Official Naugatuck Railroad thread (NAUG/RMNE)

[H.F.Malone]

2019 had a set of 16 new fuel injectors installed, the fuel racks set, and valve timing adjusted, all about 2 weeks ago.

2019 was hand-washed on Friday April 28, for the MBRRE trip.

[Noel Weaver]

I am glad the trip worked out good for you and probably everybody else as well. It was a good opportunity to ride an interesting and historic piece of railroad. I wish I could have been with you, I would have pointed out what was what in Torrington back when the line handled a lot of freight seven days a week. All gone today. Thanks for the photo.
Noel Weaver

[NortheastTrainGuy1965]

Where was the Stop in East Litchfield?

Has anyone heard if a Thomaston to Torrington tourist excursion might become a regular event? Even once a month on a weekend would be nice.

I realize the NVRR Torrington portion of the line is focused on freight but it would be awesome if RMNE could add a regular tourist excursion up to Torrington. I was so bummed I could not get tickets for this event.

The sights and sounds of a passenger excursion in Torrington was wonderful. One can only dream about the future.

[shadyjay]

The East Litchfield stop was at the former station site, adjacent to the CT 118 overpass.

Outside of the occasional transformer shipments, the only customer on the line is south of Thomaston. From what I gathered, there is very limited service on the line north of Thomaston Dam, though it is in good shape. We passed by a lot of businesses in Torrington that used to have freight service back in the day as evident by remains of former sidings, but a few of those factories are abandoned.

The line is scenic but under full leaf-out conditions, it wouldn't be as nice as the section south of the dam to the outskirts of Waterbury. It was pretty neat seeing the remnants of the old right of way and old Route 8 north of the dam. With the dam being built after the 1955(?) flood and the line relocated for a few miles to a higher grade, could this be the newest rail line in the state?

Here's my photo runby shot at Jericho Bridge...
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... otoindex=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NaugyRR]

I thought it was a great trip, and the weather was actually decent from what they were calling for. I was expecting some oppressive heat, but there was a nice breeze throughout the day. My window even managed to stay open for most of the trip, although she dropped and tested my reflexes a couple times on the ride back from Torrington, haha. It was kinda funny seeing the reception from the general public we received in Torrington; it was a mix of friendly waving to confused faces. I'm glad I went, and really enjoyed seeing the remaining industrial trackage in Torrington. Maybe sometime in the future the MBRRE could arrange a trip to run on Pan Am's trackage to Bristol, and possibly a run on the branch into Albert Brothers scrap in Waterbury.

[Ridgefielder]

The branch into Albert Bros. is the remaining stub of the Watertown Branch, correct?

[Otto Vondrak]

Has anyone heard if a Thomaston to Torrington tourist excursion might become a regular event?

No one has heard that. Have you?

-otto-

[shadyjay]

Link to the photos I took during the Mass Bay RRE excursion:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/ ... 0113611694" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And my photo runby compilation video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH6Ud8c_6Tg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NortheastTrainGuy1965]

Has anyone heard if a Thomaston to Torrington tourist excursion might become a regular event?

No one has heard that. Have you?

-otto-

No, I haven't heard anything. Just wishful thinking on my part.

Probably not a realistic venture for it to be a regular tourist excursion with the lack of scenic view during the summer, although a few fall foliage runs would be nice.

[NaugyRR]

I thought it was a great trip, and the weather was actually decent from what they were calling for. I was expecting some oppressive heat, but there was a nice breeze throughout the day. My window even managed to stay open for most of the trip, although she dropped and tested my reflexes a couple times on the ride back from Torrington, haha. It was kinda funny seeing the reception from the general public we received in Torrington; it was a mix of friendly waving to confused faces. I'm glad I went, and really enjoyed seeing the remaining industrial trackage in Torrington. Maybe sometime in the future the MBRRE could arrange a trip to run on Pan Am's trackage to Bristol, and possibly a run on the branch into Albert Brothers scrap in Waterbury.

The branch into Albert Bros. is the remaining stub of the Watertown Branch, correct?

I believe so, and I think it was mentioned over the intercom, which of course was spotty at times in my car during the trip, haha

[shadyjay]

I believe so, and I think it was mentioned over the intercom, which of course was spotty at times in my car during the trip, haha

There was a narration on the initial (Thomaston<->Waterbury) leg? My car (the first, SB, 4980) had none. It came on sometime after leaving Thomaston, NB. Prior to that, we were a little clueless about the initial photo runby, about 5 minutes out of the gate.

[H.F.Malone]

The very nice, printed trip handout done by MBRRE covered the details such as the stub to Albert Bros being the remaining portion of the old Watertown Branch, etc. A few PA system glitches were corrected during the trip, sometimes those things happen. At one point, there was commercial (FM) radio interference over the PA system. The first photo stop was just under a mile from Thomaston station, so communicating that stop was a bit iffy. Once the train stopped at The Patch, everyone figured it out quickly!

As for any regular, scheduled passenger operations to and from Torrington, those will be on a case-by-case basis for now. Watch the RMNE website http://www.rmne.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the RMNE Facebook page for any announcements of such trains.

This season will see some final bits of trackwork in Torrington, as well as a culvert replacement project just north of Chase Bridge. That project will eliminate a long-standing slow order over that culvert.

[NaugyRR]

...At one point, there was commercial (FM) radio interference over the PA system...

I dunno, I thought "Runaround Sue" was kind of a fitting coincidence during the reverse move for the first photo stop, haha.

[Scalziand]

It was pretty neat seeing the remnants of the old right of way and old Route 8 north of the dam. With the dam being built after the 1955(?) flood and the line relocated for a few miles to a higher grade, could this be the newest rail line in the state?

Not quite. The Thomaston dam was completed in 1960 after the '55 flood. However, the nearby Hancock Brook Dam in Plymouth was built 1963-1966 and required relocating 2 miles of the Highland branch. These two dams are part of a network of 7 flood control dams built in the Naugatuck River watershed after the flood.

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/ ... ock-Brook/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[FLRailFan1]

I am glad the trip worked out good for you and probably everybody else as well. It was a good opportunity to ride an interesting and historic piece of railroad. I wish I could have been with you, I would have pointed out what was what in Torrington back when the line handled a lot of freight seven days a week. All gone today. Thanks for the photo.
Noel Weaver

Noel, what was serviced in Torrington? I guess most were box cars? Am I correct? What businesses were served in Watertown? Thanks...