New York Railroad History

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: New York, United States

During the 19th Century, the primary ways to move people and goods across New York State were the Erie Canal and railroads. These new mains of travel played a major role in the population of the state increasing from 1.4 million to 11 million in between 1820 and 1900. Initially railroads in New York State were authorized for passenger travel only. When they were first allowed to carry freight, they were required to pay canal tolls to New York State in order to help pay for the construction of the Erie Canal. The New York Central followed a path across the state similar to the Erie Canal. However, other railroads followed different paths across the state serving cities and towns in other parts of the state. At their heyday, most cities in the state, large and small were connected by the railroads.

Contents 1 The New York Central Railroad 1853 - 1968 1.1 Grand Central Terminal 2 The New York, Ontario and Western Railroad 1868 - 1957 3 The Erie Railroad 1832 - 1960 4 Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad 1851 - 1960 5 Sources

The New York Central Railroad 1853 - 1968

New York Central Route Map 1926

Despite its name the New York Central Railroad operated in several states in the northeast and midwestern United States and extending into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. It connected New York City, New York and Boston, Massachusetts with Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.

Erastus Corning (1794 - 1872)

In 1853 Erastus Corning (1794-1872) created the New York Central by merging several small railroads in New York together. In order to do this, the merger first had to be approved by the executives and stockholders of each of the railroads and then by the New York State Legislature.

One of the railroads that was part of the merger was the Albany and Schenectady Railroad which was originally called the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. It was chartered in 1826. The first railroad chartered in New York State and the second in the nation. It opened 24 September 1831. It was designed to bypass the locks on the Erie Canal between Schenectady and Albany. It could take all day to travel through the sixteeen locks at Cohoes Falls.

Other railroads included in the original merger were the Syracuse and Utica Railroad, the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad, the Buffalo and Rochester Railroad, Schenectady and Troy Railroad, Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, Buffalo and Lockport Railroad and Mohawk Valley Railroad and Syracuse and Utica Direct Railroad. After the merger, Erastus Corning continued to add feeder railroads to expand the New York Central.

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794 - 1877)

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) gained control of the New York Central in 1867 and in 1869 he merged it with the Hudson River Railroad. Some of Vanderbilt's other railroads were operated as part of the New York Central, including the Lakeshore and Michigan Southern Railway, Canada Southern Railway and Michigan Central Railroad.

The New York Central advertised its New York to Buffalo as the Water Level Route or Scenic Water Level Route. At its zenith the New York Central had four parallel tracks running across the state and was able to dedicate two for east bound traffic and two for west bound track. One of each pair was for passenger travel and fast freight, the other for slow trains. During the 1950's tracks 3 and 4 between Albany and Buffalo were removed.

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Station at Night

William J Wilgus

Grand Central Terminal is more commonly known as Grand Central Station. It is named for the New York Central Railroad which built it and its predecessors at this location. William John Wilgus (1865-1949) who was vice president of the New York Central Railroad at the time was responsible for the two level design which increased the capacity and improved the flow of people through the station. He came up with the idea of leasing the area above the Park Avenue Tunnel in order to pay for the station. He was also involved in the design of the Buffalo Central Terminal.

The New York, Ontario and Western Railroad 1868 - 1957

New York, Ontario & Western Map

Dewitt Clinton Littlejohn (1818 - 1892)

The New York, Ontario and Western was the brainchild of Dewitt Clinton Littlejohn (1818-1892). It was initially charted as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad in 1868. It was his intention to create a railroad that would connect Oswego to New York City. He also wanted to provide service to areas in New York state not served by the Erie Canal and New York Central.

The Erie Railroad 1832 - 1960

Erie Railroad Logo

It was chartered as the New York and Erie Railroad in 1832 in order to connect Piermont on the Hudson River with Dunkirk on Lake Erie. It took a southern route across the state and at one point crossed into Pennsylvania. Construction began in 1836 and it reached Dunkirk in 1851. To open the railroad, President Millard Powers Fillmore (1828-1889) and several members of his cabinet road across the state on the railroad.

Map of New York & Erie Railroad 1844

The Erie War was a struggle for control of the railroad with Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) on one side and Daniel Drew (1797-1879), James Fisk Jr. (1835-1872) and Jason Gould (1836-1892) on the other. Gould won control of the railroad, but was forced out a few years later.

Horatio G Brooks 1828-1887

In 1869, the railroad decided to move its main shop from Dunkirk to Buffalo. the chief engineer, Horatio Gates Brooks (1828-1887), leased the facility and started Brooks Locomotive Works. Brooks Locomotive was one of the companies that merged in 1901 to create American Locomotive. Horatio Brooks had also been the engineer at the controls of the first train to reach Dunkirk in 1851.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad 1851 - 1960

Map of Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad

It connected Buffalo, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey passing through Scranton, Pennsylvania. Its primary purpose was to connect the coal fields around Scranton with the huge market for coal in New York City. It was profitable during the first half of the 20th century when the demand for coal was high. However, it like the New York, Ontario & Western and Erie Railroads suffered financially difficulties as the demand for coal lessened and the supply of coal in Pennsylvania dried up. It was especially hurt by the 1959 Knox Mine Disaster which flooded coal mines Susquehanna River.

In 1955 Hurricane Diane badly damaged the railway through the Poconos. The president of the railroad, Perry Monroe Shoemaker (1906-1999), tried to save his railroad by proposing a merger with the Nickle Plate Railroad. This was rejected. However, he was able to organize a merger with the Erie Railroad in 1960.

Sources

Knoll, Charles M. The Water Level Route, 2nd ed. Rochester Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, 1984.

"New York Central Railroad", Wikipedia, accessed 2 Feb 2023

"New York Central Railroad (NYC): The great Steel Fleet", American-Rails.Com accessed 4 Feb 2023

"William J. Wilgus", Wikipedia, accessed 4 Feb 2023

"Historic Erie Canal Locks, Cohoes". Lakes to Locks Passage, accessed 3 Feb 2023

"New York, Ontario and Western Railroad", Wikipedia, accessed 4 Feb 2023

[https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-service/history-railroads "History of Railroads in New York State", New York State Department of Transportation, accessed 6 Feb 2023]

"Erie Railroad", Wikipedia, accessed 16 Feb 2023

"Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad", Wikipedia, accessed 20 Feb 2023