In Willimantic, Connecticut, this railroad museum preserves buildings and equipment connected to eastern Connecticut’s rail history on part of the former Connecticut Eastern line. Its centerpiece is the Columbia Junction Roundhouse, rebuilt on the original foundation after the site was cleared, using grant support secured in 1998. Volunteers also installed a manually operated sixty-foot Armstrong turntable acquired from Edaville Railroad. The grounds include several relocated railroad structures, such as the former Chaplin station, a section house, a freight house, and the Versailles operator’s shanty. With diesel-electric and steam locomotives, passenger and freight cars, and ongoing volunteer restoration, the site preserves the region’s rail era.

Willimantic, Connecticut · USA