Connecticut Company
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut
, operating both city and rural trolley
s and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
(New Haven), which also controlled most steam railroad
s in the state. After 1936, when one of its major leases was dissolved, it continued operating streetcars and, increasingly, bus
es in certain Connecticut cities until 1976, when its assets were purchased by the state government.
, the New Haven controlled almost 90% of the steam railroad mileage in Connecticut. That same year, it gained control of its first street railway, the Stamford Street Railroad, on about April 1. That company, which operated local lines in the city of Stamford, was in bad shape financially, and the owners of a majority of its stocks and bonds, wishing to get rid of their investments, found a willing buyer in the New Haven. The second acquisition was also a local system, the Meriden Electric Railroad in Meriden, which the New Haven bought on October 18, 1895, from its president.
However, the next electric railway the New Haven gained control of was a long rural trolley line in eastern Connecticut. Sanderson & Porter, construction contractors, were building the People's Tramway between Danielson and Putnam, parallel to the New Haven-controlled Norwich and Worcester Railroad, and on September 18, 1899 the New Haven signed a contract with Sanderson & Porter to control the line. This agreement was modified on July 18, 1901, by which time Sanderson & Porter had gained control of the Worcester and Webster Street Railway and Webster and Dudley Street Railway in Massachusetts
, and subscribed to the stock of the Thompson Tramway, which planned to connect the two segments, thus forming a continuous line between Danielson and Worcester, Massachusetts
. Under the terms of this new agreement, the Thompson Tramway was renamed Worcester and Connecticut Eastern Railway on January 24, 1902, and later that year received the stocks of the three other companies, as well as the newly incorporated Danielson and Norwich Street Railway, which was to continue the line south to Norwich. The arrangement was completed on September 29, 1902, when the Worcester and Connecticut Eastern leased the two Massachusetts companies and acquired the property of the two Connecticut companies. Almost simultaneously the New Haven gained control of the line, which, after the completion of several segments in 1903, extended from Worcester south to Central Village, with branches in Connecticut from Elmville to East Killingly (where it connected with the Providence and Danielson Railway to Providence, Rhode Island
) and Central Village to Moosup.
The New Haven used this new acquisition as an initial corporate shell for its electric subsidiaries, renaming it Consolidated Railway on May 18, 1904, and transferring the property of the Meriden Electric to it later that month and the stock of the Stamford Street Railroad to it in October. In the meantime, the New Haven bought control of the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad and conveyed its property to the Consolidated in late May. This company served the city of New Haven and surrounding areas, including intercity lines, in conjunction with the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, to Bridgeport (connecting at Woodmont) and Derby, the latter completed in late 1903. The Stamford Street Railroad also, in late 1903, opened a connection with the Greenwich Tramway, thus completing the trolley link between New Haven and the New York
state line. The Wallingford Tramway was incorporated in 1903, and its unfinished property was conveyed to the Worcester and Connecticut Eastern on May 14, 1904, four days before the renaming. This company's line, from Wallingford south to the end of a Fair Haven and Westville line at Montowese, was completed by the Consolidated in late 1904, forming the final piece of a continuous electric railway route between New York City
and Boston
via Hartford, Springfield, and Worcester.
During the next few years, the New Haven, through the Consolidated Railway, acquired control of and later the property of many electric railways throughout the state. In order, these acquisitions were:
The property of the Stamford Street Railroad, control of which had been acquired in 1895, was conveyed to the Consolidated on September 26, 1905.
The effect of these transactions was to give the New Haven control of a large system of electric railways in Connecticut and Massachusetts, many of them connecting with each other. In the meantime, the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia had put together its own system, including most of the mileage in Rhode Island
and over one-quarter of the mileage in Connecticut, through subsidiaries Rhode Island Company and Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company. The latter owned the lines in the coastal towns between Stamford and West Haven, connecting with New Haven properties at both ends, as well as a rural line extending through the Naugatuck Valley from Stratford north to Seymour with local lines in Derby and vicinity. To the north, it controlled local and suburban lines in New Britain and Waterbury, connecting with the New Haven's lines at Newington and Mount Carmel. The Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway, also controlled by the United Gas Improvement Company, extended from the New Haven's local lines in Meriden to Lake Compounce
, intersecting the ends of Waterbury and New Britain lines at Milldale and Southington. A continuous route between Stratford and Waterbury via Derby and Seymour was completed in 1907 by lessor Naugatuck Valley Electric Railway. The New Haven came to an agreement with the United Gas Improvement Company on December 19, 1906, whereby the Consolidated Railway leased the property of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, and acquired the stock of the Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway, Rhode Island Company, and various power companies operating in Connecticut.
Expansion continued with the acquisition by the Consolidated Railway of control of the Waterbury and Pomperaug Valley Street Railway (Waterbury-Woodbury) on April 20, 1907 and the Thomaston Tramway (Waterbury-Thomaston) on May 29, 1907. Two days later, on May 31, the Consolidated was merged into the New Haven, and the Thomaston Tramway was renamed Connecticut Company, becoming the operator of all of the New Haven's electric railway properties formerly operated by the Consolidated. The Columbia Traction Company, which owned no railway but valuable charter privileges relating to power generation, was acquired by the New Haven on June 24 and merged with the Connecticut Company on June 30, 1909. The property of subsidiaries formerly controlled by the Consolidated was also conveyed to the New Haven for operation by the Connecticut Company, including the Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway (June 29, 1907), the Torrington and Winchester Street Railway (June 29, 1907), the Farmington Street Railway (December 31, 1907), and the Stafford Springs Street Railway (June 30, 1908). This left the New Haven as owner of all the property operated by the Connecticut Company except for that owned by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, as well as the portion of the coastal line in West Haven owned by the West Shore Railway, which had been leased to the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad prior to its acquisition in 1904, and the short South Manchester Light, Power and Tramway Company, similarly leased to the Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway. The largest expansions of the system were made by electrifying various existing steam lines of the New Haven and running trolleys over them, providing connections in 1906 from Middletown west to Meriden and north to Cromwell, connecting at the latter point with a new rural trolley line to Hartford, and a link between Norwich and Central Village. In 1907 an alternate line between East Hartford and Rockville was added to these operations. The segment from Middletown via Westfield to Berlin was also electrified for use by the Connecticut Company, but was later operated exclusively by the New Haven using larger passenger cars.
On February 28, 1910, the New Haven conveyed to the Connecticut Company almost all of the latter's operated trackage, with the exception of three short segments near the state lines: the former Suffield Street Railway from Suffield to Massachusetts (not connected to any other Connecticut lines), the portion of the former Worcester and Connecticut Eastern Railway from West Thompson to Massachusetts, and the portion of the former Greenwich Tramway from the Mianus River
to New York. Except for the latter line, which was leased to New Haven subsidiary New York and Stamford Railway, the New Haven took over operation of these pieces, renting equipment, power, and labor from their Massachusetts connections, the Springfield Street Railway and Worcester Consolidated Street Railway. The purpose of retaining these lines was to keep the Connecticut Company an intrastate carrier, hopefully not subject to Interstate Commerce Commission
jurisdiction. On June 13, 1913, the stock of the Connecticut Company was transferred from direct control by the New Haven to indirect control through subsidiary New England Navigation Company. Less than one month later, on July 7, the Shore Line Electric Railway, a rural trolley system operating between New Haven and Westerly, Rhode Island, leased the eastern Connecticut lines of the Connecticut Company, mainly comprising the New London-West Thompson line, including the right to operate over the New Haven's steam line between Norwich and Central Village.
in relation to its effective monopoly of steam and electric railways and water transportation in New England. Control of the electric railways in Massachusetts had already been transferred to the New England Investment and Security Company, a voluntary association
created by the New Haven on June 25, 1906; the New Haven divested itself of this company in accordance with a May 1909 ruling of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. The Connecticut Company and Rhode Island Company, each operating trolleys in their respective states, as well as the New Haven-controlled Boston and Maine Railroad
, were, by decree of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, placed in the hands of voting trust
ees to separate them from the New Haven. The New Haven almost immediately sold its stock of the Boston and Maine, and its reorganization was completed in 1919. The Rhode Island Company was similarly reorganized into the United Electric Railways in 1921, losing its line into Connecticut in the process. But the New Haven was unable to find a purchaser for the Connecticut Company. Lucius Seymour Storrs
, who had become vice president of the New Haven in 1912, took the presidency of the Connecticut Company in 1914 and remained there until his resignation in February 1925. The trusteeship was dissolved in December of that year, as judge Francis A. Winslow
was convinced that there was little competition between the two companies, in part because of the lack of interest by others in purchasing the trolley lines, and the Connecticut Company was placed back under New Haven control.
During the trusteeship, the lease of the eastern Connecticut lines to the Shore Line Electric Railway was terminated on April 1, 1920. Just prior to the return to New Haven control, in early November 1925, the state authorized the system's first major abandonment and replacement with intercity bus
es, on the portion of this division north of Norwich. Abandonments progressed steadily through the 1920s and 1930s, with only city and suburban lines remaining after 1937. The Hartford Division was completely converted to buses on July 26, 1941, but trolleys continued to run on the streets of New Haven until September 25, 1948. The delay in conversion caused by World War II
allowed the Branford Electric Railway Association to acquire, in 1947, a portion of the New Haven-Branford line that had been built on private right-of-way
and create the Shore Line Trolley Museum
.
Effective November 16, 1936, while the New Haven was in reorganization, the Connecticut Company terminated its lease of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company. That company's final trolley lines, mainly in the Bridgeport, Derby, and Waterbury areas, but also including joint intercity operations with the Connecticut Company, were replaced with buses in 1937. The Connecticut Company itself left New Haven control in June 1964, after defaulting on federal flood loans, and was reorganized under the same name and sold by the United States for $3,225,000. The old corporation, which still owned a portion of the old Glastonbury line, was renamed East Hartford Freight Company, and continued to operate non-electric freight service on Main Street in East Hartford to Pratt & Whitney
until 1967.
In October 1972, the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, then operating buses in and near Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Britain, ceased all service because of lack of money. The next month, Connecticut Company drivers and mechanics went on strike
, and service, then concentrated on Stamford, New Haven, and Hartford, did not resume until the state began subsidizing it in March 1973 with federal assistance. Finally, in May 1976, the state purchased the Connecticut Company's property and began operating buses as Connecticut Transit
. The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
now serves Bridgeport, but Waterbury and New Britain operations have been taken over by Connecticut Transit.
, and many intercity trips required changes of cars along the way. Most trackage was in or alongside public roads. By 1920, the system comprised 601.742 miles (968.4 km) of first main track in eleven divisions.
The New Haven Division included about fifteen local lines radiating in all directions from downtown New Haven. Intercity lines led east to East Haven and Stony Creek, north to Wallingford and Mount Carmel (towards Hartford and Waterbury), west to Derby, and southwest along the shore to Woodmont. Local lines connected Derby to Ansonia and Shelton, with intercity lines north to Beacon Falls (in the direction of Waterbury) and south towards Bridgeport. Bus service in the New Haven area is now operated by Connecticut Transit New Haven
.
The Hartford Division was the largest, with about twenty local radial lines from downtown Hartford and half as many intercity lines. On the west side of the Connecticut River
, trolleys went north and northwest to Rainbow Park, connecting at Windsor with the Hartford and Springfield Railway to Springfield, Massachusetts
. Other lines went northwest to Bloomfield, west to Unionville, southwest to Newington (connecting there with the New Britain Division), and south to Wethersfield and Rocky Hill, connecting at the latter point with the Middletown Division. A single line crossed the Bulkeley Bridge
into East Hartford, where lines radiated north to East Windsor Hill and another Hartford and Springfield Railway connection, east to Manchester and then northeast through Rockville to Stafford Springs, and south to South Glastonbury. Between East Hartford and Rockville, trolleys could follow public roads or use the New Haven's steam trackage. Connecticut Transit Hartford
now operates buses on most of these routes.
About halfway between New Haven and Hartford was the Meriden Division, with seven radial lines in the city of Meriden. Extensions of these stretched south to Wallingford and a transfer to the New Haven Division, and west to Milldale and then north to Lake Compounce
and the New Britain Division or south to Cheshire and the Waterbury Division. A third line east to Middletown over New Haven trackage was part of the Middletown Division, which comprised eight radial lines in and around that city, including service southwest to Middlefield, northeast over the Connecticut River to Portland, and north, partially over New Haven trackage, to Rocky Hill and the Hartford Division. Connecticut Transit Meriden has replaced the former division, but local bus service in Middletown is operated by Middletown Area Transit
.
In the Waterbury Division were about ten routes radiating from downtown Waterbury. These included intercity lines south to Beacon Falls and the New Haven Division, west to Woodbury, northwest to Watertown, north to Thomaston, and east to Cheshire and then south to the New Haven Division at Mount Carmel. Connecticut Transit Waterbury has taken over these local routes.
The New Britain Division was between Meriden and Hartford, connecting with those divisions at Lazy Lane in Southington and at Newington. Six other radial lines were operated, one extending southeast to Berlin. Connecticut Transit New Britain now runs buses over most of these routes.
The isolated Torrington Division was a single line between Torrington and Winsted, with a branch to Highland Lake. It was abandoned in 1929.
Along the coast, near the New York state line, was the Stamford Division, with eight lines from downtown Stamford, two extending west and southwest into Greenwich and one east to the Noroton River
. There the Norwalk Division began, extending through Darien to Norwalk, which had five radial lines coming off a loop between Norwalk and South Norwalk. The Bridgeport Division also entered Norwalk, extending east through Westport (with several local lines there) and Fairfield into Bridgeport. That city had about twelve radial lines, two running east into Stratford, where intercity lines continued north to the Derby Division in Shelton and east to the New Haven Division at Woodmont. Buses in these three divisions are currently operated by Connecticut Transit Stamford
, the Norwalk Transit District
, and the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
.
Finally, the New London Division, which was leased to the Shore Line Electric Railway from 1913 to 1920, was not connected to the rest of the system except via that company's New Haven-New London line. Local lines in New London included several loops and radial lines south to Ocean Beach and northwest along Broad Street. A third line went north to Norwich, which had five more radial routes, one northwest to Yantic and another northeast to Taftville, where it split. One branch headed northwest through Willimantic to South Coventry, while the other entered New Haven trackage from Taftville to Central Village. A short branch headed east from Central Village to Moosup, while the main line continued north on its own tracks to West Thompson, with a branch from Elmville to East Killingly and a connection there with the Rhode Island Company's leased Providence and Danielson Railway. Where it exists, bus service here is now provided by Southeast Area Transit
.
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...
, operating both city and rural trolley
Rural trolley
A rural trolley was a type of trolley line that operated through a rural area. Unlike an interurban, it used standard streetcar equipment, and was simply an extension of a city system. It was most common in New England, where settlements were closer together than in the rest of the United States....
s and freight service. It was controlled 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...
(New Haven), which also controlled most steam railroad
Steam railroad
Steam railroad is a term used in the United States to distinguish conventional heavy railroads from street railways, interurban streetcar lines, and other light railways usually dedicated primarily to passenger transport....
s in the state. After 1936, when one of its major leases was dissolved, it continued operating streetcars and, increasingly, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es in certain Connecticut cities until 1976, when its assets were purchased by the state government.
Formation and expansion
In 1895, after it acquired control of the 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...
, the New Haven controlled almost 90% of the steam railroad mileage in Connecticut. That same year, it gained control of its first street railway, the Stamford Street Railroad, on about April 1. That company, which operated local lines in the city of Stamford, was in bad shape financially, and the owners of a majority of its stocks and bonds, wishing to get rid of their investments, found a willing buyer in the New Haven. The second acquisition was also a local system, the Meriden Electric Railroad in Meriden, which the New Haven bought on October 18, 1895, from its president.
However, the next electric railway the New Haven gained control of was a long rural trolley line in eastern Connecticut. Sanderson & Porter, construction contractors, were building the People's Tramway between Danielson and Putnam, parallel to the New Haven-controlled Norwich and Worcester Railroad, and on September 18, 1899 the New Haven signed a contract with Sanderson & Porter to control the line. This agreement was modified on July 18, 1901, by which time Sanderson & Porter had gained control of the Worcester and Webster Street Railway and Webster and Dudley Street Railway 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...
, and subscribed to the stock of the Thompson Tramway, which planned to connect the two segments, thus forming a continuous line between Danielson and Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Under the terms of this new agreement, the Thompson Tramway was renamed Worcester and Connecticut Eastern Railway on January 24, 1902, and later that year received the stocks of the three other companies, as well as the newly incorporated Danielson and Norwich Street Railway, which was to continue the line south to Norwich. The arrangement was completed on September 29, 1902, when the Worcester and Connecticut Eastern leased the two Massachusetts companies and acquired the property of the two Connecticut companies. Almost simultaneously the New Haven gained control of the line, which, after the completion of several segments in 1903, extended from Worcester south to Central Village, with branches in Connecticut from Elmville to East Killingly (where it connected with the Providence and Danielson Railway to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
) and Central Village to Moosup.
The New Haven used this new acquisition as an initial corporate shell for its electric subsidiaries, renaming it Consolidated Railway on May 18, 1904, and transferring the property of the Meriden Electric to it later that month and the stock of the Stamford Street Railroad to it in October. In the meantime, the New Haven bought control of the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad and conveyed its property to the Consolidated in late May. This company served the city of New Haven and surrounding areas, including intercity lines, in conjunction with the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, to Bridgeport (connecting at Woodmont) and Derby, the latter completed in late 1903. The Stamford Street Railroad also, in late 1903, opened a connection with the Greenwich Tramway, thus completing the trolley link between New Haven and 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. The Wallingford Tramway was incorporated in 1903, and its unfinished property was conveyed to the Worcester and Connecticut Eastern on May 14, 1904, four days before the renaming. This company's line, from Wallingford south to the end of a Fair Haven and Westville line at Montowese, was completed by the Consolidated in late 1904, forming the final piece of a continuous electric railway route between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
via Hartford, Springfield, and Worcester.
During the next few years, the New Haven, through the Consolidated Railway, acquired control of and later the property of many electric railways throughout the state. In order, these acquisitions were:
- Worcester and Southbridge Street Railway (Worcester to Sturbridge, MassachusettsSturbridge, MassachusettsSturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
): control May 25, 1904 - New London Street Railway (New London local lines), Norwich Street Railway (Norwich local lines), and Montville Street Railway (connection between the two): control July 30, 1904; property September 29, 1904
- Worcester and Blackstone Valley Street Railway (Worcester to Northbridge, MassachusettsNorthbridge, MassachusettsNorthbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,707 at the 2010 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park...
): control September 22, 1904 - Middletown Street Railway (Middletown local lines and the charter of the Middletown and Meriden Traction Company to Meriden): control October 25, 1904; property November 28, 1904
- Greenwich Tramway and New York and Stamford Railway (extending the Stamford Street Railroad through Greenwich into New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
): control December 29, 1904; property (of the former only) September 19, 1905 - Berkshire Street Railway (long rural line in western MassachusettsWestern MassachusettsWestern Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
): control January 18, 1905 - Springfield Street Railway (Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield 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...
local and suburban lines): control April 11, 1905 - Hartford Street Railway (Hartford local lines, including lines to Rainbow Park in Windsor, Newington, Wethersfield, East Windsor Hill, the East Hartford and Glastonbury Street Railway to South Glastonbury, and the Farmington Street Railway to Unionville): control April 3, 1905; property (except the Farmington Street Railway) September 19, 1905
- Suffield Street Railway (Suffield to MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
state line, connecting with the Springfield Street Railway): control April 1905; property September 19, 1905 - Branford Lighting and Water Company (East Haven to Branford): control June 29, 1905; property September 19, 1905
- Willimantic Traction Company (Baltic, near Norwich, to Willimantic): control October 7, 1905; property December 6, 1905
- Worcester Consolidated Street Railway (Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
local and suburban lines): control in or after December 1905 - Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway and Stafford Springs Street Railway (East Hartford to Stafford Springs via Rockville): control January 25, 1906; property (of the former only) March 26, 1906
- Hartford and Worcester Street Railway (franchise only): January 25, 1906
- Hartford and Middletown Street Railway (franchise only): March 13, 1906
- Torrington and Winsted Street Railway (Torrington to Winsted): control June 22, 1906
The property of the Stamford Street Railroad, control of which had been acquired in 1895, was conveyed to the Consolidated on September 26, 1905.
The effect of these transactions was to give the New Haven control of a large system of electric railways in Connecticut and Massachusetts, many of them connecting with each other. In the meantime, the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia had put together its own system, including most of the mileage in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and over one-quarter of the mileage in Connecticut, through subsidiaries Rhode Island Company and Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company. The latter owned the lines in the coastal towns between Stamford and West Haven, connecting with New Haven properties at both ends, as well as a rural line extending through the Naugatuck Valley from Stratford north to Seymour with local lines in Derby and vicinity. To the north, it controlled local and suburban lines in New Britain and Waterbury, connecting with the New Haven's lines at Newington and Mount Carmel. The Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway, also controlled by the United Gas Improvement Company, extended from the New Haven's local lines in Meriden to Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol, Connecticut, United States and a part of the neighboring town of Southington, Connecticut; the lake itself lies completely in Southington. It is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, having operated every year...
, intersecting the ends of Waterbury and New Britain lines at Milldale and Southington. A continuous route between Stratford and Waterbury via Derby and Seymour was completed in 1907 by lessor Naugatuck Valley Electric Railway. The New Haven came to an agreement with the United Gas Improvement Company on December 19, 1906, whereby the Consolidated Railway leased the property of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, and acquired the stock of the Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway, Rhode Island Company, and various power companies operating in Connecticut.
Expansion continued with the acquisition by the Consolidated Railway of control of the Waterbury and Pomperaug Valley Street Railway (Waterbury-Woodbury) on April 20, 1907 and the Thomaston Tramway (Waterbury-Thomaston) on May 29, 1907. Two days later, on May 31, the Consolidated was merged into the New Haven, and the Thomaston Tramway was renamed Connecticut Company, becoming the operator of all of the New Haven's electric railway properties formerly operated by the Consolidated. The Columbia Traction Company, which owned no railway but valuable charter privileges relating to power generation, was acquired by the New Haven on June 24 and merged with the Connecticut Company on June 30, 1909. The property of subsidiaries formerly controlled by the Consolidated was also conveyed to the New Haven for operation by the Connecticut Company, including the Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway (June 29, 1907), the Torrington and Winchester Street Railway (June 29, 1907), the Farmington Street Railway (December 31, 1907), and the Stafford Springs Street Railway (June 30, 1908). This left the New Haven as owner of all the property operated by the Connecticut Company except for that owned by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, as well as the portion of the coastal line in West Haven owned by the West Shore Railway, which had been leased to the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad prior to its acquisition in 1904, and the short South Manchester Light, Power and Tramway Company, similarly leased to the Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway. The largest expansions of the system were made by electrifying various existing steam lines of the New Haven and running trolleys over them, providing connections in 1906 from Middletown west to Meriden and north to Cromwell, connecting at the latter point with a new rural trolley line to Hartford, and a link between Norwich and Central Village. In 1907 an alternate line between East Hartford and Rockville was added to these operations. The segment from Middletown via Westfield to Berlin was also electrified for use by the Connecticut Company, but was later operated exclusively by the New Haven using larger passenger cars.
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York in a series of ponds at about altitude...
to New York. Except for the latter line, which was leased to New Haven subsidiary New York and Stamford Railway, the New Haven took over operation of these pieces, renting equipment, power, and labor from their Massachusetts connections, the Springfield Street Railway and Worcester Consolidated Street Railway. The purpose of retaining these lines was to keep the Connecticut Company an intrastate carrier, hopefully not subject to Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
jurisdiction. On June 13, 1913, the stock of the Connecticut Company was transferred from direct control by the New Haven to indirect control through subsidiary New England Navigation Company. Less than one month later, on July 7, the Shore Line Electric Railway, a rural trolley system operating between New Haven and Westerly, Rhode Island, leased the eastern Connecticut lines of the Connecticut Company, mainly comprising the New London-West Thompson line, including the right to operate over the New Haven's steam line between Norwich and Central Village.
Trusteeship and bus replacement
In July 1914, the Attorney General of the United States filed suit against the New Haven, citing violations of the Sherman Antitrust ActSherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
in relation to its effective monopoly of steam and electric railways and water transportation in New England. Control of the electric railways in Massachusetts had already been transferred to the New England Investment and Security Company, a voluntary association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
created by the New Haven on June 25, 1906; the New Haven divested itself of this company in accordance with a May 1909 ruling of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. The Connecticut Company and Rhode Island Company, each operating trolleys in their respective states, as well as the New Haven-controlled Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
, were, by decree of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, placed in the hands of voting trust
Voting trust
A voting trust is a trust whereby the shares in a company of one or more shareholders and the voting rights attached thereto are legally transferred to a trustee, usually for a specified period of time . In some voting trusts, the trustee may also be granted additional powers...
ees to separate them from the New Haven. The New Haven almost immediately sold its stock of the Boston and Maine, and its reorganization was completed in 1919. The Rhode Island Company was similarly reorganized into the United Electric Railways in 1921, losing its line into Connecticut in the process. But the New Haven was unable to find a purchaser for the Connecticut Company. Lucius Seymour Storrs
Lucius Seymour Storrs
Lucius Seymour Storrs was a geologist, financier, and notable railway official. He was president of the Connecticut Company, the American Electric Railway Association, the Los Angeles Railway Association, and the New England Investment and Security Company.-Personal life:Storrs was born in...
, who had become vice president of the New Haven in 1912, took the presidency of the Connecticut Company in 1914 and remained there until his resignation in February 1925. The trusteeship was dissolved in December of that year, as judge Francis A. Winslow
Francis A. Winslow
Francis A. Winslow was a federal judge in New York City during the 1920s.After attending the City College of New York and Columbia Law School, Winslow practiced as a lawyer in Yonkers, New York. He served as Corporation counsel for the City of Yonkers and from 1907 to 1913 as the district attorney...
was convinced that there was little competition between the two companies, in part because of the lack of interest by others in purchasing the trolley lines, and the Connecticut Company was placed back under New Haven control.
During the trusteeship, the lease of the eastern Connecticut lines to the Shore Line Electric Railway was terminated on April 1, 1920. Just prior to the return to New Haven control, in early November 1925, the state authorized the system's first major abandonment and replacement with intercity bus
Intercity bus
An intercity bus is a bus that carries passengers significant distances between different cities, towns, or other populated areas. Unlike a municipal bus, which has frequent stops throughout a city or town, an intercity bus generally has a single stop at a centralized location within the city, and...
es, on the portion of this division north of Norwich. Abandonments progressed steadily through the 1920s and 1930s, with only city and suburban lines remaining after 1937. The Hartford Division was completely converted to buses on July 26, 1941, but trolleys continued to run on the streets of New Haven until September 25, 1948. The delay in conversion caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
allowed the Branford Electric Railway Association to acquire, in 1947, a portion of the New Haven-Branford line that had been built on private right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
and create the Shore Line Trolley Museum
Shore Line Trolley Museum
The Shore Line Trolley Museum, located in East Haven, Connecticut, is the oldest operating trolley museum in the United States. It was founded to preserve the heritage of the trolley car. The museum includes exhibits on trolley history in the visitors' center and offers rides on restored trolleys...
.
Effective November 16, 1936, while the New Haven was in reorganization, the Connecticut Company terminated its lease of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company. That company's final trolley lines, mainly in the Bridgeport, Derby, and Waterbury areas, but also including joint intercity operations with the Connecticut Company, were replaced with buses in 1937. The Connecticut Company itself left New Haven control in June 1964, after defaulting on federal flood loans, and was reorganized under the same name and sold by the United States for $3,225,000. The old corporation, which still owned a portion of the old Glastonbury line, was renamed East Hartford Freight Company, and continued to operate non-electric freight service on Main Street in East Hartford to Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
until 1967.
In October 1972, the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, then operating buses in and near Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Britain, ceased all service because of lack of money. The next month, Connecticut Company drivers and mechanics went on strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, and service, then concentrated on Stamford, New Haven, and Hartford, did not resume until the state began subsidizing it in March 1973 with federal assistance. Finally, in May 1976, the state purchased the Connecticut Company's property and began operating buses as Connecticut Transit
Connecticut Transit
Connecticut Transit is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation. CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New...
. The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority is a transit service serving the Greater Bridgeport region of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The GBTA provides local bus service to the cities/towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Stratford, Fairfield, and Monroe....
now serves Bridgeport, but Waterbury and New Britain operations have been taken over by Connecticut Transit.
Operations
Despite having a connected network between cities, the Connecticut Company was not an interurbanInterurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
, and many intercity trips required changes of cars along the way. Most trackage was in or alongside public roads. By 1920, the system comprised 601.742 miles (968.4 km) of first main track in eleven divisions.
The New Haven Division included about fifteen local lines radiating in all directions from downtown New Haven. Intercity lines led east to East Haven and Stony Creek, north to Wallingford and Mount Carmel (towards Hartford and Waterbury), west to Derby, and southwest along the shore to Woodmont. Local lines connected Derby to Ansonia and Shelton, with intercity lines north to Beacon Falls (in the direction of Waterbury) and south towards Bridgeport. Bus service in the New Haven area is now operated by Connecticut Transit New Haven
Connecticut Transit New Haven
Connecticut Transit New Haven is the second largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 24 routes in 19 towns within the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck River Valley areas, with connections to other CT Transit routes in Waterbury and Meriden, as well as connections to...
.
The Hartford Division was the largest, with about twenty local radial lines from downtown Hartford and half as many intercity lines. On the west side of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, trolleys went north and northwest to Rainbow Park, connecting at Windsor with the Hartford and Springfield Railway to 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...
. Other lines went northwest to Bloomfield, west to Unionville, southwest to Newington (connecting there with the New Britain Division), and south to Wethersfield and Rocky Hill, connecting at the latter point with the Middletown Division. A single line crossed the Bulkeley Bridge
Bulkeley Bridge
The Bulkeley Bridge is a stone arch bridge composed of nine spans located in Hartford, Connecticut. The bridge carries Interstate 84, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 44 across the Connecticut River, connecting Hartford to East Hartford...
into East Hartford, where lines radiated north to East Windsor Hill and another Hartford and Springfield Railway connection, east to Manchester and then northeast through Rockville to Stafford Springs, and south to South Glastonbury. Between East Hartford and Rockville, trolleys could follow public roads or use the New Haven's steam trackage. Connecticut Transit Hartford
Connecticut Transit Hartford
Connecticut Transit Hartford is the largest division of Connecticut Transit, providing service on 43 local routes, 5 "flyer" limited stop routes and 12 express routes throughout 27 towns in Hartford County including: Bloomfield, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Manchester, Newington, New...
now operates buses on most of these routes.
About halfway between New Haven and Hartford was the Meriden Division, with seven radial lines in the city of Meriden. Extensions of these stretched south to Wallingford and a transfer to the New Haven Division, and west to Milldale and then north to Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol, Connecticut, United States and a part of the neighboring town of Southington, Connecticut; the lake itself lies completely in Southington. It is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, having operated every year...
and the New Britain Division or south to Cheshire and the Waterbury Division. A third line east to Middletown over New Haven trackage was part of the Middletown Division, which comprised eight radial lines in and around that city, including service southwest to Middlefield, northeast over the Connecticut River to Portland, and north, partially over New Haven trackage, to Rocky Hill and the Hartford Division. Connecticut Transit Meriden has replaced the former division, but local bus service in Middletown is operated by Middletown Area Transit
Middletown Area Transit
Middletown Area Transit, popularly known as MAT, is the provider of public transportation serving Middletown, Connecticut, as well as portions of Cromwell, Durham, East Hampton, Middlefield, and Portland...
.
In the Waterbury Division were about ten routes radiating from downtown Waterbury. These included intercity lines south to Beacon Falls and the New Haven Division, west to Woodbury, northwest to Watertown, north to Thomaston, and east to Cheshire and then south to the New Haven Division at Mount Carmel. Connecticut Transit Waterbury has taken over these local routes.
The New Britain Division was between Meriden and Hartford, connecting with those divisions at Lazy Lane in Southington and at Newington. Six other radial lines were operated, one extending southeast to Berlin. Connecticut Transit New Britain now runs buses over most of these routes.
The isolated Torrington Division was a single line between Torrington and Winsted, with a branch to Highland Lake. It was abandoned in 1929.
Along the coast, near the New York state line, was the Stamford Division, with eight lines from downtown Stamford, two extending west and southwest into Greenwich and one east to the Noroton River
Noroton River
The Noroton River is a stream flowing into Holly Pond and forming most of the border between Stamford and Darien, Connecticut, USA. The river's headwaters are in New Canaan, Connecticut...
. There the Norwalk Division began, extending through Darien to Norwalk, which had five radial lines coming off a loop between Norwalk and South Norwalk. The Bridgeport Division also entered Norwalk, extending east through Westport (with several local lines there) and Fairfield into Bridgeport. That city had about twelve radial lines, two running east into Stratford, where intercity lines continued north to the Derby Division in Shelton and east to the New Haven Division at Woodmont. Buses in these three divisions are currently operated by Connecticut Transit Stamford
Connecticut Transit Stamford
Connecticut Transit Stamford is the division of Connecticut Transit for the Stamford, area. In Stamford it provides service on 18 routes around Stamford, Connecticut, with routes centered around downtown Stamford and providing local bus service to Norwalk, White Plains, New York via the I-Bus, and...
, the Norwalk Transit District
Norwalk Transit District
The Norwalk Transit District is the primary provider of public transportation services in Norwalk, Connecticut and surrounding communities. The district's fixed-route bus transit system, known as WHEELS, is the primary service of the system linking Norwalk and its immediate suburbs as well as...
, and the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority is a transit service serving the Greater Bridgeport region of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The GBTA provides local bus service to the cities/towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Stratford, Fairfield, and Monroe....
.
Finally, the New London Division, which was leased to the Shore Line Electric Railway from 1913 to 1920, was not connected to the rest of the system except via that company's New Haven-New London line. Local lines in New London included several loops and radial lines south to Ocean Beach and northwest along Broad Street. A third line went north to Norwich, which had five more radial routes, one northwest to Yantic and another northeast to Taftville, where it split. One branch headed northwest through Willimantic to South Coventry, while the other entered New Haven trackage from Taftville to Central Village. A short branch headed east from Central Village to Moosup, while the main line continued north on its own tracks to West Thompson, with a branch from Elmville to East Killingly and a connection there with the Rhode Island Company's leased Providence and Danielson Railway. Where it exists, bus service here is now provided by Southeast Area Transit
Southeast Area Transit
Southeast Area Transit is a provider of local bus service in eight towns and two cities in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut: East Lyme, Griswold, Groton , Ledyard, Montville, New London, Norwich, Stonington, and Waterford...
.