The Railroad Museum of New England, Inc. located at 242 East Main Street in Thomaston, CT is a fun place for adults and children. The train ride for children, adult and seniors runs from station along the scenic Naugatuck. River. Most trains depart on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 12 Noon and 2 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the station or online.
Enjoy riding on a vintage coach of the 1920's where the conductor comes to punch your ticket. Children should be well supervised by adults when going due to the older windows and no bathroom facilities on board the train. Riding the train one become accustomed to the rocking of the train and loud train whistle that was like the era it depicts.
Passing along the banks of the Naugatuck River there is plenty of beautiful scenery to see. You will pass the Naugatuck State Forest and many old industrial factories and building that once were in their prime. The brass mills of Waterville are an exciting site to view. Many of these factories once made brass machinery, bearings, clocks and machinery that ran factories.
Another highlight of the ride is the Jericho Bridge where train crossed the Naugatuck River into the town of Watertown. The Chase Metal Works is a storage area for railroad equipment and material. Here you get to view some old train and many of the parts that made up them. The Thomaston Dam is near the end of the ride and the entire train ride take about 1 hour. There are plenty of forest, trees, industrial buildings, trains, rivers to see making this an interesting ride for everyone.
The museum has an exhibit area with photos and old train memorabilia. The gift shop sells some interesting train items and collectibles. For more information on the museum visit the website at www.rmne.org/index.htm or call on Tuesdays and Sundays at 860-283-7245. It’s a great place to visit with children in the summer to learn some local history for the day. Cost for ticket is $12 for adults and $8 for children. Children under age 2 are free.
Photo by Joan Russell Train at Railroad Museum of New England
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