Wilson Point

Apologies if this has been asked and answered in a previous post (a site search did not reveal any): was there ever a spur to Wilson Point in Norwalk from the NHRR main line, and if so, are there any remnants?

Thanks/Saugatuck

Yes, there was, and a remnant of that trackage remained in place into the Penn Central era. It branched off right at the west end of the South Norwalk station (crossing the eastbound platform, in fact). Wilson's Point was the original terminus of the ancestral Danbury & Norwalk RR. I'm afraid I don't know what's visible these days, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some traces of right-of-way.

TomNelligan wrote:Yes, there was, and a remnant of that trackage remained in place into the Penn Central era. It branched off right at the west end of the South Norwalk station (crossing the eastbound platform, in fact). Wilson's Point was the original terminus of the ancestral Danbury & Norwalk RR. I'm afraid I don't know what's visible these days, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some traces of right-of-way.

Wilson Point was quite active in the 60's. I think it lasted in to the early years of the Penn Central but the line was severed about the time they built the high level platform on the track four side at South Norwalk maybe in 1971 or so. I made many a trip as a fireman in the 60's on the South Norwalk Switcher down there, at that time there was enough business on that spur that warranted a trip five days a week (Monday through Friday).
Noel Weaver

The east bound platform in South Norwalk use to be 6 cars due to Wilson point switch, the platform was not extended till around 1992.
the bridge at west end of parking lot was removed around 2000, the embankment with catenary poles is still in place.

TomNelligan wrote:Yes, there was, and a remnant of that trackage remained in place into the Penn Central era. It branched off right at the west end of the South Norwalk station (crossing the eastbound platform, in fact). Wilson's Point was the original terminus of the ancestral Danbury & Norwalk RR. I'm afraid I don't know what's visible these days, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some traces of right-of-way.

You can follow most of the ROW quite well on the Google aerial view of the area.

Going way back-- into the late 19th Century-- the Wilson Point branch was home of a fascinating rail/marine operation. It was an attempt by the Housatonic and the New York & New England to outflank the New Haven on the Boston-New York run, using a carferry to connect to the LIRR at Oyster Bay. There was even an overnight passenger run, the Long Island & Eastern States Express, that ran Brooklyn-Boston via South Norwalk, Bethel, Waterbury, Hartford and Willimantic.

Wilson Point itself --- the one time end of that branch down by the Sound --- is a classy gated community these days (Well, I presume it's classy. Gated communities in general are at least pretentious . . . ) and I would guess there is not a trace today that a railroad was ever there.