 1 mile outside the borough of Newtown. It was listed as a census-designated place prior to the 2020 census.
History
Hawleyville is named ...
, with traffic using the branch to Danbury and old
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was ...
. The Danbury and Norwalk was still in use, but most branches, including the original main line to
State Line, Massachusetts, were gone.
On January 1, 1969 the New Haven was merged into
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...
, which named the lines as follows:
*Pittsfield Branch:
Berkshire Junction near
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
north to
Pittsfield
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...
*Maybrook Branch:
Derby Junction west via Danbury and other New Haven lines to
Campbell Hall, New York
*Danbury Branch:
Danbury and Norwalk Railroad
The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, chartered in 1835 as the Fairfield County Railroad, was an independent American railroad that operated between the cities of Danbury and Norwalk, Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Rai ...
Penn Central and Conrail: 1969–1983
The last passenger train ran over the route on April 30, 1971, the day before
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
took over Penn Central's passenger operations. At that time, the travel time from Danbury to Pittsfield required two hours and 45 minutes. By 1974 the middle section was abandoned, between
Boardman Bridge in
New Milford and
Canaan, Connecticut
Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2020 census, down from 1,234 at the 2010 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal settlement, Falls V ...
, and was not made part of
Conrail on April 1, 1976, instead being bought by the
State of Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
. In 1982 the
Boston and Maine Railroad bought the line north of Canaan, renaming it the Canaan Running Track. Conrail continued to operate the line south of New Milford, and the old
Danbury and Norwalk Railroad
The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, chartered in 1835 as the Fairfield County Railroad, was an independent American railroad that operated between the cities of Danbury and Norwalk, Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Rai ...
was conveyed to the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority_of_the__is_a_type_of_Nonprofit_organization">nonprofit_corporation_chart ...
on January 1, 1983, becoming their
Danbury Branch
The Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury, mostly single-tracked. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Until the early 1970s, passenger ...
.
The New Housatonic Railroad (1983–present)
A new Housatonic Railroad was chartered in 1983 by John Hanlon Jr. to lease 34 miles of the former line, from
Boardman Bridge in
New Milford north to
Canaan, Connecticut
Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2020 census, down from 1,234 at the 2010 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal settlement, Falls V ...
, from the
State of Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent customer ...
s began operating between Canaan and just south of
Cornwall Bridge (at Belsprings Siding) in November 1984. The rest of the line, south into New Milford, was made serviceable in 1989, giving the company two connections - the
Boston and Maine Railroad (
Guilford Rail System) in Canaan and
Conrail in New Milford. In April the Housatonic began to serve
Becton, Dickinson and Company
Becton, Dickinson and Company, also known as BD, is an American multinational medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents. BD also provides consulting and analytics services in certai ...
, a
plastics plant in Canaan, but almost immediately the line was severed at
Falls Village by a
washout, not repaired until 14 months later.
Expansion into Massachusetts and New York
The Housatonic Transportation Company was
incorporated in Delaware
The Delaware General Corporation Law (Title 8, Chapter 1 of the Delaware Code) is the statute of the Delaware Code that governs corporate law in the U.S. state of Delaware. Adopted in 1899, the statute has since seen Delaware become the most imp ...
on January 2, 1991 as a
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
for the railroad's properties, including the newly formed Danbury Terminal Railroad (an operating company) and Maybrook Properties (a land-owning company). That month the Housatonic bought the connecting Guilford trackage (Canaan Running Track) north to
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...
, where it obtained another interchange with
Conrail.
In December 1992, the Danbury Terminal Railroad acquired trackage and rights belonging to
Conrail in southwestern Connecticut and southeastern New York. Maybrook Properties bought the former New Haven line (then the
Danbury Secondary Track) from
Beacon, New York (MP 0.0), east to
Hopewell Junction (MP 12.8) (former
Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, originally the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad and affectionately ''"The Never Did and Couldn't"'', is a link in the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system in New York state.
History
Beg ...
), Hopewell Junction (MP 42.9) east to
Derby, Connecticut
Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 8 miles west-northwest of New Haven. It is located in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. It borders the cities of Anson ...
(MP 104.8), (former
Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was ...
, Housatonic Railroad and branch to Derby). The Danbury Terminal operated this Maybrook Properties-owned trackage. The Danbury Terminal also obtained Conrail's former
trackage rights
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may ...
to serve freight on the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority_of_the__is_a_type_of_Nonprofit_organization">nonprofit_corporation_chart ...
's
Harlem Line
The Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York and Harlem Railroad, is an commuter rail line running north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Sou ...
from
White Plains (MP 22.0) to
Dover Plains (MP 76.6), and north to
Wassaic (MP 81.6) over trackage still owned by the
New York and Harlem Railroad and leased to Conrail, crossing the east–west line at
Dykemans. Finally, it obtained
overhead trackage rights
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may con ...
over Metro-North's
Waterbury Branch
The Waterbury Branch is a branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line, running north from a junction in the Devon section of Milford to Waterbury, Connecticut. Originally built as the Naugatuck Railroad, it once continued north to Winste ...
from the east end of this line at Derby (MP 8.9) south to
Devon, Connecticut
The village of Devon is a neighborhood of the city of Milford, Connecticut, United States. It lies on the southwest corner of the city bordering Long Island Sound and the mouth of the Housatonic River. The village generally corresponds to the T ...
(MP 0.0), (operated for freight by the
Providence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad operating of tracks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York via trackage rights. The company was founded in 1844 to build a railroad between Providence, ...
). The Housatonic also acquired the final part of the main line, from New Milford south to the east–west line at
Berkshire Junction near
Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
. With this acquisition, the Housatonic gained a much expanded system and several new customers. These new acquisitions were first operated January 2, 1993.
While freight customers remained on Metro-North's Harlem Line, the HRRC was not allowed to serve them directly. A few freight shipments were forwarded from Danbury by Metro-North crews, but this arrangement was only temporary until the remaining customers converted to truck transportation. On December 31, 1996, the Danbury Terminal Railroad was merged into the Housatonic Railroad.
In 1984, the
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum began operating passenger excursions between Lee and Great Barrington, over tracks owned by the Housatonic Railroad. Due to deteriorating track conditions, passenger operations were suspended in 1989. The museum successfully campaigned for state assistance funds to upgrade the tracks. The excursion trains returned in 2003, based out of the restored station in Lenox, with regular schedules to Lee and Stockbridge.
2008 to present
In 2008 HRRC considering the possibility of resuming commercial passenger service along the entire line from Danbury to Pittsfield, and in May 2010 began a formal study of the same. The estimated cost of upgrading the railroad to support passenger trains was estimated to be between $100 million and $150 million, not including the cost of the required equipment.
In 2011, the Housatonic Railroad decided it would not renew its agreement with BSRM to continue operating passenger excursions over their railroad. Colin Pease, spokesperson for HRRC, said, "The Housatonic Railroad has determined that the continued operation of the Berkshire Scenic Railway on Housatonic-owned tracks is no longer possible."
In July 2014,
Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Board of Directors authorized the purchase of 37 miles of the railroad's Berkshire Line. MassDOT's purchase is intended to extend rail services to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, following track improvements for passenger and freight service between Massachusetts and
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
. MassDOT finalized the purchase on February 5, 2015.
On October 14, 2020, a HRRC employee was fatally struck by a maintenance of way vehicle while working in North Canaan, CT, prompting an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
In June 2021, Metro-North attempted to end HRRC's trackage rights over the
Beacon Line
The Metro-North Railroad's Beacon Line is a non-revenue line connecting the railroad's three revenue lines east of the Hudson River. From west to east, the lines that connect are Hudson Line, Harlem Line, and the Danbury Branch of the New Haven ...
in New York and abandon the line, prompting the Housatonic Railroad to file an objection.
See also
*
List of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad precursors
These railroads were bought, leased, or in other ways had their track come under ownership or lease by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.''RAILROADS IN NORTH AMERICA; Some Historical Facts and An Introduction to an Electronic Database o ...
References
;General
*
*
*
*
*
*
;Specific
External links
Housatonic Railroad Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Housatonic Railroad
Connecticut railroads
Massachusetts railroads
New York (state) railroads
Companies based in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Transportation in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Defunct Connecticut railroads
Defunct Massachusetts railroads
Predecessors of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Railway companies established in 1836
Railway companies disestablished in 1898
Spin-offs of the Penn Central Transportation Company
Companies operating former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad lines
">Companies operating former New York Central Railroad lines
American companies established in 1836
1836 establishments in Connecticut