The "Canal Line" railroad bridge in Milldale, Connecticut carried rail traffic over U. S. Route 6-a, the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike. The highway was excavated in 1914 to permit trolleys of the Waterbury & Milldale Tramway to pass under the rails, that track coming by only a few feet from where this was taken. The "Canal Line" railroad approximately followed the course of the old Farmington Canal (1828-1847) from New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts, and opened in 1848. It has had a number of owners, but was still in the "New Haven" system when I took this picture on June 4, 1967, when I was 16. Kodachrome, of course! The bridge clearance was marked adequate for most big trucks, but was not. The road-bed angles upward on both sides, and drivers unfamiliar with the easy work-around sometimes got seriously stuck under it. I had once seen a brand-new "reefer" truck full of Christmas trees that had wedged and split wide open here. In the 1980's the track grade was raised about two feet as part of the Interstate 691 project, and all rail traffic ceased on the line a couple of years later. Today the bridge is part of a popular rail-trail, which (hopefully) will span the entire 72 miles of the original route, eventually. The self-service Ice House (just right of the packy) endures to this day! View full size.
The "Canal Line" railroad bridge in Milldale, Connecticut carried rail traffic over U. S. Route 6-a, the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike. The highway was excavated in 1914 to permit trolleys of the Waterbury & Milldale Tramway to pass under the rails, that track coming by only a few feet from where this was taken. The "Canal Line" railroad approximately followed the course of the old Farmington Canal (1828-1847) from New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts, and opened in 1848. It has had a number of owners, but was still in the "New Haven" system when I took this picture on June 4, 1967, when I was 16. Kodachrome, of course! The bridge clearance was marked adequate for most big trucks, but was not. The road-bed angles upward on both sides, and drivers unfamiliar with the easy work-around sometimes got seriously stuck under it. I had once seen a brand-new "reefer" truck full of Christmas trees that had wedged and split wide open here. In the 1980's the track grade was raised about two feet as part of the Interstate 691 project, and all rail traffic ceased on the line a couple of years later. Today the bridge is part of a popular rail-trail, which (hopefully) will span the entire 72 miles of the original route, eventually. The self-service Ice House (just right of the packy) endures to this day! | Click image for Comments. | Home | Browse All Photos