A Little Branford Steam
The little Branford Steam Railroad has long been on my to photography do list since despite all my travels both past and recent in New England, I'd never photographed them.
But, like so many other local roads, their primary 'road' power is a leased GATX GP38-2 making it rather indistinguishable from so many other area roads. However, for the last couple weeks that geep has been away getting a wheel true and some contract repairs up at the Providence and Worcester shop.
Consequently SW1001 7357 which was built new for the operation in July 1976 has been back in public view shuttling trains between the quarry and the docks. Given that the leaser is expected back soon I decided now was a good time to finally go check this off my list.
The Branford Steam is unique in the area given that it is not a common carrier railroad and exists solely as a 'conveyer' belt for its parent company's massive quarry in North Branford. Much of the the traffic on the 6.2 mile long route is insular, moving loaded hoppers of quarried trap rock from the mine on Totoket Mountain to the dock at Juniper Point on the shore of Long Island Sound for barging to New York construction customers.
But the road also interchanges cars with the Providence and Worcester Railroad that moves them to the company's other facilities in Connecticut as well as all the way to interchange with the New York and Atlantic Railroad in Queens, NY. Furthermore they supply ballast to Amtrak which also interchanges MofW hoppers in the same small Pine Orchard Yard for forwarding up to the quary for loading.
The oldest portion of the route can trace its history to 1903 and the quarry it serves has been in operation for 107 years mining trap rock (hard igneous rock) under the aegis of assorted owners. At the time of the railroad's 1909 incorporation the name 'Steam Railroad' was used to distinguish the new railroad from the nearby Branford Electric Railway which was a separate streetcar system. The latter is long gone but you can still go for a pleasant shoreside walk along the causeways it built nearby.
Originally known as the New Haven Trap Rock Company, mining has followed the west face of Totoket Mountain in Jurassic Holyoke Basalt for nearly three miles producing one of the longest continuous quarry faces in the world. The little private railroad moves in excess of one million tons annually and is an impressive if obscure operation. Now operated as a subsidiary of Dublin, Ireland based CRH it seems that there is no end in sight.
To learn more about the railroad and one of its surving quarry steam locomotives check out this excellent link: www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/steamtown/shs2m.htm
Anyway, here is the little EMD switcher arriving in the Pine Orchard yard about to cut away, run around their train and shove the cut of loaded hoppers up the north leg of the wye to the P&W/Amtrak interchange yard.
Branford, Connecticut
Friday August 13, 2021
A Little Branford Steam
The little Branford Steam Railroad has long been on my to photography do list since despite all my travels both past and recent in New England, I'd never photographed them.
But, like so many other local roads, their primary 'road' power is a leased GATX GP38-2 making it rather indistinguishable from so many other area roads. However, for the last couple weeks that geep has been away getting a wheel true and some contract repairs up at the Providence and Worcester shop.
Consequently SW1001 7357 which was built new for the operation in July 1976 has been back in public view shuttling trains between the quarry and the docks. Given that the leaser is expected back soon I decided now was a good time to finally go check this off my list.
The Branford Steam is unique in the area given that it is not a common carrier railroad and exists solely as a 'conveyer' belt for its parent company's massive quarry in North Branford. Much of the the traffic on the 6.2 mile long route is insular, moving loaded hoppers of quarried trap rock from the mine on Totoket Mountain to the dock at Juniper Point on the shore of Long Island Sound for barging to New York construction customers.
But the road also interchanges cars with the Providence and Worcester Railroad that moves them to the company's other facilities in Connecticut as well as all the way to interchange with the New York and Atlantic Railroad in Queens, NY. Furthermore they supply ballast to Amtrak which also interchanges MofW hoppers in the same small Pine Orchard Yard for forwarding up to the quary for loading.
The oldest portion of the route can trace its history to 1903 and the quarry it serves has been in operation for 107 years mining trap rock (hard igneous rock) under the aegis of assorted owners. At the time of the railroad's 1909 incorporation the name 'Steam Railroad' was used to distinguish the new railroad from the nearby Branford Electric Railway which was a separate streetcar system. The latter is long gone but you can still go for a pleasant shoreside walk along the causeways it built nearby.
Originally known as the New Haven Trap Rock Company, mining has followed the west face of Totoket Mountain in Jurassic Holyoke Basalt for nearly three miles producing one of the longest continuous quarry faces in the world. The little private railroad moves in excess of one million tons annually and is an impressive if obscure operation. Now operated as a subsidiary of Dublin, Ireland based CRH it seems that there is no end in sight.
To learn more about the railroad and one of its surving quarry steam locomotives check out this excellent link: www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/steamtown/shs2m.htm
Anyway, here is the little EMD switcher arriving in the Pine Orchard yard about to cut away, run around their train and shove the cut of loaded hoppers up the north leg of the wye to the P&W/Amtrak interchange yard.
Branford, Connecticut
Friday August 13, 2021