While doing research for various blog entries, I stumble across photos of Canaan Station all the time. The station is located in the northwest corner of Connecticut. I kept telling myself that I needed to check out this station in person, and last weekend I was able to travel to western Massachusetts so I was able to go. The station is located right in downtown Canaan, CT.
When you pass the station on the main drag you are able to see the back end of the station. The station structure is shaped like a right angle because it serviced both the Housatonic and the Connecticut Western Railroad lines. Each line had it own platform. Today, only a small part of the Connecticut Western line tracks are still in place and most of it is abandon and gone. The original road bed passing the station east to west was completely removed. The line originally crossed the Housatonic line directly in front of the station’s iconic three-story tower.
The Connecticut Western Railroad line runs east to west between Hartford, CT and Poughkeepsie, NY. Most of the CWR line was abandoned back in the mid to late 1930’s. As for the Housatonic Railroad, that line is still active with freight service running north to south between Pittsfield, MA to Brookfield Junction, CT. The last time the Housatonic railroad saw passenger service on this line was in the early 1970’s. In 1971, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 30 years later, the building was almost destroyed by arsonists. The three story center tower was completely destroyed along with the east platform covering.
In the summer of 2006, the station was purchased by the Connecticut Railroad Historical Association. The association has made huge progress in bring the station back to it original state, restoring the center tower and east platform covering. Plans are underway to make this historical landmark available for retail space and a museum.
After grabbing a few photos of the station for this blog entry, I made one more stop in Canaan at the Housatonic Railroad Yard, Where I was able to photograph a few of the locomotives including the x-Bangor and Aroostook Railroad #22 (GP7U) which is now owned by Housatonic Railroad.
