History Lesson; Midland Division. This rail line was opened from Putnam,to Willimantic, CT in August 1872 completing a rail line from Boston to Willimantic. It was part of The New York & New England at that time. After completion of the Air Line from Willimantic to New Haven, through service from New York to Boston by train began. In 1885 the NY&NE and NYNH&H began running "The New England Limited" on an unheard of 6 hour 213 mile dash between New York and Boston. The White train as it was called raced through here daily. This crossing is Ash St, the first grade crossing in Willimantic as you head west into town, the station was about a mile west of here. A huricane and flood washed out the bridge over the Quinnaboag River at Putnam closing the Midland as a through route forever in August 1955, and leaving the New Haven with a 26 mile branch with little traffic on it. In 1969 Penn Central abandoned all but the western four miles of it leaving what then was called "The Kendall Spur". Recently the rails were lifted and will be reused at the Conn Eastern RR Museum.

Photographed by Mike LaCasse, February, 1979.
Added to the photo archive by Mike LaCasse, October 19, 2003.
Railroad: New Haven.

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