AMTRAK’S HIGH SPEED RAIL PROGRAM

N E W H A V E N T O B O S T O NHISTORY AND H ISTORIC RESOURCES

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This document was prepared

by PAL (The Public Archaeology

Laboratory, Inc.) with funding

provided by the National Railroad

Passenger Corporation,Amtrak.

Printed in Rhode Island 2001

AMTRAK’S H IGH SPEED RAI L PROGRAM

N E W H A V E N T O B O S T O NHISTORY AND H ISTOR IC RESOURCES

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In the year 2000, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak, ushered

in a new era of railroading in America with the initiation of Acela high-speed

service in the Northeast. Acela, which is derived from the words “excellence”

and“acceleration,” is the brand name for Amtrak’s new approach to passenger

rail service. Its centerpiece will be a fleet of ultramodern, high-speed electric

trains capable of attaining speeds up to 150 miles per hour. Acela is the first

of many high-speed rail systems that Amtrak plans to implement in its effort

to reintroduce Americans to train travel as a viable and attractive alternative to

driving or flying.

A major key to the implementation of Acela service is the electrification

of the Northeast Corridor between New Haven, Connecticut and Boston,

Massachusetts. That section of the line is a descendent of four early railroads

that were consolidated into a single unit in 1893 by the New York, New Haven,

I NTRODUCTION

CON T E N T S

3 Introduction

7 History

39 Stations

52 Railroad Maintenance and Service Facilities

55 Signals and Switches

61 Grade Crossing Eliminations

65 Bridges

73 Freight and Industries

80 Image Credits

80 Recommended Reading

In the year 2000, Amtrak inaugurated its new Acela Express high-speed rail

service on the Northeast Corridor, ushering in a premium level of service that

will set the standard for transportation in this country. Achieving this mile-

stone has required a Herculean effort by many states, agencies, companies

and individuals. Indeed, between 1992 and 1999, the railroad between New

Haven and Boston was transformed from a sleepy, 1940s era line to the

premier rail line in North America, capable of train speeds up to 150 mph.

This has required some $1.7 billion in new rails and ties, signal system upgrades,

bridge replacements, capacity and station improvements, curve realignments,

and at-grade crossing upgrades. In addition, the electrification system that

was first installed between New Haven and New York some 90 years ago was

extended to Boston. This single project alone has shaved some 30 minutes

of travel time from Boston-New York trains.

This program of improvements was not without its opponents and controver-

sies. Many important issues were raised by residents living near the rail line,

boaters, and state environmental and transportation agencies. The project and

region are clearly better off for these efforts and Amtrak sincerely appreciates

the hard work of those who insisted that local environmental, historic and

quality of life issues be respected.

We leave the region better off than when we began, with a vastly improved

rail passenger system and better communications with those impacted by the

rail line. This program has been a success. Amtrak looks forward to continued

efforts to improve the region’s transportation system.

David J. Carol

Vice President, High Speed Rail

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Conducted in 1992-1993, the survey of historic

properties included not only resources directly

on or adjacent to the railroad right-of-way,

but also those whose setting might suffer from

visual impacts of the electrification elements.

In all, about 140 properties within the project

area were identified as being listed or poten-

tially eligible for listing in the National Register.

A number of the properties surveyed were

directly related to the railroad. They included

train stations, signaling and switching towers,

and railroad bridges. Many others, however,

were recorded simply because they were located

near the rail line. Among them were numerous

historic commercial and residential districts,

individual residences, factories, agricultural

landscapes, cemeteries, and public buildings.

During the survey, judgements were made

about the potential affect of the project on

each of the historic resources identified.

While the electrification project did not require

a large amount of demolition, it was deter-

mined that a number of properties would be

adversely affected by the visual impact caused

by the installation of the catenary poles, which

are set an average of about 200 feet apart

along the 156-mile route. In those cases, addi-

tional mitigative measures were agreed upon

during consultation among Amtrak, the FRA,

and the state historic preservation offices in

Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

In most instances, the mitigation took the form

of Historical American Buildings Survey/Historic

American Engineering Record (HABS /HAER)

documentation, which involved taking large-

format negative, archivally stable photographs

and producing a written description and history

of the properties before the improvements

were constructed.Copies of all the HABS/HAER

documentation were deposited in the Library of

Congress and safe archives within each state.

and Hartford Railroad. The corridor south of

New Haven to Washington, DC was electri-

fied in the first half of the twentieth century.

The completion of the electrification project

will allow passengers to travel the entire

Northeast Corridor without switching trains

at New Haven.

The electrification project involved the

installation of an overhead catenary system

composed of wires suspended over the rail-

road tracks and supported by steel poles with

cantilevered arms; the construction of a number

of electrical switching, paralleling, and sub-

stations; and raising bridges or lowering the

tracks at 40 locations along the route to

provide sufficient clearance for the installation

of the overhead wires. The construction of these

improvements was determined to constitute

a major federal undertaking, requiring the

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to conduct

various studies to identify the impacts that

the project might have on the environment

and consider ways of mitigating those impacts

judged to be adverse. Among the environ-

mental impact studies completed was a survey

to locate, document, and evaluate historic

properties on the New Haven to Boston section

of the Northeast Corridor. Under federal law

the term “historic property” is applied to those

resources that are either listed or eligible for

listing in the National Register of Historic

Places. The National Register is the nation’s

official federal list of significant buildings,

sites, structures, objects, landscapes, and

districts. The basic criteria for listing in the

National Register are that a property be at

least 50 years old and retain its historic

appearance, or integrity, to a high degree.

Properties must also have associations with

important people, trends, or events significant

in American history, architecture, archaeology,

engineering, or culture.

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H I STORY

The production of this booklet is one of the

final pieces of mitigation for the construction

of the electrification improvements. It grew

out of a stipulation in a Memorandum of

Agreement among Amtrak, the FRA, and the

Connecticut State Historic Preservation Officer

that asked for an illustrated report covering

historic resources directly associated with the

railroad in Connecticut. The parties later agreed,

however, to expand the scope of the work to

encompass the entire New Haven to Boston

section of the Northeast Corridor. The booklet

is intended to serve as an educational tool and

will be distributed to libraries and schools within

Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

The booklet is divided into two major

sections. The first provides a history of the

development of the New Haven to Boston

portion of the Northeast Corridor. The material

for the history was distilled from some of the

many books available on railroading in New

England and research materials collected

during the historic property investigations for

the electrification project. The second section

focuses on the resources constructed by or

because of the railroad. Included are discussions

about passenger and freight stations; bridges,

underpasses, and tunnels; signal and routing

systems; and crossings and cuts that repre-

sented major engineering projects, promoted

safety, and changed the built environment in

the towns and cities where they are located.

Acela promises to revolutionize train travel

in the Northeast Corridor, but it is important

to remember that the system is just the next

advancement in a long continuum of railroad

innovations, each representing for previous

generations as dramatic an improvement in

speed, comfort, safety, and service. The sleek

new trains will travel over portions of right-

of-way that date from the earliest period of

railroading in the United States. Ample physical

evidence of all periods of the Northeast

Corridor’s development can be seen along the

New Haven to Boston section of the line. It is

hoped that this booklet will alert readers to the

historic resources that remain and that they

will gain an understanding of the importance

of the Northeast Corridor in the history of the

region it services.

The introduction of railroads beginning in the 1820s and their rapid deployment

throughout the nation during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

fundamentally altered the way Americans lived, worked, and played. During that

period, railroads became the dominant means of long-distance travel for people

and goods. They opened up new areas for settlement, fueled the Industrial

Revolution by allowing the rapid transport of raw materials to factories and

finished goods to marketplaces, and created new opportunities for Americans

to travel to other parts of the country for business and pleasure. The history of

Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor extends to the earliest period of railroad development

and parallels in many ways the general history of railroading in the United States.

The following narrative traces that history, highlighting the important national

trends and events that influenced the development of the Northeast Corridor

between New Haven and Boston and providing a context from which to view

the history of the individual resources that are the focus of the remaining sections

of this book.

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Early wagons and stagecoaches slowly

evolved into more comfortable and

faster modes of transportation. A major

evolution occurred in the first three

decades of the nineteenth century, as

coaches began to take on new shapes,

with springs and cushioned seats to

allow for a more comfortable ride.

Finally, in the 1820s, the “Concord

Coach,” a flat-topped carriage, had

evolved as the style and shape of choice.

The Concord Coach ultimately found

wide popularity throughout the United

States, South Africa, South America,

and Australia, and continued to be used

until the early days of the automobile.

below: Early nineteenth-century Currier and Ivesdepiction of steamboat and barge traffic on theHudson River.

TRAVE L B E FORE TH E RAI LROAD

Communities in interior sections of thecountry had to be much more self-sufficient. The only way they could bereached was by foot or horse-drawnconveyance on roads that were oftenlittle more than slightly improved formerNative American trails. Early coachesoffered little in the way of luxury, wereusually crowded, and lacked suspensionsystems that could effectively cushionthe ride against the numerous obstaclesthat characterized most early roads.Road construction methods improvedduring the late eighteenth and early nine-teenth centuries. In New England,numerous turnpikes crisscrossed theregion, with branches of smaller, shorterroutes to outlying areas extending from them. These toll roads were oftenchartered and constructed by privatecompanies that sought profit by pro-viding a decent surface for wheeledvehicles to travel. Only large cities,where financial resources and demandfor intercity travel were great, couldafford to construct and maintainsmooth public roads.

Before the advent of the railroad, therewas no single comprehensive transporta-tion system to connect the variousregions of the United States. The countrygrew up around coastal seaports andalong navigable rivers where ships andboats supplied the primary means forimporting and exporting goods andsupplies. Port towns relied heavilyupon and owed much of their growthto maritime trade, exporting locallyproduced products and importinggoods for distribution within the com-munity and its hinterlands. Even today,all but four of the nation’s 20 largestcities have major harbors.

1776 1776 Colonies declare Independence from Britain. 1780s First canals in New England built. 1785 Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and

American John Jeffries of Boston become the first balloonists to successfully cross the English Channel. 1787 U.S. Constitution is written, Northwest Ordinance.

1789 George Washington becomes first U.S. President. 1803 Louisiana Purchase. 1804 Richard Trevithick of England builds first locomotive.

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The introduction of the steamboat andconstruction of several major canalsduring the early nineteenth century rep-resented major advancements in themovement of goods and people into theinterior sections of the country. In 1807,Robert Fulton ushered in a new era forinternal travel with the historic first runof his steamboat, Clermont. Several yearslater, construction began on the 360-mileErie Barge Canal between Albany andBuffalo, New York. Partially opened in1819 and completed in 1825, the ErieCanal enabled for the first time anefficient means of carrying products and

resources from the Great Lakes region tothe port of New York City. Its immediatesuccess prompted the formation ofnumerous canal companies in otherparts of the United States. In NewEngland several modestly successfulcanals were constructed in the earlynineteenth century. They included theMiddlesex Canal from Boston toLowell, Massachusetts (1803–1852);the Blackstone Canal from Providence,Rhode Island to Worcester, Massachusetts(1825–1849); and the New Haven(Connecticut) & Northampton (Massa-chusetts) Canal (1825–1847).

below: The completion ofthe Erie Canal and otherslike it focused new attentionon the potential for tappingresources and opening new areas to settlement inthe interior sections of thecountry. Canals, however,were extremely expensiveto build and maintain, andrequired water sources atboth ends, restricting wherethey could be constructed.Railroads, which were faster,relatively cheap to construct,and could be laid almostanywhere, brought thecanal era to an abrupt end.Courtesy of MCA

below: “Fulton’s Folly,” asRobert Fulton’s Clermontwas nicknamed, was thefirst of many technologicaladvances in transportationthat transformed Americansociety in the nineteenthcentury. Traveling againstthe current of the HudsonRiver, Fulton made the 150-mile trip from New

York City to Albany in arecord 32 hours.Withinthree years of the maidenvoyage, Fulton’s steamboatswere regularly plying theHudson and Delaware riversand soon after were makingpossible settlement of thelands acquired through theLouisiana Purchase of 1803.

1807 1807 Fulton’s Folley —Robert Fulton’s Clermont makes successful run on the Hudson River between New York City and Albany. 1812 War of 1812 begins.

1815 Battle of New Orleans. 1816 First high-pressure steamboat introduced by Henry M. Shreve. 1817 Erie Canal construction begins. 1800-30 Stagecoach improvements, Concord Coach (ca. 1830).

1821 Missouri Compromise. 1823 Monroe Doctrine. 1824 General Survey Act allows survey of roads and canals considered nationally important.

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engine as a viable means to propelvehicles on water. By the 1820s the rail-road’s potential for improving traveland freight shipping was well-recognizedin the United States.

The first successful freight and pas-senger railroad was the Baltimore &

Ohio Railroad, which was charteredon February 28, 1827 by the City ofBaltimore in hopes of expanding itseconomic base by funneling products ofthe Ohio River Valley to the city’s port.Charles Carroll, the last surviving signerof the Declaration of Independence,broke ground for the road on July 4, 1828.Other cities soon followed Baltimore’slead, and the pace of railroad develop-ment along the east coast quickened.

New England’s first railroad, the QuincyGranite Railroad, was constructed in1826, to move the stone for the BunkerHill Monument from the quarries to awharf on the Neponset River, a distanceof four miles. During the mid-1830s,several freight and passenger lines wereorganized in New England, includingthe Boston & Worcester, the Boston &

Maine, and the Boston & Providence.This trio of lines radiated out fromBoston, providing direct service tothree important interior areas. Withinthe next three decades, numerous inde-pendent railroad companies were formedin states throughout the eastern seaboard.

The development of the railroad in theUnited States fostered three major socialand economic changes: the growth ofcities, the spread of heavy industry, andwestern expansion. Railroad expansioninitiated the “transportation revolution,”which unified the American people, andtransformed the United States from aprimarily agricultural economic state tothe preeminent industrial nation. Eventssuch as the California Gold Rush of1849 and the passing of the HomesteadAct of 1863, which established a systemfor the free distribution of federallands, created demand for railroads tocarry settlers to their new homes anddirectly connect the east coast market-places with west coast resources and

trade routes. The federal governmentdid what it could to foster railroadexpansion, turning over more than300,000 square miles of public landsand furnishing large loans, grants, andsubsidies to railroad companies. Duringthe period between 1830 and 1900 therailroad trackage in the United Statesincreased from 23 miles to 186,000 miles.

Railroad technology in the UnitedStates is traced back to 1764 when acable-operated tramway made ofgrooved logs was constructed in Lewiston,New York. Major advances occurredafter 1804 when Richard Trevithick ofEngland made the first “locomotive”able to run on wheels and 1807 whenRobert Fulton pioneered use of the steam

below: Driving the “GoldenSpike”on May 10, 1869 atPromontory Summit in Utah.The ceremony marked thecompletion of the firsttranscontinental railroad inthe United States.The rapidexpansion of railroads in thepost-Civil War era allowedsettlement in previously

1825

EARLY RAI LROAD DEVE LOPM E NT I N UN ITE D STATES

remote sections of the country. Between 1865 and1890, the total amount ofrailroad track in the UnitedStates rose from 35,000 to200,000 miles.

right: Original Boston &Providence Railroad Car,1834. In many cases, earlytrains were horse-drawn

1825 Erie Canal completed, joining Albany to Buffalo on Lake Erie. 1826 Early horse-drawn, single purpose railway, in Massachusetts, the Quincy Railway.

1826 Former Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson die on July 4. 1827 First common carrier railroad in U.S., Baltimore & Ohio Railroad extended to Ohio River.

and little more than roadcoaches mounted on railwayaxles and wheels. Each wasgiven a name, continuing a tradition that began withstagecoaches of previousyears. The names were oftenpassed on to successortrains that plied the sameroutes. Courtesy of BPL

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Travel between New York and Boston

before the construction of a rail route

was difficult and often perilous. The

overland journey along winding Post

Road, which later formed the basis for

U.S. Highway 1, took days to complete.

Ship travel, while faster and more

comfortable, required rounding the

arm of Cape Cod, where strong tidal

currents and unpredictable weather

could make the trip extremely haz-

ardous. The completion of the Boston

& Providence Railroad in 1835 provided

the first viable alternative to ship travel

around the Cape. Goods could be trans-

ported by rail from Boston to India Point

in Providence and off-loaded onto ships

bound for New York via Narragansett

Bay. The Stonington Road, which

was put into service in 1837, made the

trip safer still, allowing shippers to

bypass the sometimes treacherous sea

passage around Point Judith at the

southwest corner of Narragansett Bay

in favor of direct access to relatively

calm Long Island Sound.

left : The locomotive RogerWilliams, built in 1837, wasthe first engine to run onthe Providence & StoningtonRailroad. Courtesy of RIHS,

neg.(x3)2263

below : 1881 passenger ticketfor the Boston &Providencesection of the New York,New Haven, & HartfordRailroad. Courtesy of RIHS.

The portion of Amtrak’s NortheastCorridor from New Haven to Bostonwas assembled from four historic rail-road lines: the Boston & Providence; theNew York, Providence, & Boston; theNew Haven & New London; and theNew London & Stonington. The Boston& Providence, chartered in 1831, wasNew England’s first viable common car-rier railroad. Surveyed by prominent earlyAmerican engineers Captain WilliamGibbs McNeill and George WashingtonWhistler, the railroad right-of-way madean almost straight line between itsnamesake cities. Initially there was little

support for the project in Providence,which feared that the success of therecently-completed Blackstone Canalwould be threatened by competition fromthe railroad. Opposition waned quickly,however, when the advantages of a directlink with Boston, New England’s largestcity and port, were realized. Constructionbegan in Boston in 1832 and the firsttrains were operated between that cityand Dedham in June 1834. The line was extended to Canton the followingSeptember, and was completed toProvidence in 1835 after constructionof the massive Canton Viaduct.

1830s Mid-1830s First major New England rail lines, including the Boston & Worcester, the Boston & Maine (B&M), the Boston & Providence (B&P), are built.

1831 Nat Turner Rebellion. 1831 Boston & Providence (B&P) chartered, completed 1835. 1836 Fall of the Alamo.

1837 New York, Providence, and Boston line (Stonington Line), completed from South Providence to Stonington, CT. 1840s Concept of Manifest Destiny first espoused.

THE BEG I N N I NGS OF T H E NORTH EAS T C O R R I DOR

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Shortly after the Boston & Providencewas chartered, plans were set in motionto extend rail service farther south towardNew York. In 1832 the Providence &

Stonington Railroad and the New Yorkand Stonington steamship line werechartered to construct a rail line fromProvidence to Stonington, Connecticutand provide steamer transport acrossLong Island Sound to New York. Thetwo companies merged in 1833 to formthe New York, Providence & Boston.Completed in 1837, the “StoningtonRoad,” as the line was known, was 47

miles in length. The six miles of the line inConnecticut constituted the first oper-ating railroad in that state. It allowedpassengers from Boston to use theBoston & Providence to reach Providence,then ferry across the harbor to theStongington Road railhead at SouthProvidence, and proceed to Stoningtonwhere they could take a steamship toNew York. Direct rail service from Bostonto Stonington was established in 1848when the Stonington Road and Boston &Providence were joined at Providence’sUnion Station.

Several locomotives thatoperated along the predeces-sor lines of the New York,New Haven & HartfordRailroad are shown on theleft. These locomotivesshare a wheel arrangementconsisting of two smallfront idler wheels under thesmokebox, and two largerdrive wheels under the boiler.Developed in the 1840s, thisconfiguration was referred toas a “4-4-0”, or “American”,wheel arrangement.

top left: Locomotive “J.W. Miller”, Courtesy of

UCONNASC, Allyn Fuller

Collection

center left: Locomotive“Daniel Nason”, Courtesy

of BPL

bottom left: Compound-TypeLocomotive. Courtesy of

UCONNASC, Charlie Gunn

Collection

1846 1846 Introduction of telegraphy and expansion of railroads forms nationwide transportation and communication linkages.

1848 Through Service to Boston completed on Stonington Line when line was extended to Providence, joining the B&P at Union Station.

1848 New Haven and New London line chartered to connect with the New York and New Haven line. 1849 California Gold Rush.

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top: Lithograph of a Dimpfel Locomotive CoalBurner operated by theNew Haven Railroad.Courtesy of UCONNASC,

Allyn Fuller Collection

The New Haven & New LondonRailroad was chartered in 1848, and con-struction began in 1850. Yale Universityengineering professor Alexander C.Twining surveyed the route, whichtraveled along the scenic shoreline ofLong Island Sound. In New Havenpassengers and freight traveling southto New York were ferried across theQuinnipiac River to make connectionswith the New York & New HavenRailroad. Among the promoters of theNew York & New Haven were promi-nent New York capitalists Robert andGeorge L. Schuyler, Anson G. Phelps,and Elihu Thompson and Connecticut businessmen Joseph E. Sheffield andSamuel J. Hitchcock, president of theHartford & New Haven Railroad.Originally laid out as a single track system, the New York & New Havenadded a second track in 1854. Overtime this route became the “funnel”through which nearly all New York-bound traffic from New England passed.

The last link in the route betweenNew Haven and Boston, the sectionbetween New London and Stonington,was completed in 1858. Initially char-tered in 1853 as the New London &

Stonington Railroad, this short 13-milestretch made it possible, with the

exception of ferry rides across theConnecticut and Thames rivers at OldSaybrook and New London, to travelby rail from New York to Boston.Problems in financing the road, however,forced the New London & Stoningtoninto bankruptcy within four years. In1857, the line was absorbed by theNew Haven & New London and thatcompany was reorganized under thename New Haven, New London &

Stonington. In 1864, the New Haven,New London & Stonington, unable tomeet its interest payments, went intoreceivership. The eastern portion of theline between Groton and Stoningtonwas sold to the Stonington Railroadand subsequently became known as the“Groton Extension.” The western sec-tion was reorganized as the Shore LineRailway. With its debt restructured, theShore Line began to prosper. In 1870, itfinanced a rail drawbridge over theConnecticut River. That same year, theline was leased to the New York &

New Haven.

1852

Boston & ProvidenceNY, Providence & BostonShoreline (New Haven & New London)NY & New Haven

MASSACHUSETTS

CONNECTICUT RHODEISLAND

Massachusetts Bay

Atlantic Ocean

LONG ISLAND

Canton

Boston

NEWYORK

Sharon

Attleboro

Providence

Kingston

WesterlyStonington

Mystic

New London

Saybrook

Guilford

New Haven

New York

Cape CodBay

bottom: Map of the fouroriginal railroads that later formed the NewYork, New Haven, Hartford main line.

1852 New London and Stonington (NL&S) line chartered to connect with New York, Providence, and Boston line (service is completed from Boston to New York).

1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act. 1857 New London and Stonington line merges into the New Hampshire and New London line under the name New Haven, New London & Stonington.

1861 Civil War Begins. 1862 Homestead Act enacted. 1863 Emancipation Proclamation issued. 1865 Abraham Lincoln Assassinated. 1865 Civil War Ends.

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The New Haven’s success led a group

of wealthy New York investors to seek

control of the organization’s board.

Headed by J. Pierpont Morgan, the

group set about creating a complete

monopoly on transportation in New

England. Throughout the late nine-

teenth century, the New Haven had

acquired several trolley companies and

had undertaken several trolley line

experiments of its own. Now, under

this new leadership, the focus shifted

to the acquisition of all lines and

means of transportation within the

“Consolidated’s” territory. Morgan’s

ambitions led to the buyouts of

numerous steamboat lines, trolley

companies, and railroad lines regardless

of price. In 1903, Charles S. Mellen

was installed as president of the railroad.

The New Haven Railroad’s reach under

Mellen extended far beyond its tracks.

Along with supplying rail service, the

railroad made a concerted effort to buy

up steamship lines within its territory

in an effort to gain full control over

the main routes of transportation. The

New Haven owned its own steamship

service and, when competition from

automobiles arose in the early twentieth

century, organized the New England

Transportation Company, which was at

one time one of the largest bus lines in

New England. Like some other railroad

companies, the New Haven supplemented

revenues from their transportation

services by buying or constructing utility

supply companies.

left: Charles Sanger Mellen:Installed by Morgan asPresident of the New Haven,Mellen had for a time alsobeen its Vice President.Under his leadership, theNew Haven implemented a disastrous campaign to gain control of all forms of transportation in NewEngland. Courtesy of TR

above: J.Pierpont Morgan:A Hartford native, thewealthy and influentialMorgan was once referredto as a “one-man FederalReserve.” Morgan, who had served on the Board ofDirector’s for the NewYork, Providence & BostonRailroad since 1887, cameto the New Haven after theformer railroad’s absorptionin 1892. Courtesy of TR

The history of railroads in Americabetween about 1870 and 1930 is charac-terized by expansion and consolidation.The trend began in earnest during theCivil War, when efficient interregionaltransportation became a priority fornational defense purposes. At the closeof the conflict vast markets in the westand south, where railroad capabilitieshad been seriously degraded during thewar, awaited the vision of railroadtycoons like J.P. Morgan. The completionof the Transcontinental Railroad in1872 sparked a furious period of rail-road construction and consolidation as

large railroad conglomerates sought tocapitalize on untapped markets andgain monopolistic control of lines withinregions already served by railroads.

Approximately 100 small, indepen-dent railroads were built in southernNew England between 1850 and 1860.By 1865, the number of railroad compa-nies had dwindled through merger andacquisition to about 30. By 1890, 11major systems controlled railroad trafficin the region. The New York and NewEngland Railroad,with 500 miles of track,was the largest running from Bostonthrough Hartford to the Hudson River.

1865 1865-1890 Total rail trackage in U.S. rises from 35,000 to 200,000 miles. 1867 Reconstruction Act. 1869 First transcontinental railroad completed. 1870s Process of

consolidation of rail lines begins. 1870 Almost every major city begins to develop a network of horse-drawn trolley lines, which later evolve into electric inter-urban railways.

RAI LROAD CON SOLI DAT ION – C REAT ION OF TH E

N EW YORK, N EW HAVE N & HARTFORD RAI LROAD

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above: As shown by thisnotice from 1851, rail lineshad begun purchasing and/or organizing their ownsteamship lines to providepassage over water. Here,the steamship Chicopeeprovided passage betweenStonington and NewLondon. Courtesy of RIHS,

neg.(x3)9124

below: The popularity ofexcursions into the countryor to waterfront amusementsbegan in earnest in the latenineteenth century. Here, a trolley operated by theNewport Street RailwayCompany, offered cheapand efficient transportationfor Newport excursionists.Courtesy of PPL

At first the only competition to the

railroad were stagecoaches, ships,

and canal boats. By 1870, however,

almost every large city in the region

had a network of horse-drawn trolley

lines, which supplied a cheap mode

of transportation for factory workers

and “Sunday excursionists.” A team of

horses could draw 10 or 12 passengers

in omnibuses over dirt or cobble stone

streets. These same horses could haul

up to 75 passengers on street rails.

By the late 1870s, an active search

was under way for a mechanical sub-

stitution due to the large amount

of money needed for boarding and

feeding the horses. Cable systems were

installed in many cities in the 1880s

and 1890s. During the early twentieth

century intercity electric railways

were popular for relatively short trips

to neighboring towns and resorts.

1872

Other prominent railroads included theNew York, New Haven & Hartford,the New York, Providence & Boston,the Providence & Worcester, the OldColony, and the Boston & Maine.

The consolidation process for theNortheast Corridor line from NewHaven to Boston began in 1864 withthe Stonington Road’s purchase of theGroton to Stonington portion of theformer New Haven, New London &

Stonington Railroad. In 1870, the NewYork & New Haven leased the ShoreLine Railway between New Haven andNew London and began coordinatingoperations with the Hartford & NewHaven Railroad, providing a link toBoston. Two years later those two linesmerged to form the New York, NewHaven & Hartford Railroad, commonlyknown as the New Haven.

In addition to the absorption ofsmaller lines through buyouts andmergers, the New Haven also leasedseveral lines in an attempt to dominatethe railroad market in southern NewEngland. The New Haven reached asfar north as Providence following thelease of the New York, Providence &

Boston in 1892. Its efforts to completeits route to Boston were hampered bythe Old Colony Railroad, which beganleasing the Boston & ProvidenceRailroad in 1888. The Old Colony alsohad its own line of steamers connectingwith New York. Finally, in 1893 the

New Haven was able to lease the line,creating direct service on a single rail-road from New York to Boston forthe first time. The acquisition of theBoston & Providence made the NewHaven, which then leased or owned644 miles of track, the largest railroadsystem in New England. The domi-nance of the railroad in the regionincreased after lawsuits broughtagainst the New York & New EnglandRailroad forced it into receivership in1895. During the ensuing sale of assetsthe New Haven bought up nearly all ofthe New York & New England’s stock.By the turn of the century, the NewHaven had a virtual monopoly over railtravel in Connecticut, southeasternMassachusetts, and Rhode Island, andmaintained the most popular route oftravel between New York and Boston.

By the end of the nineteenth centurythe rail lines of Massachusetts, RhodeIsland, and Connecticut formed one ofthe densest rail networks in America,crisscrossing southern New Englandand leaving few centers of populationunserved. Numerous intercity routes hadbeen established, making it easy to travelor ship goods almost anywhere in theregion. The consolidation of NewEngland’s railroads was largely complete,with three railroad systems—the NewHaven, the New York Central (Boston& Albany), and the Boston & Maine—controlling all of the major routes.

1872 New York and New Haven merge with the Hartford and New Haven line, forming the New York, New Haven, and Hartford railroad. 1876 Custer’s last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

1877 Great Railroad Strike. 1879 Edison invents electric light. 1885 Karl Benz builds the world’s first gasoline powered vehicle. 1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor.

1890 Battle of Wounded Knee. 1892-93 New York, Providence & Boston, and the Boston & Providence merge into the New Haven system linking the Boston-New York route under one railroad.

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The forty years between 1890 and 1930represented the golden era for train travelon the New Haven. Through its mergersand acquisitions the company positioneditself as a dominant force in transporta-tion in the northeast. During the late nine-teenth and early twentieth centuries, therailroad initiated an intensive programto upgrade facilities and improve safetyalong the line. In the 1890s, demand forservice was so high that the New Havenadded a third and then a fourth trackbetween New York and New Haven toaccommodate the increased passenger

and freight traffic. Numerous sectionsof track were rerouted to eliminatedangerous curves and grade crossings,and new switching mechanisms andautomatic block signals were installedto improve safety. Issues of passengercomfort and convenience were addressedby the improvement of station facilitiesand the upgrade of locomotives andcoaches. A massive electrification project,undertaken during the period whencolorful railroad mogul Charles S.Mellen served as president of the NewHaven, was completed between NewYork and New Haven in 1914.

1890s 1890s J.P. Morgan gains control of New Haven, seeking to monopolize transportation market in New England. 1898 Spanish American War.

1900 All major rail lines in southern New England merged into one of three large systems: the New Haven, the New York Central (Boston & Albany), and the Boston & Maine Railroads.

1903 Wright brothers make first airplane flight. 1905 Hepburn Act enacted to tighten Federal controls over railroads.

LATE N I N ETE E NTH AN D EARLY TWENTI ETH C E NTURY PEAK

bottom right: Bird’s-EyeViewof Providence showing thecomprehensive transportationnetwork in place by the early twentieth century. By this period, transportationdevelopments had made itpossible for even the remotestof villages within the stateto be easily accessible.Courtesy of PPL

By the late nineteenth century, railroads

had influenced a significant change in

the American landscape—the evolution

of suburban zones around the periphery

of cities. The dense railroad and streetcar

networks allowed people who formerly

lived and worked in the cities to estab-

lish residences in more attractive areas

within cheap, practical commute of the

cities. In this period sections of the

New Haven’s main line became some

of the nation’s busiest commuter lines.

In addition to its intercity express service,

the New Haven offered numerous daily

morning and evening commuter trains

to the suburbs. Suburbanization trans-

formed the character of communities

surrounding the major cities on the line.

Early housing subdivisions grew up

within easy walking distance of the

railroad, which built pleasing, com-

fortable new stations to complement

increasingly busy town centers.

below: Photograph of a NewHaven car prior to the adventof the new streamlinedimage. Courtesy of BPL

right: Timetable showingstops included on the NewHaven’s Shoreline route in 1901. As shown by thetable, the New Haven provided commuters withthe convenience of a numberof morning and eveningdeparture and arrival times.Courtesy of RIHS, neg. (x3)9126

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In the late 1910s, the New Havenendured a brief, but unsettling periodduring which its stranglehold on thetransportation market in the northeastwas challenged. The aggressive improve-ment and expansion programs institutedin the previous two decades had beencostly, and competition from other linesand an increased reliance on automo-biles for daily travel began to seriouslyimpact profits. In addition, several anti-trust lawsuits, which threatened to break

up the system, were leveled at the com-pany. The solvency of the New Havenwas in serious question in 1918 whenthe federal government seized controlof all major railroads in the country tosupport the war effort during WorldWar 1. Recovery after the return of therailroad to private ownership in 1920was slowed by the national economicdepression of 1921 and by strikes ofcoal miners and railway shopmen inthe following year.

right: Baggage beingloaded onto the famousFederal, which ran from Providence toWashington, D.C.Courtesyof BPL

below: Debuted in 1935, the New Haven’s 110-mile-per-hour Cometstream-liner, built bythe Goodyear ZeppelinCorporation, was dedicatedto Boston-Providence service. Courtesy of BPL

Despite the improvements to the line,

the company experienced numerous

setbacks during the first quarter of

the century. As a result of the heavy

spending under Morgan and Mellen’s

control, the New Haven was reported

as being on the “brink of financial

disaster” in a report from 1907.

Investigations led by Boston attorney

and later Supreme Court Justice,

Louis D. Brandeis, shed light on the

sometimes nefarious tactics of

Morgan and Mellen in their attempts

to control all forms of transportation in

New England. One such attempt began

when a Canadian firm, the Grand

Trunk Railroad, began constructing

the “Southern New England Railroad,”

which would have provided heavy

competition to the New Haven.

Planned as a rail line from the Boston

& Albany at Palmer, MA to Providence,

the line was eagerly anticipated by

Providence businesses, who could

benefit from competitive rates.

Construction of the railroad was

well underway when the company’s

president, Charles Melville Hays, died

while on the Titanic. Hays was suc-

ceeded by a childhood friend of Mellen,

and soon the project was abandoned

under suspicious circumstances.

These events so enraged Brandeis,

among others, that several lawsuits

were brought against the company in

an effort to halt their attempts at a

monopoly. Mellen was later indicted

for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

above: 1901 map showingvast transportation networkcreated by New York, NewHaven & Hartford Railroad.Note steamer routes stilloperated in conjunction with rail lines at this time.Courtesy of RIHS, neg. (x3)9128

1906 1906 Henry Ford implements high-volume automobile manufacture. 1910s New Haven experiences financial trouble due to overspending and threats from anti-trust lawsuits.

1914 Electrification of New Haven line between New York and New Haven. 1914 Panama Canal opened. 1917 U.S. enters World War I.

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above: A ticket envelopefrom the early twentiethcentury touts the NewHaven’s new streamlinedpassenger trains with allthe“modern” conveniences,including air conditioning,dining cars, and a new look.Courtesy of UCONNASC,

Advertising Materials file

above: Interior view of pas-senger car offering all theluxuries of home.Train travelwas viewed by many as civilized and stylish. NotedAmerican industrial designerswere involved in the creationof a cohesive “modern” lookto both the interior andexteriors of the trains. Notethe carpeting, seat covers,and curtains as well as thesleek and “streamlined”chairs. Courtesy of BPL

1918 1918 Government wartime takeover of all rail lines, New Haven Railroad is used to ship men and freight throughout the Northeast.

1919 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified, Prohibition takes effect. 1927 Charles Lindbergh makes first trans Atlantic flight in the Spirit of St.Louis.

Fortunately for the New Haven, the1921 depression was followed by aperiod of general economic prosperitythat enabled the railroad to regain muchof its former glory. Programs were insti-tuted by the company to upgrade andmodernize services to meet the changingdemands of its passengers and shippers.This effort to streamline operations andreduce losses resulted in overall improve-ments to both services and equipmenton the lines. Once again, a significantattempt was made to cater to passengercomfort. During the decade, outdatedcoaches were replaced by more than400 new, lightweight air conditionedcars. Schedules were sped up and higherstandards were set for service. By 1929,the company reached the peak of itsoperational reach, controlling 2,131 milesof track in New York, Connecticut,Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Like nearly every other facet of thenational economy, the railroad industryin the United States was hit hard by theGreat Depression. Dozens of railroadswere forced into bankruptcy and hadto either reorganize or suspend opera-tions. On October 23, 1935, the NewHaven petitioned the Federal Court forreorganization under Section 77 of thebankruptcy laws. Efforts were thenmade to eliminate lines and services thatwere no longer profitable. As part ofthis reorganization, the rail network wasjudiciously pruned and the company’ssteamship lines were abandoned.

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Throughout the first few decades of

the twentieth century, the New

Haven updated and replaced most of

its locomotives and passenger cars in

an effort to increase ridership. Steam

heat and electric lights replaced stoves

and oil and gas lamps on trains,

thereby decreasing the chance of fires.

Most of the older wooden coaches

were replaced with modern steel

rolling stock. The New Haven operated

many famous New England “name

trains” on its main line, including

the Merchant’s Limited, Yankee

Clipper, and the Federal. This period

marks the advent of the “Luxury

Liners.” These streamlined trains were

of more light-weight construction

than conventional passenger trains,

and offered many amenities not

found on earlier cars, including air

conditioning. Custom-built trainsets,

such as the New Haven’s Comet,

were hailed throughout the nation as

the quickest, most efficient, and

modern of machines. Inaugural-run

celebrations were held for these

trains, which were put on view for

the general public. These trains were

not only fast, they looked the part

as well. New color schemes and logos

sprang up on the cars, following the

modern and futuristic look of the day.

1929 1929 Great Depression begins. 1929 Many railroads declare bankruptcy, steamship lines abandoned. 1929 Greyhound becomes largest busline in America.

1930-80 Number of railway miles cut in half. 1933 Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal recovery program begins. 1941 U.S. enters World War 11.

right: Railroads still cap-tured the heart and imagi-nation of the Americanpublic and were often usedfor political campaign“whistlestops.” Here theNew Haven’s Yankee Clipperis used for a promotionalevent. Courtesy of BPL

below: New Haven Railroadpromotional image of modernstreamlined passenger caroperated by the railroad inthe 1930s. Courtesy of BPL

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After the Great Depression, the reorga-nization of the New Haven allowed it to continue its railroad operations,but the company’s position within theregional transportation market hadbeen seriously eroded. The New Haven’sprospects brightened during World War11 when it played an important role inmoving troops and freight throughout

the northeast region. Civilian ridershipalso increased as the rationing of gaso-line, oil, and rubber, along with the federal takeover of automobile factoriesfor war material production, made travelby car a luxury. Like saving scrap metalfor recycling, the use of mass transitsystems was considered a patriotic wayto support the war effort.

below left: A matchbookadvertisement reinforces thenew image and presents the dual services offered bythe New Haven Railroad.Courtesy of Victor Russo

private collection

1941 1941-45 New Haven experiences brief resurgence of prosperity during World War 11. 1946 Post-World War 11 prosperity leads to suburban boom. 1946 Cold War begins.

1950s Air transport becomes foremost transporter of mail and passengers over long distances.

POST-WORLD WAR I I DECLI N E

Another reorganization of the com-

pany was completed on September

18, 1947 with the installation of

Frederic C. Dumaine Sr. as head of

the line. He, along with others, began

a campaign of reduction of non-vital

lines and increased commuter services.

Following several attempts to gain

command, Patrick B.McGinnis assumed

control in 1948. He was responsible

for several improvement campaigns

as well as the line’s new image of the

interlocking “N” and “H” letters.

below: New Haven FL-9diesel locomotive pulls apassenger train on the NewHaven main line. In the late 1950s the New Havenordered 60 new FL-9 diesellocomotives from GeneralMotors. The New Haven’sFL-9s were the last classicstreamlined diesel locomo-tives manufactured in theUnited States; later diesellocomotives adopted amore boxy look. Courtesy

of UCONNASC, Charley Gunn

Collection

right: As part of its newimage after the reorganizationof the line in 1947, the NewHaven changed its corporatelogo to a block capital “N” and “H” in red-orange,black, and white. The newlogo was designed byrenowned graphic designerHerbert Matter. PatrickMcGinnis’ wife is said tohave developed the paintscheme for the trains.Courtesy of BPL

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above left: The AmericanLocomotive Company(“Alco”) DL-109, deliveredbeginning in 1941, was the first heavy-duty, diesel-engine “road” locomotive to run on the New Haven.DL-109s were equally capable of pulling 90-mile-per-hour passenger expresstrains by day, and dragging,slow, heavy freight trains bynight. Diesel-powered loco-motives were three times asfuel efficient as steam loco-motives, far cleaner, andmuch easier to maintain.

above center: The BaldwinLocomotive Company I-5was the last of the steamengines built for the NewHaven. The bullet-nosed I-5swere delivered in the late1930s, and held down thecrack“name train” passengerexpress schedules betweenNew Haven and Boston.Featured heavily in companyadvertising, they came tosymbolize the New Haven’sfast express train serviceduring the 1930s and 1940s.

above right: The GeneralElectric Company EP-4 wasalso built specifically for the New Haven. The 3,600horsepower EP-4s werededicated to high-speed pas-senger service in electrifiedterritory between New Havenand New York. Their 8,460horsepower EF-3 sistershandled freight traffic in theelectrified zone. Electrificationwas employed in denselypopulated urban areas toalleviate problems associatedwith dirt and smoke fromcoal-fired steam locomotives.Courtesy of UCONNASC,

Charley Gunn Collection

Any hopes that the New Haven andother railroad companies in similar sit-uations gained during the war for areturn to their early-twentieth-centurydominance, were dashed in the post-warera by rapidly shifting societal trends.The flight of families from urban centersto the suburbs—which railroads firstmade possible in the late nineteenthcentury—accelerated, but this time theautomobile became the primary modeof transportation for commuters. Theconstruction of the interstate highwaysystem in the 1950s and 1960s greatlyfacilitated intercity and long-distancetravel by automobile. For the New Haven,the construction of the ConnecticutTurnpike, which paralleled the line,resulted in decreased passenger countsdespite the post-war suburban boom inthe northeast.

The proliferation of interstate andstate highways in the post-war era gaverise to an explosion in the long-haultrucking industry. At the same time,New England’s industrial-based economyentered a period of precipitous decline,as a large percentage of the region’s

manufacturing companies, some withroots dating back to the earliest yearsof the Industrial Revolution, left insearch of cheaper labor, lower taxes,and more favorable business incentives.Competition from trucking and a declinein demand for raw materials for industryseriously cut into the New Haven’sfreight shipping.

In an effort to adjust to the new cli-mate of the post-war era, the NewHaven underwent another major reor-ganization in 1947. The focus of thereorganization centered on furtherreducing the number of non-vital linesand increasing commuter services. Thecompany maintained its dominantniche in providing regional railroadservice for the next two decades beforeagain filing for bankruptcy in 1961.The railroad was subsequently operatedunder court supervision until it wasincorporated into the Penn CentralRailroad system in 1969. This unionput under single control the entiremainline route of what became knownas the Northeast Corridor betweenWashington, D.C. and Boston.

1951 1951 Korean War begins. 1956 Passage of the Federal Highway Act leads to construction of a national interstate highway system. 1959 Hawaii becomes 50th U.S. State.

1961 New Haven Railroad forced into bankruptcy. 1963 President John F. Kennedy assassinated. 1964 Civil Rights Act enacted.

1969 New Haven Railroad incorporated into Penn Central Railroad. 1969 Astronaut Neil Armstrong first man to step on the moon.

right: This mid-1940s pub-licity portrait of the NewHaven Railroad’s threemajor types of streamline-era locomotives—diesel,steam, and electric—capturesthe pride and spirit of theNew Haven during its lastperiod of prosperity in theyears around World War II.

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Even with the merger of the New Haveninto the Penn Central, and the potentialfor additional markets that the linecould tap, the prospects for its survivalwere bleak. The drastic cutbacks in ser-vice that railroads were forced toimplement to stay solvent in the post-World War 11 era led to numerous com-plaints to Congress by the 1960s. Thegeneral dissatisfaction resulted in stillfewer people riding the rails. Due to acombination of unprofitable passengeroperations, poor management, and over-whelming freight traffic confusion gener-ated by the biggest merger in Americancorporate history, the Penn Centraldeclared bankruptcy soon after itsforced absorption of the New Haven.

The collapse of regional freight serviceand the threat to passenger service onwhat was still one of the busiest commuterlines in the country precipitated whatbecame known as the “Northeast RailCrisis.” In 1970 Congress finally addressedthe problem by passing the Rail PassengerService Act (RPSA),which created the theNational Railroad Passenger Corporation(NRPC), or “Amtrak,” as it more com-monly known. Amtrak, a quasi-publicagency, was charged with the responsi-bility for keeping intercity passenger railservice in the Northeast and Midwestrunning. In 1971 the Penn Central linebetween Washington, D.C. and Bostonwas designated Amtrak’s “NortheastCorridor” route.

1970 Rail Passenger Service Act, government sponsored passenger service created called Railpax later named Amtrak. 1971 Penn Central Railroad mainline between

Washington, D.C. and Boston incorporated into Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. 1973 Last American troops leave Vietnam. 1973 Regional Rail Reorganization Act.

1976 U.S. bicentennial. 1981 U.S. hostages released by Iran. 1984 Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh, the first viable personal computer. 1991 Persian Gulf War.

AMTRAK

1970

below left: Amtrak dieseltraveling the NortheastCorridor along theConnecticut shoreline.Courtesy Amtrak.

below center: A newAmtrak Diesel. Courtesy

Amtrak.

below right: The AcelaExpress high-speed train.Courtesy Amtrak.

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The surviving historic passenger stations of the New Haven to Boston section of

the Northeast Corridor are the most prominent and architecturally interesting of

the structures found along the line. They range from small-town, wood-frame

depots with Victorian period designs to the large, ornate union stations found in

the cities of New Haven, Providence, and Boston. Their designs are representative

of a period during which railroads throughout the country began to view

stations as a projection of their corporate image. Because stations were the first

point of contact for railroad customers, they were important in establishing the

tone for the travel experience. For similar reasons, the communities in which the

stations were located viewed the size and design of the railroad station as a mea-

sure of importance, and local officials often spent long periods negotiating with

the railroad for larger and more architecturally pleasing buildings.

STATION S

Acela high-speed electric rail service implemented on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.2000

From its inception, Amtrak was inad-equately funded and subject to thewhims of Congress. It was forced to pooltogether existing passenger equipmentfrom participating railroads and dropabout half of the passenger trains thatwere being run before it took over. Someof those services were later restored,although Amtrak operates a muchsmaller system of passenger trainsthan was operated by the railroadsbefore 1971. In recent years, Amtrakhas implemented a program aimed atimproving service and modernizing its

stations and equipment in an effort toreintroduce Americans to rail travel.Today, Amtrak serves 45 states andoperates over 22,000 route miles. Itsbusiest route remains the NortheastCorridor, which comprises most of the730 miles of track owned by the cor-poration. Other routes are run on hostfreight railroad lines. In 1999 Amtrakoperated as many as 265 trains per day,of which 117 were run on the North-east Corridor and its feeder lines, andserved more than 21 million passengers.

left: Acela Express,Regional, and Commuterservice routes. Featuring afleet of ultramodern, high-speed electric trains, Acelapromises to reinvigoratepassenger train travel onthe Northeast Corridor bysignificantly cutting traveltime between New York and Boston and providing a high level of passengerservice and amenities.Courtesy Amtrak.

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left: As this 1870s view of the Canton Junction,Massachusetts Stationshows, the depot was apopular place for people tocongregate. The clickingtelegraph and passing trav-elers brought news fromthe outside world. Mail andpackages handled by therailway postal service wereexchanged there.Smallfreight items were handled,and traveling salesmenhawked their wares. As therailroad became a newelement of the landscape,it changed the organizationof small-town life.The station became the focusof social activity, and invari-ably became the nucleus ofcommercial developmentthat often eclipsed the“old” center of the townsthe railroad passedthrough. Courtesy CHS

right: Constructed in 1875,Kingston Station in SouthKingstown, Rhode Islandis the only station built bythe New York, Providence& Boston Railroad that isstill in use. Its constructionfostered the development ofthe village of West Kingston,and influenced the locationof the University of RhodeIsland. In 1876 theNarragansett Pier Railroadwas built from the stationsouth to serve mills in PeaceDale and seaside resorts atNarragansett. The stationwas originally surroundedby a complex including aroundhouse, freight houseand yard, and turntable.Only the Interlocking Tower,now moved back from thetracks east of the station,survives today. Courtesy

UCONNASC, James Klarr

Collection, Box 2

Early in the history of the railroad itbecame evident that buildings positionedat strategic and populated locationswere needed to shelter agents, passengers,and freight, hence the development ofthe railroad station, or “depot,” as it wasoften called in small towns. Initially,there was little precedent to rely on for thedesign of such buildings. As a functionaldesign problem, the railroad stationpresented highly specific needs. It wasmore than simply a waiting place forthe convenience of passengers. It hadto have rooms for handling and stor-ing mail, baggage, and freight, and itrequired a centrally-located ticket andtelegraph office that afforded clear viewsof the interior spaces as well as thetracks in both directions. The earliestsolutions were simple, long, narrowbuildings resembling small barns, withtheir long axis parallel to the railroad

tracks. These buildings were usuallyfunctional structures designed by rail-road construction departments, whichgave little thought to aesthetics. By themid-nineteenth century the railroadstation had evolved into an identifiablebuilding type. Externally, these buildingstypically echoed the revival andVictorian styles of their time. Many hadGothic- and Stick-style features, includingvertical board-and-batten siding andprominent roof brackets. Visibilityrequirements resulted in the commonfeature of a protruding bay on thetrack side of most small stations. Theticket office usually included levers tocontrol an “order board,” a prominentmanual rooftop signal that informedapproaching trains to stop for instruc-tions. Wide doors on one end of thebuilding indicated the location of thebaggage room.

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above: Old Saybrookbecame a railroad junctionwhen the ConnecticutValley Railroad, whichserved the area betweenHartford and Long IslandSound, was completed in1872. The line reached itsjunction with the NewHaven at Old Saybrook in1871 and was extendedsouth over a series ofcauseways to SaybrookPoint and ultimately to the borough of Fenwick,an exclusive shorelineresort area. The currentOld Saybrook Station was built about 1900 with an unusual bent plan toaccommodate passengerson both the main andFenwick lines. The angledportion of the station thatserved the Fenwick line,which was abandoned in 1922, is visible at the left in this historic view.Courtesy UCONNASC, Leroy

Roberts Collection, Box 6

far left: The Old SaybrookStation was built accordingto standard New Havenwood-frame station designsfirst used in the New Haven-New York section of theline. The 1936 freighthouse, visible at the right,was attached to the station rather than made aphysically separate building.Robert Brewster, WJ P

top right: The Mystic,Connecticut Station, built in1905, generally follows theNew Haven’s turn-of-the-century standard passengerstation plan, however,details including paneleddoors with transoms, elab-orate window glazing, andlarge Palladian windowsgive it a distinctive appear-ance of its own. PAL

bottom right: The interior ofthe Old Saybrook Station,remodeled in 1936, includesa ticket office, visible at the right, at the apex of the angled waiting room.Robert Brewster, WJ P

These buildings vary widely in conditionand use. The stations at Old Saybrookand Mystic, Connecticut (1905), andKingston, Rhode Island (1875), arestill in use as Amtrak passenger stations.The Noank, Connecticut (circa 1880),and East Greenwich, Rhode Island(1870), stations are in good condition,but no longer used by the railroad.Others, due to their age or location,were replaced or discontinued by theNew Haven. Examples of these stationsthat were sold to private owners andaltered and/or moved for adaptivereuse include stations in Clinton andWestbrook, Connecticut (circa 1890),and Warwick, Rhode Island (1882).

Toward the end of the nineteenth centurymany railroads began to standardizetheir passenger station designs in thehopes that a consistent appearancewould promote a sense of confidence inthe railroad as a cohesive“system.” TheOld Saybrook, Connecticut station(circa 1900) is an example of a NewHaven standardized wood-frame stationdesign. It was built according to a designused by the railroad in the segmentbetween New Haven and New Yorkafter the 1890s.

There are several surviving examplesof small, late-nineteenth-century, wood-frame depots on the New Haven toBoston section of the Northeast Corridor.

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top left: Sharon Station wasconstructed in 1936 to handleincreasing commuter demandsin Sharon and surroundingtowns that essentiallybecame suburbs of Bostonduring the early twentiethcentury. Courtesy SPL

center: The twin Attleboro,Massachusetts, stations arecomponents of a massivedowntown Attleboro gradecrossing elimination projectthat began in 1905. Theone-story northbound stationwas built as a simple passen-ger station in 1906. In 1908,increasing volume of freightassociated with Attleboro’sburgeoning jewelry industryprompted the New Havento build a larger, two-storystation for southboundtraffic. The southbound station included baggage,express, telegraph facilities,and a freight elevator. Bothbuildings were designed byNew Haven Railroad staff,and are Romanesque in style,with red terra cotta tileroofs and long platformcanopies. Courtesy VGMJ

top right: This modern viewinto the womens’ lounge atCanton Junction Stationshows the elaborate wood-work and excellent state ofpreservation of this station.Robert Brewster, WJP

bottom left: This plan-viewdrawing of the CantonJunction Station shows theadditional amenities pro-vided for passengers in suburban commuter stations,including separate smokingand womens’ private rooms.The ticket and telegraphoffice provides views of thewaiting rooms and platformarea. Courtesy HCJ, Drawing

Collection of A.Lawrence

above: The Canton JunctionStation, shown here in1928, was built in 1893 atthe junction of the NewHaven to Boston main lineand the Stoughton BranchRailroad. After the Civil War,Canton Junction becamethe busiest freight stationbetween Boston andProvidence due to the con-centration of industries,such as the Revere CopperCompany, in the surround-ing area. The station’sdesigner was Bradford LeeGilbert (1853–1911), aprominent New York Cityarchitect best known for hisremodeling of old GrandCentral Station in New YorkCity. Gilbert also designedseveral other stations on theNew Haven system, includingthe Old Colony Railroad sta-tions at North Abington andBridgewater, Massachusetts.This station shows strongRichardsonian Romanesquestylistic influences, notablythe use of rough-facedgranite and brownstone trim.Courtesy HCJ, J.R. Snopek

Photo Collection

Some small communities had enoughfreight traffic to require a separate freighthouse to handle goods. Freight houseswere sometimes incorporated into thestation building itself, such as at OldSaybrook, Connecticut. More commonly,however, they were separate buildingslocated adjacent to the passenger station.Most resembled country passengerstations in their size, materials, andfeatures. Freight houses usually contained

one large room and often had largedoors and raised platforms to facilitatemovement of freight. They were designedto handle less-than-carload, or “LCL”freight. This included large parcels,hardware, perishables, milk, newspapers,and all manner of household items thatcould be purchased from mail order cat-alogs. Examples include freight housesin Guilford and West Mystic, Connecticut,both dating from about 1880.

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Between the 1880s and 1930s the NewHaven replaced a number of passengerstations in response to changing demo-graphic and social factors, including thegrowth of commuter suburbs, urbanareas, and seaside resort communities.In most cases, the new stations repre-sented a substantial upgrade over theprevious facility. Intended to be symbolsof permanence and confidence, thesestations were more substantial in sizeand were typically built of stone or brick.The larger stations offered increasedamenities including dining facilities,shoeshine parlors, and newsstands.Separate waiting rooms and loungesfor men and women were common.The station grounds were landscapedwith curved driveways and naturalistic

planting schemes to help blend theminto their surroundings.

The development in the late nine-teenth century of “railroad suburbs” incommunities within an hour’s train rideof major cities gave rise to stationsdesigned primarily for commuter traffic.This was especially evident in the greaterBoston area where numerous business-men chose to leave the increasinglycrowded and dirty city and move theirfamilies to new residential neighbor-hoods in outlying towns. The stations atPawtucket—Central Falls, Rhode Island(1916), Canton Junction, Massachusetts(1885), and Sharon, Massachusetts(1936) are examples of stations thatwere constructed in response to the highcommuter volumes in the Boston area.

above: New London UnionStation was completed in1887 by the New London& Northern Railroad, whichsubsequently became partof the New Haven system.It was designed by HenryHobson Richardson (1838–1886), one of the mostinfluential architects in thehistory of the United States.The “Richardsonian” style, based on a mixture of French and SpanishRomanesque precedentsand the innovative use ofnative building materials, isconsidered the first uniquelyAmerican architecturalstyle. New London Stationis typical of Richardson’swork in its massive propor-tions, prominent hippedroof, broad Romanesquearches, and spare geometriclines. This historic postcardview shows the originalNew London Union Stationpassenger canopy, nolonger extant. Courtesy

UCONNASC, Leroy Roberts

Collection, Box 6

left center: This detail view of the New London Union Station shows H.H.Richardson’s use of decora-tive brickwork and boldgeometric forms. BroadRomanesque arches like thiswere repeated in many ofthe architect’s designs.Courtesy UCONNASC, James

Klar Collection, Box 1

right center: The interior ofthe Pawtucket-Central FallsStation was dominated bythe expansive, open waitingroom. Materials includedslate floor tile, Caen stonewalls, and marble staircases.Decorations includedpainted scenes of railroadmotifs and skylights bearingthe official seals of the twocities and the state. The station included a restaurant,barber shop, men’s andwomen’s lounges, telephoneand telegraph, and a news-paper booth. Courtesy SHRL

right: The Pawtucket-Central Falls RailroadStation was completed in1916, during a period whenthese two Rhode Islandcities were at their peak oftheir industrial and popula-tion growth. The station,which straddles the trackson the Pawtucket-CentralFalls line, was part of agrade crossing eliminationproject. The Beaux Arts-style building was designedby New Haven Railroadarchitect F.W. Mellor andcost $250,000 to construct.After it opened, the stationwas hailed as the finest railroad facility on the linebetween Boston and NewYork. It handled some 140trains a day and seventythousand departures amonth. Courtesy SHRL

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center: When WesterlyStation was completed in1913, the local newspaperreported that the “towncan now boast of havingthe finest layout for thehandling of freight and pas-senger traffic of any placeon the Shore Line divisionof the New York, NewHaven and Hartford roadbetween New York andBoston.” This original planview drawing of the stationclearly shows the efficientdesign, with baggage andfreight handling rooms separated at the east andwest ends of the building,and the central ticket office opening onto the large,open waiting room and providing a view of thetracks. Courtesy Amtrak

right: The interior of theWesterly Station is relativelyunchanged and features itsoriginal ticket booth, visibleat the left in this view.Robert Brewster, WJP

left: Westerly (Rhode Island)Station was a product of intense negotiationsbetween local officials andthe New Haven Railroad.Negotiations with the rail-road for a new station toreplace its 1873 wood-framedepot began in 1899.Town officials lobbied for astation that would enhancethe town’s position as animportant southern NewEngland industrial centerand gateway to RhodeIsland’s seaside resorts. The station also had to fitharmoniously with a numberof other important civicbuildings that were beingconstructed as part of amajor local civic improve-ment campaign. Severaldesigns proposed by the railroad were rejected

because they did not measure up to the town’svision for the station. Theparties finally agreed to adesign that incorporatedelements of the Mission style,which was then gainingpopularity throughout theUnited States in part becauseit was applied to numeroustrain stations in Californiaand states in the Southwest.Elements of the Missionstyle present on the stationinclude a low-pitched hiproof with red terra cottatiles, stucco walls, and anelaborate, broken archparapet over the entrance.In 1999 Amtrak undertooka multi-million dollar restora-tion project to return thestation to its initial glory.Courtesy MLAW

The term “union station” was appliedto stations that serviced more than onemajor railroad. These large buildingswere the ultimate evolutionary step inthe development of highly efficient rail-road terminals. As the most visible andimpressive symbols of the railroad, noexpense was spared to project thecorporate image through a powerfularchitectural statement. Commissionsfor their designs were usually given toarchitects of national or regional promi-nence. Almost like small, self-containedcities, union stations housed offices forthe railroad, restaurants, dry cleaners,cobbler shops, newsstands, and a hostof other services. The latest equipmentand technology were employed to

efficiently move hundreds of trains andthousands of people and their baggageevery day. Union stations on the NewHaven to Boston section of theNortheast Corridor are located in NewHaven, Providence, and Boston.

Ten of the 17 historic stations alongthe line remain in active service asAmtrak intercity and/or local commuterrail stops. The others are in communitiesno longer served by the railroad andhave been converted for commercial orother uses. Their preservation, oftenundertaken at great cost, is a testamentto the enduring romantic affinity thatAmericans still feel for railroading andthe landmark status that the buildingshave attained within their communities.

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left center: A 1940s view of the busy interior ofProvidence Union Station.Courtesy PPL

right center: New HavenUnion Station was completedin 1920 to replace a previousstation which burned in1918. The monumentalfour-story brick building isan example of the ItalianRenaissance style, featuringthe use of tall, three-storyarches that illuminate theopen passenger concoursewithin. It was designed byCass Gilbert (1858–1934),who came out of therenowned firm of McKim,Mead and White to estab-lish himself as one of thecountry’s foremost architectsfor major public buildings.Gilbert is best known forhis 66-story WoolworthBuilding, an importantearly New York City sky-scraper, and state capitol

building commissions inMinnesota, Arkansas, andWest Virginia. New HavenUnion Station was the central station and homeoffice for the New HavenRailroad. It provided an elegant gateway to the city and symbolized the New Haven Railroad’simportance to its namesakecity and to transportation in New England. PAL

right: The Providence UnionStation was built between1896 and 1898. The stationis comprised of an 870 ftlong, linear complex of five yellow brick buildingswith granite foundationsand brownstone trim. The central passenger stationbuilding includes a shortclock tower, a reflection of the importance of therailroad as the standardtimekeeper of the day. Theflanking buildings, housed

a restaurant, baggage andfreight areas, and offices.The centerpiece of thecomplex was the singleopen passenger concourseinside the central building.Pedestrian subways oncelinked the station concoursewith the outside tracks. A large, three acre, steeland glass train shed, nowdemolished, sheltered thetracks, which have beenrelocated to their presentlocation closer to theRhode Island State House.The building now containscommercial office space.TheProvidence Union Stationwas designed by Stone,Carpenter, and Willson, theleading architectural firmin Providence during thelate nineteenth and earlytwentieth centuries.Otherprominent buildingsdesigned by the firm inProvidence included the

left: Boston’s South Station,a five-story Neoclassical-stylebuilding with pink granitewalls, was built between1897 and 1899. The stationproject began in 1896 withthe incorporation of theBoston Terminal Company,which was composed of aconsortium of host railroads,including the Boston &Albany and the New Haven.It was designed by thearchitectural firm of Shepley,Rutan, and Coolidge, theprincipals of which hadserved as H.H.Richardson’schief draftsmen. AfterRichardson died in 1886,the partners took over hisoffice and quickly estab-lished their own reputationas one of the leading archi-tectural firms in the UnitedStates. Their commissionsincluded office, public, andhospital buildings in majorcities, most notably Chicago,

as well as commissions forcolleges and universitiessuch as Harvard, Brown,Stanford, Vassar, and theUniversity of Chicago. SouthStation was the first, andnow the only remaining,monumental Neoclassical-style public building inBoston. It influenced thedesign of other large stations constructed in thecountry during the earlytwentieth century, includingNew York’s Pennsylvaniaand Grand Central stationsand Union Station inChicago. When it openedin 1899 the station wasthe largest and busiest rail-road passenger facility inthe United States. By 1916it was handling 16 millionmore passengers per yearthan Grand Central Station.Courtesy BPL

County Court House, PublicLibrary, Central PoliceStation and District Court,Rhode Island State Prison,and Y.M.C.A. Building.Providence Union Station issignificant as a major com-ponent of a comprehensivedesign scheme for centralProvidence that includedconstruction of gradecrossing elimination infra-structure, a new Federalbuilding and public squarein front of the station, and the choice of SmithHill for the site of theRhode Island State House.This view shows the network of Union Railroadstreetcar tracks that origi-nally served the station.Courtesy PPL

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When the original constituent railroadsthat made up the New Haven to Bostonsection of the Northeast Corridor wereconsolidated into the New Haven systemin the 1890s, the railroad inherited amultitude of redundant service facilities.In 1909, the New Haven system had42 roundhouses, 180 water stations, 74coaling stations, and 109 turntables.As locomotives became larger and moreefficient they required less frequentreplenishment, allowing the railroad toabandon some of those facilities infavor of larger, centralized complexesor “shops.”

Railroad equipment required frequent service and maintenance, forcing railroads

to develop facilities to keep their rolling stock supplied and operating safely.

Early steam locomotives needed to be inspected, lubricated, and replenished

with fuel and water after each run. Most junctions and important stations had

steam engine service facilities, including a coal tower and water tank. The

locomotives were pulled up next to these facilities, and the coal and water

compartments in the tender behind the locomotive were refilled. Sand, which

was sprayed on the driving wheels for traction in slippery conditions, was

added to the sand domes on the top of the locomotive’s boiler, and running

gear was inspected and lubricated. Many of these facilities included a

turntable for reversing the direction of locomotives. Passenger and freight cars

also required inspection, repairs, and lubrication of their wheel bearings. Some

locations included a small building for conducting light repairs.

RA I L ROA D MA IN TE N A N C E AN D S E RVI C E FAC I L IT I E S

above: In the 1890s theNew Haven consolidated its freight and passengercar facilities on the northend of the line at Readville,in the Hyde Park section of Boston. Billed as “thelargest and most practical”shop in New England, the70-acre Readville Car Shopsemployed 1,000 peopleand could service 180passenger and 1,000 freightcars per month after itopened in 1902. The shopswere notable for their efficiency, and employedearly use of electricity andinnovative materials han-dling equipment. This viewshows the largest of several surviving buildingsat Readville. PAL

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The need for effective warning or signaling systems became a paramount safety

concern as soon as railroads began to operate more than one train at a time on

the same track. Trains have no “steering wheels” and can only operate forward

or backward along their track. Unlike earlier transportation systems, trains

moved so fast that they could not stop within the distance that the driver

could see. As a result, the railroads were forced to develop systems to control

movement in situations where trains met from opposite directions, crossed

paths, or passed one another. In the early days of railroading, most lines had

a single track, trains were short, and trips quite frequent. Train movement was

regulated by timetables that gave specific times for trains to meet each other

at stations. Train crews and station agents were responsible for following the

timetables. Delayed trains slowed down the entire system, creating a dangerous

situation for other trains operating on schedule. Too frequently the result was

a catastrophic collision.

S IGNALS AN D SWITCHESThe World War 11-era introduction ofthe diesel locomotive dramaticallyaltered railroad service and maintenancepatterns. Diesel locomotives required farless frequent service and repair comparedto their steam predecessors, and theneed for coaling and watering facilitiesdisappeared. Most of the small servicefacilities at junctions and stations wereclosed, as were many minor maintenancelocations. A few were converted to dieselfueling facilities.

left: An extremely rareexample of a nineteenth-century steam locomotiveservice facility survives atGuilford, Connecticut. This 1920s view shows the circa 1875 brick Water Tank and LocomotiveRepair Building. Courtesy

UCONNASC, Leroy Roberts

Collection, Box 4

right: This massive rein-forced concrete steam locomotive coaling towerstands west of the NortheastCorridor at the throat of the New Haven’s Cedar Hill Shops in North Haven,Connecticut. PAL

PAL Final 5/26/04 11:21 Page 54

above: Interlockings couldbe as simple as a junctionbetween two lines, or ascomplex as the trackage at the “throat” of a majorterminal, such as at Boston’sSouth Station shown here.Courtesy BPL

below: Saybrook Tower,Old Saybrook,Connecticut,as it appeared in the 1940s.Courtesy JSW

right: Manual interlockinglevers, some of which controlled switches hundredsof feet from the tower, werenicknamed “armstrong”levers, as they requiredgreat strength (and knowl-edge of their idiosyncrasies)to operate, particularly in extremely hot or coldweather. Courtesy BPL

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new technology led to the developmentof the manual block system, where“blocks,” sections of track betweenjunctions and other busy points, weregoverned by a human operator whocontrolled the switches and signals thatgave trains permission to proceed.Manual block systems became popularon heavily-traveled eastern roads,including the New Haven, and by theturn of the century, manual block signalsystems, with their mysterious coloredlights and moving semaphore indicators,were installed all along the line.

Manual block signaling resulted in anew architectural form–the interlockingtower. The word “interlocking” was alsoa new part of the railroad vocabulary.It referred to the complex arrangementof tracks, switches, and signals foundat railroad junctions, and to the machinein the tower that controlled them.Interlocking towers were typicallysmall, two-story buildings placed closeto the tracks. Second-story windows andan overhanging roof gave the toweroperator a clear, glare-free view of thetracks. The first floor of the towercontained the interlocking machine, anintricate assembly of sliding bars and

The first major advance toward solvingthis problem was the electrical tele-graph, developed by American artistand inventor Samuel F. B. Morse, forwhom morse code is named. In 1844,the first telegraph wire system in the United States was strung along theright-of-way of the Baltimore andOhio Railroad between Baltimore and Washington. Telegraph operatorscommunicated by tapping a series ofdots and dashes corresponding to theletters of the alphabet that was sentover the wires to a telegraph sounder atanother station. This system enabledstation agents to confirm train arrivalsand departures, permitting locomotiveengineers to safely proceed betweenstations. The B & O Railroad quicklydeveloped the train order, a telegraphmessage changing the posted timetablemeeting point between two trains tofacilitate more efficient train movement.This system caught on, and by 1860American railroad communication waslinked by 23,000 miles of telegraph lines.

The combination of timetable, tele-graph, and train order led to the cre-ation of standardized rules governingtrain movement. This increased safety,but was still time-consuming, as itrequired direct human communicationand limited train speeds. By the 1880srailroads began to develop systems ofmechanical and electrical signal systemsto increase safety and efficiency. This

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to the Thames River Bridgeand the junction between theNortheast Corridor and theProvidence & WorcesterRailroad’s New London—Worcester, Massachusettsfreight line. PAL

levers. This machine was connected tomechanical rods that fanned out fromthe tower to move switches and sig-nals in the immediate vicinity. A bankof mechanical levers rose from themachine and dominated the floorspace in the second story of the tower.The tower operator could manuallyset the switches and signals by movingthe levers. The mechanisms in theinterlocking machine below preventedthe operator from directing trains ontocollision courses, and gave them correctsignals. By the 1920s, some componentsof mechanical interlocking equipmentwere replaced by electrical relays. Theseearly electro-mechanical devices can beconsidered early forms of computers.Tower operators were responsible forcontrolling the interlocking, and keep-ing meticulous records of train activityin the area under their control.

New Haven interlocking towers werebuilt in several types. The earliest towers,built about 1900, were wood-framed,with hip roofs, clapboard siding, andwood trim. A surviving example of awood tower is located in Attleboro,Massachusetts. By World War 1, NewHaven Railroad architect F.W. Mellorintroduced a more distinctive designinfluenced by the popular MediterraneanRevival style. The interlocking towersfrom this period show this influence,particularly in their flared hip roofs withterra cotta tile surfaces. The Groton,Connecticut Tower, and the Boston SwitchTower at Central Falls, Rhode Island,both built about 1920, have brick wallsand concrete trim. More refined exam-ples of this style include the WesterlyTower, built in 1930, and Tower A at theNorthrup freight yard in Providence,Rhode Island, built in 1940.

far left: Westerly Tower,Westerly, Rhode Island. The concrete walls includecast decorative moldingsand milepost signs. PAL

left: The circa 1920 Groton,Connecticut, InterlockingTower controls the approach

left: Cover of 1885 Boston& Providence RailroadEmployee Timetable, notingchanges in train times andmeeting places. CourtesyRIHS, Neg. RHi (x3) 9130

above: The semaphore-typesignal blades visible abovethis steam locomotive arepart of an “order board,” an early type of manual signal attached to train stations that used a combi-nation of a colored light and positioned blade signals to warn locomotive engineers to stop and pick upwritten instructions. PAL

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Technological advances in the mid-twentieth century made many of theinterlocking towers on the line obsolete,and most are now no longer in use.Automatic block signals eliminated theneed for manned interlockings. Signalsystems now provide signals in thelocomotive cab, and the trains nowhave automatic emergency stoppingcapability. Computers, fiber-optic cable,and microwave radio systems havemade possible centralized traffic control,or “CTC,” which allows a central dis-patcher to change signals and throwswitches all along the line. Where trainmovement on the line was formerlygoverned by solitary operators sta-tioned at many lonely outposts, it isnow controlled by a handful of peoplein a central location.

above: The difficulty ofoperating interlocking leverswas increased significantlyduring periods of extremeheat or cold. Here a crew at South Station in Bostonuse heating devices to meltsnow and ice from theswitches. Courtesy BPL

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, railroads and the cities and

towns they served coexisted in mutually beneficial, although not always friendly,

relationships. As rail traffic increased in speed and volume, and cities became

more densely developed, serious safety and quality-of-life issues emerged. The

multitude of at-grade crossings in urban areas caused street traffic congestion

when trains passed, and grade crossing accidents increased. In many instances

the only way to insure safety was to eliminate the crossings by raising, lowering,

or relocating the track bed. Legal battles between municipalities and the rail-

roads over responsibility for preventive safety measures were common. These

costly improvements were major civil works projects for their day. More than

discrete, individual resources, such as bridges or stations, they are large-scale

evidence of how the railroad shaped our environment in ways that still impact

how we move around.

G RADE CROSS I NG E LI M I NATI ONS

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far left: A wide, gently-banked section of the New Haven Cut, lookingnortheast from GrandAvenue. PAL

left: The New Haven’sright-of-way cut a wideswath through urban areassuch as Providence, RhodeIsland, shown here about1940. Courtesy UCONNASC,

James Wall Collection, Box 2

above: The southernapproach to Boston wasplaced in a deep cutthrough the densely popu-lated neighborhoods ofJamaica Plain, Roxbury, andthe South End. This viewshows the cut in Roxbury,on the approach to Boston.The Oliver Ditson Brewerycan be seen in the back-ground. When Boston’sbeer brewing industry wasin its heyday, the Roxburyneighborhood hosted moreoperating breweries thanMilwaukee, Wisconsin. PAL

above right: Southboundtwo-story passenger station and Mill Street Bridge, two elements of a massive$1 million grade crossingelimination project con-structed between 1905and 1908 in Attleboro,Massachusetts. PAL

below: Original drawing of the Pawtucket—CentralFalls (Rhode Island)Passenger Station, showingthe boundary between thetwo communities splittingthe building. Flanked bystreet overpasses spanningthe new lowered track bed,the plan incorporated land-scaping to beautify the newstation. Courtesy RISCJRC

Several examples of such projects canbe seen on the section of the NortheastCorridor between New Haven andBoston. New Haven was the scene oftwo massive turn-of-the-century gradecrossing elimination projects. TheNew Haven Cut (1905–1907) involvedthe elimination of grade crossings,straightening of the route alignment,and construction of 13 new bridges inthe area immediately east of NewHaven Station, where the Shoreline,Hartford Line, and Air Line con-verged. This area was a bottleneck toefficient train movement and oftenflooded as the tracks were almost atsea level. The Fair Haven Cutoff(1887–1893), just east of New Haven,involved rerouting several miles of theShoreline to the east to avoid multipleat-grade street crossings in the densely-developed residential and industrialFair Haven area. The project requiredthe construction of several new bridges,

including the stone arch Clifton StreetBridge (1890). The largest componentof the project was the New HavenTunnel. Completed in 1893, this gran-ite-faced, brick-lined structure is 1,179ft long and 30 ft wide. It is the longestmasonry tunnel in Connecticut.

In Providence, efforts to improvethe railroad’s impact on the downtownarea began in 1888, when a terminalfacilities commission recommended thedemolition of the previous station, whichstood southeast of the present one.Completed in 1898, the new stationwas part of a grander urban planningscheme. Although not all aspects of theplan were realized, the new stationlocation did allow construction of apublic park at Exchange Place, and alsoinfluenced the location of the RhodeIsland State House, which was completedin 1901. Further east, in the neighboringcities of Pawtucket and Central Falls,through which 155 passenger trains

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Construction of the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston

required a significant amount of bridge construction to cross the numerous

rivers, inlets, tidal marshes, and roadways along the route. These obstacles

sometimes posed serious engineering problems, delaying the completion of

the line until 1889, when the first Thames River Bridge was constructed.

Throughout the history of the line, railroad engineers employed a variety of

methods and materials in the construction of bridges. Examples of many

bridge types from all periods of the railroad’s development survive along the

New Haven to Boston route.

BRI DGES

passed daily, competition between thetwo communities delayed a much-neededgrade lowering project until 1912. Thesmall, but fiercely independent city ofCentral Falls, refused to be outdone byits larger neighbor and demanded itsown railroad station. The New Havendid not want to build two stations so closetogether. The three parties ultimatelycompromised, building the station on asite straddling the city line between thetwo communities. The project involvedmoving and lowering the track bed andthe construction of eight new road bridgesand one footbridge. The entire projectincluding the station cost $2.5 million,35 percent paid by the cities of Pawtucketand Central Falls and 65 percent paid bythe railroad.

In 1891 Attleboro, Massachusetts peti-tioned the New Haven to eliminate anumber of dangerous crossings in thedowntown area by elevating the tracksthere. Construction was delayed, how-ever, until 1905, when 200 Irish laborersdescended on Attleboro to beginwork. This $1 million project involvedthe elimination of 13 grade crossings;construction of four attractive granitearch bridges to carry the four-trackmain line over Park, Peck, Mill, andSouth Main streets; and constructionof new junction trackage and inter-locking equipment. The New Havenalso built opposing northbound andsouthbound passenger stations, com-pleted in 1908.

left: A number of foot-bridges were constructedover the cut, or approachto Boston, to connect thebisected areas. In ForestHills, the tracks are crossedby the Mount HopeFootbridge, a 75-foot long,steel-truss structure builtabout 1910. PAL

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left: A streamlined NewHaven I-5 type locomotivewhisks a passenger trainover Canton Viaductsometime in the early1940s. When completed in 1835 it was hailed as“the most elegant andmassive structure ofmasonry in the UnitedStates,” and is now a registered National CivilEngineering Landmark.Courtesy UCONNASC, James

Wall Collection, Box 1, Trains

Folder 1

above: Many of the earliestbridges on the line weretimber trestles supported bymultiple wood piles driveninto tidal mud. These woodstructures were subject torot and required frequentmaintenance to keep themsafe. Many were subse-quently replaced by steelor concrete structures, buttimber bridges continued tobe used at some locations.Courtesy UCONNASC, James

Wall Collection, Box 1, Trains

Folder2

Stone was used for the higher or widerspans during the initial construction ofthe line. The stone arch bridge is anancient structural type developed byRoman engineers to carry roads andaqueducts across river valleys. Thesestructures rely on individual, carefullytrimmed stones arranged in semicirculararches to carry gravitational forcesoutward from a central keystone anddownward to supporting piers. Ahandful of original stone bridges sur-vive from the earliest days of the line.Granite was readily available at severallocations along the route and could beeasily transported along the railroad’sown right-of-way to construction sites.The most impressive stone structure onthe line is the Canton Viaduct inCanton, Massachusetts. Completed bythe Boston & Providence Railroad andopened June 28, 1835, the viaduct is amultiple-arch, granite structure mea-suring 615 feet in length, 22 feet inwidth, and rising approximately 70feet above the East Branch of theNeponset River. It was designed by noted nineteenth-century railroadconstruction engineers William GibbsMcNeill and George WashingtonWhistler, the father of American artistJames McNeill Whistler. The viaduct isone of the oldest surviving multiple-arch

stone railroad bridges in the UnitedStates, along with the Baltimore & OhioRailroad’s Carrolton and Thomasviaducts, constructed in 1829 and1835, respectively.

Numerous smaller examples ofgranite bridges also exist. The two-span King Street overpass in EastGreenwich, Rhode Island (1835–36),and the Ocean Point Road Bridge inWarwick, Rhode Island (circa 1837)are notable as some of the earliestsurviving masonry structures on theline. Dozens of other masonry archbridges were constructed in Connecticut,Massachusetts, and Rhode Islandbetween the 1880s and 1915 and areassociated with the addition of extratracks. Due to the short distances theywere required to span and the avail-ability of local granite, these bridgeswere cheaper and easier to build withstone rather than iron or steel, whichhad by then become common materialsfor railroad bridges. Masonry wasalso chosen where appearance was aconcern. In 1905 the New Haven ele-vated the tracks through downtownAttleboro, Massachusetts and builtseveral attractive granite arch over-passes to carry the tracks over fourdowntown streets.

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below: West Street Bridge,Westerly, Rhode Island.Robert Brewster, WJP

right: A detail of the West Street Bridge shows a Pratt type truss.

below: This engineeringdrawing of the West Street Bridge illustrates how bridge engineeringduring the late nineteenthcentury evolved from an art into a science, as

Another type of early bridge construction,the truss, was largely an outgrowth ofAmerican railroad development. Theearliest truss bridges were made of woodtimbers. But as the speed and weight oftrains increased, iron, and later, steelmembers replaced wood. Iron and steelwere fireproof and strong in compressionlike masonry, but were also elastic and hadsuperior capacity to withstand tensionand torsion. Compared to their masonrycounterparts, these bridges required lessvolume of material to build and couldspan longer distances between supportingmembers. Individual bridge componentswere built up from metal plates, and

angle sections joined by pins and rivetswere used as braces. Numerous designs,most named for their inventors, werepatented during the mid-nineteenthcentury. By the early twentieth century,bridge engineers, challenged by ever-increasing bridge loads, settled on severalvariations of the simple Pratt and Warrentruss types, with stronger, longer, steelmembers, all-riveted connections, andweb patterns reduced to vertical postsand single diagonals. The line betweenNew Haven and Boston includes morethan a dozen significant truss bridges.An example of a Pratt-type truss is theWest Street Bridge in Westerly, Rhode

Island (1913). The Pawtuxet River Bridgein Cranston, Rhode Island (1906) is anexample of a Warren-type truss.

Where steel truss bridges crossednavigable waterways, provision had tobe made for the passage of marine vessels,hence the development of the moveable-span bridge. In this type of bridge, theapproach spans are fixed, and a centralspan located over the shipping channelis swung or lifted out of the way. Threeexamples of this type of bridge arelocated in Connecticut. All are of thebascule type, where the movable span,driven by electrical motors and balancedby counterweights, pivots up at one end.

All are flanked by multiple, fixed approachspans. They are either Scherzer-or-Strauss-type bridges, named for theirinventors, and represent the state-of-the-art in moveable bridge technologyat the time of their construction. Thelongest river crossing is the 1,585 foot-long, ten-span Connecticut River Bridgeat Old Saybrook, Connecticut (1907).The bascule lift span is a 158 foot-longWarren truss located over the naviga-tion channel at the center of the river.Like the other moveable bridges, it ismanned by a bridge operator housed ina small operator’s building mounted tothe bridge next to the moveable span.

mathematical calculationswere required to determinethe safest and most economical arrangementsand quantities of materialneeded. Courtesy Amtrak

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Concrete was also used for railroadbridges on the line. When cured prop-erly, concrete, like conventional stonemasonry is capable of withstandinggreat compressive loads. The first useof concrete in America was for thefootings of the Starrucca Viaduct, builtin Pennsylvania in 1848 by the ErieRailroad. After the development in the1870s of artificial Portland cement, adenser composition better-suited tounderwater applications, concrete wasincreasingly used in bridges for piers,footings, and small arches. During thefirst decade of the twentieth centurybridge engineers began to experimentwith a new, highly versatile construc-tion method using concrete reinforcedwith steel. The addition of steel rodsand bars cast into the concrete allowedthe material to be used for horizontalbridge members, such as decks.Concrete, which was generally cheaperthan other materials, could now beused to construct the entire bridge.

above: The moveablebridges are usually kept in the open position, andare closed for approachingtrains. Constructed in theearly twentieth century,these bridges replaced earliermoveable spans erected attheir sites.Depending on theweather, the bridge opera-tor’s isolated post can bean idyllic—or frightening—place to be.This view showsthe Connecticut River Bridgeat Saybrook, Connecticut,opened for a passing sailboat. PAL

The Thames River Bridge joining Grotonand New London, Connecticut (1919)is a 1,394 foot-long structure consist-ing of a central Warren truss basculespan flanked by pairs of Pratt trussapproach spans. The Niantic RiverBridge at East Lyme, Connecticut(1907) has a similar configuration, butemploys deck girder spans.

Another type of steel bridge, thedeck girder type, was developed justbefore the turn of the twentieth centuryto carry increasingly heavy loads overrelatively short spans. This type ofbridge consisted of heavy, deep girdersbuilt up using rivets and wide-flangestructural steel members. The trackwas laid on top of these large beams,which could be installed individuallyor in a long series. They were used toreplace many aging spans along theline. A notably long example is the376 foot-long Blackstone River Bridge(1897) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, thelongest deck bridge in the state.

left: Pawtuxet RiverBridge, Cranston, RhodeIsland. Robert Brewster, WJP

center: Bridges were alsoconstructed to carry peopleover the railroad tracks.Few examples of historicfootbridges survive. A par-ticularly decorative exampleis the Rocky Neck ParkTrail Bridge (1934), whichcarries a foot trail over the railroad in Rocky Neck Park in East Lyme,Connecticut. Rocky NeckPark was constructed inthe 1930s by the WorksProgress Administration.The 356 foot-long RockyNeck Park Pavilion, thelargest WPA-built structurein Connecticut, is visible at right in this 1965 view.Courtesy CSP

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Unlike many American railroads that made most of their money hauling freight,

the New Haven derived a large portion of its revenues from intercity and commuter

passenger traffic. Even so, the New Haven was an important freight carrier,

carrying fuel and raw materials to the numerous industrial concerns that lined

its route, and transporting finished products to markets or transhipment points.

FREIG HT AN D I N DUSTRI ES

Haven Cut grade crossingelimination project. PAL

right: Greenwood Bridge, Warwick, Rhode Island.Robert Brewster, WJP

Two of the earliest examples of concretebridges on the railroad are located inNew Haven. The Mill River Bridge, builtin 1906, is a 116 foot-long structurenotable for its two elliptical reinforcedarches. The Grand Avenue Bridge, builtin 1907, is a three-span structure notablefor the use of scrap metal rails for rein-forcement. The use of crude scrap metalreinforcement and reliance on thearch shape were typical features ofearly concrete bridges. Another, moreadvanced type of early concrete andsteel bridge construction, developed in

the 1890s, made use of steel beamsentirely encased in concrete. Threeexamples are Rhode Island’s GreenwoodBridge in Warwick (1930), Hunt RiverBridge in North Kingstown (1930), andRoute 138 Bridge in South Kingstown(1936). These three bridges carried publicroads over the railroad. By the 1920sbridge engineers had analyzed the prop-erties of steel and concrete structures anddeveloped new bridge types using lessand less material, especially steel, whichthen took the form of the special reinforc-ing rods, or “re-bar” familiar to us now.

left: The 1907 GrandAvenue Bridge in New Havenis significant as an earlyexample of a reinforcedconcrete arch bridge and isa component of the New

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left: An early freight trainon New Haven rails.Courtesy PPL

below left: Detail of theBrowne & Sharpe machinefactory. Courtesy RIHS Neg.

RHi (x32) 64

below right: Cheseborough-Pond was originally foundedin Rome, New York in1846 and moved to Clinton,Connecticut in 1888. Atthat time their principalproduct was “Pond’s Extract,”a popular witch hazelextract cure-all medicine.In 1906, the product linewas expanded to includePond’s cold cream andvanishing cream, both of which became interna-tionally-known products.

Freight-hauling equipment was notpurchased by any of the predecessorrailroads of what became the NewHaven system until the 1850s. Mostlong-haul freight between the Midwestand New England had to be carriedacross the Hudson River between NewYork City and railroad docks in NewJersey. These railroad carfloat inter-change operations, primarily done inconjunction with the PennsylvaniaRailroad, were time-consuming andinefficient. Until 1888, the only rail-road bridge across the Hudson was150 miles north at Albany, New York,where heavy New England-boundtraffic was carried by the New York

Central—Boston & Albany railroadsystem. This situation changed in1888, when the Central New England& Western Railroad built an immenserailroad bridge across the Hudson atPoughkeepsie, New York. The CentralNew England, which became thePhiladelphia, Reading & New Englandin 1892, was funded by Philadelphiainterests seeking a direct route to marketPennsylvania coal to the homes andfactories of New England.

In 1904, the expansionist New Havenacquired the Philadelphia, Reading &

New England “Poughkeepsie BridgeRoute.” This addition allowed theNew Haven to bypass New York City,and gave them connections with severalrailroads at junctions at CampbellHall and Maybrook, New York. These

By World War 11 Pond’swas the world’s largest producer of face creams.After the war Pond’smerged with Cheseboroughto form Cheseborough-Ponds.By 1959 Cheseborough’sVaseline line was also man-ufactured in Clinton. Theplant is still served by rail.The concrete-frame buildingsin this view were builtbetween 1929 and 1935. PAL

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railroads included the New York—Pennsylvania regional railroads Lehigh &Hudson River, Lehigh & New England,New York, Ontario & Western, andthe Erie, which connected New Yorkwith Buffalo and Chicago. The NewHaven soon gained control of the New York, Ontario & Western, which gavethem a line to Lake Ontario, and moreimportantly, direct connections withthe northern anthracite coal belt atCarbondale and Scranton, Pennsylvania.This new line, dubbed “The Maybrook,”became the principal route for freightfrom the west and made the railroad amajor player in New England railroadfreight traffic, which was brought tothe sprawling Cedar Hill freight yardcomplex in East Haven, andreclassified for distribution all oversouthern New England.

The New Haven experienced varyingsuccess as a freight hauler during thetwentieth century. The Great Depressionof the 1930s caused a serious declinein regional industrial production, witha corresponding loss of freight revenue.New England’s textile industry all but abandoned the region in favor oflow labor-cost operations in the South.Prior to World War 11, 19 percent ofNew Haven’s freight traffic was less-than-carload, or “LCL” freight. Withthe advent of gasoline-powered deliv-ery trucks, motor transport took LCL

and short-haul traffic away from therailroad, especially in rural areas. Inresponse to this challenge, the NewHaven developed Trailer-On-Flat-Car(TOFC) technology, which allowed for the placement of truck trailers on top of specially-designed flat cars.

above: The C.W. CampbellGrain Mill in Stonington,Connecticut, built in 1905, is an unusual indus-trial building type forConnecticut. It wasdesigned for the gathering,storing, grinding, packaging,and distribution of agricul-tural grain products forfarms in the Stonington-Westerly region. PAL

right: The New Haven wasthe primary route for thedelivery of foodstuffs intosouthern New England.Priority “hotshot” freighttrains with special refriger-ated “reefer” cars deliveredfruit, meat, vegetables, andother perishable items tospecial train-to-truck transferterminals in New Haven,Providence, and Boston.

The foods were transloadedfor processing, packaging,and distribution throughoutthe cities and their environs.The Providence Fruit andWarehouse CompanyBuilding, pictured here, wasthe city’s main processingand transhipment center forfresh fruits and vegetablesarriving by rail. It was partof a larger area known asthe Provisions WarehouseDistrict. A number of thebuildings in the district,however, were recentlytorn down to make wayfor highway ramps designedto provide access to thenew Providence Place Mall.Robert Brewster, WJP

far right: The Walter M.Lowney ChocolateCompany was founded in Boston in 1883 to

produce cocoa and chocolate.The company moved toMansfield in 1903, choosingthis site because of itsready access to the railroad.It is a typical multi-storybrick New England millbuilding, with a long, rectangular plan. Althoughit has been modernized, the plant has been operatedcontinuously as a cocoaprocessing facility by ownersincluding the Rexall drugstore chain, Nabisco, and now Archer DanielsMidland. The manufacturingprocess, aided by gravityflow, starts with raw materials on the top floorand finished product on the bottom. PAL

below: “N.Y., N.H & H.”logo on side of flatcar. PAL

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top left: In this early twen-tieth-century view, theRhode Island State Houselooms over an extensivefreight yard complex thatwas located on the fringeof downtown Providence.The freight yard has sincebeen removed. Courtesy PPL

center left: In Boston, perishables were unloadedand distributed at the New Haven’s BostonMarket Terminal freighthouse complex in SouthBoston. Freight House No. 12, shown here, wasone of four similar structuresthat once stood on this site.The Union Freight Railroad,jointly operated by theNew Haven, New York

Central and Boston &Maine railroads, deliveredfreight cars to sidings atnight on a dense networkof tracks. PAL

bottom left: Founded inProvidence in 1883,Browne & Sharpe began as a manufacturer of precision machine tools,and also produced a line of sewing machines.Browne & Sharpe wasresponsible for some of the most significant machinetool inventions, includingthe micrometer caliper,screw and gear makingmachines, and the Universalline of milling and grindingmachines. This factory wasconstructed over a period

This so-called “piggyback’ servicecombined the flexibility of highwaytrucks with the economy and speed ofthe railroad.

Freight tonnage on the New Havenline more than doubled during WorldWar 11, but the resulting profits driedup when the war ended in 1945. Oil,delivered by pipeline, replaced anthracitecoal as the main home heating fuel,eroding the New Haven’s traffic base.Construction of the parallel ConnecticutTurnpike siphoned off heavy volumes

of traffic to trucks. During the 1960s,traffic continued to decline as the regionaleconomy shifted from manufacturingto high-technology and service-orientedbusinesses. Freight service on the linesuffered after the New Haven was mergedinto the Penn Central system in 1969.In 1974, a fire on the Poughkeepsie Bridgeended through service on the Maybrookline. Today the New Haven to Bostonsection of the Northeast Corridor hostslimited freight traffic operated by theProvidence & Worcester Railroad.

from 1876 to 1916, andwas renowned as an out-standing example of efficient industrial buildingconstruction and arrangement.Today a portion of it hasbeen rehabilitated as officespace. Courtesy RIHS

Neg. RHi (x32) 64

below: The Atlantic CoalCompany Storage Elevatorsin Providence, Rhode Island were built early inthe twentieth century forthe storage and distributionof Pennsylvania anthracitehome heating fuel. Coal was unloaded from railroadhopper cars, and stored in the bins. Chutes at the bottom were used for loading delivery trucks. PAL

PAL Final 5/26/04 11:21 Page 78

IMAGE CREDITS

AMTRAK National Railroad PassengerCorporation

BPL Boston Public Library Print Department

CHS Canton Historical Society, Canton,Massachusetts

CSP Connecticut State Parks

EGPS East Greenwich Preservation Society,East Greenwich, Rhode Island

HCJ History of Canton JunctionE.D.Galvin

JWS J.W. Swanberg Collection

MLAW Memorial and Library Association of Westerly, Rhode Island

MCA Middlesex Canal Association

PPL Providence Public Library

RIHS Rhode Island Historical Society

RISCJRC Rhode Island Supreme CourtJudicial Records Center, Pawtucket, Rhode Island

WJP Robert Brewster, Warren JaggerPhotography

SPL Sharon Public Library, Sharon,Massachusetts—Packard Postcard Collection

SHRL Spaulding House Research Library,Pawtucket, Rhode Island

TR Titanic Railroad: The Southern NewEngland—The Story of New England’s Last Great Railroad War. Larry Lowenthal

UCONNASC University of Connecticut,Archives and Special Collections

VGMJ Voltera,Goldberg, Mangiaratti &Jacobs Law Firm, Attleboro, Massachusetts

RECOMMENDED READING

ARMSTRONG, JOHN H. 1993 The Railroad:

What it Is, What it Does. Simmons-Boardman,

Omaha, NB.

BAKER, GEORGE PIERCE 1937 The Formation

of the New England Railway Systems:

A Study of Railroad Combination in the

Nineteenth Century. Harvard University Press,

Cambridge, MA.

DRURY, GEORGE H. 1985 The Historical

Guide to North American Railroads. Kalmbach

Publishing Company, Milwaukee, WI.

HARLOW, ALVIN FAY 1946 Steelways of

New England. Creative Age Press, NY.

KARR, RONALD DALE 1995 The Rail Lines

of Southern New England: A Handbook

of Railroad History. Branch Line Press,

Pepperell, MA.

KIRKLAND, EDWARD CHASE 1948 Men,

Cities, and Transportation: A Study in New

England History, 1820-1900. Harvard

University Press, Cambridge, MA. 2 vols.

RAILROAD AND VIDEO PRODUCTIONS

1985 N.Y.N.H.& H. Shore Line: Part One:

New Haven-Providence, Part Two:

Providence-Boston.Video produced by

Railroad Video Productions, 83 Princeton

Avenue, Hopewell, NJ.

STILGOE, JOHN R. 1983 Metropolitan

Corridor: Railroads and the American Scene.

Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

TURNER, GREGG M. AND MELANCTHON

W. JACOBUS 1989 Connecticut Railroads…

An Illustrated History. Connecticut Historical

Society, Hartford, CT.

WELLER, JOHN L. 1969 The New Haven

Railroad: Its Rise and Fall. Hastings House, NY.MA

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AMTRAK’S HIGH SPEED RAIL PROGRAM

N E W H A V E N T O B O S T O NHISTORY AND H ISTORIC RESOURCES

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