CNZR - Armory Branch

Where does the operated portion of the former New Haven Armory Branch end (some place in Enfield, CT I believe)?

the tracks are physically in place to the MA / CT line.

The state put some money into repairs for the section in East Windsor and Enfield a few years ago. Doesn't seem like anybody took advantage of that.

Does anybody know if they are running freight to the factories in Enfield?

Traffic is very light on this line..seems like only 1-2 trains a week. I drive part of US-5 on my commute and occasionally see a train- Thursday seems like the best day.

In February they had several freight cars parked near the Filenes-on the siding one week and a string of about 12 on the line another week.

there are no customers in Enfield at this time.

This is a little late because I was watching sites to see if anything popped up......

A couple weeks ago, I went down from Maine to Connecticut to see relatives for a few days. One day during the lay-over, I was riding around the area of East Windsor and Enfield, so I figured on checking out what remains of the Central New England's ROW north of CPS in East Windsor. Rumor had it that CNZR had lost its lease on the branch north of their base at CPS, but I never read anything official about it happening. So, I was heading east on Rt. 140 in Melrose when I crossed the CNZR to find a huge pile of concrete ties sitting north of the crossing! After seeing this, I detoured back onto Route 191 and headed for Enfield. Along the way, north of the rebuilt Route 191, I could plainly see that the ROW had been cleared and excavated wider than it already had been. Just shy of the bridge over the Scantic at a crossing I can't think of the name of, there was another pile of BRAND-NEW concrete ties. Also in the area were construction vehicles that had recently widened the open ROW twice as wide as it had been. To say the least, I was shocked to see this activity considering CNZR had seemed to give up on that section once LEGO announced its closure a while back. It had been the better part of a year since I travelled that area and six months since I had even been in CT, so I might have missed something mentioned about the work being done there. Does ANYONE know what is up with this?

I have see the ties also. I can't imagine why they would be putting the concrete ties in on this branch, and am certainly curious as well. ED

The owner of the CNZR has been well-known for his thrift for many years, starting when he learned his trade at the Conn. Electric Ry. at Warehouse Point. I heard he got these concrete ties for a song, quite a bit cheaper than any new wood ties would have cost.

The concrete ties were used/surplus from MBTA in Boston. "Take 'em away" was the price, but there was considerable work to haul them to CT-- at 650-700 lbs each. How many do you think make a 20,000 load on a flatbed trailer?

It looks like the Armory Branch will be FRA Class 5 track, good for 80 MPH. Stand back!!!

H.F.Malone wrote:The concrete ties were used/surplus from MBTA in Boston. "Take 'em away" was the price, but there was considerable work to haul them to CT-- at 650-700 lbs each. How many do you think make a 20,000 load on a flatbed trailer?

It looks like the Armory Branch will be FRA Class 5 track, good for 80 MPH. Stand back!!!

I'm guessing he has a combined 1-2000 concretes there. Knowing them though, they'll put back the 80lb rail too. Just enough there to keep us all watching and talking. Then, nothing will happen again for a while probably.

Lots of work going on in Broad Brook at Corn Products plant, old buildings have been leveled on Chamberland Rd. opening up the "yard" for CNZR views. Crews have cut in a new switch just north of grade crossing and laid a new line to the loading / offloading area at the "new" building where plant operations now go on. Looks like there might be some rebuilding going on in the future. Concrete ties are stock piled at almost every crossing from Broad Brook up to Scittico (Enfield rt. 190 crossing) where Enfield Transit Mix (ETM) cement plant looks to be gearing up for a new off loading siding. Right of way was cut way back this fall and heavy equiptment has started to show up in the past week along with more rail being stock piled. Must be at least 1000 new concrete ties stock piled in this area, not the used ones like in B.B. CNZR has lots of MOW equiptment stored in B.B. along with a few old Alcos and a small GE 25 ton and other rolling stock. Will try to get a few pictures (if I remember the camera when I go to work).

I will be moving to Hartford CT in June and look forward to exploring this line!

BWP

Is the RS1 still in service? or have the Geeps taken over?

The geep's seem to be in Bloomfield working the Griffin Line to Home Depot, The Alco works the East Windsor line but I have seen the little GE working. This fall it was pulling eight empty gons thru Broad Brook. It sure got a workout pulling across the Old Ellington Rd. crossing southbound.

Anything going on there recently?

I know there is a pile of concrete ties waiting to be installed. If that happens, the place will become a racetrack.

Lots of trackwork by the fertilizer plant in the Scantic area, looks like a new customer there as well as there was a new loading dock with a boxcar spotted.
Doesn't look like much else is happening from what I've seen north of there although the line is kept somewhat passable.