Canaan Railroad Days and Housatonic Excursions

After checking New Haven Railroad public timetable dated April 28, 1963 the distance from Danbury to Pittsfield is 89 miles (MP 65.0 to MP 154.0) and NHRR train #142 took 2 hours and 30 minutes to cover this distance making 10 stops. If the trip were to start out of Danbury, go to Pittsfield and return to Danbury (including photo stops, meals ect.) it could be done in 8 hours.

capecodlocoguy wrote:After checking New Haven Railroad public timetable dated April 28, 1963 the distance from Danbury to Pittsfield is 89 miles (MP 65.0 to MP 154.0) and NHRR train #142 took 2 hours and 30 minutes to cover this distance making 10 stops. If the trip were to start out of Danbury, go to Pittsfield and return to Danbury (including photo stops, meals ect.) it could be done in 8 hours.

Not today it can't. In 1963 the passenger train speeds on the Berkshire
were 50 MPH with of course slowdowns for curves etc. Today it is more
like 25 MPH with some 10 MPH spaced in. Big difference. Probably the
curves today are no longer elevated for 50 MPH either.
Noel Weaver

Have we not discussed this over and over again and are we not way of topic . answer is still no MNCR will not save any FL-9 for excursion service.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Rare-mileage that required an overnight stay? I think yes. That just means more rare-mileage for the collectors! Put those F's up front, and you'll certainly fill the seats.

Count me in. I'd make it a true excursion and take the Crescent or Silver up (depending on whether I'm in Savannah or Atlanta).

Everyone else has a point, though - the track must be in "bad" shape since it's short-line freight, "bad" meaning not passenger ready. Something for CDOT to consider when extending service to New Milford.

Also, I think CDOT owns part of this line, with trackage rights to HRRC. Why do the crossings have to be protected? Do freights have to do this? Are the crossings "exempt"? I assume HRRC interchanges with CSX or whoever at Pittsfield.

Sorry for beating the dead horse, Dutch. This line always fascinated me.

One last point............

Crossings along the Housatonic have been upgraded. Both Mass and Ct. have given HRR a ton of money for crossing protection up grade. And, the top speed along the Berkshire route is only 30 MPH with a lot of restrictions.

End of discussion!!

Having the F's haul a long excursion would be great, but not vital if they're not deemed to be reliable or available anymore. I'd be interested in a weekend trip like this no matter what pulled the cars, so long as it was trustworthy. So long as it doesn't say 'Amtrak' on the side, I'll be happy.

As to MN being all about the money, I've never thought that the railroad was out to make much money on these trips, but it's important that they have a reasonable expectation to recover all expenses. Methinks if you added in all the extra time and work that people volunteered for these kinds of projects, MN doesn't really charge what they should... especially when surprise pizza shows up on the trip home.

Count me in again. Just don't expect me to room with Dutch on an overnight trip.

Can we get some real dollar amounts for such a trip? I know that MN/HRR don't make a finacial windfall on these trips, but they do not loose money. Crew cost and insurance are always the biggest parts of such trips. I would be willing to do my part to see such a trip happen. But.......... only if it is done during the late spring or late summer so we can have a long day to do this on. And I think we should move on this sooner rather than later before all FL-9Ms are put out to pasture.

So why not start from Pittsfield and work south? Or do a one way with bus return? Is the strong arm turntable back in the weeds someplace there in Pittsfield?

henry6 wrote:So why not start from Pittsfield and work south? Or do a one way with bus return? Is the strong arm turntable back in the weeds someplace there in Pittsfield?

Cost would be even higher with something like this, the revenue from such
a trip would have to pay to get the equipment back to at least Danbury
and the cost of buses would have to be considered too.
When the WHOLE LINE has been upgraded to 30 MPH or so, then you
might be able to make a round trip to Pittsfield in a day.
Noel Weaver

Even if you ran trip one way the equipment must still be deadheaded up there, plus mechanics would need to be deadheaded up there to service the equipment. the crew would need to be put up in hotel plus the buses. and you would tie up HRRC for two days. If you left train in Pittsfield yard MNCR would insist on security either from outside or MNPD but then jurdistiction questions arise.

A excursion train would need to run with at least about 280 people to be viable for 8 hour trip for a trip with deadheading you would need at least 7 buses to get the riders there.

Well, since we're all speculating, why not go big? The trip starts in Danbury, goes to Pittsfield, then across the B & A to Springfield, then down the Springfield Line to New Haven, then down the New Haven Line to Devon, up to Derby, across the Maybrook Line back to Danbury. It would take almost all day, but I'd buy a ticket!!!

that would be a 48 hour ordeal

capecodlocoguy wrote:Well, since we're all speculating, why not go big? The trip starts in Danbury, goes to Pittsfield, then across the B & A to Springfield, then down the Springfield Line to New Haven, then down the New Haven Line to Devon, up to Derby, across the Maybrook Line back to Danbury. It would take almost all day, but I'd buy a ticket!!!

That would be some ride! Talk about rare mileage. I'd love it! Wonder when the last time any passenger train ran that track, excursion or not! I think it must have been the 30's for scheduled service. They probably still had the Derby - NH track at that time. Does that run past Norwich?

While you're at it, why not take Armory line down from Springfield to Hartford?

I don't think any passenger train ever ran that whole route, but I also think that trip would take closer to 5 days than 2, with an advance team a mile out front leading the way to replace ties, rails, and bridges.

Seriously, something on the Maybrook line would be fun.

Trainer wrote:While you're at it, why not take Armory line down from Springfield to Hartford?

I don't think any passenger train ever ran that whole route, but I also think that trip would take closer to 5 days than 2, with an advance team a mile out front leading the way to replace ties, rails, and bridges.

Seriously, something on the Maybrook line would be fun.

Agree - why not break something like this into two excursions? One Danbury - Pittsfield and back, and one Danbury - Derby Jct and back?

Hey, call it a test run for Waterbury branch branch service!