Middlesex COUNTY · Railroads & travel
The Connecticut Valley Railroad
From commercial rail service along the river to preserved steam operation.
Historical focus · 1868–1999
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The story in photographs
circa 1907–1915
Chester railroad station — historical postcard
Chester railroad station — historical postcard
Image credit & source
Historical postcard / Wikimedia Commons; original creator not identified
Public domain
Original source · Reuse terms_station_postcard.JPG){kind=link}
3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms3 September 2011
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Steam train, Essex, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse termsTHE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPHS
People, places, and change.
A railway beside the river, 1868–1871
The Connecticut Valley Railroad received its charter in 1868 for a route between Old Saybrook and Hartford. Construction began at Higganum by April 1870, and passenger operation followed in July 1871. The new line offered an alternative to river steamboats and linked the lower valley more directly to the state capital. [1]
Stations and changing travel
The line carried passengers and freight through a chain of river towns. Later railroad investment improved track, equipment and stations. As automobiles became common, regular passenger demand declined; passenger service ended in 1933. Period station views help identify the places where this regional transportation system met village life. [1]
Preservation, 1969–1971
Connecticut acquired the rail corridor in 1969. In 1971, the Valley Railroad Company received a long lease to operate the Essex Steam Train. The preserved railway gave part of the former commercial route a new role. The modern steam-train photographs in this collection document that heritage operation and are labeled with their later dates. [1] [2]
Keep the sources close.
Download this collection’s notes, timeline and image credits. Photographs link to their original archives and require an internet connection.
Building dates and photograph dates are recorded separately. Later photographs are identified in their captions; unknown exposure dates remain unknown. Follow each image’s credit and reuse terms.