The Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, Connecticut, centers on an operating heritage railroad, with its Naugatuck Railroad subsidiary running excursion and freight trains over about 20 miles between Waterville and Torrington. Its origins lie in mid-1960s preservation groups whose volunteers helped launch the Valley Railroad in Essex before seeking a permanent home for an expanding collection. That effort led to the former New Haven line from Waterbury to Torrington, where scenic service began in 1996. Headquartered at the restored 1881 Thomaston station, the museum holds more than 60 historic rail vehicles and artifacts, and remains notable for linking preservation directly with active railroad operation.