A local lawmaker has paid a visit to one of Danbury's museums.  On Thursday, 5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty stopped at the Danbury Railway Museum, located at the City's old rail station.  The station was built in 1903 and closed 90 years later.  It has since operated as a museum, visited by thousands of people each year.

Esty is a member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and has advocated for funding and improving railway infrastructure in Connecticut.  She is a self-termed train enthusiast who took the opportunity to drive a train while visiting.  She also toured vintage trains which used to run down to Grand Central Terminal.

(Photo: Rep. Esty, Instagram)

They also talked about possible grant opportunities so that the museum can be kept up to date.  The museum is looking to replace some of the building and refurbish some of the engines and cars.

Esty learned a bit of history during her visit.  The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, while it still served as an active train station, and is home to the last working railway turntable in the state.  She said more than 100 trains stopped at the Danbury Railway Station a day during its heyday. 

The curved platform also served as a film set for Alfred Hitchcock when scenes for "Strangers on a Train" were filmed.