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Naugatuck Railroad’s striking red, white, and blue semiquincentennial GE U23B Locomotive No. 2798 is seen moments before breaking through the Celebrate Thirty banner on Friday, September 26, 2026. The banner is held by four members of the shop crew who worked on 2798’s repairs and repaint. The train subsequently backed up and performed the traditional “breaking of the banner” while the crew held it. — Dan Gallo Jr.

Railroad Museum of New England Celebrates 30 Years

Dan Gallo Jr./photos as noted

The Railroad Museum of New England (RMNE) and wholly owned subsidiary Naugatuck Railroad celebrated their 30th Anniversary on the weekend of Friday September 25, 2026, through Sunday September 27, 2026, with special Celebrate 30 anniversary and Celebrate 30 Clipper – southbound and northbound excursions on their scenic upper Naugatuck River Valley line.

As part of the RMNE’s Celebrate 30 weekend, a special train for museum members was operated on Saturday morning, September 26, 2026, and included a rare visit to the south end of the Naugatuck’s track in Waterbury, Connecticut, as well as a photo stop and a runby, and tour of the maintenance shop. NAUG 2798 poses with its train at the former Scovill-American Pin complex in Waterbury. A Nor’easter was forming just off the New England coast, making for windy, and at times rainy, conditions. — Scott Ornstein

Festivities began Friday September 25, 2026, at the 1881-built Thomaston railroad station, where exactly 177 years ago on this day the original Naugatuck Railroad operated its first train to Thomaston Station in 1849. Speakers included RMNE Chairman and Naugatuck Railroad President Howard Pincus, RMNE President Stewart Crouse, and NAUG General Manager Alexander Formanek, joined by members of the Connecticut General Assembly, and Stephen Lewis, president of Thomaston Savings Bank, a major donor to the RMNE for the past three decades.

The Celebrate 30 excursion is seen just south of, and below, Reynolds Bridge–Waterbury Road, returning to the RMNE–Naugatuck Railroad shops, running alongside the Naugatuck River on Friday, September 25, 2026. — Dan Gallo Jr.

A commemorative Celebrate Thirty banner dedication preceded two train excursions, the first operating north past the Thomaston Dam to milepost 12.5, and a second trip which included a photo runby at the Thomaston Dam, just north of the spillway. On Saturday, September 26, 2026 – exactly 30 years after the new Naugatuck Railroad operated its first train to Thomaston Station – the Celebrate 30 Clipper – South excursion operated southbound from Thomaston Station to Highland Junction at Milepost 0 …

Read the rest of this article in the November 2026 issue of Railpace Newmagazine. Subscribe Today!

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Invests Over $2.3 Billion into Rail Infrastructure and Safety Across America

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investing $2.3 billion into freight and passenger rail projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Over 2,000 miles of track across America will see improvements thanks to funding from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program, which received a record number of eligible applications this cycle.

$550 Million Investment to Build New Amtrak Service in the Tar Heel State

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today joined the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to celebrate obligating $550 million in federal funding to develop the new S-Line passenger rail route between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia. The long-awaited line will reduce travel time by up to 90 minutes, increase the number of trips, and improve reliability.