Hartford Area Trolleys

As this map indicates, the Hartford area had quite a few trolley lines in the heyday of electric streetcars. Initially separate entities, most eventually merged into one single company.

1899

1924

1 -Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway 
2 - East Hartford and Glastonbury Street Railway

Consolidation Details

Around 1904, Consolidated Railway acquired these lines:

1893-1904 - Hartford Street Railway Co.

1893-1904  - East Hartford and Glastonbury Street Railway 

1894 -1904 - Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway 

1897 -1904 - Hartford and Middletown Street Railway

In 1907, the Consolidated Railway was merged as part of  the New Haven RR and renamed Connecticut Company. The Connecticut Company became the primary electric street railway company in all of  Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. As mentioned, it was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. 

"The Connecticut Company, which by 1907 was controlled by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, operated most of the trolleys and buses in Connecticut, with fourteen divisions and, at its peak in the 1910s, a roster of over 2200 cars and nearly 800 miles of track that either ran in or connected twelve major Connecticut cities.  Ridership started to drop in the 1920s and systems were abandoned by the 1930s.  The last trolley ran on September 25, 1948, in New Haven, as the post-war boom of personal ownership of the automobile became widespread." Source: UConn Library 

As highways improved and automobiles become more prevalent throughout the country, abandonments of the trolley/streetcars lines progressed steadily through the 1920s and 1930s, with only city and suburban lines remaining after 1937. By 1941, the Hartford Division was completely converted to buses.

Manchester Trolley

Laurel Park

In the late 1800s, in many populated areas across the country, trolley companies but amusement parks to increase ridership and the weekends, The owners of the Hartford, Manchester, and Rockville Tramway Company created Laurel Park on the Manchester-East Hartford border in 1895.

The Hockanum River was damned creating a lake for boating. The Park had a carousel as well as a bandstand and pavilion for Saturday night dances. Sunday concerts were held in a gazebo. The park also had a wooden observatory tower, a refreshment stand and even a zoo. The amusement park lasted until 1923 and the lake was drained in 1962.

Further Info

East Hartford and Glastonbury Street Railway
In 1880 trolley service came to Glastonbury. Glastonbury families would ride the trolley into Hartford, and the town’s factories were largely assisted by the trolley line that shipped goods out. In 1892, an electric trolley ran from East Hartford to Hubbard Brook near the town’s center.

• East Hartford and Glastonbury Street Railway  (Wikipedia) 
• Glastonbury History 
• Glastonbury: A History (by Rafaele Fierro) 

Hartford and West Hartford

• Riding Out of Town on a Rail: Hartford's Turn of the Century Trolleys
• A Trolley Runs Through It (West Hartford)

 Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway Company

• Main Street Manchester 
• Summer Fun at Laurel Park
• Once Upon a Time - Laurel Park

The Woodbury Trolley

A trolley line from Waterbury to Woodbury was completed in 1908 and an amusement park was built on the Lake Quassapaug (formerly known as Quassapaug Pond) as a way to get workers and their families to ride streetcars and railways on weekends. Steady patronage due to the trolley connection helped transform the Quassy Amusement Park into a full-fledged summer resort.

Initially known as the Woodbury and Waterbury Street Railway it soon became part of the Waterbury and Pomperaug Valley Street Railway and was subsequently absorbed by the massive Connecticut Company - the primary electric street railway company in Connecticut. The line was abandoned in the 1930s when visitors began driving their cars to the resort.

Source: Central and Northwestern Connecticut Interurbans

A couple of sections of the trolley right of way (ROW) still remain and are "bike friendly." The Middlebury Greenway is a developed "official trail" but the section passing by the Woodbury Reservoir and following the South Brook is undeveloped.

Woodbury Trolley (Backwoods by the Reservoir)

I started at Old Sherman Hill Road and road south towards the Reservoir. It was all downhill and strangely much steeper on the section going north into Woodbury.

It's all downhill going west...

There's a small spot to park on Old Sherman Hill Road

-The Ride-

Old Sherman Hill Road
(pay no attention to the orange signs :-) )

The view up Trolley Bed Road at the start
I rode up to Route 64 first before I hit the woods...

It's a picturesque ride

Definitely glad I was on the mountain bike and not the road bike!

The classic embankment shot

At the end

Some spots were pretty overgrown!

I am found of embankment photos :-)

A bridge

All uphill going back but doable!

Panorama of the Woodbury Reservoir

Another Bridge

It took 20 minutes one way (going down) - probably 12-15 minutes if you wanted to bomb it. Going back - add at least another 5 minutes because its all uphill.

Middlebury Greenway

I next drove over the Middlebury to ride the Greenway. This follows the path of the old trolley ROW and has been fully paved, etc. It would have been better obviously on the road bike but the heavier bike and lots of hills made it more interesting for me.

-The Ride-

I started out from the FireHouse

There are a few historical signs along the way

The first climb goes through a beautiful rock cut

Oops - The official place to start!

This place is now a pizza joint!

Great info!

End of the line
(Mighty boring!)

Short One-Handed Video of the Trail

Sure it was somewhat boring compared to riding single track or a rutted abandoned ROWs in the woods but it was nice to see the Town feature the trolley line and the hilly up and downs made it fun.

Lunch

I grabbed lunch--which included a double IPA!--at this spot: Maggie Mcfly’s. It was wonderful and headed a bit south to Ride the Larking Bridle Trail.

Next > 

Further Info

Middlebury Greenway (TrailLink)
Quassy: One of the Last of the Old-Time Trolley Parks
Trolley Parks: Survivors of an earlier era
(In 1919, more than 1,000 parks speckled the U.S.; now, there are 11)
Woodbury Trolley Trail (Bike Explorations)
Northeast U.S. Interurbans 
(Maps and Details on the Interurbans Systems in New York and New England)

Trolley Bridge Ruins - Aqueduct , NY

Although I had visited this spot last winter (see The Mohawk River Trolley Bridge Ruins), this time I invited along both local railroad history expert Gino Di Carlo, as well as good friend from High School Gary Cunningham, who has accompanied me on quite a few other treks.

Gino is an expert on local railroad "archeology". He grew up in Aqueduct and explored everything train-related nearby as a kid. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge and shared quite a few interesting historical tidbits. He was great company!

We met at the Boat House parking lot and---much to my surprise--found a wide groomed path along the river at the end of the driveway.

We trekked in and saw large piles of stones--rubble from the canal lining ages ago.

Our Trek to the Trolley Bridge

Stone Canal Rubble 

Lots of Rubble!

Once at the piers, Gary suggested taking a photo of Gino and I to show just how massive these piers are. We looked like pipsqueaks!

A short walk in the muck provided this view

We hiked up the hill where a photo of the abutment was taken.

We then walked up the hill, following the gas line clearing, to the spot where the trolley once crossed the railroad, (see Mystery Ruins). For a short while,  Gino seemed lost  in contemplation of how it was yesteryear...

On the northwest side of the abandoned crossing, Gary encouraged a second photo op:

We next explored the long forgotten railroad spur nearby - it has a fascinating history >

Abandoned RRs near Newtown, CT

Yes, I wasn't on my bike (it was raining and too crappy and wet for that!) but this is railroad related so a short post with a link has merit for here :-)

Hawleyville Tunnel

Housatonic River

Hawleyville Tunnels, Retracing the Shepaug and NY&NE RRs near Newtown, CT

(maps, photos, history details…)

Details >

Kaydeross Park Abandoned Trolley ROW

In February 2014, when researching abandoned rail and trolley lines in the Saratoga NY area, I found this ROW and was enticed to come back in warmer weather and try to ride it. See winter photos and mini map >

On Sunday morning May 18th--after riding Bog Meadow Brook--I ventured over here and parked in a lot nearby and rode in from Crescent Ave. It was a little soft and wet on the first part of the ascent but further on it was drier but still a little soft from a lot of leaf cover. Nevertheless, it was a fun and fascinating ride. Once I reached the first road (a private driveway), any sign of the ROW completely disappeared so I headed back down as I came.  Bing Bird's Eye View >

Watch a short video -  Riding Down the Hill

Drowned Trail! - Not today...

After I finished the Bog Meadow Brook ride, I went up to the Saratoga Golf Course to ride the trail behind Longfellow’s Restaurant but it was underwater!! Bummer!

Riding the little-known Trolley Line north of Round Lake

Saturday - May 17th, 2014
I was up in the Burnt Hills - Saratoga area and determined to explore the old, little-known Trolley Line north of Round Lake.

Back at the beginning of April 2014,  I  had been on the section southeast of the Northway and the recently renovated section going southeast of Ruhle Road but the section in between those two still eluded me and I was intrigued.

Where I rode...

 -Topographic Map - 

note the steep banks of the Ballston Creek along here

Saturday was a gorgeous day - sunny and bright and still a bit cool - perfect weather for riding. I parked at Shenantaha Creek Park and rode south on the Zim Smith Rail Trail. Knowing I was going to hit some rougher undeveloped trails, I rode the mountain bike.

Shenantaha Creek Park

Before I stepped out of the house, I browsed  the usual internet map tools and knew from Google aerial views that there was a visible trail that hugs the west side of the Northway as it crosses over the Kaydeross. I knew this was my ticket to get to the Trolley ROW.

The Trail by the Northway

Sure enough, bombing down the rutted ATV trail got me to the other side. Right before I connected to the Trolley ROW, there was a small shale strewn gully to cross but—as the video indicates—the Trolley ROW was still clear and an easy ride North.

NOTE: I took a few short one-handed videos with my iPhone while riding and merged them together (YouTube link below). 

When I emerged at the clearing, I  stopped to take photos  where the Power and Gas Lines converged. This location can be seen on the satellite map. Clearing on satellite map >

The next section was very “developed” and soon I wound up on the section of the trail I hiked in April riding by the stream, etc.

When I got to the gate on Ruhle Road, I turned south to check out the historic bridge.

Lastly, I reconnected with the Zim Smith trail and returned to the car.

Short Video Summation

---

Still having more time (and energy) to bike, I drove over to Luther Forest and had a great time there as well.  See Post >