Connecticut Central started life as a for-profit division of the Valley Railroad (steam train out of Essex,CT). Eventually it came into its own, using a small group of full and part-time employees.

I was fortunate enough to have been one of the part-time employees, certifed as a conductor on the Valley Branch, Laurel Branch and the Middletown Branch (and Cedar Hill Yard).

The experience shall long be remembered, even though Connecticut Central has now become another fallen flag.

This page shows some of the events, places and history of the Connecticut Central Railroad.

See The Changing

Faces of the #53

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a larger view

This is a picture of the Middletown Swing Bridge sometime in the 1950's. The gentleman sitting next to the cabin is my late grandfather, Thomas Maher. He was one of  the bridge tenders for the New Haven Railroad.

The Connecticut Central operated this bridge to bring freight to Portland. I had the opportunity to sit in my grandfather's seat and swing the bridge in his memory.

The bridge as it appears today. The State of CT, CT Central and the P&W have all put lots of money and time into improving the superstructure and mechanics of the old girl. P&W atill runs one train a day over the river to Portland. There are currently two companies that receive freight. One is a large cardboard coontainer manufacturer and the other is a construction demolition company. TILCON runs a large plant just off the main line in Portland it may one day bring stone and other materials from Reed's Gap Quarry to Portland via rail. Reed's Gap presently handles many stone cars that go south through Cedar Hill.

Inset taken from cab of CCCL#36. Russ St. John is bridge tender this day.

Above: Here are US Army GP 10's, 4601 and 4602. The Army Reserve unit used them to train on our railroad. We also used them,at times, in our freight service since the road to Cedar Hill was rather hilly. I believe that they are now stationed at the Pioneer Valley Railroad in Mass.

HISTORY OF THE #53

History: Built 5/54 as T&NO 283, transferred to SP as 5893, renumbered to 3422, then 3010, finally 3191, sold to Conn. Central as their 53, then to P&W as1802.

Now sold to the Housatonic Railroad.

Photo by Mike Rooks

Aug, 1998

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a larger view

GP9 #53. Bought in 1994 from the SP.

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CCCL  ALCO S-4 #36 smoking it up as it pulls a drag up the hill on the Berlin Branch.

Photographed by Thomas Mik, June 12, 1995.

Here are some pictures of the CT. Central #36. It was sold to the Ontario Midland Railroad, who restored it.

HISTORY:  ALCO S-4 1953 80941 ex Conn Central 36 exx G&W 36 and 1776, exxx NYC 8655, exxxx P&LE 8655 - recently restored by OMID and repainted in Dale Earnhardt inspired style. 

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Inside the cab of #36. Engineer Steve Loomis at the controls. Conductor Rob "Bubba" McDonald on the right. I was brakeman this day.

Heading (railroad) south on the Middletown Branch (Airline) to interchange with CONRAIL.

Left Photo: Passing under Main Street Middletown

Right Photo: Southbound at FIELD

Not all railroading is romantic. One of our daily duties was the shipment of 40,000 gallons of sewer sludge from the Middletown treatment plant to the Mattabassett treatment plant in Cromwell. We had to hook up the hoses to the tank cars and open the valves and car-top hatches. We then had to go into the treatment plant and take samples of the sludge in small plastic jars, lable them and bring them to the office.

This train was affectionately called the "PooPoo Choo Choo" and the "Sewer Chief"

Left Photo: A.J. Belliveau's RS-1 (ex NH) on lease to CCCL.

Right Photo: CCCL #36

R.Niesyn photo

Northbound on the Valley Line for the first time in almost 20 years. I am standing on the front right of the #0670 as we INCH our way toward Cromwell. The track was in such degraded condition that we had to walk it . The lovomotive only did about 2 MPH from the Mattabasset swith to Cromwell center. A.J. Belliveau is walking on the left of the picture and Dick Peppin in on the right. The engineer was Steve Loomis. This picture was taken at the South Street UGB on 9-20-91.

Below: NX-1 returning from Cedar Hill with a large consist and utilizing the two Army locomotives for additional power.

The #36 as it looked when we bought it from the G&W

The CCCL #1201  RS-3M changing appearance.

from the

collection of

Joseph Testagrose (em)

CCCL #1201 - shoving NX-1 back to the quadrant switch.

CCCL #1201 - on Engine track #7, Middletown, CT

Below: The many faces of the AMTRAK #104

History of the CCCL #1201:

~Built in May, 1951 for the New York Central Railroad, builder #78862.~

~ Former New York Central Locomotive #8246 and then #5246.~        ~ Former Penn Central Locomotive #5246 ~

~ Former Amtrak Locomotive #104.,Short hood lowered ("chop-nosed") and re-motored with EMD diesel engine by Amtrak shops, 1984. (CCCL General Manager Bob Bass has an active part of this project)

~ Former Shoreline Locomotive #6055 ~.                                 ~ Former Connecticut Central Locomotive #1201 ~

~Former Providence & Worcester Locomotive #120 ~

~ Now back at the Cape Cod RR as #1201 ~

Here it is as the

NYC #5246

CCCL #1201   RS - 3M

ALCO S-4  #36