Danbury Railway Museum 5/16/2010

plus a Metro North Trip into Grand Central Station

by Chris Guenzler

Randy and I got up early and after a visit to Dunkin Donut's we went to the Danbury Metro North Station for our ride to New York City. We pulled into the Danbury Railroad Museum parking lot for the first picture of the morning.

Metro North 228 laying over at Danbury this weekend. From here we drove over to the Metro North Station parking lot and parked the car.

Metro North Cab Car 6303 bringing Metro North Train 6813 into the Danbury Station.

Metro North BL20 112 will power our train to South Norwalk. The train had the Metro North BL20 112, Coaches 6448 and 6353 with Cab Coach 6303. We boarded the Coach 6448 for the shuttle trip to South Norwalk which would all be new mileage for the two of us. It made local stops at Bethel, West Redding, Branchville, Cannondale, Wilton, Merrit before arriving into South Norwalk where we would cross platform transfer.

Two views of South Norwalk. Never a train when you want one!.

Our connecting train Metro North 6513 was a very crowded train when it picked us up. This train made local stops at Rowayton, Darien Norton Heights and Stamford before running non stop to Harlem 125 Street. My new mileage here began at the point where the Metro North leaves the Northeast Corridor at New Rochelle and rejoined the Metro North Line into Grand Central at Mott Haven. We arrived into Grand Central station a few minutes early.

Our train at Grand Central Station.

Grand Central Station

Randy and I parted ways here as he was going to make a roundtrip out to Yonkers and back before he would head out to Wassiac where I would drive over to meet him later this afternoon. Now lets enjoy this incredible passenger station with these pictures.

Views inside Grand Central Station New York City.

I walked out on the street out front for these views of Grand Central Station. After that I walked out on the platform for a picture of my train back to South Norwalk.

Metro North 6522 waiting for its boarding time.

A picture of my Web Ticket which you get on-line at a discounted price in the mail sent to you in advance. I walked back into the station and waited on the floor against the wall just watching the comings and goings on here in this fabulous station. Before I boarded I talked with a Metro North Conductor and gave directions to a lady needing to get to the airport by rail. I boarded the train for the ride back to South Norwalk on another very crowded train which made a special stop at New Rochelle for someone who was on the wrong train. I relaxed the whole way back before doing the down under and up to reach the Metro North Train 6822 back to Danbury.

Metro North Train 6822 back at Danbury before I drove the short distance to the Danbury Railroad Museum.

Danbury Railway Museum 5/16/2010

I walked in and introduced myself to the staff there.

A Brief History

The Danbury Station was built in 1903 by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Danbury also had a railyard, roundhouse with turntable, engine house and a freight house. Alfred Hitchcock's "Stranger on a Train" was filmed in and around the Danbury Station. Though the early years Danbury was an important station for the New Haven Railroad. The railroad in the 1960's was in a period of decline and by the 1980's the freight house was torn down and the engine house burned. Metro North closed the Danbury Station in 1993 due the inner city in decline. The station building was crumbling. Not wanting to be a mayor of a city in decline, Gene Enriquez proposed that an organization be formed to develop and utilize the rail facilities to return people to the city. With tracks in place along with connecting rail lines in four directions, a large turntable and a six acre railyard in place, Danbury would make an ideal location for a railroad museum. The Danbury Railway Museum was incorporated in 1994. A 1.5 million dollar grant was secured and the restoration of the Danbury Station began. On October 29, 1994 the station building was dedicated at a ceremony attended by over 1,000 people. By mid 1995 the station was ready for occupancy and the Museum was established in its present location. In 1994 the first excursion train was operated and has been running ever since. Restoration of the turntable was completed in 1998 and by 2005 was being used by the railyard local. Both the station and turntable are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Collection

Maine Central Caboose 661.