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The Connecticut Company (also known as ConnCo) was a streetcar and bus operator in Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, Connecticut. Originally it operated in many other parts of the state as well, and from 1920 to 1936 it operated nearly all local railways and buses within the state. Until 1964 it was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which used it as a means to control the various local streetcar operations.

The company also operated some intercity operations, such as New Haven-Bridgeport, coordinated with Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company (CR&L), exchanging transfers with the latter's routes in cities where CR&L provided local service.

The Connecticut Co. was originally incorportated in 1901 as Thompson Tramway Co. In 1902 it was renamed Worcester & Connecticut Eastern Railway Co. Two years later it was renamed Consolidated Railway Co. The name Connecticut Co. was adopted in 1907. In the period from 1905 to 1906 it accumulated leases on all of CR&L's lines, but in 1936, because of failure to keep up lease payments, ConnCo was forced to allow CR&L to reclaim its properties. However, from 1913 to 1920, operations in New London and Norwich were leased to the Shore Line Electric Railway Co. so that during that period there was the complication of ConnCo operating lines in CR&L territory while some of its own lines were operated by Shore Line.

ConnCo service in Torrington (formerly the Torrington & Winchester Street Railway) ceased in 1929, when streetcars were abandoned wothout bus replacements. ConnCo's operations in its remaining cities temporarily ceased in November, 1972, were revived in March 1973 and continued with a subsidy from the State until 1976, when they ultimately were replaced by service provided by Connecticut Transit.

Purchases of other companies[]

Changes from streetcar to bus operation[]

The last streetcars in each division were replaced by buses as shown in the following table:

Division Year last streetcar was
replaced by buses
Hartford1941
Meriden1931
Middletown1930
New Haven1948
New London1934
Norwalk
(operated for CR&L under lease)
1935
Norwich1936
Stamford1933

Divisions sold to other companies prior to 1976[]

In 1959 the Meriden and Middletown divisions were sold to H & W Transit Company. H&W failed in 1967 and ConnCo resumed service in Meriden (but not Middletown) until 1968, when the operation was taken over by Joseph H. McMahon Company.

In 1961 the New London division was sold to Thames Valley Transit, Inc.

Defunct Transit Operators in Connecticut
Horsecar systems Bridgeport Horse Railway Company • East Hartford & Glastonbury Horse Railroad • Hartford & Wethersfield Horse Railroad Company • Meriden Horse Railroad Company • New Haven & West Haven Horse Railroad • New London Horse Railway Company • Norwalk Horse Railroad Company • Stamford Horse Railroad Company • State Street Horse Railroad Company • Waterbury Horse Railroad Company
Streetcar systems Branford Lighting & Water Company • Bridgeport Railway Company • Bridgeport Traction Company • Central Railway & Electric Co. • Cheshire Street Railway • Connecticut Electric Company • Connecticut Light & Power Company • Consolidated Railway Company • Derby & Ansonia Street Railroad Company • Derby Street Railway • East End Railway Company • Edgewood Avenue Electric Company • Edgewood Street Railroad Company • Fair Haven & Westville Railroad • Farmington Street Railway • Greenwich Tramway Company • Groton & Stonington Street Railway • Groton & Stonington Traction Company • Hartford & West Hartford Railroad • Hartford Manchester & Rockville Tramway Company • Hartford Street Railway • Lake Saltonstall Railroad Company • Meriden Electric Railroad • Meriden Southington & Compounce Tramway Company • Middletown Street Railway • Milford Street Railway • Montville Street Railway • New Haven & Centreville Street Railway • New Haven & Morris Cove Railway Company • New Haven & Shore Line Railway, Incorporated • New Haven Street Railway • New London Street Railway • Norwalk Street Railway • Norwalk Tramway Company • Norwich Street Railway • Peoples Tramway Company • Portland Street Railway Company • Putnam & Thompson Street Railway Company • Shelton Street Railway • Shore Line Electric Railway Company • South Manchester Light Power & Tramway Company • Stamford Street Railroad • Suffield Street Railway • Thompson Tramway Co. • Torrington & Winchester Street Railway • Waterbury Traction Company • Westport & Saugatuck Street Railway • West Shore Railway Co. • Whitney Avenue Railroad Company • Willimantic Traction Company • Winchester Avenue Railroad • Worcester & Connecticut Eastern Railway Company
Bus systems Bridgeport Auto Transit Company • Candlewood Bus Company • Chestnut Hill Bus Corporation • Chieppo Bus Company • City Bus Line • Cross Country Coach, Inc. • Danbury Power & Transportation Company • Gray Line Bus Company • H & W Transit Company • Joseph H. McMahon Company • Orange Street Bus Line • Savin Transit Company • Stratford Bus Line Company • Thames Valley Transit, Incorporated • Valley Transportation Company
Streetcar/Bus systems The Connecticut Company • Connecticut Railway & Lighting Company • Danbury and Bethel Street Railway • Danbury and Bethel Traction Company
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