New York & Boston Railroad stock certificate 1856 (Connecticut) 

Remarkably rare RR piece!  Amazing vignette of an early period steam train pulling passenger cars with river and bridge scene in the background. Left printed flourishment has an American Eagle seated atop with the words within "The First Air Line". Issued and cancelled in upper left flourishment. Small hole in the upper left border does not distract. Dated 1856 on the certificate. Very light and delicate paper. Close cut borders at bottom and left. Approximately 10.5 x 6.5 inches. 

Incorporated 1846 (noted at the top of the certificate) in Connecticut with a charter empowering the New York & Boston to construct a road from New Haven to Middletown and Windham, and to join with any other railroads constituting a direct route from New York to Boston.

The first attempt to build an air-line railroad connecting New Haven and Boston began in 1846, with the chartering of the New York and Boston Railroad Company. The railroad began building from New Haven in 1853, but construction quickly stalled and the company failed during the Panic of 1857.

In 1867, a group of investors decided to try again, chartering the New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad Company. Starting from New Haven, service to Middletown commenced in 1870, while construction between Middletown and Willimantic was completed in 1873. Debt from construction brought the railroad into bankruptcy in 1875; it emerged under the new name Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad.

The Air-Line Railroad was leased by the rapidly growing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1882. The tracks between Portland, Connecticut and Willimantic, Connecticut were abandoned in 1965, while the remainder of the line is operated by the Providence and Worcester Railroad. The eastern section of the line is now part of the Air Line State Park Trail.

Air-Line Railroad definition
An air-line railroad was a railroad that was relatively straight, following a shorter (and thus, presumably quicker) route instead of a longer, winding route. In their heyday, which was prior to aviation, they were often referred to simply as "air lines".

Product descriptions and images
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