Danbury freight operations

I'm somewhat new to the New Haven and have a question about operations in Danbury. The yard, from what I've seen in old photos, appeared to be a large team yard, with access driveways and a freighthouse. Were freights ever classifed from Danbury, or in other words, was Danbury ever the point of origin of any freight trains? Thanks in advance.

There were several freight trains originating and terminating in Danbury through the years; up the Berkshire Line, up the Shepaug Line, down to the Harlem River Terminal in the Bronx, etc. Give me the era in which you are interested in and I can list the trains based on New Haven RR freight schedule booklets that I have in my collection.

Leroy Beaujon (former NH RR employee)
Roseville, CA

Thanks for the reply. I'm not interested in any particular period, but let's see what the 1940s looked like. Was there a lot of local industry in Danbury? I remember reading about the hat factories. The yard just doesn't look like a classification yard, I'm a little surprised to hear that they dispatched freights. Also, was there ever an "industrial district" near the yard with industrial sidings or just the team yard. Again, thanks in advance.

From a freight schedule book that I have for Sep., 1946 there were three symbol freights out of Danbury and two in to Danbury. Outbound from Danbury was RH-1 which left daily at 8:30pm to Harlem River arriving there at 12:20am. Another was QH-3 which ran daily except Sat. out of Danbury at 1:30am to Oak Point arriving there at 4:45am. The third was EI-2 which was a daily operation leaving Danbury at 1:20am and arriving at State Line (MA/NY) at 6:45 am where the cars were transferred to the B&A. - - Inbound to Danbury was IE-1 which left State Line daily at 7:00pm and getting to Danbury at 10:30pm. The other was HQ-4 which ran except Sat. out of Oak Point at 9:15pm and getting to Danbury at 12:10am. It also carried cars out of Harlem River to Danbury which were shuttled over to Oak Point by local service. - - In addition, there were three local freights originating in Danbury daily except Sundays. One was out of Danbury at 7:00am going up the Berkshire Line as far as Canaan (also served Lakeville). Another was out of Danbury at 7:30am which served the line to Litchfield and also to Southbury. The third was out of Danbury at 8:00am that went to South Norwalk and back. - - - You are right about Danbury not being that much of a classification yard; however, all of the above trains were handled without too many problems occurring each day. As for local industries in and around Danbury itself; having never worked directly there during my time on the New Haven, I can't really help you much with that aspect of things. My impression was that Danbury was more of a transfer of freight type yard rather than an originating or terminating yard for freight business. - - I hope this information helps somewhat for what you are seeking.

Leroy Beaujon
Roseville, CA

I grew up in Danbury in the 50s, when the hatting industry was beginning to die but was still quite active. A couple of the biggest hat shops were located railside: Mallory's on the Maybook Line and Lee's on the Norwalk Line. Both of those had coal trestle sidings (Mallory's, stoutly built of steel and concrete, is still there!). A couple of large fur shops, Empire and Federal, were located alongside the Norwalk line but oddly neither had sidings.

Other industries on the Norwalk Line were: McCarthy Coal Co. located just around the loop from the passenger station (and exactly on the site of the current Metro North station parking lot) was a huge coal shed and at one time had been two coal sheds; Sperry Rail Service --- perhaps not a rail customer in the usual sense but they did and still do maintain a siding; Preferred Utilities, right across the track from Sperry; Swift Premium meats reached by a long siding off the station loop track.

Other industries on the Maybrook west of the station were: Omaha Beef, still in business but has not used rail for years; a grocery wholesaler whose name escapes me located just west of the Main St. crossing; and --- let's not forget --- the Great Danbury Fair which received live livestock (for display purposes!!) during annual fair week as well as an occasional passenger special move; Danbury Block & Supply Co. west of Fair Grounds (on the site of present Stop & Shop supermarket). There may have been customers out in Mill Plain that I can't recall.

North of the station on the Berkshire was Stavola Scrap Iron (on the site of current Waste Management) and one of the McLachlan Hat shops just across the tracks from the engine terminal area.

As you yourself noted there were active team tracks serving most hat and fur shops that were not located railside.

Those are my thoughts at the moment. I have not mentioned Bethel (3 miles south of Danbury going toward Norwalk) which also had some healthy freight business then.

Leroy & Tom, thanks for the info.

Great info! Do you or anyone else know details of the industries served along the Danbury branch during that era? Which jobs served them and when they operated?

Industries along the Danbury Br. in the 50s (including, don't forget, the Ridgefield Branch) is actually a pretty good list. I will mull on this and post what I can recall. I wouldn't know the names of all the customers in Norwalk but I can probably name some. The "Dock local" that served the branch had a lot of work.

Thanks Tom!
My good friend and museum co-member Dave 'Diz' Squires was the freight agent there (Dock Yard) through the 40's-60's. Your probably aquainted w/ him. The south end local out of Dock Yard went as far as Wilton,and the Wilson Point spur. The equivalent Danbury job served the wire mill in Georgetown. Norwalk Lock had a spur right down the middle of the street and under the mainline where the Maritime Museum is today. Dock Yard was primarily a team track type of yard like Danbury for all the local non rail customers.
Wilton still had a team track stub next to the parking lot until Metro North did their big upgrades in 84-85. Devine and King Industries had active spurs into the early 80's, Caldors' distribution center (Norwalk Mills?), and there were several other industries in north/central Norwalk so far gone now only former New Haven employees would know. Some remains of spurs still there, but the buildings and industries are gone or changed. Those I'm in the dark about. As well as the factories between Bethel and Danbury . It would be a pretty obscure find, but you never know what photos turn up sometimes.