customers on the Canal line from 1963 to today...

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

S&H moved when they abandoned the line. A. J. Belivieu (Central New England) was trying to buy it, but it didn't work out.

My mention of Pratt and Whitney was referring to Southington. I don't know if they did large enough parts there to require rail service.

They did. There's a paved-over spur to the main Pratt & Whitney building on Aircraft Rd. Forked off into 1 track that went to a garage door at the rear of the building and 1 track that ran the length of the building on the access driveway that split between the building and the water tower. I don't think the annex building on Newell St. (which currently houses Yarde Metals) ever had a siding, but their rear driveway sits all of 15 ft. from the mainline so they could side-load in the event they ever needed rail deliveries.

The whole reason the line is still designated active to the I-84 underpass and gets full brush-cutting and MOW work as far as the main plant building is because Southington has been trying for 20 years to attract new rail customers there. PAR keeps their toe in that one-mile unused stretch as a courtesy to them. I suppose that dream is dead now and they might as well just install a bumper post at the Birch St. grade crossing for running around out of Yankee Gas...then bring the trail in from Lazy Lane so it's easier to walk/bike to Norton Park in Plainville via Birch St. Or at the very least cut it at Airport Rd. just on the off chance Yarde Metals (which is in bigtime expansion mode) ever wants rail service. What little trace tenants they have been able to fill the old Pratt main building with are what they are. They honestly should just think about demolishing the site and expanding the BJ's plaza on Spring St. into retail that spans the Spring-Aircraft block. The falling-apart plant building contributes almost nothing to the town's tax base operating only partially full (whereas Yarde's takeover/makeover of the annex building has been a real success story).

[Engineer Spike]

Once as a teen I was riding the local to Southington. We were spotting a lumber car at Diamond Lumber near downtown Southington. The brakeman forgot to take off the derail, and we went on the ground. I had to get picked up before the officials showed up.

[Engineer Spike]

When did Collins stop getting cars in Collinsville? Was Minor Lumber also a customer?

[Jeff Smith]

I'm not sure about the south end, but I was looking at Google Sat for the north end/wye and there were quite a few cars along the sidings/yard north of the frog.

[Engineer Spike]

There is a strange track alignment in Plainville, on the Canal main. I have asked on other New Haven forums, but not gotten an answer. A northbound movement crosses the Highland. Near the old freight house, the yard tracks begin, which are parallel to the Canal main. The first switch is for track #6 (first track east of the main). The strange thing is that the straight route through the switch is for track 6. The main diverges to the left. This makes me wonder if there was some holdover from when there may have been more tracks.