Norwich and Westerly Railway
Norwich and Westerly Railway | |||
---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||
Status | abandoned | ||
Locale | Southeastern Connecticut | ||
Termini | |||
Service | |||
Type | interurban | ||
History | |||
Opened | August 18, 1906 | ||
Closed | December 31, 1922 | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 21.6 miles [1] | ||
Character | Private right-of-way | ||
Electrification | 370V overhead[1] | ||
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The Norwich and Westerly Railway was an interurban trolley system that operated in Southeastern Connecticut during the early part of the 20th century. It operated a 21-mile line through rural territory in Norwich, Preston, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Pawcatuck, Connecticut to Westerly, Rhode Island between 1906 and 1922. For most of its length, the route paralleled what is now Connecticut Route 2.
Stops on the line included Norwich (at the railroad depot on Main Street), Norwich State Hospital, Poquetanuck, Hallville, North Stonington, and Westerly. The powerhouse and 4-track carhouse were located at Hallville, as was a trolley park called Lincoln Park.[1]
History
The company was first chartered on May 11, 1903 as the Norwich, Mystic & Westerly Street Railway Company. The name was changed to the Norwich & Westerly Railway Company on December 12, 1905 after the
The line's only major accident occurred on August 1, 1907, when passenger car #2 and freight motor #1 collided at Avery's Crossing in North Stonington. Passengers Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Gardiner were killed along #2's motorman, George H. Lucier. Damage claims against the line exceeded $4,000.[1]
By the time of its acquisition by the Shore Line Electric Railway in 1916, the Norwich & Westerly Traction Company operated 59.08 miles of lines. These included the Norwich & Westerly system proper, the Pawcatuck Valley Street Railway, the Ashaway and Westerly Railway, and the Groton & Stonington Street Railway.[1]
Route 2 opened in 1919, providing the first competition to the line.[2] Due to rapidly declining ridership, service on the line ended on December 31, 1922.[4] The rails were ripped up in 1924.[5]
Construction
The line was constructed to high-speed interurban standards, rather than simple street-running track like most other trolley lines in New England.[6] A Street Railway Journal article from April 13, 1907 reported:[1]
As the line was built primarily for high speed operation, curves and grades are few in number. All curves have the outer rail elevated, according to standard steam railroad practice for passenger train speeds. The maximum grade is 4.5 per cent. There are many cuts and fills on the line, some of the former being through rock. This disadvantage was balanced in one way, as it enabled the company to use a great deal of rock ballast.
Except for short street-running sections near the terminals in Norwich and Westerly, the line was built on a private right-of-way with relatively few grade crossings. Sixty-five percent of the line was straight.[3] Bridges were built over the numerous small streams on the route, as well as the State Line Bridge over the Pawcatuck River at White Rock.[4]
From Franklin Square in Norwich, the tracks ran down Main Street, then turned south onto the dedicated right-of-way. The line skirted Laurel Hill Road (now
A short spur ran from the main line around the south side of Norwich State Hospital to the Fort Point railroad station on the
The Hallville powerhouse produced 16kV three-phase power, which was converted into 370V power for trolley motors at several locations, including a substation in White Rock north of Westerly.[1]
Operations
Equipment consisted of eight passenger trolley cars (semi-convertibles #2,4,6,8 and closed cars #3,5,7,9) and a line car. One motor freight car (#1) and 25 freight trailers were used for freight operations, which included hauling coal to the powerhouse, Norwich State Hospital, and other customers along the trolley line.[1] The freight cars also hauled quartz from the quarry on Lantern Hill.[1]
Although express cars could makes the Norwich-to-Westerly run in just 45 minutes, a normal run was 70 minutes. Service operated as frequently as 30-minute headways. Fares started at 35 cents, divided into 7 fare zones of a nickel each.[1]
The Norwich & Westerly connected at both ends with other streetcar companies. At Norwich, the Norwich Street Railway of the
Riders took the trolley for several different purposes. During the summer, many residents would take through cars to the beaches at Watch Hill and Pleasant View. High school students rode the line from in Preston to Wheeler High School.[8] The trolley park at Hallville, Lincoln Park, was open from 1908 to 1911.[1]
Remains and reuse
The majority of the private right-of-way, totaling 21.02 miles including passing sidings, still exists and is visible on satellite maps.
Much of the right-of-way has been used for transmission lines since at least the 1940s, which are now owned by
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cummings, O.R. & Munger, Charles F. (August 1961). Borrup, Roger (ed.). The Shore Line Electric Railway Company: Predecessor Companies. Vol. 13. Warehouse Point, CT: Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
- ^ a b c d "North Stonington Bicentennial Walking Tour". Wheeler Library. 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
- ^ a b Worthington, George, ed. (1905). Electrical Review. Vol. 47:25. p. 958.
- ^ a b c Clouette, Bruce. "White Rock Bridge, Spanning Pawcatuck River & White Rock Canal, Westerly, Washington County, RI". Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey. Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Oakfield Research (January 2010). "HERITAGE LANDSCAPE AND RESOURCE PLANNING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS" (PDF). Town of Preston, Connecticut. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ISBN 9780804740142.
- ^ "Trolley Trips Through New England". Trolley Press, 1916.
- ^ Stanley, William B. (2005). The 9-Mile Square. The Norwich Historical Society. p. 109.
- USGS (1941). "Uncasville Quadrant (7 1/2 Minute Series): NE". University of New Hampshire. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ Johnson, Jeffery A. & Wojitas, Joe (31 October 2011). "Area towns fare well in storm, most residents have power". The Day. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ McKay, Molly (24 March 1996). "Light rail a great way to say 'bye' to highways (Editorial)". New London Day. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ "Route 2A/2/32 Environmental Impact Statement: EIS alternatives" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 18 August 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2012. (abstract)
External links
- Historic American Engineering Records: White Rock Bridge and West Street Bridge