Railroad Museum of New England
| Railroad Museum of New England | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Terminus | Thomaston, Connecticut |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Naugatuck Railroad |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | RMNE |
| Operated by | Naugatuck Railroad |
| Reporting mark | NAUG |
| Length | 4.6 mi (7.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1849 |
| Preservation history | |
| Headquarters | Thomaston, Connecticut |
| Website | |
| [1] | |
The Railroad Museum of New England operates the Naugatuck Railroad between Waterville and Thomaston, Connecticut. The Railroad Museum of New England name and trademark was adopted in 1987, as a result of reassessing the Connecticut Valley Railroad Museum's goals and visions (CVRM had been founded in the mid-1960s). Home to one of the largest collections of preserved historic railroad equipment in New England, RMNE and its predecessor organizations have been active since the 1960s.
The CVRM (and predecessor organization - the Connecticut Valley Railroad Association [CVRA]) was responsible for organizing steam train excursions within Connecticut during the late 1960s and was instrumental in opening the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut in 1971. The volunteers of the non-profit CVRA established a relationship with the for-profit Valley Railroad allowing for a permanent home for the organization's growing collection. In exchange, volunteers contributed to the upkeep and operation of the Valley Railroad's trains.
Through the 1980s, more pieces were added to the collection, restored, and occasionally operated on the Valley Railroad. By the end of the decade, it was clear CVRA would need to find its own home if they were to continue their mission of preservation and grow their collection.
The volunteers wanted to remain in Connecticut if possible, as it provided a central location for most of the active members. Once Conrail sold off its local freight operations to the Housatonic Railroad in 1993, they abandoned the former New Haven freight yard in Danbury, Connecticut. The complex included a turntable and former roundhouse site, active rail connections, and frequent passenger service provided by Metro-North Railroad's Danbury Branch. The site was turned down as there was no guarantee the museum would be able to operate regular excursions, which they saw as critical to their survival. Instead, the Danbury Railway Museum was established there in 1994.
Another location considered was the site of the former New Haven Columbia Junction roundhouse and freight yard in Willimantic, Connecticut. While the site offered plenty of room, almost nothing of the original facility remained other than a few derelict foundations. The active rail of the New England Central Railroad ran along the site, but there was no way the museum would be able to secure permission to operate excursions. Instead, the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum was established there in 1995.
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Wikipedia