Norwich and Westerly Railway
| Norwich and Westerly Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
N&W trolley at Westerly station between 1906 and 1912
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| Overview | |||
| Type | interurban | ||
| Status | abandoned | ||
| Locale | Southeastern Connecticut | ||
| Termini |
Norwich Westerly |
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| Operation | |||
| Opened | August 18, 1906 | ||
| Closed | December 31, 1922 | ||
| Character | Private right-of-way | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 21.6 miles | ||
| Electrification | 370V overhead | ||
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The Norwich and Westerly Railway was an interurban trolley system that operated in Southeastern Connecticut during the early part of the 20th century. It operated a 21-mile line through rural territory in Norwich, Preston, Ledyard, North Stonington, Pawcatuck, and Westerly between 1906 and 1922. For most of its length, the route paralleled what is now Connecticut Route 2.
Stops on the line included Norwich (at the railroad depot on Main Street), Norwich State Hospital, Poquetanuck, Hallville, North Stonington, and Westerly. The powerhouse and 4-track carhouse were located at Hallville, as was a trolley park called Lincoln Park.
The company was first chartered on May 11, 1903 as the Norwich, Mystic & Westerly Street Railway Company. The name was changed to the Norwich & Westerly Railway Company on December 12, 1905 after the Groton and Stonington Street Railway's Old Mystic branch negated the need for a N&W branch to Mystic. Construction started early in 1906 and the first cars ran between Norwich and Hallville on August 18, 1906, and as far as North Stonington by August 30. The Westerly and Connecticut Railway (wholly owned by the Norwich & Westerly) was chartered in Rhode Island on March 13, 1906 and the first Norwich-Westerly through cars ran on November 12, 1906. The complete trolley line was estimated to cost $500,000.
The line's only major accident occurred on August 1, 1907, when passenger car #2 and freight motor #1 collided at Avery's Crossing in North Stonington. Passengers Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Gardiner were killed along #2's motorman, George H. Lucier. Damage claims against the line exceeded $4,000.
By the time of its acquisition by the Shore Line Electric Railway in 1916, the Norwich & Westerly Traction Company operated 59.08 miles of lines. These included the Norwich & Westerly system proper, the Pawtucket Valley Street Railway, the Ashaway and Westerly Railway, and the Groton & Stonington Street Railway.
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