Danbury Branch - History, Electrification, Studies

The very best way to serve the Berkshires would be to fix up the track between Danbury and Pittsfield and run a couple of
through trains between New York and Pittsfield using this line. Route 7 is not a good road through Connecticut while much of
the resort business would be in Massachusetts. Service similar to what the New Haven ran through the 50's could work quite
well in my opinion. Summer resorts, winter resorts, foilage in the fall and probably something in the spring as well.
Amtrak would not be a good idea on this line but service operated by Metro-North with proper state support from both
Connecticut and Massachusetts would and could work quite well.
As for Chatham, it was a very nice ride before it came off in early 1972 with absolutely no prior notice whatsoever but the
scenery was better between Danbury and Pittsfield than between Wassaic and Chatham and besides the track is still in place
in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Noel Weaver

CDOT has added service to Pittsfield as part of Phase II (II standing for the SECOND DECADE!) study. They'll need better coaches for sure, some type of parlor service at least.

Sarge wrote:CDOT has added service to Pittsfield as part of Phase II (II standing for the SECOND DECADE!) study. They'll need better coaches for sure, some type of parlor service at least.

IF MTA got the contract for that, they could probably add some bar cars onto that service.

I don't think bar cars would do at all. Not nearly enough seats, the M-2's are 30 years old, and no guarantee CT will option them, as Dutch and others have pointed out. Who's going to stand for three hours? I'm not familiar enough with what's in Amtrak's fleet, but I'd guess Amfleets? would do for that distance. Could you convert an end-door Shoreliner to 2x2 and more comfortable seats? What about the former WOH Comets?

guess were back to fantasy Island, as no plans exist or are being studied to go to Berkshires.

DutchRailnut wrote:guess were back to fantasy Island, as no plans exist or are being studied to go to Berkshires.

Sorry, Dutch, you're wrong. Pittsfield is being included in the Danbury Branch study:

Danbury Branch Study Spring Update

Alternatives Development and Refinement: Phase 1 identified five alternative concepts
selected for further consideration. In addition, the EIS Scoping process identified an additional
option for consideration (extension from New Milford to Pittsfield, MA).

yup and studies are cheap it keeps constituants of your a** without having to actually do it.
you and I will be long burried before first regular passenger train runs that far up north.

"An additional option for concideration" in a study, are not very promising words.

I agree with your assessment, Dutch; it's not promising, and years away even if it happens. Although I disagree with studies being "cheap"; if Connecticut had all of that money back, they might actually be able to implement service. In any case, my point was that it is being studied, however likely it is to happen or not.

Once upon a time, didn't the Housatonic itself have a plan to run NY-Danbury-Pittsfield service in conjunction with MN? I have a really dim memory of stories in the NY Times and the Danbury News-Times from maybe the late 1980's/early 90's.

Would it even be possible for a private operator to run north of Danbury and contract with MNRR to haul their train from Danbury to GCT, or does that fall foul of the Amtrak legislation?

they sure could, but problem is cost, even HRRC would be hard pressed for money, unless the state pays for all including multi million $$$ insurance deals.
And HRRC can not operate on MNCR territory without MNCR (ACRE) crews.

That would be similar to the Maine Eastern deal, right? Would operating only Danbury-New Milford be subject to the ACRE agreement? If they boarded at the old station on the White St. track, that wouldn't be MNRR, would it? Not that that would make any sense, of course.

Think you mean Shoreline East ?? yes, as for old station vs new station, it would be deal union - MNCR and HRRC would need to work out.

DutchRailnut wrote:they sure could, but problem is cost, even HRRC would be hard pressed for money, unless the state pays for all including multi million $$$ insurance deals.
And HRRC can not operate on MNCR territory without MNCR (ACRE) crews.

Yeah, I know re-cost; state has little money as it is-- they're not going to start using it to bring weekend people and vacationers (who most likely are *not* Connecticut voters) to the Litchfield Hills when they still don't have local service between New Haven and Hartford. Although part of me wonders whether the mega-millions the state DOT just spent to complete the Brookfield by-pass on Route 7 could have been better used upgrading the HRRC to passenger standards...

It's really unfortunate that passenger service on the Berkshire line was ever killed, because Route 7 north of Brookfield can be downright painful-- and NY22 and the Taconic over on the other side of the hills aren't much better.

If the Hoosie were to do this, I was imagining they'd either change engines at Danbury or have MNRR power run through all the way to Pittsfield-- unless they're going to buy a couple of P32DM's.

I was reading an old magazine from around 1980 which confidently predicted that restoring the electrification of the Danbury branch was just around the corner. Well of course that turned out not to be the case. Has there been any serious proposals more recently to do this? Seems it wouid make sense operationally, making it easier to run through service to GCT.

Back in the '80's the catenary poles from the original NH electrification were still in place. Is that still the case today and could they be re-used?

Jon

yes and there are other threadson this forum covering this.
No need to start another thread on same subject

I suggest you start here :
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... on#p652616