{
  "slug": "old-saybrook-railroad-junction",
  "title": "Old Saybrook: a railroad junction",
  "towns": [
    "Old Saybrook"
  ],
  "counties": [
    "Middlesex"
  ],
  "dateRange": "1871–1999",
  "topic": "Railroads & travel",
  "summary": "A station, interlocking tower and the work of moving trains safely through a junction.",
  "history": [
    {
      "heading": "Two routes meet",
      "text": "The Connecticut Valley Railroad opened its route toward Hartford in 1871. At Old Saybrook it met the coastal railroad, turning the town into a junction. The depot’s angled plan accommodated the separate lines and platforms while allowing passengers to share a waiting room. Its shape preserves the practical geography of that interchange.",
      "source_ids": [
        "amtrak"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "The interlocking tower, about 1912",
      "text": "A new tower replaced one destroyed in a derailment around 1912. From its upper floor, an operator used a bank of levers to control switches and signals. Mechanical interlocking helped prevent conflicting train movements. The tower is evidence of railway safety work that usually remains outside a passenger’s view.",
      "source_ids": [
        "tower"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "A twentieth-century station landscape",
      "text": "The federal survey documents the depot’s exterior, waiting room and surrounding tracks, including changes associated with the 1930s. Photographs from 1977 record the older manual tower machinery. Each image is dated separately so that changing buildings, equipment and uses can be followed without blending periods.",
      "source_ids": [
        "depot",
        "tower"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "1871",
      "event": "The Connecticut Valley line connects Old Saybrook with Hartford.",
      "source_ids": [
        "amtrak"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "About 1912",
      "event": "The surviving interlocking tower is built.",
      "source_ids": [
        "tower"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "About 1936",
      "event": "The federal survey identifies a phase of work on the depot.",
      "source_ids": [
        "depot"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "amtrak",
      "title": "Amtrak — Old Saybrook station history",
      "url": "https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/old-saybrook-ct-osb/"
    },
    {
      "id": "tower",
      "title": "HABS — Old Saybrook Interlocking Tower historical report",
      "url": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0646/data/ct0646data.pdf"
    },
    {
      "id": "depot",
      "title": "Library of Congress — Old Saybrook Railroad Station Depot",
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/item/ct0645/"
    }
  ],
  "images": [
    {
      "id": "fcf78c01744aa42634d2",
      "image": "/county-images/1600472de278f085ac942afc3bb9f6517e9d9e1f15c46afee6c38fee02dafb46.jpg",
      "title": "Detail of depot north elevation looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "Detail of depot north elevation looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded; survey documentation compiled after 1933",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0645.photos.378603p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Detail of depot north elevation looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0645/photos/378603pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "7a9d399d5f7bfb2e17a1",
      "image": "/county-images/09977819c9d7c4194cbb5b161fd53a102115720cdfabaf1ec57d2cd7cfff96c6.jpg",
      "title": "Detail of depot south elevation looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "Detail of depot south elevation looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded; survey documentation compiled after 1933",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0645.photos.378604p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Detail of depot south elevation looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0645/photos/378604pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "480b0a2607ffb80edf40",
      "image": "/county-images/f8d85e5eec2a8842147f20dfbbf322c6f14b4538fd9bab55d7af0c39a9af32a6.jpg",
      "title": "Interior, second floor, looking east showing interlocking machine - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "Interior, second floor, looking east showing interlocking machine - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0646.photos.378610p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Interior, second floor, looking east showing interlocking machine - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0646/photos/378610pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "786d41bd2f5727984930",
      "image": "/county-images/ee8eb78f8bc653afbe898223e709731dd612526013856e72b66a25c8f954362e.jpg",
      "title": "Interior, waiting room, looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "Interior, waiting room, looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0645.photos.378605p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Interior, waiting room, looking southeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0645/photos/378605pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "0835d6c5884dd4122dfa",
      "image": "/county-images/7c52851adafdec56442ac6710d87487136b0d6b59e6b7356ee0b9970c40084ac.jpg",
      "title": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "alt": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "date": "1977",
      "credit": "Jack Boucher / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Jack Boucher",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0338.photos.024126p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0338/photos/024126pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "e2559a64cfaafe58a771",
      "image": "/county-images/329b6891f7fa3edaa16cccc5fc67b0dd3eb77a5ca2818223109e544abc7d5b2f.jpg",
      "title": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "alt": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "date": "1977",
      "credit": "Jack Boucher / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Jack Boucher",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0338.photos.024127p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0338/photos/024127pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "ca1084f30e38c404a833",
      "image": "/county-images/c42d2357149c6f71ba076ca5f66204815169e220146317b638a71b9c1ae09f4a.jpg",
      "title": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "alt": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "date": "1977",
      "credit": "Jack Boucher / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Jack Boucher",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0338.photos.024129p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "Old Saybrook Mechanical Interlocking Tower. Old Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sec. 4209, MP 105.00. - Northeast Railroad Corridor, Amtrak Route between New York-Connecticut and Connecticut-Rhode Island State Lines, New Haven, New Haven County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0338/photos/024129pv.jpg"
    },
    {
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      "image": "/county-images/7b753ce54f5cb419f125676ce027bd7b1f5888e786ac7038f6bb806dcc420a1a.jpg",
      "title": "View looking east - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "View looking east - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0644.photos.378597p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "View looking east - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0644/photos/378597pv.jpg"
    },
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      "image": "/county-images/e8c7c5f3435078bd9702af02f76c215cf1ab1b150b20ef2de442e20b9ca33042.jpg",
      "title": "View looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "View looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0646.photos.378609p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "View looking northeast - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Interlocking Tower, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
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      "image": "/county-images/936d99ca13d389cd391d44c8024186009f5c81389a448e84f06540d1784276c6.jpg",
      "title": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0644.photos.378599p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
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    },
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      "image": "/county-images/ea5d03aca5dd7cc9889946f940704ac38920e4cb775f42c4bef333f0ab01cfe9.jpg",
      "title": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "Photograph date not recorded",
      "credit": "Creator not identified / Historic American Buildings Survey–Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Creator not identified",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0645.photos.378600p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.",
      "license": "Public domain",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "View looking south - Old Saybrook Railroad Station, Depot, 455 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0600/ct0645/photos/378600pv.jpg"
    }
  ]
}