In 1991, well after all the lucrative hat industry that long supported the city was gone, downtown Danbury, much like many other smaller downtowns, was in decline. Danbury Union Station had become so dilapidated that Metro North was only using the ticket office portion of the crumbling 90 year-old building. Danbury Mayor Gene Eriquez began to focus on resolving the issues facing his downtown.

The city of Danbury began by performing a land swap with the State Department of Transportation, trading an underdeveloped plot of land by the iconic ‘gas ball’ for the now condemned Union Station building, and several non-railroad uses were proposed for the new city property. Around the same time another railroad preservation organization based out of Old Saybrook, Connecticut had outgrown their Essex facility and was looking to relocate. Union Station and the under utilized freight yard looked attractive to them and the city was interested.

So, the Railroad Museum of New England and the City of Danbury began talks. The public responded favorably to the proposed ‘Danbury Railroad Heritage Park,’ an October 6, 1991 Danbury News-Times editorial remarked that the RMNE could be ‘an anchor’ in ‘a rejuvenated downtown Danbury.’ In the summer of 1992 the city was awarded a 1.5 million dollar ISTEA grant for the restoration of Union Station, things seemed to be moving in the right direction. But in early February 1994 negotiations fell through, the RMNE moved on and would eventually plant a flag in Thomaston Connecticut.

The City of Danbury still had an eyesore of a building and an empty rail yard, both at a high visible location in the downtown area, and both with no viable tenants. Still hungry for a railroad attraction, Mayor Eriquez turned to members of the Western Connecticut chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and challenged them to come up with a proposal to make use of the city’s rail assets. Within days the late Peter Cornwall and the late John Flower presented the mayor with a proposal for a new museum. This organization would “inform and educate the public about the vital role railroads and railroaders have played.” The city accepted the proposal and the Danbury Railway Museum was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in March of 1994.

The museum began life in an empty storefront at 16 Ives Street and for the first year this was home. In May of 1995 we signed a lease with the city making us the sole tenant of the rail yard. It was only one month later on a Snowy April 8th that the Housatonic Railroad made a special delivery of five coaches, then owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and leased to us. With the delivery of the Coaches came the surprise donation of an ex-New Haven Railroad gondola.

Before long the rail yard collection was growing, Metro-North Donated two Budd Rail Diesel Cars, then two Burro cranes. In January of 1996 we bought our first locomotive, an American Locomotive Company model RS-1 from the Green Mountain Railroad of Vermont. The end of February saw our first caboose, an ex-New Haven Railroad class NE-5 that saw service in the Danbury area in its working life and now in retirement.

As the yard came back to life, the restoration of Union Station continued. In April of 1996 we left Ives street and moved into our new home, the fully Restored Danbury Union Station at 120 White Street. Since then our collection has grown, not only the yard, but also to include artifacts, books, pictures, blueprints, railroad timetables, and other periodicals. Most of the paper collection is made available for viewing to researchers and historians through our research and reference library.

Today we’re one of the few museums open year round, and from April to November you can ride The Railyard Local. This short and sweet ride has proven to be a hit with younger visitors. After your ride feel free to tour the rest of the Railyard, and see the now over 60 pieces of equipment on property.

Mission

The purpose of the Corporation shall be to operate a railway museum in Danbury, CT, to educate the public as to the history of railroading and to the role of the railroads as part of our local and national heritage, and to engage in any and all activities convenient to said purposes.

The Danbury Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. The Museum’s ongoing preservation efforts are funded by memberships, donations, grants, and museum admissions. If you are interested in railroad history in New England, we encourage you to become a member or volunteer. On-the-job training is available for all volunteer positions, including train crew!