SGC-CT062-062 · Research edition September 12, 2026
A selected, source-based research collection for New Haven and Fairfield counties. Includes credited photographs where reusable images were located, historical interpretation and links to supporting records. It is a growing inventory, not an exhaustive survey. Photographs retain their individual dates and reuse terms; images do not establish present access conditions.
The story in pictures
Abandoned railroad bridge over Washington Avenue in Waterbury, March 2023
Taken on 26 March 2023
An abandoned railroad bridge over Washington Avenue in Waterbury, seen in March 2023.
MW&CR trestle over the Waterbury Branch, March 2023
Taken on 26 March 2023
Abandoned Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle over Railroad Hill Street (out of frame to the left) and the Waterbury Branch, seen in March 2023
Supports of MW&CR trestle in Waterbury, March 2023
Taken on 26 March 2023
Supports of the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle in Waterbury, seen in March 2023. The wooden trestle remained in use until the 1990s.
Wooded former railroad alignment near Russett Lane. A dirt trail follows the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad off Russett Lane in Middletown.
West abutment where the railroad crossed the Canal Line
2023-03-26
Masonry abutment beside the Canal Line trail. The west abutment marks the former railroad's crossing above the Canal Line, now the Farmington Canal Trail.
The Meriden and Cromwell portion opened in 1885, with an extension to Waterbury in 1888. The route became part of a changing network of competing and consolidated railroad companies. A railroad’s corporate history and the survival of its physical track are different kinds of chronology. [CT062-S01]
The Meriden–East Farms portion was abandoned in 1924, while remaining Waterbury trackage lasted until 1994. Modern photographs show bridge and trestle remnants from the later-surviving section. These structures must be distinguished from the active Waterbury Branch visible nearby. [CT062-S01]
The 1885 Meriden–Cromwell opening and 1888 extension to Waterbury made a connected route, but later abandonment did not occur everywhere at once. The Meriden–East Farms portion ended in 1924, while remaining Waterbury trackage lasted until 1994. A single closing date would erase that difference and misdate the evidence visible in later photographs. [CT062-S01]
Bridge and trestle remnants show how a route can remain legible after tracks cease to carry trains. Their location matters, especially where an active railway lies nearby. A current photograph of rails or a bridge cannot be assigned to the abandoned company without geographical and documentary support. [CT062-S01]
MW&CR trestle over the Waterbury Branch, March 2023
Abandoned Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle over Railroad Hill Street (out of frame to the left) and the Waterbury Branch, seen in March 2023
Supports of MW&CR trestle in Waterbury, March 2023
Supports of the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle in Waterbury, seen in March 2023. The wooden trestle remained in use until the 1990s.
Wooded former railroad alignment near Russett Lane. A dirt trail follows the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad off Russett Lane in Middletown.
West abutment where the railroad crossed the Canal Line
Masonry abutment beside the Canal Line trail. The west abutment marks the former railroad's crossing above the Canal Line, now the Farmington Canal Trail.
Includes source text where acquired. Source websites require an internet connection. OCR may contain errors; verify names and dates against the scan.
6 catalog entries
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CT062-S01 · Sources & research leads · Source reviewed September 2026
MW&CR Railroad: route chronology and bibliography
Supporting source for the collection’s history, chronology and research notes. Bridgework in Waterbury preserves traces of a railroad that disappeared in stages.
External source; the full publication remains with its publisher. The archive provides an original educational summary and a link. See the collection history for the claims supported by this record.
Abandoned railroad bridge over Washington Avenue in Waterbury, March 2023
An abandoned railroad bridge over Washington Avenue in Waterbury, seen in March 2023.
Reuse permitted under CC BY-SA 4.0; credit the creator, link the license, and identify changes. Adapted images must be shared under the same license. Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image.
Credit: Pi.1415926535 / CC BY-SA 4.0. Cite SGC SGC-CT062-062, CT062-P01, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT062-P02 · Photographs · Taken on 26 March 2023
MW&CR trestle over the Waterbury Branch, March 2023
Abandoned Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle over Railroad Hill Street (out of frame to the left) and the Waterbury Branch, seen in March 2023
Reuse permitted under CC BY-SA 4.0; credit the creator, link the license, and identify changes. Adapted images must be shared under the same license. Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image.
Credit: Pi.1415926535 / CC BY-SA 4.0. Cite SGC SGC-CT062-062, CT062-P02, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT062-P03 · Photographs · Taken on 26 March 2023
Supports of MW&CR trestle in Waterbury, March 2023
Supports of the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad trestle in Waterbury, seen in March 2023. The wooden trestle remained in use until the 1990s.
Reuse permitted under CC BY-SA 4.0; credit the creator, link the license, and identify changes. Adapted images must be shared under the same license. Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image.
Credit: Pi.1415926535 / CC BY-SA 4.0. Cite SGC SGC-CT062-062, CT062-P03, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-016 · Photographs · 2023-03-24
Railroad alignment off Russett Lane
Wooded former railroad alignment near Russett Lane. A dirt trail follows the former Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad off Russett Lane in Middletown.
Municipality is Middletown, not Meriden. Source establishes exact historical alignment; pixels show path corridor. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 4.0 (also offered under GFDL; select CC).
Credit: Pi.1415926535 / Wikimedia Commons (see source page for original provenance). Cite SGC SGC-CT062-062, ED-H2-HT-SP-016, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-H2-HT-SP-017 · Photographs · 2023-03-26
West abutment where the railroad crossed the Canal Line
Masonry abutment beside the Canal Line trail. The west abutment marks the former railroad's crossing above the Canal Line, now the Farmington Canal Trail.
Modern remains, not an intact railroad bridge. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 4.0 (also GFDL; select CC).
