Railroad Museum of New England (Naugatuck)

The Naugatuck Railroad, operated by the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, Connecticut, preserves a remarkable section of the historic Naugatuck Railroad corridor in the heart of the Connecticut Brass Valley, offering seasonal steam and diesel-powered excursion trains through the scenic Naugatuck River Gorge and the mill town landscape of western Connecticut. The Railroad Museum of New England’s campus at the 1881 Thomaston station houses an important collection of New England railroad equipment, including steam and diesel locomotives and vintage passenger cars. Excursion trains carry passengers along the river through a landscape of 19th-century mill buildings, forested hillsides, and the distinctive industrial architecture of Connecticut’s brass-manufacturing corridor. The museum is also home to the restoration project for New Haven Railroad locomotive No. 3025, one of the most ambitious steam locomotive restoration projects in New England. Special events include fall foliage trains, Christmas trains, and photo excursions. The Naugatuck Railroad provides an important window into the industrial history of New England and the role that the railroads played in Connecticut’s remarkable 19th-century manufacturing economy.