Shoreline Bridges Of The New Haven RR

The New Haven Railroad’s bridge at Cos Cob, Connecticut

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Niantic River Bridge half done

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The New Haven Railroad’s bridge between New London and Groton, Connecticut is going to be replaced.

The nearly 100-year old Thames River Bridge will undergo a $76 million replacement of its aging bascule lift span. During a 12-day span in fall 2007, the bascule lift or movable center portion of the bridge will be removed and a 188-foot long, 35-foot wide, 1,250-ton vertical lift span will be floated into place on barges from Long Island Sound and attached to the bridge. This will result in a four-day outage of this section of the railroad. The project is the first of three major movable bridge replacements (Thames River, Niantic and Miamacock) in Connecticut planned over the next 10 years. The aged drawbridge will be replaced by a more efficient vertical lift bridge that rises between two towers. The bridge is important as it provides access to the Coast Guard Academy and a submarine base.

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Two other important, but aging moveable railroad bridges on this section of the shoreline are Old Lyme (left) and Niantic (right).

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EAST LYME. Conn. — Niantic bridge replacement will take 3 years Amtrak told local and state officials Thursday (Dec. 17, 2009) that replacing the Niantic River bridge will take three years and work on the much smaller Miamicock Bridge would begin Dec. 18.

The Department of Environmental Protection approved Amtrak’s application for the Niantic River Bridge in September. Next, Amtrak needs approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, which has already submitted a draft permit. The Coast Guard is last to issue the final permit. Amtrak officials said they expect to award the contract for the replacement of the 102-year-old Niantic River bridge in the next few weeks. Construction could begin in late February and would last until March 2013. The railroad company wants to replace the existing moveable-span railroad bridge over the Niantic River and the existing boardwalk and protect the beach by installing a stone terminal groin, which serves as a breakwater. Last spring, Vice President Joe Biden announced that $105 million in federal stimulus funding would be used to replace the bridge with a three-span, 142-foot-long bascule-lift bridge about 58 feet south of the existing span. The 45-foot navigational channel will be expanded to 100 feet wide. The plans include a new 2,200-foot retaining wall adjacent to the existing bridge.

UPDATE AUGUST 11, 2010

Amtrak reaches deal to advance Niantic Bridge replacement

Amtrak has reached an agreement with East Lyme, N.Y., the U.S. Coast Guard, and local boaters and marine businesses to keep the Niantic Bridge replacement project on schedule.

The agreement permits channel closures on Monday and Tuesday nights from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. through Oct. 15, which is considered the traditional end of the summer boating season. During the nighttime closures, Amtrak will be able to perform a number of activities, including construction of the two in-river piers.

The new bridge is designed to improve reliability, reduce the chance for operational failure and help minimize train and river traffic delays, Amtrak officials said in a prepared statement.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2013.

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New Haven Railroad Bridge at Norwalk Connecticut

From Microsoft Virtual Earth

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Another view of the the New Haven Railroad’s bridge at Cos Cob, Connecticut

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Mainline freight symbols which involved operations in Bridgeport include:

A Hartford
B Boston
D Waterbury
E Bridgeport
G Bay Ridge
H Harlem River or Oak Point
I State Line
N New Haven or Cedar Hill
NE New England
O Maybrook
R Danbury

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New Haven Railroad Bridge at Stamford Connecticut
From an old postcard found in St Joseph, Michigan

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New Haven Railroad Bridge at New London Connecticut
From an old postcard found in St Joseph, Michigan

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New Haven Railroad Bridge at Norwalk Connecticut on New Haven Railroad

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New Haven Railroad Bridge at New London Connecticut

From an old postcard found in St Joseph, Michigan

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New Haven Railroad Station at East Haven, Connecticut
An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn

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Stratford’s Shell Station

It looks just like hundreds of other small town railroad stations, most of which now hold some other type of business than originally intended. We picked it out of a “seafood restaurant” listing in CONNECTICUT Magazine because we felt like fish. As a matter of fact, it was our third choice, because the first two couldn’t give us a reservation.

Conveniently located off exit 32 of Interstate 95 on West Main Street in Stratford, Connecticut (phone 203-377-1648), it is easy to find even at night because of the huge overhead catenary of the New Haven line. Pulling into the parking lot is deceptive because Metro-North passengers, of course, fill it up too. Even so, we were glad to have made a reservation.

Shell Station has filled the old waiting room with tables, converted the ticket agent’s office into a service bar, and basically kept the inside intact. It is a warm, friendly interior.

The menu is a single sheet, all fish or pasta except one chicken and one steak. Featured seafood was paella, bouillabaise and shrimp, and scallop curry. Specials of the night included veal and swordfish.

This section of the Northeast Corridor, the old New Haven line, is the gateway to New England. One route known as the Harlem River line from Penn Station via Long Island joins the main line from Grand Central at New Rochelle, NY. The Harlem River line carries AMTRAK and continues past New York to Washington while the main line carries the heavy Metro-North commuter traffic. The Harlem River line crosses the Hell Gate bridge into New York City. Commuters end at New Haven while AMTRAK splits and goes to Boston either over the Shore Line route through New London or inland via Springfield. Several AMTRAK runs terminate at Springfield.

I ordered lobster bisque and shrimp scampi (I had thought of sauteed lobster and shrimp cocktail). Companion had shrimp cocktail and salmon filet with Julienne carrots with leek sauce. Both meals came with salad, rolls and rice.

The history of Stratford and the town itself is similar to that of most of New England. There is the traditional village green with a white church.

Because early railroad routes were determined by geographic factors like rivers and because the toll roads were good, the start of railroads in Connecticut was delayed a decade.

While the New York-Boston route was important, it was possible to use an all-water or part-water route. The New York & New Haven did not open until 1848. At New Haven it met other existing roads in a Union Station. The Hartford & New Haven had opened in 1838 and went to Springfield by 1844. The Farmington Canal had been converted to a railroad in 1846. The New Haven & New London was built between 1848 and 1852 but a ferry gap existed until 1889 at the Thames River. The Boston & NY Air Line to Middletown and Willimantic came later. It was on this route between Boston and New York that the all-white Ghost Train was operated which provided inspiration for Kipling’s story “007”. At Bridgeport, the Housatonic connected Long Island Sound with the Western Railroad (now Boston & Albany) at West Stockbridge by 1842. In 1849, the Naugatuck Railroad was completed to Waterbury and Winstead. This joined the New York & New Haven at Devon which is about two miles from the restaurant across the Housatonic River.

Desserts sounded good but no go.

Metro North’s 6:07 from Grand Central due in New Haven at 7:53 passed as we sat down to eat.

AMTRAK had more activity during our meal. Train 144 which departs Penn Station at 6:07, passes Stamford at 6:58 and leaves New Haven for Springfield at 7:57 roared through first. Next was train 177 due to arrive in Stamford at 7:07 but running late. It should have gotten into New York at 8:01. It originates in Springfield as train 477. Last through Stratford was train 139 which departs New Haven at 7:30 and arrives in New York at 9:11.

At one point. a light engine (I think an AEM-6 electric) roared southbound through the station. It was most likely headed from New Haven to Sunnyside Yard on Long Island.

The rail diesel car (RDC) that serves the Naugatuck Valley as far north as Waterbury comes through this station. It interchanges with Metro-North New York-New Haven trains at Bridgeport and then follows the main line to Devon which is just across the Housatonic River from Stratford.

Dinner, including glasses of Robert Mondavi’s White Zinfandel was $48.

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New Haven Railroad Station at Guilford, Connecticut

An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn

See a more current picture below of the new station.

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New Haven Railroad Station at Gales’s Ferry, Connecticut

Near New London Shoreline. Yale Crew Training here.
An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn

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The New Haven Railroad’s bridge at Cos Cob, Connecticut

Niantic River Bridge half done

The New Haven Railroad’s bridge between New London and Groton, Connecticut is going to be replaced.

Two other important, but aging moveable railroad bridges on this section of the shoreline are Old Lyme (left) and Niantic (right).

EAST LYME. Conn. — Niantic bridge replacement will take 3 years Amtrak told local and state officials Thursday (Dec. 17, 2009) that replacing the Niantic River bridge will take three years and work on the much smaller Miamicock Bridge would begin Dec. 18.

New Haven Railroad Bridge at Norwalk Connecticut

Mainline freight symbols which involved operations in Bridgeport include:

New Haven Railroad Bridge at Norwalk Connecticut on New Haven Railroad

New Haven Railroad Bridge at New London Connecticut

New Haven Railroad Station at East Haven, Connecticut An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn

Stratford’s Shell Station

New Haven Railroad Station at Guilford, Connecticut

An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn

See a more current picture below of the new station.

New Haven Railroad Station at Gales’s Ferry, Connecticut

New Haven Railroad Station at East Haven, Connecticut
An old postcard purchased from Charlie Gunn