Where is Valley Railroad located?

The Essex Steam Train departs from the historic Centerbrook station in Essex, gliding along 14.25 miles of restored track that trace the original Connecticut Valley Railroad through the lower Connecticut River Valley. Passengers enjoy open‑air vistas of the river, rolling farms and wooded bluffs as the train winds past Deep River, Chester and Haddam, where a riverboat awaits to continue the journey on the Connecticut River.

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History

The Valley Railroad traces its origins to a state charter granted on July 17 1868, when a group led by James Clark Walkley and Horace Johnson formed the Connecticut Valley Railroad Company to build a line from Hartford to Saybrook Point. Survey work proceeds in 1868–1869, groundbreaking occurs in April 1870, and the 45‑mile route opens with a ceremonial run on July 29 1871, followed by regular service beginning July 31 1871 and an official opening on August 24 1871. After defaulting on its second mortgage bonds in 1876, the line passes to the Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad on July 1 1880, is acquired by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1888, and sees passenger service discontinued in stages in 1917, 1922, 1930 and 1933. The southern segment is abandoned in March 1968, Penn Central files for abandonment on August 15 1969, the State of Connecticut assumes ownership on June 1 1970 and designates the corridor a linear State Park, and the Valley Railroad reopens on July 29 1971 with ESRM No. 103 leading the first train between Essex and Deep River—exactly one century after the original inaugural run. Subsequent milestones include the construction of a replica passenger shelter on July 18 2009, a 2015 upgrade converting the mainline from Essex (MP 4) to North Chester (MP 9.80) to stone ballast, an April 22 1990 rear‑end collision involving No. 1647, and a April 2024 theft of 0.4 mile of track that was later repaired.

The Trains

The Valley Railroad operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train with historic motive power, including former Essex Steam Train No. 103—the first locomotive to run the revived line on July 29 1971—and former New Haven 2‑8‑0 No. 1647, which later served the North Cove Express dinner service. Trains run on the leased Connecticut Valley Railroad corridor that stretches from Old Saybrook north through Essex, Deep River, Chester, Haddam and terminates at Middletown, encompassing 21.67 miles (34.87 km) of track, of which 14.25 miles are currently restored for passenger service, all laid to standard‑gauge (4 ft 8½ in) track.

Nearby

Connecticut riders near the Valley Railroad can also reach The Shore Line Trolley Museum about 24 mi off and The Railroad Museum of Long Island roughly 33 mi away.