When the Middletown-Berlin branch was first electrified, the operation was turned over to the Connecticut Company, but later a larger type of car was placed in service and the operation was turned back to the railroad.

Besides the trolleys that ran on the railroad from Westfield to East Meriden, as had been stated, they also ran between Middletown and Cromwell on the Valley Main Line and were operated by the Staff System. Portland cars came over the old highway bridge, received a proceed indication on a dwarf signal, and ran on the Valley, crossing the Air Line and then running on the street and onto Main Street, Middletown. They had the best trolley system of any city in the state.

Trolley cars also ran on the main line from Burnside Jct. to Vernon and Rockville; and on the Norwich branch from Tafts to Central Village. Between these points, the cars were operated as regular trains and the timetable stated: Electric Passenger trains 30 minutes or more late would lose both right and schedule.

The last portion of the railroad to be electrified was the line between South Norwalk and Danbury. The first electric train into Danbury was a Mutt No. 4089, June 29, 1925; the first motor was the 074. Regular electric service between South Norwalk and Danbury commenced July 6, 1925, doing away with the steam engines between those points with the exception of the dock local and the wire train.

In 1913 there was a railroad constructed from Springfield, Mass. to Bondsville, Mass., on the Boston and Maine. The reason for building this road was to run trains into North Station, Boston, so that passengers for points beyond Boston on the B & M would not have to transfer from South to North Stations in Boston. For some reason, trains were never run over this road. It was known as the Hampden, or Bondsville, road.

Many people seem to confuse this road with the Palmer-Providence road which was under construction about this time by the Grand Trunk RR. This was a separate project and had nothing to do with the Hampden Road. Many of the fills and bridge abutments of the Southern New England RR, which was never completed, can be seen in the vicinity of northwestern Rhode Island and along the old N Y & N E route between Blackstone and East Douglas.

The New York, New Haven and Hartford, monogram, which, no doubt, is the finest in the country, was designed by Mr. C. T. Hempstead, who was General Passenger Agent at the time. He sketched it one morning while riding to work. He had it printed and it has been used ever since and we hope it always will be.

Well, there have been many changes on the railroad in the last 50 or 60 years, which is about as far back as our memory of the railroad goes. Remember the most popular car on the railroad, the PAY CAR? On pay day you would meet many of the brothers and get the gossip from all over the road, the many fast runs that were made and the heavy, trains hauled. In October 1927, the company started paying by check and the old pay car was no more.

How many can remember when a white light was used for a proceed (clear) signal? This was changed to green about 1899 as a safety measure.

In the early 1900's, all stations on the single track lines all over the system that had East, North, South or West as part of their names, were changed, for example, South Kent was changed to Lilly Lade, later Woodrow; North Kent was changed to Flanders, etc.

Remember when trains for the Naugatuck were required to blow one long, two shorts and a long whistle at the River Road tower just west of the drawbridge at Naugatuck Jct.; and the old covered bridge at Derby Jct. on the Shelton Route. Also the indicators in the cabooses showing the number or symbol of the train, or engine number if an extra? And when green flags were used by day for markers, and green lights showing green to the front and. side in marker lamps at night, also the time boards (Dutch Clocks)?

Many more things are gone and mostly forgotten.

Quite a few of the freight trains had unofficial names. Dark Secret, the Dogo, Dutch Owl, Dingbat, Brick Extra, Hog train, Rawhide, Hotfoot, Midnight Horror, and ones with a more cheerful name the Moonlight, Merry Go Round, Hot Shot. On the Hartford, Canal, Naugy and Berkshire there the Peirs and many more.

We have been very fortunate for many years in having as fine operating officials to work under as can be found anywhere in the country. They have all worked their way up from the ranks and they know the game right from the bottom. It has been a pleasure to have worked, with men in all classes of service for 50 years and in looking back on all these years, we realize it would be impossible to find a finer bunch of men, if you looked the world over. We must also compliment the telephone girls connected with the railroad for the fine and unusual courtesies they have shown in taking care of calls.

As we can begin to see the lights of the Great Terminal, it gives us a great deal of pleasure to have known and worked with these Real People.