page_title: Norwich and Westerly Railway
section_title: Remains and reuse
hierarchical_section_title: Norwich and Westerly Railway / Remains and reuse
caption_attribution_description: English: A Norwich &amp; Westerly Railway trolley bridge remains intact over Assekonk Brook behind Wheeler High School in North Stonington, Connecticut.
context_page_description: The Norwich and Westerly Railway was an interurban trolley system that operated in Southeastern Connecticut during the early part of the 20th century. It operated a 21-mile line through rural territory in Norwich, Preston, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Pawcatuck, Connecticut to Westerly, Rhode Island between 1906 and 1922. For most of its length, the route paralleled what is now Connecticut Route 2.
  Stops on the line included Norwich, Norwich State Hospital, Poquetanuck, Hallville, North Stonington, and Westerly. The powerhouse and 4-track carhouse were located at Hallville, as was a trolley park called Lincoln Park.
context_section_description: The majority of the private right-of-way, totaling 21.02 miles including passing sidings, still exists and is visible on satellite maps. Only at Foxwoods Casino has it been significantly built over; the main entrance road - Trolley Line Boulevard - stands instead. In other places, including Norwich State Hospital and Pawcatuck, the right-of-way is no longer visible where fields and lawns have been plowed. A concrete arch bridge remains in place over Assekonk Brook behind Wheeler High School in North Stonington, and several other bridge abutments remain along the route. Some sections of the State Line Bridge still carry a sidewalk and a pipeline over the Pawcatuck River, although the highway section of the bridge was replaced around 1994. The Hallville powerhouse no longer exists, but the adjacent carhouse  now belongs to the Connecticut Brass Company.
  Much of the right-of-way has been used for transmission lines since at least the 1940s, which are now owned by Connecticut Light and Power. Those sections, from Lincoln Park Road in Hallville to Mains Crossing in North Stonington, are relatively well-preserved, and old railroad spikes can occasionally be found. During the 2011 Halloween nor'easter, a tree on the lines caused significant outages. During the 1990s, when Foxwoods was being built, the right-of-way was considered for use as a light rail line or busway to reduce traffic on Route 2. However, no transit system was built, and instead sections of Route 2 were widened.
caption: Bridge over Assekonk Brook behind Wheeler High School in North Stonington
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