Ansonia Ansonia

The first electric railway in Connecticut began running between Ansonia and Derby in 1888. Trolley service ended in 1937.

Beacon Falls Beacon Falls

The first friction matches were manufactured in 1834 in Coe Town, which was renamed Beacon Falls in 1871. It was served by cars on the New Haven-Derby-Waterbury line from 1907 to 1935.

Berlin Berlin

The New Haven RR line between Berlin & New Britain was electrified with a third rail in 1896. Trolley wire replaced the third rail in 1906 and the Berlin-Middletown line was also electrified at that tim

Branford Branford

Branford is home of the Branford Electric Railway – the oldest continuously operated country trolley line in America and now a National Historic District. The line opened in July, 1900, and served the vacation communities of Short Beach, Indian Neck, Pine Orchard, and Stony Creek along the shore of Long Island Sound. Conn. Co. service continued until 1947, when the museum took over the portion of the line between East Haven and Short Beach.

Cheshire Cheshire

Cheshire was the transfer point between cars on the New Haven-Waterbury line and the Cheshire-Milldale shuttle. Waterbury cars stopped in 1934, Milldale and New Haven cars in 1936.

Clinton Clinton

Clinton’s main product was “Pond’s Extract” distilled from witch hazel grown in the surrounding countryside. The town was served by the Shore Line Electric Railway from 1910 to 1919 and the New Haven & Shore Line from 1923 to 1929

Cromwell Cromwell

Cromwell was served by cars on the Hartford-Middletown line from 1909 to 1930. Middletown-Meriden cars also ran through the western part of the town.

Derby Derby

Connecticut’s first electric railway began running in Ansonia and Derby in 1888. Interurban cars went to Bridgeport until 1927, to Waterbury until 1935 and to New Haven until 1937. Local cars also stopped running in 1937.

East Haven East Haven

The Conn. Co. ran to East Haven and Momauguin on Long Island Sound until 1947. Its line to Wallingford also ran across the nortwest corner of the town until 1937. Foxon on the northern edge of the town was served by the Shore Line Electric Ry. 1910-1919 and by the New Haven & Shore Line 1923-1930

Guilford Guilford

Guilford’s main industries were oystering and quarrying; granite from Guilford supports the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. In 1910, the Shore Line began running through Leete’s Island to Branford; the mainline to North Branford and New Haven opened in 1911. The Shore Line Electric Railway ran until 1919; the successor New Haven & Shore Line operated from 1923 to 1930.

Hamden Hamden

Cars from New Haven reached Hamden via Dixwell Av., State St. and Whitney Av. Through cars to Cheshire and Waterbury also ran on Whitney Av.

Madison Madison

Madison was served by the Shore Line Electric Railway from 1910 to 1919 and by the New Haven & Shore Line from 1923 to 1929

Meriden Meriden

Meriden was the center of the silver plating industry; the International Silver Co., largest manufacturer of silverware in the world, was headquartered here. Trolleys served the city until 1931.

Middlebury Middlebury

Served until 1930 by cars on the Waterbury-Woodbury line which passed the amusement park at Lake Quassipaug. Many years after the trolleys stopped running, dairy farms were still the towns principal business.

Milford Milford

Clams and oysters from Long Island Sound were Milford’s principal products. The town was a stop on the Bridgeport-New Haven line until 1934. Trolley service from New Haven continued until 1937.

Naugatuck Naugatuck

Naugatuck was a stop on the New Haven-Derby-Waterbury line, which opened in 1907. Cars stopped running north to Waterbury in 1935 and South to Derby and New Haven in 1937.

New Haven New Haven

Best known as the home of Yale University, the city was also an important manufacturing center for firearms, hardware and toys. The corkscrew, steam ship and lollipop were all invented here and the first telephone switchboard in America was installed in this city in 1878. New Haven was the largest Conn. Co. operating division and trolleys served the city until 1948.

North Branford North Branford

Totoket and North Branford on the southern edge of the town were served by the Shore Line Electric Railway 1911-1919 and the New Haven & Shore Line 1923-1930

North Haven North Haven

The town’s principal industry was brickmaking. A car line was built by the New Haven & North Haven Street RR which was merged into the Fair Haven & Westville RR in 1899. Conn. Co. cars on the New Haven-Wallingford line ran through town until 1937.

Orange Orange

Cars on the New Haven-Derby line ran across the northern edge of the town from 1904 to 1937. The trolley line was alongside the Derby Turnpike, a toll road built in 1800.

Prospect Prospect

The trolley line between Waterbury and Cheshire passed through Prospect until 1937.

Seymour Seymour

The settlement at the falls of the Naugatuck River was originally the Chusetown section of Derby. In 1804, the name was changed to Humphreysville. Water powered factories near the falls manufactured cotton cloth, paper, furniture, pens, copper goods and tools. Seymour was incorporated as a town in 1850 and cars on the New Haven-Derby-Waterbury line and local cars from Derby and Ansonia provided service.

Wallingford Wallingford Waterbury Waterbury Wolcott Wolcott

The line of the Waterbury-Milldale Tramway skirted the southern edge of the town on a private right of way.

West Haven West Haven

Savin Rock had one of the most popular amusement parks in Conn. served by cars on New Haven local lines as well as through cars on the Bridgeport-New Haven line. The New Haven-Derby line also ran across the northern part of town.