Company in New England

[bulldognose]

Gently American friends
What Railroad Companies were operating, from 1940 to 1970, in New England area?
There was also the NYC?
Many thanks from Italy and excuse my English.

[SteamGene]

Depending on the year in question, you could find:
Boston and Maine
Maine Central
Rutland
Bangor and Arroustack (sp)
Grand Truck Western
Canadian National (?)

Your English is better than my Italian and better than many other posters. 
Gene

[thirdrail]

The major railroad in New England was the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co., better known as "the New Haven". The Grand Trunk(sp) Western went no further East than Detroit, MI. The Grand Trunk was the actual name of the portion of the Canadian National  line in the USA that ran from Montreal to Portland, ME. CNR also owned the Central Vermont, from New London, CT., to Rouses Point, NY.

The Canadian Pacific also operated across Maine and down to Wells River, VT, where it connected with the B&M. The spelling is Aroostook for the BAR.

There were also many shortlines like the Naragansett Pier, Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington, Grafton & Upton, Sanford & Eastern, Belfast & Moosehead Lake, and St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County.

[Hamish K]

The New York Central Railroad (NYC) did operate in New England, connecting Boston to Albany (New York State).  Other operations of the NYC were outside New England (New York City to Albany and Chicago for example). In 1968 the NYC merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central Railroad and in 1969 the New York, New Haven and Hartford (as mentioned by thirdrail a major New England railroad)joined the Penn Central.

The Grand Trunk Railroad did operate in New England but before the period you are interested in. In 1923 it became merged into the Canadian National Railroad. The Grands Trunk Western was a separate operation and did not include New England.

Hamish

[Guilford Guy]

New York, New Haven & Hartford = NH
Boston & Maine = B&M
Maine Central = MEC
Grand Trunk = GT
Central Vermont = CV
Boston & Albany = B&A
Bangor & Aroostock = BAR

Depends which State, Most lines went East-West with a few cross crissing North-South. In Connecticut+Rhode Island it was almost entirely NH except for the CV which came from the North, and a little B&M in the 70's on their Connecticut River South(Not original B&M trackage)...
In Massachusetts the B&M Fitchburg Div, the B&A(NYC) and the B&M Central Mass went East-West. The CV went North-South and the B&M's Conn River went North-South. In the East side of the state the B&M's Eastern, Western, and New Hampshire Division Routes went North of Boston. The New Haven also went North-South to meet B&M in several places along the Fitch Div.
In New Hampshire the majority of the trackage was B&M, MEC, and Grand Trunk. B&M made up most of New Hampshire, while several MEC routes went through, mostly through routes. The GT also cut through NH on its way to Montreal. Maine has many Railroads. The B&M came up from the South to Portland. Out of Portland MANY MEC lines branched out Northwards. The GT also went into Portland accessing the city through street trackage near the waterfront.
The Bangor & Aroostock went north through the Aroostock Valley, and until recently the Aroostock Valley Railway (which had been electric until the diesel age) with their 44 tonners ran. In Vermont The Rutland was the king. The Rutland died in the early 1960 'sand was reorganized as Vermont Railway which is a conglomerate of Shortlines in VT containing Vermont Railway, Green Mountain Railway, Washignton County Railroad, Clarendon & Pittsford.) Vermont had lots of shortlines as well, including the St Johnsbury & Lake Champlain(later Lamoille Valley) and Claremont & Concord, the latter which operated on a lot of electric railway trackage but has been cut back to about 1/2 a mile from the CV(Now New England Central Railroad).
Done.
Have Fun.
http://www.index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=S&sort=2&output=5&cmdtext=%22CLCO%22

[Jim Banner]

Did Penn Central run anything in New England?  They did exist for the last two years of the period in question.

[Hamish K]

The Penn Central owned the Boston and Albany from 1968 and the New Haven from 1969. Whether Penn Central lettered equipment was used on these routes by 1970 I do not know, does any-one?. Although the Boston and Albany was owned by the New York Central prior to 1968 the Boston and Albany name was used throught the NYC ownership period.

To clarify the situation re the Grand Trunk, after the absorbtion into the  Canadian National (1923),  the line in the USA was a subsidiary of the Canadian National. Locos lettered both for the Grand Trunk and Canadian National  operated on the route.

Hamish

[Guilford Guy]

PC lettered equipment was in Use on the NYC and NH. B&A was lettered primarily on steam locomotives yet not diesels.

[SteamGene]

My apology for forgetting the New York, New Haven, and Hartford and for misspelling the Grand Trunk.  Was it Vermont Central or Central of Vermont?
Gene

[Guilford Guy]

Central Vermont...
Southern New England would have run in the 40's had it ever been completed...

[r.cprmier]

Gene;
It was Central Vermont.  It ran all the way down through Palmer, Mass, to New London, Ct.  It was quite a road!

Rich

[Woody Elmore]

Somewhere in my collection of slides I have a photo of a PC lettered RDC car at the Danbury, CT station. It was taken in 1977 when I got my first Canon AE-1.

The RDC had orange and white striping on the nose. I seem to remember a PC logo on the side. During one of the gasoline shortages in the Seventies my friend commuted to New york City from Danbury. It would have been faster by stagecoach. He told me that the RDCs were noisy,dirty and unreliable. This pretty much sums up PC passenger service.

I also remember the Providence and Worcester operating in the Willimantic area. Another line that has come and gone.

[Guilford Guy]

P&W's lease expired at a critical time. had it been any earlier it would probably been renewed and suffered much of the fate of PC's other lines. Or 2 late it would be abandoned as an unnecessary. The lease ran out in 1969 so P&W is a candidate for New England Between the 40's and 70's