Here's a photo I took on May 16, 2010, FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, of an excursion that ran on a portion of a New Haven branch line that ran into Newport, Rhode Island. A bridge over the Sakonnet River was used until 1980 and, since then, there has been some isolated track on Aquidneck Island from the abandoned bridge site to Newport (about 12 miles). Occasional tourist trains such as this one and a dinner train are operated.

Here's the website for the dinner train:

[www.thegrandbell.com]

Here's a flier describing an excursion that covered this same line with the same equipment but on a different date. The photo I've posted here was taken at The Hummocks, near where the bridge was removed.

There has been talk about rebuilding the bridge and rehabilitating the track into Newport to become part of a commuter rail line, but, thus far, it has just been talk. It may happen eventually as Boston's MBTA system is extending service to Fall River and New Bedford, with service supposedly scheduled to begin this year. Google aerial photos reveal that progress is being made on the extension.

Since Rhode Island is so small, other than Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, this is the only other rail mileage I've ridden in that state.


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