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Colchester has a long and interesting railroad history.

Train depot on Lebanon Avenue owned by the Colchester Railway Company, a subsidiary of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Rail Road Company.

The railroad first came to Colchester in the 1870's as part of the famous Airline Railroad.  This railroad network connected New Haven to Boston as the crow flies.  The history of the Airline Railroad involves decades of broken dreams, corruption, bankruptcy, and alleged sabotage.

 It also gave Colchester the distinction of having one of the largest iron trestle bridges in New England.  The Lyman Viaduct ran over the Dickenson Creek in Westchester.

In 1877, the Town of Colchester invested $50,000 ( about $914,000 in 2006 dollars) to pay for half of a 3 mile rail spur to Lebanon Avenue to service the needs of Hayward Rubber Company.  This rail spur existed until 1964 when the New Haven Railroad dismantled it.  It's interesting to note that the Railroad did not confer with it, though Colchester owned half the rail spur.

Blueprint of the rail yard

Please  click here to see the 1930 rail yard layout when engine house that was retired.

It's interesting to note:

• Lebanon Avenue was Park Avenue in the 1930's. 

• The steam engine roundhouse is shown as the yellow circle.

•  The Coal bins were located at the Meech-Brown Grain Company [currently the self storage lot].

• Water was pumped from the Hayward Rubber Company pond.

Railroad yard today

The old freight depot

The old passenger platform

 The switching gate

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Last modified: 12/22/07