Bridgeport - Potential New Barnum Station

[Jeff Smith]

Not every train would need to stop there. And, more semi-express (let's not get into an argument about the term ) would help. Along with 405 new M8's.......

Found the thread on three sections: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 67&t=48920

More on Progressive Railroading: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/p ... p?id=29115

Tomorrow, $1 million in state funding is expected to be approved by the Connecticut State Bond Commission for the construction of a second train station in Bridgeport...

...

The proposed location, a seven-acre property on Barnum Avenue, now is a brownfield site. The funds would support on-site remediation and help pay for other revitalization initiatives, the politicians said. The city received a Sustainable Communities Grant Award to explore the feasibility of a new station.

[DutchRailnut]

Four tracks instead of two might help !!

Last time I looked there are 4 tracks from CP-1 all way to Devon including Bridgeport

[mntktagt]

And how many currently in service?

[DutchRailnut]

What does that have to do with having four tracks, maintenance has to be done, bridges and catenary.
you made it seem there are less than four tracks.

[mntktagt]

I am so sorry. Let me rephrase it then. It would certainly help the operations of the railroad
if we had all four of the available tracks in service. The trains would not have to follow
each other like elephants in a parade on the one westbound track currently available.

[NH2060]

A second station? What about fixing up the one they already have first?? Seriously, of all the stops on the New Haven Line, Bridgeport is the worst IMO. The whole station (platforms, waiting area/building, etc.) could use replacement. Idk why they didn't throw a new station in when the Peck bridge was being replaced. I also agree that having island platforms for tracks 1 and 2 as well as some kind of pocket track for the Waterbury shuttle would be a big benefit.

[DutchRailnut]

the current station is the new station, built in late 80's early 90's

[NH2060]

the current station is the new station, built in late 80's early 90's

To quote Family Guy, "This is news to me" Well considering the time during which it was built I can't say I'm surprised that it looks worse than functional. I just honestly think they should/could do better and build a better, more inviting station, but oh well.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Bridgeport station was built new in 1975 by ConnDOT.

[DutchRailnut]

Bridgeport station was built new in 1975 by ConnDOT.

the station or the platforms ??

[Clean Cab]

The old Bridgeport Station was severly damaged by a fire in 1974. CDOT, Penn Central and the City of Bridgeport built the current station (with high level platforms) in 1975/1976.

[Noel Weaver]

The old Bridgeport Station wasn't damaged/destroyed by fire until after its use as a passenger station had ended. The present station was built to accomodate the high level platforms required by the M-2's. It was put into service around 1973, I have the exact date somewhere here but I am not going to try to find it right now. I remember being on a light move right after the date and we had to stop to pick up a dead MU car on old track 5 in the old station and I went inside to look around at that time. It became a center for seniors for a while and then it was closed up. Downstairs was a motor generator powered from Cos Cob which produced DC for the motors to to operate the drawspan on the bridge, this remained for a time even after the fire probably until the bridge was totally replaced. There was a switch in the tower to activate that generator when it was needed to open or close the bridge. For those who do not remember the old station, it was decent, big and included a second floor for offices a large baggage room and express office on the track level, many ticket windows, information desk (Ethel Burns ran it for years), newstand and snack bar and a stationmaster's office which was manned 24/7. Westbound you had in addition to track 3, track 5 which was mostly for mail and express at the end plus track 7 on the old Berkshire side to get to North Bridgeport. On the eastbound (track 4) side there was a shelter/canopy and track 6 which was used for mail and express cars plus the pocket for the Naugy. The only passenger train that regularly used track 5 in the staion in my memory was train 465 from Waterbury which terminated there and had a lot of mail and express and occasionally 379 if track one was out either in Bridgeport or west of Burr Road. One thing I remember is that all or practically all of the lights in that building were on railroad power which meant 25 cycle power and it flickering constantly. It was not bad in a station but it was a pain to have to read by. The towers also had 25 cycle power for most everything but both 60 and Burr Road and I think the others as well had signal power too which was 60 cycles so a flourscent light for the operator's desk along with a radio or something else that needed 60 cycle power was possible in these cases.
Noel Weaver

[Jeff Smith]

It sounds like they did to Bridgeport what they did to Stamford when the M-2's came along. Stamford was poorly designed for a while too, until the most recent update. Now you've got an express track, and four tracks that platform. Before that, they had one usable pocket track for the NC dink and two platform tracks.

[TomNelligan]

Mr. Weaver is correct (as usual) about the chronology. The old Bridgeport station (which I too remember as a great place for train-watching when I was a teenager in the NH days) was on a curve and thus couldn't be rebuilt with high level platforms when the M2s went into service. The M2s started arriving in 1973. The current station was built and put into service simultaneous with the first batch of M2s. The old one was was then closed, and not too long after it met its end in what I recall was an arson fire.

[kitn1mcc]

were was the old station located