New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad - 1871 Railway 7% Mortgage Bond (Uncanceled)

$500 7% Uncanceled Bond. At least 38 of 40 coupons present. National Bank Note Co-NY. Superb vignette and including several rows of coupons each with a great locomotive. Truly a Classic!!!

The Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad, often referred to as The Air Line, was originally known as the New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad prior to 1875. This railroad operated in Connecticut and was intended to provide a direct connection between New Haven and Boston. However, the challenging terrain in eastern Connecticut hindered its success. In 1882, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad took over the lease of the company. The segment of tracks between Portland, Connecticut, and Willimantic, Connecticut, was abandoned in 1965, while the remaining portions of the line continue to be managed by the Providence and Worcester Railroad.

The initial effort to establish an air-line railroad linking New Haven and Boston commenced in 1846 with the formation of the New York and Boston Railroad Company. Construction began in New Haven in 1853, but progress soon halted, and the company ultimately failed during the financial crisis of 1857.

In 1867, a new group of investors sought to revive the project by chartering the New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad Company. Service from New Haven to Middletown began in 1870, and the link between Middletown and Willimantic was completed in 1873. However, the financial burdens from construction led to bankruptcy in 1875, after which the railroad reemerged under the name Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad. The Air-Line Railroad was subsequently leased by the expanding New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1882.