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Connecticut Interurbans and Streetcar Railroads

(Please note that the photos featured here are not that of Connecticut interurbans.)

Connecticut interurbans, and the entire Northeast region in general, were a fascinating operation in their own right. New England's electrified lines were a conglomeration and mix of true interurban systems and street railways, which served only a very small area or town. These lines were also some of the oldest of the industry with a history that dated back to the 1870s (well before the true interurban was born around the turn of the 20th century). Combined, per capita New England held the largest concentration of streetcar and interurban systems, as there seemed to be one serving every small community and town of any size in the entire region. Many of the companies that sprang up dated back to original horse and buggy street railway lines that simply converted into electrified operations.

Unfortunately, this meant that many were not very well planned or engineered, merely using whatever pathway had been there previously. Perhaps the New England lines' greatest impediment was the significant amount of street and highway running they utilized. While this certainly helped them gain a lot of passenger traffic initially, when folks began switching over to automobile use this meant transitioning to freight operations was extremely difficult if not downright impossible. First, using roadways as rights-of-way saved on construction cost but resulted in steep grades not suited for freight service. Additionally, street-running caused significant delays and in later years many towns and cities simply wanted interurbans off the pavement. In any event, the information below includes short paragraph descriptions of most Connecticut interurbans and streetcar railroads.

Bristol Traction Company: The Bristol Traction Company began operations to serve the Lake Compounce amusement park near Bristol. It originally began as the Bristol-Plainview Tramway but changed its name to Bristol Traction in 1927. The service was abandoned in 1935.

Danbury & Bethel Street Railway: The Danbury & Bethel Street Railway began operations in 1887 serving its namesake cities on a 15-mile system. The line ran into financial trouble as early as 1914 and was discontinued altogether in favor of buses by December of 1926. For more information on this interurban please click here.

Shore Line Electric Railway: The Shore Line Electric Railway was constructed to compete with the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad between New Haven and points in eastern Connecticut. It began service in 1910 originally connecting Saybrook and Stony Creek. Later, the company opened lines serving North Branford, Deep River, and Chester. After this time the interurban mostly grew through acquisitions; such as the East Lyme Street Railway and Norwich & Westerly Traction Company. At its peak the company operated more than 250 miles of trackage. Unfortunately, the line was brought down by two vicious collisions that occurred during June and July, 1919. Strikes and resentment towards the company resulted in its bankruptcy by that October. Interestingly, this was not the end of the story. The railroad reorganized and changed its name to the New Haven & Shore Line Railway in 1923 again resuming operations. However, it also ended in failure and was converted to buses in 1929.

Hartford Street Railway: The Hartford Street Railway was a merger in 1893 of two horse-drawn operations the Hartford & Wethersfield Horse Railroad and East Hartford & Glastonbury Horse Railroad. Soon after it was converted to electric streetcars and was subsequently sold to the Consolidated Railway in 1904, which became the Connecticut Company in 1907. The Connecticut Company, a subsidiary of the NYNH&H, controlled or owned most interurban operations in the state. The company remained in operation all of the way up until 1976 when it became Connecticut Transit, a state funded and operated commuter agency.

Hartford Suburban: The Hartford Suburban system was a small interurban operation serving Hartford and was shortlived becoming part of the Connecticut Company in 1894.

Hartford, Manchester & Rockville Tramway Company: The Hartford, Manchester & Rockville Tramway Company was a subsidiary of the South Manchester Light Power & Tramway Company, both of which were incorporated in 1894. The interurban connected its namesake cities and became part of the Connecticut Company in 1907.

Meriden, Southington & Compounce Tramway: The Meriden, Southington & Compounce Tramway was an interurban railroad operation serving Meriden and began operations in 1898. In 1902 it was sold to the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, which leased out the streetcar operation to the Connecticut Company until service was discontinued in 1936.

Meriden Electric Railroad: The Meriden Electric Railroad was another interurban serving Meriden and lasted until 1904 when it became part of Consolidated Railway (predecessor to the Connecticut Company).

Central Railway & Electric Company: The Central Railway & Electric Company was incorporated in 1886 and served New Britain. In 1899 it was to Connecticut Light & Power (later the Connecticut Railway & Lighting Company) and all operations leased to the Connecticut Company until 1936.

Fair Haven & Westville Railroad: The Fair Haven & Westville Railroad dates back to 1861 as a horse-powered interurban railroad operation serving New Haven. In 1893 the system switched to electric power and would go on to take over most of NYNH&H's interurban operations including the New Haven & Centreville Street Railway, New Haven Street Railway and Winchester Avenue Railway. It became part of the Consolidated Railway in 1904, a Connecticut Company predecessor.

Torrington & Winchester Street Railway: The Torrington & Winchester Street Railway served Torrinigton and began operations in 1897. It became part of the Connecticut Company's Torrington and Winsted Division in 1915 and was abandoned in 1929.

Waterbury and Milldale Tramway: The Waterbury and Milldale Tramway served its namesake cities operating a 9.2 mile system. It lasted until October 29, 1933 when the remaining 4.7 miles of the system were abandoned in favor of buses.

Berkshire Street Railway: A subsidiary of the New Haven system, this interurban was created by the railroad through smaller lines, notably the Hoosick Falls Railroad. It was the only interurban serving four states and reaching such towns as Canaan, Connecticut; Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Bennington, Vermont; and Hoosick Falls, New York. The company slowly cutback operations beginning as early as 1917 and total abandonment came on November 12, 1932 when the system was converted to bus service.

For a small gallery of photographs highlighting Connecticut interurbans and streetcar railroads please click here.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Interurbans Section

For more reading on Connecticut interurbans consider picking up a copy of the book The Electric Interurban Railways in America by authors George Hilton and John Due. Many consider their book to be the quintessential resource guide to the interurban and streetcar movement that was once so common in our country during the first half of the 20th century. At nearly 500 pages the book is stuffed full of information on trolley operations and covers virtually every topic on the subject. If you have any interest in trolleys and interurbans and/or would like to learn more about their history I would strongly consider Mr. Hilton and Mr. Due's book first before purchasing any other.

You may also want to consider two additional books from the Connecticut Motor Coach Museum and published by Arcadia Publishing as part of their "Images of Rail" series. The books, Western Connecticut Trolleys and Waterbury Trolleys, highlight the state's interurban and trolley heritage through historic photographs. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing one, both, or all three of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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