Here is a history course about passenger trains of the past in Waterbury:
From a New Haven Railroad Lines West passenger timetable dated June 10, 1917 here are the Monday - Friday departures from Waterbury:
6:30 AM - Winsted
6:35 AM - New York
6:37 AM - Watertown
6:40 AM - Waterville (probably for Chase employees)
7:10 AM - Boston
7:50 AM - New York
8:28 AM - Poughkeepsie via Danbury
8:30 AM - Winsted
8:35 AM - Hartford
9:49 AM - Bridgeport
10:24 AM - Boston
10:35 AM - Winsted
12:12 PM - New York
12:25 PM - Boston
12:44 PM - Winsted
2:25 PM - Poughkeepsie via Danbury
2:51 PM - Bridgeport
3:50 PM - Bridgeport and New Haven (train might have split at Ansonia or Derby)
4:32 PM - Boston
4:37 PM - Winsted
4:45 PM - Hartford
5:10 PM - Meriden
5:18 PM - Watertown
6:22 PM - Watertown
6:23 PM - New York
6:32 PM - Bridgeport
7:12 PM - Danbury
7:14 PM - Winsted
7:20 PM - Hartford
8:04 PM - Hartford
This comes to a total of 30 trains 5 days a week, some did not run on Saturday and/or Sunday. The trains listed as New York or Boston meant that the entire train ran through to New York or Boston. One was a Poughkeepsie - Boston through train, one was a Waterbury - Boston through train and two were through New York - Boston trains via Waterbury and Willimantic. Bridgeport and Hartford trains terminated at those points. Each train on each line represented a round trip schedule.
Totals were:
New York - 4
Bridgeport - 4
Danbury -1
Poughkeepsie via Danbury - 2
Watertown -3
Winsted - 6
Waterville - 1
Hartford - 4
Boston - 4
Some of the above trains had parlor or broiler buffet parlor cars both to New York and to Boston.
Let's now fast forward to the summer of 1955 effective April 24, 1955 just before the fatal flood, here is what remained at that time:
5:26 AM - Winsted
6:38 AM - Boston
6:52 AM - Bridgeport
7:56 AM - Hartford
7:59 AM - New York (through train)
10:28 AM - Hartford
11:00 AM - Bridgeport
2:49 PM - Bridgeport
3:58 PM - Boston
5:05 PM - Bridgeport
6:28 PM - Winsted
10:03 PM - Bridgeport
Total of 12 trains broken down as follows:
Bridgeport - 5 all of which had more or less immediate connections for New York and/or Washington or both.
New York - 1
Hartford - 2
Boston - 2
Winsted - 2
In this schedule everything was RDC equipment except for the two trains to Winsted, one train to Bridgeport and the through train to New York which operated with an RS-3 RPO, express cars sometimes and coaches. One Boston train sometimes had an 0700, mail, baggage and a coach or maybe two coaches but this was not a given on this job. The gangsters were in full control of the New Haven Railroad by this time.
Not too many moons after the 1955 floods all that remained was four round trips with RDC equipment between Waterbury and Bridgeport with connecting service beyond Bridgeport.
Hope you all found this stuff of interest. Old timetables are great collector's items.
Noel Weaver
From a New Haven Railroad Lines West passenger timetable dated June 10, 1917 here are the Monday - Friday departures from Waterbury:
6:30 AM - Winsted
6:35 AM - New York
6:37 AM - Watertown
6:40 AM - Waterville (probably for Chase employees)
7:10 AM - Boston
7:50 AM - New York
8:28 AM - Poughkeepsie via Danbury
8:30 AM - Winsted
8:35 AM - Hartford
9:49 AM - Bridgeport
10:24 AM - Boston
10:35 AM - Winsted
12:12 PM - New York
12:25 PM - Boston
12:44 PM - Winsted
2:25 PM - Poughkeepsie via Danbury
2:51 PM - Bridgeport
3:50 PM - Bridgeport and New Haven (train might have split at Ansonia or Derby)
4:32 PM - Boston
4:37 PM - Winsted
4:45 PM - Hartford
5:10 PM - Meriden
5:18 PM - Watertown
6:22 PM - Watertown
6:23 PM - New York
6:32 PM - Bridgeport
7:12 PM - Danbury
7:14 PM - Winsted
7:20 PM - Hartford
8:04 PM - Hartford
This comes to a total of 30 trains 5 days a week, some did not run on Saturday and/or Sunday. The trains listed as New York or Boston meant that the entire train ran through to New York or Boston. One was a Poughkeepsie - Boston through train, one was a Waterbury - Boston through train and two were through New York - Boston trains via Waterbury and Willimantic. Bridgeport and Hartford trains terminated at those points. Each train on each line represented a round trip schedule.
Totals were:
New York - 4
Bridgeport - 4
Danbury -1
Poughkeepsie via Danbury - 2
Watertown -3
Winsted - 6
Waterville - 1
Hartford - 4
Boston - 4
Some of the above trains had parlor or broiler buffet parlor cars both to New York and to Boston.
Let's now fast forward to the summer of 1955 effective April 24, 1955 just before the fatal flood, here is what remained at that time:
5:26 AM - Winsted
6:38 AM - Boston
6:52 AM - Bridgeport
7:56 AM - Hartford
7:59 AM - New York (through train)
10:28 AM - Hartford
11:00 AM - Bridgeport
2:49 PM - Bridgeport
3:58 PM - Boston
5:05 PM - Bridgeport
6:28 PM - Winsted
10:03 PM - Bridgeport
Total of 12 trains broken down as follows:
Bridgeport - 5 all of which had more or less immediate connections for New York and/or Washington or both.
New York - 1
Hartford - 2
Boston - 2
Winsted - 2
In this schedule everything was RDC equipment except for the two trains to Winsted, one train to Bridgeport and the through train to New York which operated with an RS-3 RPO, express cars sometimes and coaches. One Boston train sometimes had an 0700, mail, baggage and a coach or maybe two coaches but this was not a given on this job. The gangsters were in full control of the New Haven Railroad by this time.
Not too many moons after the 1955 floods all that remained was four round trips with RDC equipment between Waterbury and Bridgeport with connecting service beyond Bridgeport.
Hope you all found this stuff of interest. Old timetables are great collector's items.
Noel Weaver