Tracing Remnants of the Shepaug Railroad (SL&N) - Part Two
Hawleyville to Bethel
In 1872, the Shepaug Railroad reached an agreement with the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad to operate trains on that company's newly constructed 6-mile (9.7 km) Hawleyville Branch to Bethel. This branch was abandoned in 1911.

Google Street Views and Bing Bird's Eye Views

Google and Bing have a few interesting views...
![]() Source: ITO Historic Railways Map |
Hawleyville
Bethel
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World Topo 4U
For those of you who enjoy “researching in the field”, the World Topo 4U is the clearest indicator where to locate the abandoned ROWs.
March, 14th Trek - Photos
On March 14th, 2015—after giving a presentation/lecture in Newtown on the history of railroads in the area (PDF) —I ventured out with a friend to capture a few "photos in the field". We started at the Hawleyville Wye and trekked southward. Unfortunately the weather was exceptionally crappy (rainy and overcast) but nevertheless we were able to snap a few pics. Letters on the photos match the location on the map(s) above.
Note the line of trees mark the old ROW
The old bridge is clearly visible from the main road.
A short jaunt up Prospect Street reveals the ROW below.
Further Info and Photos
- Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern Railroad (Wikipedia)