Re: Valley RR Steam Day and Night NNG

Sorry John, Warren and I are both New Englanders and we run into each other periodically at the Valley.

The Valley Railroad is based in Essex Connecticut and is a standard gauge tourist line that operates on the former New York, New Haven and Hartford's Connecticut River Valley Line. The state owns the ROW now, so the line is akin to a state park. I believe they lease the tracks to the operator, which is a for-profit railroad. The current usable track runs from the junction with the Northeast Corridor at Old Saybrook all the way to someplace north of Haddam, CT. The regular train rides, including the Christmas Trains utilize a 6 or 7 mile portion of that line between Essex and North Chester. Specials and the regular dinner trains typically go further. The line has three steam engines. Two Alcos (a 2-8-0 and a 2-8-2) that date to the 1920s, and a Chinese SY built in 1989 that was kit-bashed to resemble a New Haven J-1 Mikado. One of the 1920s era engines is currently out of service, awaiting a 1,472 day inspection, and a fair bit of other work. The rolling stock is all 4 and 6 axle heavyweight steel coaches with steam heat.

It's a great operation. If you are ever out this way, you will want to check it out. In the summer, they have the only steam train/riverboat connection in the country....at least that I'm aware of.

/Kevin Madore



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2016 10:00AM by KevinM.