Railroad Museum of New England

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Railroad Museum of New England

Terminus| Thomaston, Connecticut
Commercial operations
Built by| Naugatuck Railroad
Original gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by| RMNE
Operated by| Naugatuck Railroad
Reporting mark| NAUG
Length| 4.6 mi (7.4 km)
Preserved gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened| 1849
Preservation history
Headquarters| Thomaston, Connecticut
Website
[1]

The Railroad Museum of New England is a railroad museum based in Thomaston, Connecticut. Through its operating subsidiary known as the Naugatuck Railroad, the museum operates excursion and freight trains on the Torrington Secondary between Waterville and Torrington. The Railroad Museum of New England name and trademark was adopted in 1987, as a result of reassessing the Connecticut Valley Railroad Museum's goals and visions (CVRM had been founded in the mid-1960s). Home to one of the largest collections of preserved historic railroad equipment in New England, RMNE and its predecessor organizations have been active since the 1960s.[1]

## History

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### Origins

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The CVRM (and predecessor organization - the Connecticut Valley Railroad Association [CVRA]) was responsible for organizing steam train excursions within Connecticut during the late 1960s and was instrumental in opening the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut in 1971. The volunteers of the non-profit CVRA established a relationship with the for-profit Valley Railroad allowing for a permanent home for the organization's growing collection. In exchange, volunteers contributed to the upkeep and operation of the Valley Railroad's trains.

Through the 1980s, more pieces were added to the collection, restored, and occasionally operated on the Valley Railroad. By the end of the decade, it was clear CVRA would need to find its own home if they were to continue their mission of preservation and grow their collection.

### Search for a permanent home (1993-1996)

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The volunteers wanted to remain in Connecticut if possible, as it provided a central location for most of the active members. Once Conrail sold off its local freight operations to the Housatonic Railroad in 1993, they abandoned the former New Haven freight yard in Danbury, Connecticut. The complex included a turntable and former roundhouse site, active rail connections, and frequent passenger service provided by Metro-North Railroad's Danbury Branch. The site was turned down as there was no guarantee the museum would be able to operate regular excursions, which they saw as critical to their survival. Instead, the Danbury Railway Museum was established there in 1994.

Another location considered was the site of the former New Haven Columbia Junction roundhouse and freight yard in Willimantic, Connecticut. While the site offered plenty of room, almost nothing of the original facility remained other than a few derelict foundations. The active rail of the New England Central Railroad ran along the site, but there was no way the museum would be able to secure permission to operate excursions. Instead, the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum was established there in 1995.

### The Naugatuck Railroad reborn (1996-present)

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Thomaston station in 2020

In early 1995, the RMNE was offered the opportunity to develop the ex-New Haven line from Waterbury to Torrington, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT). RMNE chartered a "new" Naugatuck Railroad Company in June 1995 (150 years to the month after the original Naugatuck Railroad charter in 1845) and worked with CDOT Rail Operations to get the new railroad into operation during the 1996 season.

Efforts came to fruition in September 1996 when the current Naugatuck Railroad commenced a tourist scenic train over the 19.6 miles (31.5 km) of the Naugatuck Railroad's right-of-way that had opened for service in September 1849.[2]

The railroad is headquartered at Thomaston station, built in 1881 and last used by passengers in 1958. Disused for many years, it was set on fire by vandals in 1993. Ownership was transferred to RMNE in 1996. With a grant from a local bank, the roof was replaced in 1997. Volunteers have been steadily repairing and restoring the building to its mid-century appearance.[3]

Tourist excursions are run several days a week between May and December from the historic Thomaston Station. The 75-minute trip runs between Thomaston Dam and Waterville, covering about 18 miles (29 km) total. Occasional excursions run between Thomaston and Torrington.

Special event trains are run during fall and winter months.

RMNE has an extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock of New England heritage, with over 60 pieces of full-sized railroad equipment. The New Haven, Boston & Maine, Maine Central, Rutland, and Bangor & Aroostook railroads are represented. Numerous smaller items, from signals to railroad corporate records, are also part of RMNE's artifact holdings.

Volunteers operate the trains and maintain the locomotives and other rolling stock.

## Rolling Stock

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### Steam locomotives

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NAUG #  | Image  | Style  | Built  | Builder  | Status  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

103  |  | 2-6-2 | 1925  | BLW | Restoration  | Acquired in 1987 from the Empire State Railway Museum and was moved to Thomaston from Essex in June of 2009.[4] In 2023, it was announced that the locomotive would return to operation.
1246 |  | 4-6-2 | 1946  | MLW | Stored  | Former Steamtown, U.S.A. locomotive.

### Diesel locomotives

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NAUG #  | Image  | Style  | Built  | Builder  | Status  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

25  |  | 25-ton | 1952  | GE |  | Acquired in 2002.[5]
0401  |  | FA-1 | 1947  | ALCO | Out of Service  | New Haven #0401 operated in regular service on the New Haven Railroad until the merger with Penn Central, when the locomotive was renumbered to #1330. In 1974, the locomotive began operation on the Long Island Rail Road as #618. In 1985, the Railroad Museum of New England acquired the #618 and was renumbered to #0401. The #0401 was the first ALCO cab-type diesel locomotive to be preserved in the United States. #0401 was moved to the Railroad Museum of New England's property on the Valley Railroad in 1986 and was later moved to the RMNE's new property in 2008.
529  |  | RS-3 | 1950  | ALCO  | Restoration  | New Haven #529 operated on the New Haven Railroad until the merger with Penn Central. The locomotive was renumbered to #5536 and was later sold to Amtrak and again renumbered to #1338, and again renumbered to #138. The locomotive was acquired in 1985 and was renumbered to #529, being the first former New Haven Railroad locomotive to ever be preserved. #529 returned to service in 1985 on the Valley Railroad and in 1986, the locomotive was returned to the classic 1959 New Haven Railroad paint scheme. The locomotive was moved to the RMNE's new property, when the RMNE collection was moved from Old Saybrook, and the #529 operated the first train on the new Naugatuck Railroad in 1996.[6]
557  |  | RS-3  | 1953  | ALCO  |  |
686  |  | GP9 | 1959  | EMD | Operational  | Acquired in 2019.
859  |  | GP9  | 1959  | EMD  | Operational  | Acquired in 2019.
1109  |  | SW1 | 1939  | EMD  | Display  | ex. Pioneer Valley Railroad #27, exx. M&B #27, exx. Boston and Maine. Acquired in 1986.[7]
1508  |  | RS-3  | 1954  | ALCO  |  |
1732  |  | GP9  | 1957  | EMD  |  |
2019  |  | FL9 | 1960  | EMD  | Operational  |
2033  |  | FL9  | 1960  | EMD  | Out of Service  | Being the last FL9 to be built, #2033 operated with the New Haven as #2059 until the merger with Penn Central, when the locomotive became Penn Central #5059 and eventually Conrail #5059. When the Metro-North Commuter Railroad acquired the locomotive, it was again renumbered to #2033. In 2002, the locomotive was acquired by the Railroad Museum of New England and moved to the RMNE shops in 2003.[8]
2201  |  | B23-7 | 1978  | GE  | Out of Service  |
2203  |  | U23B | 1977  | GE  | Operational  | Being the last U23B ever built, #2203 operated with Conrail as #2798 until it was sold to Providence & Worcester in the early 1990s and renumbered to #2203. Shortly after being retired from P&W in 2002, the #2203 was acquired by the RMNE, and was moved to their property in 2003.[9]
2525  |  | U25B | 1965  | GE  | Out of Service  | Being the final locomotive built for the New Haven Railroad, the #2525 ran in regular service on the New Haven until the merger with Penn Central and was renumbered to #2685, and eventually became Conrail #2685. The locomotive was retired from Conrail in 1982 and was acquired by the Railroad Museum of New England and was moved to the Valley Railroad in 1986. The locomotive was renumbered to #2525 and returned to service in 1986, eventually returning to an "as-built" look. The #2525 was moved to the RMNE's new property in Waterbury when the RMNE's collection was moved from Old Saybrook.
8537  |  | B39-8 | 1987  | GE  | Out of Service  |

### Passenger Cars Used on Excursions

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NAUG #  | Image  | Type  | Built  | Builder  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

260  |  |  |  |  |
1001  |  | Coach/Lounge  | 1980  | Budd | De-powered SPV-2000. Acquired in 2023.
3040  |  | Open Air/Storage  |  |  |
4952  |  |  | 1920  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #4952 arrived at RMNE property in 1966.[10] Out of service.
4980  |  | Coach  | 1924  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #4980 arrived at RMNE property in 1967.[10] Used on the Naugatuck Railroad's passenger excursions.
5046  |  | Coach  | 1923  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #5046 arrived at RMNE property in 1966.[10] In 2023, the coach was repainted to a Canadian National Railway inspired Naugatuck Railroad Paint scheme and is used on the Naugatuck Railroad's passenger excursions.
5089  |  | Lounge  | 1927  | NSC  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #5089 arrived at RMNE property in 1967.[10] The coach was rebuilt to a lounge car in 2021 and in 2022 was repainted to a Canadian National Railway inspired Naugatuck Railroad paint scheme and is used on the Naugatuck Railroad's passenger excursions.
5114  |  | Coach  | 1927  | NSC  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #5114 arrived at RMNE property in 1967.[10] The coach is used on the Naugatuck Railroad's passenger excursions.
5805  |  |  | 1923  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #5805 arrived at RMNE property in 1967.[10] Out of service.
6606  |  |  | 1923  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #6606 arrived at RMNE property in 1966.[10] Out of service.
6608  |  |  | 1923  | CC&F  | Built for the Canadian National Railway and was acquired by the RMNE. #6608 arrived at RMNE property in 1966.[10] Out of service.
Two pieces of former Boston and Maine Railroad equipment – caboose C-472 and locomotive 1109 – at Thomaston in 2020

## References

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1. ^ "KIDS: Railroad Museum of New England". www.ct.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
2. ^ "RMNE About Us page". Retrieved 2008-03-11.
3. ^ "Railroad Museum of New England - Thomaston, CT". www.thomastonct.org. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
4. ^ "Sumter & Choctaw 2-6-2 103 – Railroad Museum of New England". 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
5. ^ "RMNE 25 – Railroad Museum of New England". 2019-10-23. Archived from the original on 2019-10-23. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
6. ^ "New Haven 529 – Railroad Museum of New England". 2017-06-12. Archived from the original on 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
7. ^ "Boston & Maine 1109 – Railroad Museum of New England". 2017-05-07. Archived from the original on 2017-05-07. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
8. ^ "New Haven 2059 (Metro-North 2033) – Railroad Museum of New England". 2016-10-31. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
9. ^ "News From The Naugy: Naugatuck Railroad 2203 GE U23B Diesel". News From The Naugy. 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
10. ^ a b c d e f g h "Canadian National heavyweight coaches – Railroad Museum of New England". 2017-05-06. Archived from the original on 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2023-12-23.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Railroad Museum of New England.

* Museum website

41°40′26″N 73°04′06″W﻿ / ﻿41.6738°N 73.0684°W﻿ / 41.6738; -73.0684