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TABLE OF CONTENTS


Overview of the Collection

History

Scope and Content

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Series I: Collection, ca. 1870s-1960s






New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Small Format Photograph and Postcard Collection



Finding aid prepared by William Uricchio






Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
405 Babbidge Road, Unit 1205
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-1205



© 2005 University of Connecticut



Overview of the Collection

Repository: Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center.
Creator: Unknown.
Title: New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Small Format Photograph and Postcard Collection.
Dates: ca. 1870s-1960s.
Quantity: 94 items/.5 linear feet.
Identification: MSS19910133
Language: English.
Abstract: For almost one hundred years the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, better known as the New Haven Railroad, was the primary means of passenger and freight transportation in Southern New England. Chartered in 1872, this merger between the New York & New Haven and Hartford & New Haven railroads later included the long desired rail link between Boston and New York.

History

For almost one hundred years the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, better known as the New Haven Railroad, was the primary means of passenger and freight transportation in southern New England. Chartered in 1872, this merger between the New York & New Haven and Hartford & New Haven railroads later included the long desired rail link between Boston and New York. Approximately one hundred small independent railroads were built in southern New England between 1826 and the 1880s. By 1904, the majority were absorbed into the vast New Haven system. At its peak in 1929, the New Haven Railroad owned and operated 2,131 miles of track throughout eastern New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

The local railroad lines that eventually became part of the New Haven system developed in response to local business and transportation needs. Unlike the Western states, where railroads preceded and shaped settlement, in the Northeast they served primarily to link existing towns, businesses, and markets. The New Haven system thus developed as a result of numerous consolidations and mergers. The New Haven traced its founding to 1826, when one of its predecessor companies originated, but the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad was not chartered until 1872. The company followed the pattern of consolidation established by the Pennsylvania Railroad and other companies, particularly after 1889, when major lines in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southern Massachusetts provided a strong network linking New York and Boston. By 1890, company revenue exceeded $100,000,000 per year, and the New Haven employed 4,000 people to serve twelve million passengers annually.

This success led a wealthy group of New York investors, headed by J. P. Morgan, to seek and gain control of the New Haven's board. In 1903, Morgan installed Charles Mellen as president of the railroad. Together Morgan and Mellen set out to achieve a complete monopoly of transportation in New England. Substantial improvements to the system were made during the Mellen years, including electrification of rail lines between Woodlawn, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut, and construction of a power generating plant in Cos Cob, Connecticut. These accomplishments, however, were overshadowed by Morgan's ambitious schemes to dominate all modes of transportation in New England. Steamboat lines, trolley companies, and other railroad lines were purchased regardless of price and incorporated into the New Haven system.

An investigation of the New Haven's activities by Louis Brandeis in 1907 revealed the overextended railroad was on the verge of financial collapse. Morgan's death in 1913 and Mellen's subsequent resignation brought to a close a stormy period in the New Haven's history.

During the First World War, all of the railroads in the United States, including the New Haven Railroad, were operated by the federal government. After the war, under Edward Pearson, President through 1928, the railroad was able to recover partially, despite increasing competition from automobiles, by sharing in the national economic growth of the 1920s. The company tried to meet this transportation competition by forming the New England Transportation Company, which operated a fleet of trucks and buses. Recovery of the New Haven, however, was cut short by the Depression of the 1930s, and in 1935 the New Haven plunged into bankruptcy. The company remained in trusteeship until 1947, when it returned to private ownership.

A series of struggles for control of the company in the post World War II period severely weakened the management of the company and its ability to adapt to changes in the transportation industry. The completion of the Connecticut Turnpike and other superhighways and the start of air shuttle service between Boston and New York intensified competition. The company's historic liability as a railroad overburdened with many short, costly branch lines further accelerated its decline.

On 7 July 1961, the New Haven Railroad once again went into receivership. A seven year trusteeship period followed, culminating in the absorption of the New Haven in the Penn Central system on 1 January 1969. Three years later the Penn Central itself collapsed into bankruptcy. The former components of the New Haven Railroad were divided among several entities. Freight service was assumed by Conrail when it was formed in 1976, although the Providence & Worcester also provided freight service on portions of the former New Haven, as did a few other operators. Passenger commuter service was funded by the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Long-haul passenger service was provided by Amtrak beginning in 1971. After 1976 passenger commuter service was operated by Conrail. In 1982, the United States Congress passed legislation that forced Conrail to divest itself of its commuter rail lines. On 1 January 1983, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, under joint ownership of the states of New York and Connecticut, took over all commuter passenger service. Amtrak continued to handle all long-haul passenger service.

The history of the New Haven Railroad reveals a company formed by one of the classic merger and consolidation patterns of the late 19th century, which was later unable to respond effectively to major changes in the transportation industry. The company's rapid growth, collapse, temporary recovery, and final dissolution offer a dramatic story, with government regulation, internal management decisions, and market competition playing important roles in the company's history.

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Scope and Content

The NY, NH & H Railroad Small format Photographs/Postcards Collection is a portion of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad archives. This collection is distinguished from the New Haven Railroad Photograph Collection by virtue of the fact that the prints in the Photographs collection are 8 × 10′ in size and prints in the Small Format collection do not exceed a measurement of 5.5 × 3.5′. This display has led to the practical necessity of housing the two collections in different size boxes.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

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Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of materials pertaining to New England railroads, particularly the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Subjects:

Locomotives--New England.
Railroads--new England.

Document Types:

Photographs.
Postcards.

Occupations:

Railroad.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Item description, #:#], New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Small Format Photograph And Postcard Collection. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Transferred to Archives & Special Collections with the larger NY, NH & H Railroad Records.

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Detailed Description

Series I: Collection, ca. 1870s-1960s
Envelope 1-Cars & Trains
Car, Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut River Railroad Combination 10
Car, NH Baggage 5317
Car, NH Baggage 5578
Car, NH Parlor 2156
Car, NH Passenger 1798
Car, NH Passenger 1263 (2 prints)
Car, NH Passenger 1263, “At Franklin”
Car, NH Passenger 1476
Car, NH Passenger 1530
Car, NH Passenger 1823
Car, NH Passenger 7804
Car, NH Passenger 8100
Car, NH Passenger, 1476 and 1479
Train, “Sp.-NY. #65 at Meriden, Conn.”, September 26, 1925
Train, N&W Centennial Extra, Locomotive NH 1407, Norwich, CT, May 12, 1940
Train, NH “east Wind”, Putnam, CT, July 19, 1953
Train wreck, P&E Locomotives 1, “Russel Sage”, and 7. (Postcard)
Envelope 2-Locomotives-Not New Haven
Gas car, Central New England Railroad 9023 on train 906, Winsted, CT
Locomotive, Central New England Railway 126, Hartford, CT
Locomotive, Central New England Railway 14, Simsbury, Ct, 1904
Locomotive, Central New England Railway 1585, Train 909, Winsted, CT, Spring, 1927
Locomotive, Central New England Railway 37, Hartford, CT
Locomotive, Connecticut & Passumpsic Railroad 27, “Montreal”, late 1872
Locomotive, Connecticut & Passumpsic Railroad,: W.K. Blodgett”, late 1800's
Locomotive, Hanover Branch Railroad, “Spark”, circa 1870's (post Card)
Locomotive, Hartford and New Haven Railroad 26, “Taurus”. 1867
Locomotive, Old Colony 243, at Mansfield, MA, 1893 (Postcard)
Envelope 3-Locomotives-New Haven
Locomotive, NH 016, New Haven, CT, 1928
Locomotive, NH 0353 & 0316, New Haven, CT, 1935
Locomotive, NH 0365, New Haven, CT, July, 1949
Locomotive, NH 0700 & 0728, Putnam, CT, May 20, 1956
Locomotive, NH 0738, “Built 1944”
Locomotive, NH 1280, 1932
Locomotive, NH 1352, At New London, CT
Locomotive, NH 1390
Locomotive, NH 1500
Envelope 3-Locomotives-New Haven
Locomotive, NH1503, 1930
Locomotive, NH 1538
Locomotive, NH 1589 As Rebuilt, June, 1936 (#1)
Locomotive, NH 1589 As Rebuilt, June, 1936 (#2)
Locomotive, NH 1918, “Formerly 806” (Post Card)
Locomotive, NH 2316
Locomotive, NH 3007
Locomotive, NH 3016, Putnam, CT, July 19, 1953 (#1)
Locomotive, NH 3016, Putnam, CT, July 19, 1953 (#2)
Locomotive, NH 202, New Haven, CT, May, 1950
Locomotive, NH 304, New Haven CT, about 1950
Locomotive, NH 307, 1930
Locomotive, NH 3106, Waterbury, CT, 1935
Locomotive, NH 3203
Locomotive, NH 340
Locomotive, NH 340, “Old Numbering”
Locomotive, NH 341, “Built 1923”
Locomotive, NH 3555
Locomotive, NH 416
Locomotive, NH 416 and 3210
Locomotive, NH 470
Locomotive, NH 502, Morris, CT, 1904
Locomotive, NH 9, New Haven, CT, July, 1949
Envelope 4-Stations
Note: Stations are assumed to be New Haven Railroad unless otherwise indicated
Station, Berlin-New Britain, CT, September, 1967
Station, Bethel, CT, 1966
Station, Branchville, CT, May, 1965
Station, Bridgeport, CT, “Old Bridgeport Station Torn Down 1904”
Station, Brookfield, CT, 1932
Station, Cannondale, CT, October, 1965
Station, Canton, CT (Central New England Railroad)
Station, Chaplin “in Paul Revere Gordon's Yard, 1965”
Station, Cos Cob, CT
Station, Crecent Beach and Black Point, CT, June 23, 1929
Station, Danbury, CT “and Diesel 2050”, 1963
Station, East Derby, CT, “Built 1848, Torn Down 1903” (Postcard)
Station, Georgetown, CT
Station, Grant's, CT, 1928 (Central New England Railway)
Station, Greenwich, CT, about 1870 (Postcard)
Station, Greenwich, CT, Eastbound Station, November 20, 1928
Station, Greenwich, CT, November 20, 1928
Envelope 4-Stations
Station, Lawrence's, CT, 1928 (Central New England Railway)
Station, Meriden, CT, November, 1968
Station, New Canaan, CT, 1940
Station, New Canaan, CT, September, 1967
Station, New Haven, “Old”...Station-1876-1918”
Station, New Haven, CT, “Old Station” (Postcard)
Station, New Haven, CT, circa 1851 (Postcard)
Station, New London, CT, “Locos 3107 and 1317”, March 22, 1936
Station, Putnam, CT, “The Old Depot” (Postcard)
Station, Rockland, 1905, (Postcard)
Station, Ramford, CT, “Shepaug or Shepaug Valley RR” (Postcard)
Station, Springdale, CT, April, 1966
Station, Stamford, CT, “old Depot” (postcard)
Station, Stamford, CT, 1894
Station, Stamford, CT, with “TR. 175 Electric Engine”, May 27, 1950
Station, Stonington, CT
Station, Talcotville, CT, June 24, 1928
Station, Thomaston, CT, June 24, 1928
Station, Thompsonville, CT, September, 1967
Station, Wallingford, CT, 1949
Station, Waterbury, CT, September 21, 1963
Station, West Willington, CT, October, 1973
Station, Wilton, CT, “From Under Bridge”