Valley Railroad (Connecticut)

The Valley Railroad operates the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat. This excursion starts with a 11.36-mile ride aboard the historic Essex Steam Train from Essex Station with scenic views of the Connecticut River up to Chester. The train reverses direction back to the Deep River Station/Landing. Passengers who have purchased the riverboat tickets can board the Becky Thatcher at this station. The riverboat brings people on a 75-minute trip up the Connecticut River to the East Haddam Swing Bridge and then back to Deep River Landing. The train then retrieves passengers to bring them back to Essex Depot. Trip length is 150 minutes.[1]

The Essex Clipper Dinner Train is a 2.5-hour train ride that departs Essex Depot and offers scenic views of the Connecticut River along the way. The train brings passengers to the northern end of the operable line in Haddam. A seasonal four-course meal is prepared on-board and served in restored 1920s Pullman dining cars.

Each spring, Thomas The Tank Engine and Percy The Small Green Engine bring Day Out With Thomas to the Valley Railroad. The Essex Steam Train has participated in this event since the late 1990s and up until recently utilized the Strasburg Rail Road's fully steam-powered Thomas replica. However, as the locomotive was only available during the colder, late fall months, and as not to conflict with sales of their North Pole event, the Valley Railroad currently hosts their Day Out with Thomas in the Spring, using a non-powered Thomas which is pushed by one of their own steam locomotives.

Each November and December, the North Pole Express brings passengers on an imaginary ride to the North Pole for children and their families. Amenities include on-board entertainment, singing, trackside displays, cookies, hot chocolate, and a gift from Santa.[2]

The Santa Special is a daytime trip aboard festively-decorated rail cars. It is a shorter ride (60 minutes) without car hosts or refreshments. In 2018, the Santa Special hosted the Elf Academy where passengers learn the skills necessary to become an elf (laughing, singing and dancing) and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.[3]

The vision of a Valley Railroad started in the 1840s when President of the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company, James Clark Walkley traced the 44-mile route by stagecoach with friend Horace Johnson.[4] Walkley and a group of business men obtained a state charter on July 17, 1868, to form the Connecticut Valley Railroad Company and start the process of building a railroad.[4]

During 1868–1869, survey crews worked to map out the line from Hartford, Connecticut to Saybrook Point.

In April 1870, construction of the line began, with ground breaking taking place in Higganum, Connecticut.[5] The plan called for three phases, the "Northern Division" starting in Hartford and continuing to Middletown, the "Middle Division" which continued to what is known today as Goodspeed Landing, and the "South Division" which finished the line to Saybrook Point.[4] The Connecticut River Valley allowed for an easy construction, as no tunnels or major bridges where required. The line was completed during the summer of 1871 with the first ceremonial train run over the 45 miles (72 km) on July 29, 1871, at a steady speed of 22 mph.[4] At $34,000 per mile, the line ended up costing $1,482,903.[4]

The first "regular" train started on July 31, 1871.[5] On August 24, 1871 the Connecticut Valley Railroad declared an official opening. The schedules of trains operating along the Valley Railroad called for one mixed train and four passenger trains each way daily (except Sunday) with fifteen stops along the way.

The company grossed $34,000 in its first year.[4] It continue d to grow, grossing $250,000/year in 1873.[4]

Financial trouble plagued many early railroads, and the Connecticut Valley defaulted in 1876 on its second mortgage bonds and was placed in receivership.

On July 1, 1880, the Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad took control with president Samuel Babcock.[4]

Passenger service ended in stages: between Saybrook Point and Fenwick in 1917, between Fenwick and Saybrook Junction in 1922, between Saybrook Junction and Middletown in 1929 or 1930, and Middletown and Hartford in 1933.[6]

The Valley Railroad Company leases, from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the track running from Old Saybrook up through Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam, and Middletown, totaling 21.67 miles (34.87 km). The trackbed is gravel ballast, with track made of conventional wood crossties, with steel rails fastened to the ties. A major project funded by the Company in 2015 put all mainline track from Essex (MP 4) to North Chester (MP 9.80) in stone ballast. The track connects with Amtrak's Northeast Corridor track near the Old Saybrook Station to the south. Presently, 14.25 miles of the line are restored for train service, with the remaining last seeing service in 1968. The rail corridor between Haddam and Middletown, which has been cleared of brush and receives property maintenance and surveillance from hi-rail vehicles, and is undergoing full restoration as time and funding permit.

The Valley Railroad Company has several grade crossings along its tracks. They vary in their nature, ranging from small caution signs at Private Crossings to flashing lights, bells, and gates and stop signs at public crossings. The busiest public grade crossings are located at Route 153 in Essex, Route 154 in Essex, and Route 82 (just before the East Haddam swing bridge) in Haddam.

The railroad's main station in Essex.

The main station, where tickets are sold and all rolling stock is kept, is located in Essex; specifically, the village of Centerbrook. The main entrance and parking access is located off Route 154; there is a rear entrance (not for public use) on Route 153. There is a station building (used as offices for the riverboat operation) at Deep River Landing in Deep River, and a small station (used by the Railroad's track department) in Chester—it was originally the station at Quinnipiac, Connecticut. Goodspeed station, located off Route 82 in Haddam, houses an antique shop and is not affiliated with the railroad. Across the tracks from the station is the Goodspeed Yard Office. This building was the original Chester passenger station, located on Dock Road in Chester, but sold off and removed in 1874 when it was found that the railroad grade was too steep at that location for starting and stopping trains. Donated by the Zanardi family in 1993, it was retrieved by volunteers of the Friends of the Valley Railroad and moved by flatcar to its present location. It is believed that this structure is the sole remaining passenger station from the 1871 opening of the railroad.

On July 18, 2009, the Friends of the Valley Railroad built a passenger shelter in Chester on the site of the original Hadlyme station. The new building is a reproduction of the South Britain station, which was on the now abandoned Danbury Extension of the Hartford, Providence & Fishkill. The original station on this site served passengers of the town of Hadlyme, across the Connecticut River. Passengers use today's station to go to Gillette Castle State Park via the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, the second-oldest continuously-operated ferry route in the United States.

0.00 - Old Saybrook”
3.97 - Essex
7.58 - Deep River*•
8.57 - Chester*
9.26 - Hadlyme*•
9.65 - North Chester
10.40 - Parkers Point*”
11.50 - Broadway*”
12.27 - Goodspeed”
14.00 - Shailerville”
14.80 - Arnolds^
15.48 - Haddam^
16.90 - Walkley Hill^
18.16 - Higganum^
21.67 - Maromas^

Legend:
None - station stops

• - passes by station
  

^ - under construction
• - stops by on the way back to Essex
“ - special train stops