I was looking for the Terryville Tunnel today but couldn't seem to find it. I pulled up at the Allen Street crossing which connects to Tunnel Road. But Tunnel Road goes up the side of the mountain and connects to Old Waterbury Road which winds up paralelling the railroad again. Is the tunnel accessable by road, or does one have to walk in? I thought that the tunnel was near where the New Departure branch connected to the Highland line but I couldn't find where the branch connected either. It is confusing because both lines twist and turn alot of times can anyone help me out?

Terryville Tunnel

If you pull up the following address from Terraserver, you will see 3 dark spots, just to the right of the center of the photo, that is the water treatment plant on Canal St. About an inch south of that you will see the railroad curve around following the river and crossing Canal St at Tunnel Rd. If you go back to where the tanks are, and look at the RoW, it will look like there is a short spur heading west, that is the line disappearing into the Terryville Tunnel, under Tunnel Rd. You can park at the crick in the road where the tunnel starts and walk across the street and look down at the portal, but if you walk about 500 feet up the road, you will see where some dirt bikes have made an escape path from the RoW to the road, you can somewhat safely climb down there.

terraserver.microsoft.com...onnecticut

The other end of the tunnel is far easier to access, if you follow tunnel road around to where the RoW parallels the road, and park there, you can walk back to the RoW and you are about 500-1000 feet from the west portal.

I would not walk into the tunnel, last time I was there, about 2-3 years ago, there were some mineral stalagmites and small pieces of concrete in the RoW near the west portal. Also there was an interesting character keeping to the shadows in the middle of the tunnel, I could hear him mumbling and disturbing the ballast and saw his silhouette twice. Also I have heard of a few ghost stories, that were posted on the last Railroad net, about that tunnel.

Take care and be safe,

Tunnel

Mr Labouliere,just find the ARTHER INDUSTRIES BUILDING on South main st in terryville,if you drive down the road with this building on your left look for the r.r tracks that run behind these buildings, as you pass the buildings which are surrounded by a fence,keep bearing to the left for about 500 ft,you will go up a slight grade,at that point you will be standind on top of the tunnel.You can park on the side of the road and walk down the bank on your left(be careful steep incline)until you see the tracks that lead into the tunnel.If i were you i wouldnt walk inside or in the middle of the tracks either,there still r.r. traffic that comes thru there,watch out for snakes,there are a lot around there!Also IF YOU SEE TWO GUYS in the tunnel that look like there working...GET OUT OF THERE!

Terryville Tunnel

If you are at the Tunnel Road crossing, you can park on the side of Tunnel Road (That goes up the mountain). Or park at the Sewer Plant and walk up road to crossing. For the West portal, if you go to where Main Street meets South Main?, the town of Plymouth has a Waste Material Facility (dump). You can park there out of the way and then cross the street, go over the guardrail and there is trail that will take you to the tunnel. Popular hangout for mini bikers and ATVs.

On my visit, I didn't see any ghosts but the area is rather fascinating. Good source for cold air on muggy days Be sure sure to check out the freight house at the bus yard!!!

Tunnel

Thanks for the info, I will be careful and bring a couple of people with me.

Tunnel

I always see the Terryville tunnel called the "Longest bore on the NH RR". I believe it is somewhere around 1300' long. The East Side tunnel in Providence is almost a mile long so why is that never called the longest bore? It sure is a tunnel no mistaking that. Seems like the East end always loses out hahaha.

Terryville Tunnel

When was the single track centered in the tunnel? I think this was discussed a while back, but I could not find it in the archive searches I did.

Terryville tunnel

I have always understood this was done in connection with the single tracking of the line from SS203 (Highland Jct.) to Plainville, in or about 1940.

Terryville tunnel

I just joined and saw this post. I believe the centering was done much later. I grew up near there and remember some work being done there in the late 50's or early 60's. They had some tall loads such as transformers and an occasional (Sunday afternoon) autotrain that required extra clearance

Terryville Tunnel (a/k/a Pequabuck Tunnel)

In a previous posting, same subject, I made mention of supposed paranormal happenings in the tunnel. Found the following entry in The Shadowlands website: "Another [actually 2] are in the mile long railroad tunnel in Terryville or Plymouth, Conn. I know about these 2 because I saw them once. They are the silloettes of 2 men digging with shovels, and when you get close enough to start making out detail of them they disappear. I have been in this tunnel about 50 times when I used to ride a dirt bike but only saw the ghosts once and that time I was walking. Against your advice I have taken my neice there to look for them but havn't seen them again. I later found out that 2 men were killed by a cave in while they were digging the tunnel. I didn't believe in ghosts until I saw these 2."

Just thought I'd pass it on for what it's worth. One never knows what'll show up on this forum if it's New Haven related....

Tunnel/ghosts

I have been in that tunnel many times for the past 35 years,at night and during the day,I have seen images of people in the tunnel, when you get close they seem to dissapear, at first I thought it was neighborhood kids hanging around there, sometimes it was, but many times it wasnt! I know an old gentleman that grew up around there and he told me a few years ago that when he was a kid back in the early 30's they saw a lot of wierd things in the tunnel. The two workers killed by a cave-in was one of them. These two images have been seen as far down as the Hancock Dam on the tracks.

- interesting -

What I just read is not unique. Are these posters nuts? I don't think they would invent a ufo story just for the fun of it. Few tunnels to walk but geeeeeeezzzz who knows why I get funny felling inside of them?

I've read numerous other tales of ghosts in tunnels, etc. from some prior death in such.

That Alpine Tunnel in Colorado was/is supposedly haunted. Never seen a ghost and don't want to. I had some odd off-topic experience in the past. I had an old car I was trying to restore and located a few parts including a rear-view mirror. Maybe I was nuts but for no reason at all I went 'whacky' in short order to get rid of especially the mirror. Later learned the car retrieved from 4 people got killed in. Imagination or not stories of ghosts and harsh deaths are so numerous are they all just figments of peoples imagination? Maybe.

Advice sought on exploring Terryville Tunnel area

Can anyone tell what challenges could present themselves if a "responsible" railfan went exploring in this area? Specifically, If someone started at Tunnel Rd and walked South and through the tunnel what dangers might be encountered? Does Guilford run a daily local? With respect to this being railroad/state property ("no trespassing"), Is the area patrolled by the Plymouth Police or Guilford? I realize that if sucessful in avoidance with the government, transients, juveniles, and the supernatural, one would have to take into consideration Mother Nature, such as snakes and bears. I guess my question is if the line is walked what would be needed besides hiking boots and a good flashlight or should this endevour be avoided? Is there anything else of interest on this line? Just curious. Thank-you in advance.

Terryville

STAY OUT OF THE TUNNEL!!!!!!!

It is private property and responsible railfans do not walk through tunnels. A train can come through there at any time. I do not believe our association condones trespassing on railroad property. I will further add that if you are trespassing on railroad property and something bad happens, you will DESERVE WHAT YOU GET.

Stay out.

okay

Okay. I will abandon this endevour.

Tunnel

I recall that if you entered the tunnel from the Waterbury side, you would see a spring drilled in the wall on the right hand side which poured all year round. In the winter, ice of great size would be suspened from the roof of the tunnel and when a train came through, it sounded like the end of the world with the ice falling on the train. Probably the best way to visit the tunnel would be in a group accompanied by a railroad flagman authorized by the railroad itself, this would be the safe way to do it.

It is not a good idea to do it own your own, a train coming thru the tunnel would throw of quite a bit of acrid smoke and it would not be a good thing.

Tunnel

I've been in that tunnel many times,but i live in the neighborhood,many railfans go there weekly to photograph its portals, one lady came there every day and did an oil painting of the front portal with all the ivy growing on it, she was there every day for about two weeks last fall. As Mr Weaver said its not a place to be caught hanging around but if you go to photograph it stay out of the tunnel, enjoy it from a distance "off" the tracks.

Terryville Tunnel

I hope I did not come on too strong, go and look but just stay out and off railroad property. I got either slides or movies (don't remember which) of steam engine 97 (Valley R.R.) coming out of that tunnel on a fantrip back in the NHRR days. It was the west portal which I was able to reach over a paved road at the time but it was many years ago and I don't recall just how I got there or what roads were involved.

The usual risks of being around a tunnel include: Bad footing and possible holes that can't be seen, the possibility of something falling from above, Bats (I am not kidding, when I worked on the former NYC River Line in the Penn-Central and Conrail days they were always around the West Point Tunnel and we saw them in the headlight every trip through that tunnel), also there is the strong possibility of snakes in that area. The east portal is probably the more interesting of the two, not too far west of the old Terryville Passenger Station.

Does anybody know what is left around the area of the old passenger station today?

Terryville Tunnel

Sadly, there is nothing there but dirt. The land was bought by a steel erection firm some time ago, and the station was leveled. I remember the station as a kid with a semaphore out in front. The line now handles one freight per day from Plainville to Waterbury, and makes an occasional trip to the old New Departure Ball Bearing plant (which is now Firestone) delivering tank cars.

old r.r buildings

Sorry -- I messed up on the last post and accidently erase it,but what i wanted to ask was have you seen the restored freight house at the end of the overpass in Pequabuck. Was that always there?

I visited both portals of Terryville Tunnel Sunday morning. My girlfriend lives in Terryville and that is how I became aware of the tunnel. She accompanied me for this hike, she was afraid I would get attacked by the reported 500 pound black bear that has been seen in the area. First stop was the Waterbury side. We parked at the Plymouth dump at the intersection of Main/South Main Streets. After going over the guardrail, a foot path leads to the tunnel. I studied the portal and environs and took pictures. My camera then jammed, wouldn't advance to the next frame. I then casually mentioned the supernatural powers didn't want to be photographed. The drilled spring wasn't gushing out water which I kinda wanted to see. Just as we were about to leave, 2 youngsters on ATVs came down the trail and into the tunnel they went. I watched them go thru, it's hard to believe the tunnel is a mile? long. We then left. Next stop was Tunnel Road. We again walked down a parallel footpath and then discovered the (East)Pequabuck portal. Lots of litter/clutter on this side. A nice Superman insigna adforns the rock face. My girlfriend took some digital pictures, I looked around and then we left. I was happy and she was happy (that I got it out of my system). I did not walk thru and promised her I would not return (alone)the next day. Overall, it was a nice short hike. I realize it is railroad property and dangerous which is why I asked here first on the forum. Seems very popular with the locals though.

Some quick questions. Is the switch on the east end of the portal the switch that goes to the Industrial Park? (Firestone?) Is this the track that crosses Rt 6 on the Bristol/Plymouth town line by the reservoir? Can I assume the east track then go out to Plainville? Is the "run-around"? track area the former location of the station? Was this area ever covered in a Shoreliner with the exception of the Highland Division article a year or two back? I don't recall much detail in CT Railroads.

I guess I am looking for a good track plan of the Plymouth/Bristol area.

Noel, I appreciate the warning. I don't feel like dying via my own stupidity. Looking at the top of the tunnel, I could see the concrete failing in places, and I sure didn't feel like getting hit by that, bats, or a train.

Re: old r.r. buildings

I have seen the restored freight house and I believe it is owned by a school transportation company. I see that school buses are stored and maintained there. The owner must obviously be a rail history fan because he spent much time and money restoring the overall site to pretty close to what it was originally. He did some nice landscaping there near the road bridge over 72 and cleaned up the water well that is next to the bridge. I see that it is actually tapped and has running water coming from it. The old freight house is behind it. It's definitely worth a look. I have an old picture from when there was no road bridge and rt 72 was actually at rail level, and that freight house is in the picture.

Regarding Ron's weekend trip, The switch at the east end does indeed go to Firestone and does cross by the reservoir on rt 6. Where the runaround track is today is on the opposite side from where the station was. This runaround track was put in the late 60's early 70's to serve the New Departure (now Firestone) factory. Several cars were delivered and pick up there daily.

Terryville

Interesting replies, thanks all. Depressing information, nothing any of us can do about that.

Tunnel

I was sorry to hear that the Terryville station is no longer there, it was a nice little station. Does anybody know if the siding was torn up? , it was right across the main line at the station. I recall working NX-17 ( The Plainville Local) out of Waterbury in the early 60's and we always stopped at the tunnel spring to fill the jugs on the engine and caboose. Maybe since then, there has been a greater demand on the water table and we are also having a dry spell in this area now. Years later, I owned NX-17 when it was based in Plainville Yard as an engineer and we used to go to Waterbury 2 or 3 times a week, the scenery along the Mad river was always nice.

It's also alarming to know that in addition to snakes, bats, trains, ghosts, and falling cement, we now have the scary prospect of encountering a 500 pound black bear in the tunnel. Not such a good thing.

Terryville

There were probably bats around there when you were working NX-17, they were present in all of the River Line tunnels when I worked over there off and on between 1973 and 1982. Bats thrive in dark, damp places and tunnels come in that catagory.

Terryville tunnel

It's not a mile long, I think it's something like 3600 feet

If I went to the bus company, is access to the freight house permitted? I don't want to push my luck? RE: Firestone/Guilford daily local. Is this a weekday morning job or is it Waterbury/Plainville vise versa job?

Thanks again

Re: a couple of more questions

I'm not sure about access to the freighthouse. It would be interesting to see it on the inside.