Central New England Railway
Encyclopedia
The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut
and Springfield, Massachusetts
west across northern Connecticut
and across the Hudson River
on the Poughkeepsie Bridge
to Maybrook, New York
. It was part of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route
, an alliance between railroads for a passenger route from Washington
to Boston, and was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
in 1904.
west to the New York
state line, where it would meet the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad just east of Millerton, New York
. The line was completed December 21, 1871; the previous month the company had leased the easternmost bit of the D&C to gain access to the New York and Harlem Railroad
at Millerton. The company also bought the short Tariffville Branch of the New Haven and Northampton Company, from Simsbury, Connecticut
northeast to Tariffville
, and incorporated it into its main line. The only branch was a very short one south into Collinsville. The Connecticut Western went bankrupt on April 27, 1880, and on March 31, 1881 it was reorganized as the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad.
In the meantime, the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
was organized in New York
on June 29, 1870 to build from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River
east to the Connecticut
state line to join the Connecticut Western. The line opened to the public on April 14, 1875, running from Rhinecliff east to Boston Corners, New York
. From Boston Corners to the state line, the R&C obtained trackage rights
over the track of the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, which junctioned with the Connecticut Western and Dutchess and Columbia at the state line.
On July 1, 1882 the Hartford and Connecticut Western bought the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
, giving it a line from Hartford to the Hudson River
. The Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad, the successor to the Poughkeepsie and Eastern, went bankrupt in the 1880s, and on January 26, 1884 the H&CW outright bought the line east of Boston Corners that it had operated under trackage rights.
south of Albany to replace the numerous car float
operations. One of the most persistent was originally chartered in 1868 as the Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge Company, and would have crossed from Anthony's Nose
to Fort Clinton, now roughly the site of the Bear Mountain Bridge
.
The proposal that ended up being built was the Poughkeepsie Bridge
at Poughkeepsie. The Poughkeepsie Bridge Company was chartered in June 1871 to build the bridge, and the first train crossed the bridge on December 29, 1888. The Hudson Connecting Railroad was chartered in 1887 to build southwest from the bridge, and around the same time the Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad was chartered to continue the line northeast from Poughkeepsie. The bridge company had hoped to acquire the Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad, but was unable to, and so chartered the P&C to run parallel, ending at the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad at Silvernails
. The connections were not completed until 1889, and on July 22 the two approaches merged to form the Central New England and Western Railroad. That same year the CNE&W leased the Hartford and Connecticut Western, giving it a route from Hartford all the way across the Hudson River
to Maybrook and Campbell Hall, New York. Maybrook/Campbell Hall soon became a major junction point for many railroads transferring cars to the CNE&W. The Delaware and New England Railroad was also formed in 1889 as a holding company
to own the CNE&W and Poughkeepsie Bridge Company.
In April 1890 the CNE&W chartered the Dutchess County Railroad to run southeast from the east end of the bridge in Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction, the west end of the New York and New England Railroad
at the Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
. The line opened May 8, 1892, giving the NY&NE a route to the bridge. Between 1910 and 1915 the CNE would acquire trackage rights
east over the former NY&NE to Danbury, Connecticut
.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railway bought the CNE&W and Poughkeepsie Bridge Company from the D&NE in January 1892, momentarily extending the Reading's influence to New England
via the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston Railroad. The two companies merged on August 1, 1892 to form the Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad. However, the Reading couldn't handle its new acquisitions, and the PR&NE defaulted on its interest payments in May 1893. The final reorganization came on January 12, 1899 with the formation of the Central New England Railway.
north to the Boston and Albany Railroad
at Agawam Junction in West Springfield, Massachusetts
. From West Springfield to Springfield, trackage rights
were obtained over the B&A. The branch opened in 1903 and was leased to the CNE. (The part in Massachusetts
had previously been incorporated May 16, 1856 as the Springfield and Farmington Valley Railroad.)
In 1904 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
acquired control of the CNE, but continued to operate it separately, but the lease of the Dutchess County Railroad was assigned to the NYNH&H on December 1. The Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
and Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
, acquired by the NYNH&H in 1905 and 1907, were both assigned to the CNE and merged into it June 25, 1907 (along with the Dutchess County Railroad). The ND&C gave the CNE a route from Millerton southwest to the Hudson River
at Beacon, intersecting the Dutchess County at Hopewell Junction, and the P&E ran parallel to the main line from Boston Corners
southwest to Poughkeepsie.
In 1910 the main line was abandoned in favor of the parallel Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
from Pine Plains, New York southwest to Salt Point
(where the two lines had crossed). The P&E used trackage of the Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
(also merged into the CNE in 1907) from Pine Plains southwest to Stissing. Connections were built at both ends of the abandonment.
In 1921 the Massachusetts
part of the Springfield Branch (the East Granby and Suffield Railroad) was abandoned after less than 20 years of operation. The former Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
was abandoned from Ancram
Lead Mines northeast to Boston Corners
in 1925; along with the concurrent abandonment of part of the former Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad to the south, the old Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad and Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
was the only remaining route of three from Pine Plains to Connecticut
. On January 1, 1927 the CNE was finally merged into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
, ending its independent operation.
to Hopewell Junction. In 1932 the former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
was abandoned from Copake
(north of Boston Corners) southeast to the state line, cutting the CNE in two. In 1938 came many more abandonments. The main line was closed from East Canaan east to Tariffville, along with the rest of the Springfield Branch (the East Granby and Suffield Railroad). The whole main line and former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
were abandoned northeast and east from Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff, as well as the parallel Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
, and the main line from the state line east to Lakeville. In 1940 the main line from East Canaan to Canaan was closed, and in 1965 abandonment came to the line between Lakeville and Canaan.
The Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad was owned by the NYNH&H through the CNE, but was not merged into the NYNH&H by the mid-1930s when the NYNH&H went bankrupt. On December 31, 1937 the H&CW filed a reorganization plan. After a long reorganization, the H&CW was merged into the NYNH&H on September 18, 1947 (along with the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
and Old Colony Railroad
); by then all of the H&CW but the easternmost section had been abandoned.
At the time of the 1969 merger of the NYNH&H into Penn Central, all that was left of the CNE was the westernmost section, from Maybrook over the Poughkeepsie Bridge
and southeast along the Dutchess County Railroad to the former New York and New England Railroad
, as well as the easternmost portion, turned into an industrial spur (the Griffins Secondary Track) to the northern part of Bloomfield from Hartford. The westernmost section was part of the Maybrook Branch, continuing east over the former NY&NE and other lines to Derby. With the 1974 closure of the Poughkeepsie Bridge, the Maybrook Branch was abandoned west of Hopewell Junction, currently being turned into the Dutchess Rail Trail
. In 1976 the remaining line became part of Conrail. The Connecticut Department of Transportation
acquired it at some point, and in January 1999 the Central New England Railroad
acquired the 8.7 mile (14 km) Griffins Industrial Track.
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
west across northern Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
on the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
to Maybrook, New York
Maybrook, New York
Maybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,084 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
. It was part of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route
Poughkeepsie Bridge Route
The Poughkeepsie Bridge Route was a passenger train route from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts, via Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, an alliance between railroads for a passenger route from Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to Boston, and was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
in 1904.
Hartford west: 1868-1889
The Connecticut Western Railroad was chartered June 25, 1868 to run from Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
west to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line, where it would meet the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad just east of Millerton, New York
Millerton, New York
Millerton is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 925 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
. The line was completed December 21, 1871; the previous month the company had leased the easternmost bit of the D&C to gain access to the New York and Harlem Railroad
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
at Millerton. The company also bought the short Tariffville Branch of the New Haven and Northampton Company, from Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
northeast to Tariffville
Tariffville, Connecticut
Tariffville is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Simsbury in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is a popular location for whitewater paddlers who use the Farmington River...
, and incorporated it into its main line. The only branch was a very short one south into Collinsville. The Connecticut Western went bankrupt on April 27, 1880, and on March 31, 1881 it was reorganized as the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad.
In the meantime, the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
was organized in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on June 29, 1870 to build from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
east to the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state line to join the Connecticut Western. The line opened to the public on April 14, 1875, running from Rhinecliff east to Boston Corners, New York
Boston Corners, New York
Boston Corner is a hamlet of the town of Ancram in Columbia County, New York, United States and the town of Northeast in Dutchess County, New York...
. From Boston Corners to the state line, the R&C obtained trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the track of the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, which junctioned with the Connecticut Western and Dutchess and Columbia at the state line.
On July 1, 1882 the Hartford and Connecticut Western bought the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
, giving it a line from Hartford to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. The Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad, the successor to the Poughkeepsie and Eastern, went bankrupt in the 1880s, and on January 26, 1884 the H&CW outright bought the line east of Boston Corners that it had operated under trackage rights.
Poughkeepsie Bridge: 1871-1899
Over the years, many plans had been made for a fixed span across the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
south of Albany to replace the numerous car float
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...
operations. One of the most persistent was originally chartered in 1868 as the Hudson Highland Suspension Bridge Company, and would have crossed from Anthony's Nose
Anthony's Nose (Westchester)
Anthony's Nose is a peak along the Hudson River at the north end of Westchester County, New York.- Topography :Anthony's Nose, together with Dunderberg Mountain, comprises the South Gate of the Hudson Highlands...
to Fort Clinton, now roughly the site of the Bear Mountain Bridge
Bear Mountain Bridge
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, carrying U.S. Highways 202 and 6 across the Hudson River between Rockland and Westchester counties...
.
The proposal that ended up being built was the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
at Poughkeepsie. The Poughkeepsie Bridge Company was chartered in June 1871 to build the bridge, and the first train crossed the bridge on December 29, 1888. The Hudson Connecting Railroad was chartered in 1887 to build southwest from the bridge, and around the same time the Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad was chartered to continue the line northeast from Poughkeepsie. The bridge company had hoped to acquire the Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad, but was unable to, and so chartered the P&C to run parallel, ending at the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad at Silvernails
Silvernails, New York
Silvernails, New York is the site of a railroad junction between the former Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad and Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad. It is located just outside Pine Plains; an old railroad station still stands at the site....
. The connections were not completed until 1889, and on July 22 the two approaches merged to form the Central New England and Western Railroad. That same year the CNE&W leased the Hartford and Connecticut Western, giving it a route from Hartford all the way across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to Maybrook and Campbell Hall, New York. Maybrook/Campbell Hall soon became a major junction point for many railroads transferring cars to the CNE&W. The Delaware and New England Railroad was also formed in 1889 as a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
to own the CNE&W and Poughkeepsie Bridge Company.
In April 1890 the CNE&W chartered the Dutchess County Railroad to run southeast from the east end of the bridge in Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction, the west end of the New York and New England Railroad
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
at the Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, originally the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad, was a link in the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system in New York state.-History:...
. The line opened May 8, 1892, giving the NY&NE a route to the bridge. Between 1910 and 1915 the CNE would acquire trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
east over the former NY&NE to Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railway bought the CNE&W and Poughkeepsie Bridge Company from the D&NE in January 1892, momentarily extending the Reading's influence to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
via the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston Railroad. The two companies merged on August 1, 1892 to form the Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad. However, the Reading couldn't handle its new acquisitions, and the PR&NE defaulted on its interest payments in May 1893. The final reorganization came on January 12, 1899 with the formation of the Central New England Railway.
Central New England Railway: 1899-1927
The East Granby and Suffield Railroad was incorporated in 1901 to build a branch from Tariffville, ConnecticutTariffville, Connecticut
Tariffville is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Simsbury in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is a popular location for whitewater paddlers who use the Farmington River...
north to the Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
at Agawam Junction in West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield, Massachusetts
The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census...
. From West Springfield to Springfield, trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
were obtained over the B&A. The branch opened in 1903 and was leased to the CNE. (The part in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
had previously been incorporated May 16, 1856 as the Springfield and Farmington Valley Railroad.)
In 1904 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
acquired control of the CNE, but continued to operate it separately, but the lease of the Dutchess County Railroad was assigned to the NYNH&H on December 1. The Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, originally the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad, was a link in the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system in New York state.-History:...
and Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway was the first railroad to run east from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was taken over by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and assigned to the Central New England Railway in 1907.-History:...
, acquired by the NYNH&H in 1905 and 1907, were both assigned to the CNE and merged into it June 25, 1907 (along with the Dutchess County Railroad). The ND&C gave the CNE a route from Millerton southwest to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Beacon, intersecting the Dutchess County at Hopewell Junction, and the P&E ran parallel to the main line from Boston Corners
Boston Corners, New York
Boston Corner is a hamlet of the town of Ancram in Columbia County, New York, United States and the town of Northeast in Dutchess County, New York...
southwest to Poughkeepsie.
In 1910 the main line was abandoned in favor of the parallel Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway was the first railroad to run east from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was taken over by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and assigned to the Central New England Railway in 1907.-History:...
from Pine Plains, New York southwest to Salt Point
Salt Point, New York
Salt Point is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York Route 115, the Salt Point Turnpike. East of Salt Point, the Taconic State Parkway allows for easy access from many of the surrounding towns and communities with easy travel to...
(where the two lines had crossed). The P&E used trackage of the Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, originally the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad, was a link in the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system in New York state.-History:...
(also merged into the CNE in 1907) from Pine Plains southwest to Stissing. Connections were built at both ends of the abandonment.
In 1921 the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
part of the Springfield Branch (the East Granby and Suffield Railroad) was abandoned after less than 20 years of operation. The former Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway was the first railroad to run east from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was taken over by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and assigned to the Central New England Railway in 1907.-History:...
was abandoned from Ancram
Ancram, New York
Ancram, New York is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,513 at the 2000 census. The town was named after a location in Scotland.The Town of Ancram is in the eastern part of the county.- History :...
Lead Mines northeast to Boston Corners
Boston Corners, New York
Boston Corner is a hamlet of the town of Ancram in Columbia County, New York, United States and the town of Northeast in Dutchess County, New York...
in 1925; along with the concurrent abandonment of part of the former Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad to the south, the old Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad and Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
was the only remaining route of three from Pine Plains to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. On January 1, 1927 the CNE was finally merged into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
, ending its independent operation.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and successors: 1927-
The CNE had the steepest grades of the various east-west routes of the NYNH&H, and most bridge traffic was routed via the former New York and New England RailroadNew York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
to Hopewell Junction. In 1932 the former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
was abandoned from Copake
Copake, New York
Copake is a town in Columbia County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 3,278 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name from a lake, which was known to the natives as Cook-pake, or Ack-kook-peek, meaning "Snake Pond." The town borders Taconic State Park.The Town of...
(north of Boston Corners) southeast to the state line, cutting the CNE in two. In 1938 came many more abandonments. The main line was closed from East Canaan east to Tariffville, along with the rest of the Springfield Branch (the East Granby and Suffield Railroad). The whole main line and former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
were abandoned northeast and east from Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff, as well as the parallel Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway was the first railroad to run east from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was taken over by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and assigned to the Central New England Railway in 1907.-History:...
, and the main line from the state line east to Lakeville. In 1940 the main line from East Canaan to Canaan was closed, and in 1965 abandonment came to the line between Lakeville and Canaan.
The Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad was owned by the NYNH&H through the CNE, but was not merged into the NYNH&H by the mid-1930s when the NYNH&H went bankrupt. On December 31, 1937 the H&CW filed a reorganization plan. After a long reorganization, the H&CW was merged into the NYNH&H on September 18, 1947 (along with the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
The Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad was a railroad in Rhode Island connecting the city of Providence with Bristol, Rhode Island. It formed in 1854 by a consolidation of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad Companies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island...
and Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
); by then all of the H&CW but the easternmost section had been abandoned.
At the time of the 1969 merger of the NYNH&H into Penn Central, all that was left of the CNE was the westernmost section, from Maybrook over the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
and southeast along the Dutchess County Railroad to the former New York and New England Railroad
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
, as well as the easternmost portion, turned into an industrial spur (the Griffins Secondary Track) to the northern part of Bloomfield from Hartford. The westernmost section was part of the Maybrook Branch, continuing east over the former NY&NE and other lines to Derby. With the 1974 closure of the Poughkeepsie Bridge, the Maybrook Branch was abandoned west of Hopewell Junction, currently being turned into the Dutchess Rail Trail
Dutchess Rail Trail
The Dutchess Rail Trail is a rail trail that stretches from Poughkeepsie east and south to Hopewell Junction. It occupies the right-of-way of the former Central New England Railway's abandoned Maybrook Line....
. In 1976 the remaining line became part of Conrail. The Connecticut Department of Transportation
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
acquired it at some point, and in January 1999 the Central New England Railroad
Central New England Railroad
The Central New England Railroad is a railroad in and near Hartford, Connecticut. It began operations in 1995 on former Conrail trackage.The line currently operates two sections of track: The 8.7 mile former Griffin Secondary from Hartford Union Station northwest to industrial areas in Bloomfield,...
acquired the 8.7 mile (14 km) Griffins Industrial Track.