NORTH CANAAN – Trains chugged into North Canaan Saturday for Railroad Days, delighting rail enthusiasts and visitors who simply enjoy the sights and sounds of the rails.
Visitors strolled the grassy area behind Canaan Union Depot, taking in the trains on display, while some ventured up steep steps to tour open cars.
Railroad Days began in the 1960s as a way to celebrate Canaan’s railroading heritage. The depot, built in 1872, became a focal point at the intersection of the north-south Housatonic Railroad and the east-west Connecticut Western Railroad. The Victorian structure helped fuel the town’s growth.
Eventually, it housed commercial enterprises until 2001, when it was heavily damaged by an arson fire. The town rallied to have it restored. Today, the depot houses railroad and accordion museums on the premises.
The Railroad Days celebration has ebbed and flowed over the years, but recently the town’s Events Committee revived the event with a stronger railroad presence.
One train that captured a lot of attention Saturday was the locomotive built for the Boston-Maine line in 1953 by EMD, a branch of General Motors. Connor Mahar of Madbury, N.H., and Mike Labouliere of Berlin, N.H., who work in the railroad industry, were there to explain its significance.
“It served a long life in freight yards to carry local freight in the Boston area,” Mahar said. “Then up to three years ago, it was used on a short line railroad in Pittston, Pennsylvania.”
The two share a passion for trains — Mahar owns one caboose and Labouliere owns two — and when they learned in the fall of 2023 that the locomotive was going to be scrapped, they dove into action to save it. They joined forces with others, calling themselves Team 1127, the number on the train. With help from individuals and groups, they were successful in reaching the goal of $65,000 needed to save it. The car will now have a home at the Danbury Railway Museum.
Both men said their love of trains began in their childhoods, fueled by their fathers.
“Railroads always had their own appeal,” Mahar said. “They’re often forgotten by preservationists who mainly concentrate on buildings. People forget they are the backbone of the country.”
Labouliere added, “They are still the most efficient way to move items.”
Cars from the Housatonic Railroad and the Berkshire Scenic Line are displayed during Railroad Day on Aug. 8. Ruth Epstein
PJ Bailly, operations manager and rain master of Housatonic Railroad, was primarily responsible for gathering the participants for the event. Among those represented were the Danbury Railway Museum, Berkshire Scenic Railroad, Friends of the Valley in Essex, New Haven Technical Society, Naugatuck Railroad, Connecticut Operational Life Services, a Roger Williams train and the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society.
The Housatonic Railroad recently purchased the Canaan Union Depot and is housing most of its operations there. The freight line extends from Pittsfield to Danbury, with a branch going east to Derby, covering a total of 50 miles in Connecticut and 36.5 in Massachusetts.
Bailly said Housatonic Railroad is working on new initiatives, including purchasing more EPA-efficient engines and upgrading its fleet. The railroad has bought five engines in the past two years and also plans to clean up the rail yards on Route 7 south of town.
“Housatonic aims to partner with, and cooperate with, the community,” Bailly said. “We’re trying to reach out. We’ll be offering a Hazmat training session in the near future and are planning other programs. We’re here today not just to show trains, but to support the town. It deals with us every day, so we’re trying to give back.”
The railroad also has job openings in several areas, and Bailly encouraged interested people to apply.
This fish took a Wooly Bugger in basic black, with rubber legs. Always get the rubber legs.
Then I hit on a succession of inflatable pontoon and belly boats, powered by oars and/or swim fins, and there I have remained.
Did I forget to mention that no motors are allowed on this lake? Well, no motors are allowed, and it’s no good arguing that a small electric trolling motor couldn’t possibly hurt anything. Ask me how I know this.
It’s a quiet, rejuvenating few weeks. The phone gets enough signal on one end of the deck to receive messages and maybe make a call if the wind is right. If something comes up, it’s only 15 minutes to so-called civilization.
When not fishing, I read, visit assorted cousins, listen to baseball on the AM radio and/or stare blankly into the middle distance.
Bassing with a fly rod in still water is a different game than chasing trout in streams.
A medium-fast-action rod, 8 to 10 feet, in line weight 7 or 8 is the starting point. The flies are big, and the wind is constant, so the angler needs some power, tempered with a bit of finesse.
I usually bring two rods. One is rigged with a floating line with a heavy front taper for turning over surface flies such as poppers.
The other has either a sink-tip or intermediate line. The lake is not all that deep, and the Woolly Buggers, Clousers and other streamers are heavy. The idea is to stay out of the vegetation while getting close to where the lunkers are hunkered down.
I use short nylon leaders, 7.5 feet with 1X tippet out of the package, and modify them constantly with additional sections of fluorocarbon tippet, snaps and droppers.
Surface action is usually minimal during the day unless it’s overcast. The lake runs east-west, so the angler can track the midmorning and late-afternoon shadows and work those areas.
Or the angler can wait until about 6:30 p.m., when things start to pick up.
Or get out there at the crack of dawn, which is best if surface action is the goal.
For subsurface fishing, some experimentation is required to find the right combination of flies, leader and sink rate. The angler also has to decide whether to troll.
There are a few places where a dry-dropper rig is appropriate, the dry being an extremely buoyant popper with a piece of stout fluorocarbon tippet tied to the bend of the hook and something heavy and wiggly at the end, like a stonefly nymph with rubber legs. (Always get the rubber legs.)
If this sounds like a bobber, it’s because it is. Don’t tell anyone. The purists don’t like it.
A net with a long handle is necessary. There is no leverage when sitting in what amounts to a floating chair.
I do not bring my phone for fish pictures. I will drop it into the depths. Ask me how I know this.
Instead I bring a small point-and-shoot camera. These get lost too, but perversely I have better luck keeping the cheap gear safe than the expensive items.
Sunscreen is applied liberally and frequently. After 50-odd years of being outside, I now have to visit the dermatologist every so often to have my face edited, and I don’t enjoy it.
A baseball cap does nothing for the ears and neck. I have a hat with a wide brim and a vented top, so it doesn’t get too hot. It looks stupid, but this is an acceptable risk.
Finally, a word about the quarry. Largemouth bass are not picky eaters. When engaged they usually dive and tug. Once in a while they leap. They are easily discouraged, however, and after a minute or two come meekly to the net.
Smallmouth, not so much. These aren’t especially big, but every smallie I’ve ever met thought it was much bigger than it actually was. Expect acrobatics.
Perch usually grab my fly when I don’t want them to.
Perch are in the August mix, usually when I don’t want them to be.Patrick L. Sullivan
Panfish are everywhere. They are extremely cooperative. Chasing sunnies is a good way to get a newcomer started.
And then there are the pickerel. These are nasty fish. Very antisocial. I keep a pair of long-handled pliers handy to get the fly out of their mouths safely while admiring the large number of very sharp teeth. They will bite the pliers. Do not use your fingers. Again, ask me how I know this.
Upon release, it’s not unusual to observe the pickerel hanging around a few yards away, glaring and plotting hideous revenge.
So this is the August routine, occasionally leavened with a scramble into a brook trout stream if conditions allow.
It’s peaceful. Kind of boring, in a good way.
And then in the fall the game shifts back to rivers and streams for trout.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
MOMIX is one of the featured performers at this year’s Arts Connected fundraiser on Aug. 29.
Barry Blitt created an original piece for the fundraiser that will adorn a limited edition T-Shirt for sale during the event.Provided
The evening will feature live plein air painting by artists from Plein Air Litchfield, performances by Our Culture Is Beautiful (OCIB), fire performer Cinderfella, and Susan Becker Aziz’s monumental humpback whale puppet, originally created for Paul Winter’s “Missa Gaia.” Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase artwork from a curated exhibition, with proceeds supporting the Arts Council’s mission to strengthen and promote the arts throughout Northwest Connecticut.
This year’s honorary host committee includes Meryl Streep, Diane von Furstenberg, Tim Daly, Téa Leoni, Maria Horn, Patti LuPone, Jack O’Brien, Sam Waterston and Paul Winter. Creative cocktail attire is encouraged, and attendance is limited. The event is open to guests 21 and older.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit artsnwct.org
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
