Housatonic Ave.

I am currently modeling the NH. I was down in Bridgeport over the weekend on Housatonic Ave. A family member used to work down there and remembers the trains coming down the street. I believe Bridgeport Brass was down there along with some other industries. Does anyone know how many tracks were in the street and also how many industries on Housatonic Ave. were serviced by the New Haven? Also did loads and empties come from the lower Bridgeport yard? Thanks.

trainguy2024 wrote:I am currently modeling the NH. I was down in Bridgeport over the weekend on Housatonic Ave. A family member used to work down there and remembers the trains coming down the street. I believe Bridgeport Brass was down there along with some other industries. Does anyone know how many tracks were in the street and also how many industries on Housatonic Ave. were serviced by the New Haven? Also did loads and empties come from the lower Bridgeport yard? Thanks.

I don't know just how many industries were switched from the old Housatonic (North Bridgeport). I suppose it varried according to the year in question. The line was switched at least during the early and mid 60's by a daytime switcher out of the Lower Yard. I only worked that job once or maybe twice but one day that I worked it, we went all the way to the end of the track just for my benefit, good crews in those days too. There was enough work up there to keep the job busy all day.
Noel Weaver

My recollection is, there were 3 or 4 tracks parallel and immediately adjacent to Housatonic Ave., from a point (heading south) from the crossing of North Ave., past Bridgeport Brass, to the point where the number of tracks contracted, in preparation to ascending a trestle which continued, above street level, to the (old) Bridgeport railroad station, where it finally narrowed down to 1 track, known as "Track 7" and signed as such on the elevated station platform.

Hi,

I was cleaning out an old file cabinet and found a box with some photos I took as a boy in Bridgeport Connecticut. I was a fixture by the local team tracks on Housatonic Avenue and rail served industries along the remains of the Berksire Division as far as end of track by Bunnells Pond/Beardsly Park, from the time my family moved into my grandmother's house, on the wrong side of the tracks, in December 1950. I was 12 years old and did not know it then but I guess we were poor. I loved my new neighborhood because the tracks were a block away and I knew when a local was working because I could hear a hard hitch or two from my kitchen window...

Email me and I will send you a PDF of a sketch of the track layout bewteen Washington Ave and North Ave (Rt 1A) at Linden Street I drew from walking the tracks when I was 12. The Bpt Brass had two steam switchers. A fireless 0-4-0 and If I remember right an oil fired 0-4-0 tank engine painted company colors yellow and brown! Also have track plan for the Lower Yard in Bpt with photos I took in 1955 as they were tearing down the old round house and steam facilites.
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