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Home > Archives > Southbound train at Windsor Locks, Conn., 1970s.

Southbound train at Windsor Locks, Conn., 1970s.

Black and white photograph showing a southbound two-coach train passing along the Enfield Falls Canal in Windsor Locks, Conn.; image likely dates to the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Southbound train at Windsor Locks, Conn., 1970s.

In this image, a southbound two-coach train skirts the Enfield Falls Canal in Windsor Locks, Conn. The 5.5 mile canal abuts the Connecticut River and was completed in 1829 so that flat-bottom boats and steamships could circumnavigate the 30-foot drop of nearby Enfield Falls. The main trench, 4.5 feet deep, was dug by hand principally through the labor of Irish immigrants. They lined the banks with stone walls (visible in the photograph) that could withstand the churning water left in the wake of the steamboats. Today, the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail follows the towpath of the canal and offers beautiful views of the Connecticut River in all seasons.

The train in the image is likely one of several daily frequencies between New Haven, Conn., and Springfield, Mass., that are now referred to as the Springfield Shuttle. F40PH No. 206 leads the way, and the entire consist wears the Phase III paint scheme introduced in 1979.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.