Not much of the CNE exists - the line from Hartford west went thru Collinsville, Winstead, West Norfolk, crossed the present Housatonic RR line north to Pittsfield at Canaan, split into two branches at Lakeville and went on into New York. One branch went NW to Boston Corners while the other went on to Millerton, south toward NYC and west to Pine Plans. south again to Stissing, Hibernia, Pleasant, Poughkeepsie, crossing the Hudson to Highland, Clintondale, Modena, East Walden and on to Maybrook. None of these lines appear operational.

Hope this provides some background - doesn't answer all your questions.

Cheers, Colin Harding

Posted by: John Wallace on Sun, Dec 27, 98 at 15:27 A small portion (about 6 miles)of the original CNE still survives in Conn. It runs from Hartford to Bloomfield but has seen very little use for many years. However that is about to change. Home Depot is building a regional warehouse in Bloomfield and will need rail service. The line is to be rehabilitated and will be operated by a Conn. shortline that is named Central New England RR. The new CNE is owned by A. Belleveau, a Conn. RR contractor who also currently operates a section of the old New Haven RR Armory Branch between So. Windsor,Ct and Broadbrook.

Posted by: Mark on Tue, Dec 29, 98 at 23:49 Not to be too pedantic, but there is also some active CNE trackage in Canaan, CT. Heading east from the Union Station to a few quarries on Lime Kiln Road. A strip of CNE west of the station to Rte 44 was used to park several cabooses for several years.The cabooses were removed shortly after Halloween '98 and the track was removed.

Posted by: DAVID WHALEN on Thu, Jan 14, 99 at 21:19 AN EXCELLENT BOOK FOR REFREANCES FOR THE CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND IS (LOST RAILROADS OF NEW ENGLAND BY DALE KARR.).THIS BOOK SHOWS THE ENTIRE LINE FROM BOSTON TO THE NEW YORK BORDER. MOST TRAIN STORES CARRY THIS BOOK. HOWEVER IT IS HARD TO FIND ANY GREAT DETAIL IN NEW YORK STATE.STILL ANOTHER BOOK THAT THAT MAY HELP YOU IS (GREAT RAIL TRAILS OF THE NORTHEAST BY CRAIG DELLA PENNA).

GOOD LUCK

DAVE WHALEN

Posted by: ron musco on Fri, Jan 15, 99 at 13:27 The definitive work is the three volume set by Robert Nimke of Westmoreland,New Hampshire. This is the same guy who did twelve volumes on the Rutland: "Sixty Years of Trying."

I did some research on the CNE for him in the Connecticut State Library.

No action on the Griffin Line except a nuclear reactor vessel was railroaded out last week. No work done on the warehouse trackage yet.

I know Amedee and the surveyor for the line is a good friend of mine.

The CNE can be found in Collinsville,Simsbury,Canton,New Hartford. I don't think the CNE set is available,only 600 copies of each volume were printed and they went fast.

A Hobby Shop in Warren,Mass. has a set of "The Rutland" by Nimke for sale at approx. $550

Ron Musco

Windsor,Connecticut

Posted by: Leroy Beaujon on Wed, Feb 3, 99 at 22:07 Just take a look at my e-mail address and you'll easily see where my interests are. By the way, I did the locomotive rosters for Bob Nimke listed in Volumes 1 and 2 of his history of the CNE and predecessor lines. And yes, Ron is correct that these two volumes are long gone and for even someone to find one or both being resold by dealers is a pretty long shot at this time. Bob Nimke still has (last time I talked with him, anyway)copies of Volume 3 for sale and it is well worth having.

The former CNE lines in Eastern New York State are quite complicated as compared to the lines in Connecticut. First of these was the Dutchess & Columbia which began building in the late 1860's from Dutchess Jct. (a point on the Hudson a mile or two south of Beacon) up through Hopewell Jct.(there was no other line there at that time), Millbrook, Pine Plains and on to Millerton. This particular line changed names at least six times before the New Haven took it over in 1905 and turned it over to the CNE to operate. The next line was the Poughkeepsie & Eastern Railroad that built eastward from Poughkeepsie via Pine Plains and Boston Corners to State Line (just east of Millerton) where a connection was made with the Connecticut Western RR. The P&E didn't do so hot financially over the years and it went through three name changes before the New Haven finally bought it in 1907 and also turned it over to the CNE to operate. A third line was the Rhinebeck & Connecticut which began building in 1871 from Rhinecliff eastwards via Red Hook and Ancram to Boston Corners where it got traffic rights over the P&E down to State Line. One other line connected to the CNE deserves mention also and that is one called the Poughkeepsie & Connecticut Railroad. When the Poughkeepsie Bridge was being constructed, the logical connection to the line in Connecticut would have been the P&E. The P&E refused to sell so the backers of the bridge decided to build their own route which they did. After the CNE took over the P&E in 1907, most of the P&C route was abandoned in favor of using the P&E line. Any one having other questions regarding the CNE and it's predecessor lines, please feel free to contact me. Leroy Beaujon (former NYNH&H employee) Roseville, Ca. re: cne/ bob nimke's book es Posted by: CHARLIE HULSIZER (CHULSIZER@VNET.IBM.COM) on Thu, Feb 18, 99 at 10:16 I SPOKE TO BOB LAST NIGHT, AND HE ONLY HAS A FEW COPIES OF? VOLUME 3 LEFT, SO IF YOU WANT ONE YOU BETTER MOVE FAST!! I? ALMOST WAITED TOO LONG MYSELF. THESE BOOKS ARE A WEALTH OF? INFORMATION!!!!

Posted by: Richard Hutter on Thu, Feb 25, 99 at 23:05 Three interesting sources of information are "Formation of the New England Railroad Systems" by George P. Baker, Harvard University Press, 1949 a book that includes some maps, charts and brief descriptions of lines that made up the CNE.

A small booklet "The Old Railroads of Dutchess County" by Paul T. Phillips, copied from Vol. 59 of the Dutchess County Historical Society, printed in 1975. LOTS of maps, and some filling out of the book mentioned above.

The third booklet is the "Hucklebush Line" (the Rhinebeck & Conneticut Railroad) by Kieth Mac Phail from the same Vol 59. A few photos, and some additional information.

The later two, or reproductions, may be available from the Dutchess Co. Historical Society.

Posted by: Tom H on Sat, Apr 3, 99 at 19:56 Bob Lord has an excellant book called Country Depots in theee Connecticut Hills. It has pictures and descriptions of stations and flagstops: Bloomfield, Griffins, Barnards, Tariffville, Hoskins, Simsbury, Stratton Brook, Canton, Collinsville Junction, Collinsville, Cherry Brook, Satan's Kingdom, Pine Meadow, New Hartford, East Winsted, Winsted, West Winsted, Colebrook, Grant's, Norfolk Summit, Norfolk, East Canaan, Canaan, Washining, Twin Lakes, Taconic, Salisbury, Lakeville and Ore Hill. Also, Springfield branch: East Granby and West Suffield.

Posted by: steven levine on Sat, Apr 10, 99 at 14:38 there is also a web site called existing RR stations in NYS.Several CNE stations still exist.The small yard north of Poughkeepsie is still refered to by Metro-North employees as the "CNE"yard.A very important connection beween the NYC hudson line and the Maybrook line is located here.

Posted by: steven levine on Sat, Apr 10, 99 at 18:20 At last count there are 10 CNE stations in Dutchess county,NY.And 3 in Columbia county.

Posted by: Donald Austin on Wed, Jul 7, 99 at 15:47 This morning 14 cars parked on siding at Griffins ,end of line

I have worked on CNE at Austin Organs since 1950

We used to crate all our organs and ship on RR

Every nite across track a express car of milk was delivered to Bryant and Chapman,now Sealtest

Since I live in Bloomfield i lived and worked on the CNE How wonderfull to see it run again !

Posted by: Leroy Beaujon on Wed, Jul 7, 99 at 22:17 Great News, Don! Now if someone would sugggest to Mr. Belliveau (I believe that is the name of the line's current owner) a new slogan for his line and that would be "Griffins Today, Maybrook Tomorrow!"

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Thu, Jul 8, 99 at 20:27 Bloomfield citizens now officially complaining about noise of Home Depots 24 hour workday. They have a point.Truck traffic is dreadfull.

Posted by: zz4 on Fri, Jul 9, 99 at 13:36 always been curious....did the cne ever have a connection to nyc harlem line at millerton,n.y ? A number of years ago I wandereed through the area looking for old row's and my old topo map showed a line at about the ct/ny state line going sw to the nyc. (I assume there was some type of connection in downtown millerton area but this map showed a maybe 1 mile line as described above) I wonder why the CNE seems so lacking on common available books. It was an interesting rr and till this day the old rows are fascinating to walk.(of coarse figuring out which rural landowner does not mind trespassers) I was told that in connecticut the tracks sat there until they were taken up for the ww2 steel value. Also if you can figure out real estate supposedly some row sections still exist in ownership of ? and nobody wants then because what can you build on something the dimension of a rr row ? I see somebody is trying to reclaim something for a trail in norfolk,ct. area....At twin lakes,ct. there was a 1/2 mile spur going north?

Posted by: Leroy Beaujon on Fri, Jul 9, 99 at 23:58 Yes, the CNE did have a connection (as well as crossing over)with the Harlem at Millerton. For several years the CNE operated a through coach from Winsted to New York that was attached to the morning Harlem train at Millerton. It came north in the afternoon out of New York. My guess is that the CNE train went out on to the Harlem after the southbound train passed the junction and backed the coach down to the waiting Harlem train. On the northbound run the Harlem train would drop the coach north of the junction for the CNE train to pick up. - - - A series of three books on the CNE was published about three years ago by a Robert W. Nimke; 36 Old Route 12 North; Westmoreland, N.H. 03467 - 4703. The last I heard he only had a few copies of Volume 3 left at a cost of about $50.00. This volume, if still available, is worth having. - - - Yes, the CNE lines in Ct. sat unused from about 1927 (when the last passenger train ran) until official abandonment came in 1938. Most of those tracks were pulled up about a year later and shipped to Japan for scrap. - - - I did recently hear that some of the r-o-w west of Norfolk could now be walked on but I haven't personally seen it. The spur you wrote about in the Twin Lakes area actually took off from the station at Taconic and did go almost a mile to the north in to the village of Taconic. It was probably taken up in the early 1900's.

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Sun, Jul 11, 99 at 12:43 At Griffins,siding rebuilt & track laid farther north in the r o w to store track equip.misc cars etc

Overflow cars from home depot operation on only other siding in Bloomfield Center unfortunate siding is cut by Wintonbury Ave They should have spent the extra $ to fix it

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Mon, Jul 12, 99 at 20:46 THE CITIZENS OF BLOOMFIELD came out again tonite before town council to complain abt noise at home Depot ie.16 hrs switching Sat.

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Thu, Jul 15, 99 at 13:16 JUST CAME FROM GRIFFINS? HOME DEPOI 30 to 40 cars up there right now wow

On orher side of river CNE moving very slowly with there E Windsor Hill/ Mass line work

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Fri, Jul 16, 99 at 15:48 Had lunch at Canaan Depot today

Cabooses and track west of station to Rt. 44 still in place.Mark had bad info

Also went to Armenia or Amenia and saw heavy duty construction on extension of Putnam line

North of Amenia irs Rails to Trails

Posted by: Leroy Beaujon on Fri, Jul 16, 99 at 22:11 Yes, there are still some of the caboose's left on the old CNE track in Canaan west of the diamond. Some were trucked out a few months ago and the rest will be going "who knows when?" They have definitely all been sold and the hardware store on Rte 44 next to the track wants them out so that they can commence on a new building that will take up some of the old r-o-w where they now sit. By the way, there is no way that the remaining cabooses can be taken out by rail as the former CNE rails west of the diamond are no longer connected to the Housatonic's trackage. I also have heard that the Housatonic wants to pull up the diamond itself due to the costs in keeping it properly maintained. Back in New Haven RR days when I worked at the Canaan Station (late 40's) they (NH) often sent in a truck with acetylene torch equipment to build up the diamond where it received the most pounding.

Posted by: Mark on Fri, Jul 16, 99 at 23:25 Thanks for sticking up for me Mr. Beaujon. You're alright for a west coast CNE fan! The clock is ticking on the CNE stub west of Canaan Union Station. When I saw it last Fall I did not think it would make it to the summer.

And I think Donald Austin is referring to the Harlem Division, not the Putnam Division. Those boilermakers at Keilty's are strong...

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Sat, Jul 17, 99 at 7:17 I Only had 1 artificial beer at Keiltys Health makes a boilermaker tempting but dangerous Harlem it is

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Mon, Jul 19, 99 at 13:37 AS WE SPEAK IN BLOOMFIELD CENTER,contractor reviving passing track.maybe siding and clearing off land where CNE DEPOT stood I remember the depot,played in it as a kid in 38-39 I DONT THINK THESE GUYS KNEW HOW MUCH TRAFFIC THEY WOULD GET Im off to look again !

Posted by: Robert Lord on Sat, Aug 14, 99 at 14:23 Residents of Bloomfield, CT. are really up in arms about the new rail line (formerly CNE trackage) and according to a story in the August 11, 1999 edition of the Hartford Courant, they say "they are tired of listening to 'train music' day and night along Tunxis Avenue". They are urging the town council to figure out how to reduce noise from trains headed to the Home Depot Distribution Center.

Local citizens have filed a petition asking the town to end the "noise pollution." one local lady has reminded the council that the train noise was violating the town's noise ordinance which, she said, defined noise as "unwanted sound."

All this seems to prove there's nothing new under the sun. When I was writing my book on steam railroads in Northwest Connecticut, I found that local people objected to the railroad sounds...especially the whistles on Sunday during church services...and at night when local folk were awakened from a sound sleep. Ahhhh...to hear that wonderful old steam whistle again!!!

Posted by: DONALD AUSTIN on Sat, Aug 14, 99 at 15:33

Mr Lord

I live in Bloomfield,& watched the Council meeting on local access T V

One lady said they should call OSHA !! Not one person understands the real railroading world No one remembers the 30s,40s,50s etc Ive been here 66 yrs and have seen it all. Also have been Vol Fireman since 1951 Who invented NIMBY ?

Don R