Valley Railroad (Connecticut)

Heritage railway in Connecticut, United States

For the historic Connecticut Valley Railroad, see Connecticut Valley Railroad.

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Valley RailroadEssex Steam Train and Riverboat

Valley Railroad 40 at Deep River in December 2018

Overview
Headquarters| Essex, Connecticut
Reporting mark| VALE
Locale| Middlesex County, Connecticut
Dates of operation| 1971 (1971)–present
Predecessor| Connecticut Valley Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Penn Central Transportation Company
Technical
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Length| 21.67 miles (34.87 km)
Other
Website| essexsteamtrain.com

Route map

Legend

|  |  |

(Milepost)

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|

|  |

|  |  | Providence & Worcester RR

to Hartford
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| 21.67 mi

34.87 km

Maromas
|  |

| 18.16 mi

29.23 km

Higganum
|  |

| 16.90 mi

27.2 km

Walkley Hill
|  |

| 15.48 mi

24.91 km

Haddam
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| 14.80 mi

23.82 km

Arnolds
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| 14.00 mi

22.53 km

Shailerville
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| 12.27 mi

19.75 km

Goodspeed
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|  |

| Route 82

Bridge Rd.

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| 11.50 mi

18.51 km

Broadway
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| 10.40 mi

16.74 km

Parkers Point
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| 9.65 mi

15.53 km

North Chester
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| 9.26 mi

14.9 km

Hadlyme
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| 8.57 mi

13.79 km

Chester
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| 7.58 mi

12.2 km

Deep River
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|  |

Route 9

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|  |

| Route 154

Middlesex Tpke.

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| 3.97 mi

6.39 km

Essex
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|  |

| Route 153

Plains Rd.

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|  |

I-95

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| 0.00 mi

0 km

Old Saybrook
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|  |

Amtrak

Northeast Corridor

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This diagram:

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The Valley Railroad (reporting mark VALE), operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Essex, Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex, and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

## History

[edit]

Further information: Connecticut Valley Railroad

Remains of a wooden bridge along the former Fenwick Branch south of Old Saybrook, which was abandoned in the early 20th century

### Construction

[edit]

The vision of a Valley Railroad started in the 1840s when President of the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company, James Clark Walkley traced the 44-mile route by stagecoach with friend Horace Johnson.[1] Walkley and a group of business men obtained a state charter on July 17, 1868, to form the Connecticut Valley Railroad Company and start the process of building a railroad.[1]

During 1868–1869, survey crews worked to map out the line from Hartford, Connecticut, to Saybrook Point.

In April 1870, construction of the line began, with ground breaking taking place in Higganum, Connecticut.[2] The plan called for three phases, the "Northern Division" starting in Hartford and continuing to Middletown, the "Middle Division" which continued to what is known today as Goodspeed Landing, and the "South Division" which finished the line to Saybrook Point.[1] The Connecticut River Valley allowed for an easy construction, as no tunnels or major bridges were required. The line was completed during the summer of 1871 with the first ceremonial train run over the 45 miles (72 km) on July 29, 1871, at a steady speed of 22 mph.[1] At $34,000 per mile, the line ended up costing $1,482,903.[1]

### Connecticut Valley Railroad

[edit]

The first "regular" train started on July 31, 1871.[2] On August 24, 1871, the Connecticut Valley Railroad declared an official opening. The schedules of trains operating along the Valley Railroad called for one mixed train and four passenger trains each way daily (except Sunday) with fifteen stops along the way.

The company grossed $34,000 in its first year.[1] It continued to grow, grossing $250,000/year in 1873.[1]

Financial trouble plagued many early railroads, and the Connecticut Valley defaulted in 1876 on its second mortgage bonds and was placed in receivership.

### Hartford & Connecticut Valley Railroad

[edit]

On July 1, 1880, the Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad took control with president Samuel Babcock.[1]

Passenger service ended in stages: between Saybrook Point and Fenwick in 1917, between Fenwick and Saybrook Junction in 1922, between Saybrook Junction and Middletown in 1929 or 1930, and Middletown and Hartford in 1933.[3]

### Valley Railroad Company (Present Day Company)

[edit]

The Valley Line was abandoned in March 1968, by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad several months before merging into Penn Central in 1969.[4] Penn Central had the Valley Line put up for abandonment on August 15, 1969.[4] The Valley Line was saved by the Connecticut Valley Railroad Association (CVRA, later becoming Railroad Museum of New England) due to concerns of the abandoned branch line being torn up by the Penn Central.[4] The Connecticut Valley Railroad Association, the Empire State Railway Museum, and private investors created today's for-profit Valley Railroad, obtaining a charter from the Connecticut State Legislature.[4] The State of Connecticut took ownership of the line from the Penn Central on June 1, 1970, and designated the Valley line as a linear State Park.[4] It reopened on July 29, 1971, with ESRM's No. 103 being the first locomotive to run on the current Valley Railroad with a train running between Essex and Deep River, 100 years to the day of the first train on the original line.[4] The train was later expanded to Chester in the late 1970s and expanded as far north as Haddam in later years.[4]

Seasonally, trains connect with a steam riverboat at Deep River, which offers rides along the Connecticut River.[5]

## Equipment

[edit]

### Locomotives

[edit]

Locomotive details[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Number | Image | Type | Class | Built | Builder | Status

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2 |  | Steam | 0-6-0T | 1941 | H.K. Porter, Inc. | Display
3 |  | Steam | 0-4-0F | 1930 | H.K. Porter | Display
40 |  | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1920 | American Locomotive Company | Operational
97 |  | Steam | 2-8-0 | 1923 | American Locomotive Company | Operational
3025 |  | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1989 | Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works | Operational
1352 |  | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1912 | American Locomotive Company | Awaiting shipment
0900 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1947 | GE Transportation | Display
0901 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1940 | GE Transportation | Operational
0902 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1953 | GE Transportation | Operational
0903 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1940s | Transportation | Display
0904 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1940s | GE Transportation | Operational
0905 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1953 | GE Transportation | Operational

### Former units

[edit]

Locomotive details[13][14][15] Number | Image | Type | Class | Built | Builder

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10 |  | Steam | 0-4-0T | 1934 | Baldwin Locomotive Works
103 |  | Steam | 2-6-2 | 1925 | Baldwin Locomotive Works
1246 |  | Steam | 4-6-2 | 1946 | Montreal Locomotive Works
1647 |  | Steam | 2-8-2 | 1989 | Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works
15 |  | Diesel | RS-1 | 1944 | Central New England Railroad
240 |  | Diesel | RS-1 | 1945 | Susquehanna Railroad (Scrapped)
0800 |  | Diesel | 44-ton switcher | 1950 | Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum
7145 |  | Diesel | 80-ton switcher | 1942 | GE Transportation

### Rolling stock

[edit]

Rolling stock details[6][16][17] Name / Number | Image | Type | Built | Builder | Status

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Great Republic |  | Parlor car | 1930 | Pullman Company | Operational
Meriden |  | Dining/parlor car | 1924 | Pullman | Operational
Wallingford |  | Dining/parlor car | 1927 | Pullman Company | Operational
Goodspeed |  | Dining/parlor car | 1927 | Pullman Company | Operational
Middletown |  | Parlor/dining/observation car | 1924 | Pullman Company | Operational
Toreador |  | Parlor car | 1913 | Pullman Company | Operational
810 (Lindsay) |  | Sleeper | 1923 | Canadian Car and Foundry | Out of service
301 |  | Parlor car | Unknown | Unknown | Operational
302 |  | Coach | Unknown | Unknown | Operational
400 |  | HEP power car | 1920 | American Car and Foundry | Operational
401 |  | Coach | 1952 | Canadian Car and Foundry | Operational
402 |  | Parlor car | 1952 | Canadian Car and Foundry | Operational
403 |  | Parlor car | 1952 | Canadian Car and Foundry | Operational
404 |  | Parlor car | 1952 | Canadian Car and Foundry | Operational
500 (Fenwick) |  | Parlor car | 1914 | Pullman Company | Operational
501 |  | Coach | 1915 | Pullman Company | Operational
502 |  | Coach | 1914 | Pullman Company | Operational
503 |  | Coach | 1914 | Pullman Company | Operational
600 (Riverview) |  | Open car/parlor/dining car | 1917 | Pullman Company | Operational
601 |  | Coach | 1917 | Pullman Company | Operational
602 |  | Coach | 1917 | Pullman Company | Operational
603 |  | Coach | 1920 | Pullman Company | Operational
1000 (Putnam) |  | Coach | 1924 | Bethlehem Steel | Operational
1001 |  | Coach | 1925 | Bethlehem Steel | Operational
1002 |  | Coach | 1924 | Bethlehem Steel | Operational
4979 |  | Coach | Unknown | Unknown | Out of service
Colonial Hearth |  | Kitchen car | 1953 | St. Louis | Operational
70383 |  | Boxcar | 1949 | Unknown | Stored, out of service
86302 |  | Boxcar | 1952 | Pullman-Standard | Display
061 |  | Boxcar | 1955 | Unknown | Stored, out of service
272 |  | Hopper car | 1959 | Unknown | Display
728 |  | Gondola car | 1917 | L&NE Shops | Operational
5146 |  | Flatcar | c. 1910 | Unknown | Maintenance of way
5151 |  | Flatcar | c. 1910 | Unknown | Operational
6364 |  | Boxcar | 1951 | Unknown | Stored, display
9435 |  | Boxcar | 1961 | Unknown | Stored, display
9496 |  | Boxcar | 1961 | Unknown | Stored
9819 |  | Boxcar | 1951 | Unknown | Out of service
9861 |  | Boxcar | 1951 | Unknown | Stored
213173 |  | Boxcar | 1930 | Unknown | Operational
54173 |  | Autom. | 1930 | Dispatch Shops | Display
94460 |  | Tanker car | c. 1950 | UTCCO. | Display
39159 |  | Flatcar | 1952 | PSCo | Maintenance of way
20088 |  | Hopper car | 1912 | Unknown | Display
35386 |  | Boxcar | 1948 | Pullman Company | Stored, display
17704 |  | Flatcar | 1953 | GSC/Readville | Operational
W-2 |  | Crane | 1946 | American Locomotive Company | Maintenance of way
W-10 |  | Crane | 1946 | American Locomotive Company | Maintenance of way
H-50 |  | Crane | 1927 | American Locomotive Company | Out of service
D-75 |  | Dump car | 1953 | Magor | Operational
None |  | Snow Plow | c. 1913 | HT&W Shops | Display
97 |  | Tender | 1923 | American Locomotive Company | Out of service

### Riverboats

[edit]

Riverboat details[6] Name | Image | Type | Built | Builder | Status

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Becky Thatcher |  | Riverboat | 1961 | 69’ Motor Vessel Captain A. Starts | Operational

## Facilities

[edit]

### Track

[edit]

The Valley Railroad Company leases, from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the track running from Old Saybrook up through Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam, and Middletown, totaling 21.67 miles (34.87 km). The trackbed is gravel ballast, with track made of conventional wood crossties, with steel rails fastened to the ties. A major project funded by the company in 2015 put all mainline track from Essex (MP 4) to North Chester (MP 9.80) in stone ballast. The track connects with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor track near the Old Saybrook Station to the south. Presently, 14.25 miles of the line are restored for train service, with the remaining last seeing service in 1968. The rail corridor between Haddam and Middletown, which has been cleared of brush and receives property maintenance and surveillance from hi-rail vehicles, is undergoing full restoration as time and funding permit.

In April 2024 two persons were charged with the theft of four tenths of a mile of track along the operating portion of the line. Eyewitnesses observed track being dismantled near Old Saybrook and the pair are alleged to have removed and sold the track to local metal recyclers.[18] The state of Connecticut has since repaired the damaged section.[19]

The Valley Railroad Company has several grade crossings along its tracks. They vary in their nature, ranging from small caution signs at private crossings to flashing lights, bells, and gates and stop signs at public crossings. The busiest public grade crossings are located at Route 153 in Essex, Route 154 in Essex, and Route 82 (just before the East Haddam swing bridge) in Haddam.

### Stations

[edit]

The railroad's main station in Essex.

The main station, where tickets are sold and all rolling stock is kept, is located in Essex; specifically, the village of Centerbrook. The main entrance and parking access is located off Route 154; there is a rear entrance (not for public use) on Route 153. There is a station building (used as offices for the riverboat operation) at Deep River Landing in Deep River, and a small station (used by the Railroad's track department) in Chester—it was originally the station at Quinnipiac, Connecticut. Goodspeed station, located off Route 82 in Haddam, houses an antique shop and is not affiliated with the railroad. Across the tracks from the station is the Goodspeed Yard Office. This building was the original Chester passenger station, located on Dock Road in Chester, but sold off and removed in 1874 when it was found that the railroad grade was too steep at that location for starting and stopping trains. Donated by the Zanardi family in 1993, it was retrieved by volunteers of the Friends of the Valley Railroad and moved by flatcar to its present location. It is believed that this structure is the sole remaining passenger station from the 1871 opening of the railroad.

On July 18, 2009, the Friends of the Valley Railroad built a passenger shelter in Chester on the site of the original Hadlyme station. The new building is a reproduction of the South Britain station, which was on the now abandoned Danbury Extension of the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill. The original station on this site served passengers of the town of Hadlyme, across the Connecticut River. Passengers use today's station to go to Gillette Castle State Park via the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, the second-oldest continuously-operated ferry route in the United States.

## 1990 accident

[edit]

On April 22, 1990, No. 1647 ran at low speed into the rear of the idling North Cove Express dinner train on the passing trackage.[20][21] Ten minor injuries were reported, and a damaged coupler on one of the cars had to be replaced.[20][21]

## Appearances in media

[edit]

The Valley Railroad makes an appearance in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with 2-8-0 97 appearing in some scenes of the film. It again appears several times in the Hallmark 2021 production Next Stop, Christmas. Earlier movies including Amistad, Ragtime, and Malcolm X were also filmed in part at the Valley Railroad.[22]

## See also

[edit]

* Connecticut Valley Railroad Roundhouse and Turntable Site
* Deep River Freight Station
* Essex Freight Station
* List of Connecticut state parks
* List of heritage railroads in the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Essex Steam Train Is Remnant Of Connecticut Valley Railroad". Hartford, Connecticut: The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
2. ^ a b "Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park". Hartford, Connecticut: Connecticut DEEP. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
3. ^ Karr 2017, pp. 111–115
4. ^ a b c d e f g "The Origins of Valley Railroad". www.essexsteamtrain.com. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
5. ^ "Essex Steam Train & Riverboat". Experience Essex, CT. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
6. ^ a b c "Essex Steam Train & River Boat: Roster of Equipment" (PDF). The Valley Railroad Company. June 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
7. ^ "Connecticut Coke Company 3". Steam Locomotive Information. June 10, 2017. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
8. ^ "Essex Steam Train Locomotive History" (PDF). Essex, Connecticut: The Valley Railroad Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
9. ^ Zimmermann, Karl (May 17, 1987). "ALL ABOARD FOR A RIDE BACK TO THE 1920's". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
10. ^ Meyer, Ben (March 28, 2023). "Valley Railroad acquires two GE centercab locomotives". Rail Preservation Network. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
11. ^ "GE 44-ton Locomotive". Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
12. ^ "Valley Railroad Acquires Frisco 2-8-2". Railfan & Railroad. White River Productions. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
13. ^ "Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-0 steam locomotive 10". Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum. August 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
14. ^ "News From The Naugy". Naugatuck Railroad Blog. October 11, 2007. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
15. ^ "News From The Naugy". Naugatuck Railroad Blog. October 12, 2007. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
16. ^ "The Essex Clipper Dinner Train". Essex, Connecticut: The Valley Railroad Company. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
17. ^ Angus, Fred (May 2005). "Farewell to the 800s" (PDF). Canadian Rail. No. 506\. The Canadian Railroad Historical Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
18. ^ "Two charged with stealing track from Connecticut heritage railroad". Trains Magazine. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Media. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
19. ^ "DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Make Arrests in Alleged Railroad Tracks Theft Case". DEEP Logo Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Connecticut's Official State Website. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
20. ^ a b Miller (2017), p. 109
21. ^ a b "Arrivals & Departures - Mikado Mishap". Trains. Vol. 50, no. 10\. Kalmbach Publishing. August 1990. p. 10. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
22. ^ "You Might Sit On A Seat Where George Clooney Sat". The Hartford Courant. February 1, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2024.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN 9780942147124.
* Miller, Max R. (2017). Along the Valley Line: The History of the Connecticut Valley Railroad. Garnet Books. ISBN 978-0819577375.
* "The History of the Valley Railroad Company". essexsteamtrain.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valley Railroad (Connecticut).

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad subsidiaries

New York and New Haven / Hartford and New Haven / Shore Line (1872)

* Union Freight (1872)
* Harlem River (1873)
* Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad (1875)
* Air Line (1879)
* Connecticut Valley (1882)
* New Canaan (1884)
* Naugatuck (1887)
* New Haven and Northampton (1887)
* New York, Providence and Boston (1892)
* Housatonic (1892)
* Providence and Worcester (1892)
* Old Colony (1893)
* New York and New England (1898)
* Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern (1898)
* Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River (1898)
* Central New England (1904)
* Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut (1905)
* Poughkeepsie and Eastern (1907)
* New York Connecting (1917)
* South Manchester (1933)

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