Данбери и Норвокская железная дорога: История и преемственность

American railroad
railroad name=Danbury and Norwalk Railroad|
logo filename=WiltonCTCannondaleRRstaHouse09162007. jpg|
logo size=250px|
locale=Danbury, CT to Norwalk, CT|
start year=1852|
end year=1887|
successor line=Housatonic Railroad
| gauge=|
hq city=Danbury The objective of the railroad was to build from Danbury to somewhere on Long Island Sound. The backers wanted to end Danbury's isolation. As financing the project was a problem, attention was paid to the area north of Danbury, along the Housatonic River. If these places would be connected, more options would come available to financing the railroad. A survey was performed By Mr. E H. Broadhead. This route would connect Danbury by a 70 mile route with the Western Railroad at West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Then in 1836 the Housatonic Railroad was chartered in Bridgeport. Danbury was offered a subscription to the new railroad for $100,000, but Danbury declined. The Housatonic Railroad started building its railroad, bypassing Danbury, and going north along the route that was surveyed for the Fairfield County Railroad.

On May 29, 1850 the charter of the Fairfield County Railroad was once again renewed, but the name was changed to the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. On June 7, 1850 the company was organized with Eli T. Hoyt as president. The surveyed route to Norwalk from Danbury was built, but not the extension to Belden's Neck. The railroad would connect to the New York & New Haven in South Norwalk. In the fall of 1850, construction began, with Beard, Church and Company of Derby, Connecticut the general contractor as chosen in a bidding process. The work began even before all the land had been secured. In general, work proceeded from south to north. The route closely followed the Norwalk River in order to avoid grades (inclines). A grade of only one percent would have severely limited the size of trains that could be used. As a result of the proximity to the river, the Danbury line has had a history of occasional flooding. Major floods occurred in 1853, 1854 and, much later in 1955, all of which briefly closed the line. In the first few years, many of the bridges and fills along the line needed to be replaced. The state contracted with the federally formed Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) to operate freight and passenger service on the line from 1976 until the cessation of Conrail passenger service in 1983. Conrail freight service on the line ended in 1993. The Connecticut Department of Transportation now owns the former D&N line. Freight service is provided by the Providence and Worcester Railroad since 1993 also by a newly formed Housatonic Railroad. With the formation of Metro North Railroad in 1983 the D&N became the Danbury Branch of that railroad's New Haven Line.

The Ridgefield branch opened July 1, 1870 from Branchville on the main line and had one terminal station at Ridgefield as well as two flag stops along the way at Florida and Cooper. Trains generally consisted of two cars; one passenger car, plus a combination car for baggage, express and mail. Freight cars were added as needed. Ridgefield had a one stall engine house and a turntable. Passenger service was abandoned on The Ridgefield Branch in 1925. Although the branch remained active until freight service was abandoned by the NYNH&H in 1964. The branch was later turned into the Ridgefield Rail Trail.

There was only one siding located along the branch. At Hawleyville there was an interchange with the New York and New England Railroad. The Hawleyville interchange was in addition to the one at Danbury. At Hawleyville connections could be made to the rest of the Housatonic (Bridgeport to the south, Massachusetts to the north) as well as the Shepaug Railroad (to Litchfield northeast). The Hawleyville Branch was abandoned by the NYNH&H in 1911 and was one of the first line abandonments of the railroad.