Elmira and Lake Ontario Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Elmira and Lake Ontario Railroad was a subsidiary of the Northern Central Railway
and later the Pennsylvania Railroad
, formed to give the Northern Central an outlet for coal
traffic on Lake Ontario
.
on May 14, 1845 to build between the two points named, and the Chemung Railroad was incorporated on the same date. The Chemung RR was the first to finish its line, from Horseheads
, on the New York and Erie Railroad, to Watkins Glen
(then known as Jefferson), on Seneca Lake, in 1850. It was operated as a branchline of the Erie, and accordingly used broad gauge
. On March 8, 1850, another act authorized the Canandaigua & Corning to change its name to the Canandaigua & Elmira and connect with the Chemung RR. It opened a line between the Chemung RR at Jefferson and Canandaigua
on September 15, 1851, and was also operated by the Erie. On September 14, 1852, it was renamed the Canandaigua and Elmira Railroad Company.
On January 1, 1853, the Erie ceased to operate the two railroads, and the Chemung RR was run as part of the Canandaigua & Elmira, now an independent operation. On July 1, 1853, the Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad opened between Canandaigua and North Tonowanda
. It was also broad gauge, and was leased by the Canandaigua & Elmira RR, giving it access to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
.
The Canandaigua & Elmira RR was sold at foreclosure
on April 23, 1857 to George B. Holmes and reorganized on May 2, 1857 as the Elmira, Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Rail Road Company, continuing to operate the Chemung RR. On November 6, 1857, the Canandaigua & Niagara Falls RR was also sold under foreclosure. The Elmira, Canandaigua & Niagara Falls RR went bankrupt, and a receiver was appointed on July 1, 1858, the Chemung RR reverting to Erie operation. The bankrupt railroad was sold at foreclosure on July 23, 1858 to Charles Congdon and Robert B. Potter. On August 25, 1858, the foreclosed Canandaigua and Niagara Falls RR was reorganized as the Niagara Bridge and Canandaigua Railroad, which was leased to the New York Central on September 1, 1858. It was regauged to standard gauge, depriving the Erie of a broad gauge connection to Niagara Falls. The foreclosed Elmira, Canandaigua and Niagara Falls RR was reorganized on February 18, 1859 as the Elmira, Jefferson and Canandaigua Railroad Company. The Erie continued to operate the Elmira, Jefferson & Canandaigua RR, which in turn operated the Chemung RR, until January 19, 1866. The two lines were then leased to the Northern Central Railway
, to replace an unsatisfactory joint routing over the Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad, the line to be given a third
(standard gauge
) rail by May 1, when the lease was to take effect.
and Gorham
. It became apparent that a connection at Gorham would not soon be forthcoming, and the line between Gorham and the Elmira, Jefferson & Canandaigua RR connection at Stanley
was abandoned on February 16, 1873. The Sodus Point & Southern RR was sold at foreclosure on September 21, 1875 and reorganized on November 30, 1875 as the Ontario Southern Railroad Company.
The Geneva and Southwestern Railway Company was incorporated on May 29, 1871 in New York, to build a line from Geneva
(at the head of Seneca Lake and on the New York Central) to Wayland
. The Rochester, Hornellsville and Pine Creek Railroad Company was incorporated on March 30, 1872 in New York, to build from Olean
east to Hornellsville, then south to the state line to connect with the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and State Line Railroad. The Geneva Southwestern and Hornellsville Railway Company was incorporated on November 29, 1872 in New York, to extend the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. to Hornellsville and connect it with the Rochester, Hornellsville & Pine Creek Ry. Some grading was done by the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. between Geneva and Naples
, which was later used by the Lehigh Valley
Naples Branch, and by the RH&PC between Canisteo
and Rexville, which was later used by the New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. However, the Panic of 1873
brought work on these railroads to a halt, never to resume.
The Gaines and State Line Rail Road Company was incorporated on November 4, 1875 in Pennsylvania. It was intended as another outlet for the RH&PC, to run from a connection at the state line through Potter
and Tioga Counties
to West Branch Township, Pennsylvania
. On November 12, 1875, the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. was consolidated with the Geneva, Southwestern & Hornellsville Ry. to form The Geneva and Hornellsville Railway. The Geneva & Hornellsville Ry., Gaines & State Line RR, and Rochester, Hornellsville & Pine Creek RR were consolidated on January 13, 1876 to form The Geneva, Hornellsville and Pine Creek Railway Company.
The Geneva, Hornellsville & Pine Creek Ry. was merged with the Ontario Southern RR on December 17, 1879 to form The Lake Ontario Southern Railway Company. One of the backers of the Sodus Point & Southern RR was E. H. Harriman
, who hoped to sell it to the Erie or the Northern Central. It was sold at foreclosure on September 4, 1882, and reorganized as the Sodus Bay and Southern Railway Company on November 5, 1882. In 1884, it became a subsidiary of the Northern Central, who built a coal trestle at the terminus at Sodus Bay.
to Horseheads. The lease was transferred to the PRR, which controlled the Northern Central, on January 1, 1911.
A short line from Canandaigua to a pier on Canandaigua Lake was built by the Canandaigua Lake Railroad Company, incorporated July 21, 1887, which was merged into the Elmira & Lake Ontario on December 27, 1888.
The principal purpose of the railroad was to serve as an outlet for coal shipments from the mines tapped by the Northern Central, using the coal pier at Sodus Bay to ship to markets on the Great Lakes
.
On January 31, 1956, the Elmira & Lake Ontario was merged into the Northern Central.
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
and later the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, formed to give the Northern Central an outlet for coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
traffic on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
Horseheads–Canandaigua
The Canandaigua and Corning Railroad Company was incorporated by a special act of the New York LegislatureNew York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
on May 14, 1845 to build between the two points named, and the Chemung Railroad was incorporated on the same date. The Chemung RR was the first to finish its line, from Horseheads
Horseheads (village), New York
Horseheads is a village in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 6,461 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the number of bleached skulls of pack horses left behind by the Sullivan Expedition....
, on the New York and Erie Railroad, to Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen, New York
Watkins Glen is a village in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 2,149 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schuyler County.The Village of Watkins Glen lies on the border of the towns of Dix and Montour....
(then known as Jefferson), on Seneca Lake, in 1850. It was operated as a branchline of the Erie, and accordingly used broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
. On March 8, 1850, another act authorized the Canandaigua & Corning to change its name to the Canandaigua & Elmira and connect with the Chemung RR. It opened a line between the Chemung RR at Jefferson and Canandaigua
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
on September 15, 1851, and was also operated by the Erie. On September 14, 1852, it was renamed the Canandaigua and Elmira Railroad Company.
On January 1, 1853, the Erie ceased to operate the two railroads, and the Chemung RR was run as part of the Canandaigua & Elmira, now an independent operation. On July 1, 1853, the Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad opened between Canandaigua and North Tonowanda
North Tonawanda, New York
North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 31,568 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Tonawanda Creek, its south border...
. It was also broad gauge, and was leased by the Canandaigua & Elmira RR, giving it access to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge was the world's first working railway suspension bridge. It spanned and stood downstream of Niagara Falls from 1855 to 1897...
.
The Canandaigua & Elmira RR was sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
on April 23, 1857 to George B. Holmes and reorganized on May 2, 1857 as the Elmira, Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Rail Road Company, continuing to operate the Chemung RR. On November 6, 1857, the Canandaigua & Niagara Falls RR was also sold under foreclosure. The Elmira, Canandaigua & Niagara Falls RR went bankrupt, and a receiver was appointed on July 1, 1858, the Chemung RR reverting to Erie operation. The bankrupt railroad was sold at foreclosure on July 23, 1858 to Charles Congdon and Robert B. Potter. On August 25, 1858, the foreclosed Canandaigua and Niagara Falls RR was reorganized as the Niagara Bridge and Canandaigua Railroad, which was leased to the New York Central on September 1, 1858. It was regauged to standard gauge, depriving the Erie of a broad gauge connection to Niagara Falls. The foreclosed Elmira, Canandaigua and Niagara Falls RR was reorganized on February 18, 1859 as the Elmira, Jefferson and Canandaigua Railroad Company. The Erie continued to operate the Elmira, Jefferson & Canandaigua RR, which in turn operated the Chemung RR, until January 19, 1866. The two lines were then leased to the Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
, to replace an unsatisfactory joint routing over the Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad, the line to be given a third
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
(standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) rail by May 1, when the lease was to take effect.
Stanley–Sodus Point
The Sodus Point and Southern Rail Road Company was incorporated on March 19, 1852 under the general law of New York State. The railroad was not finished until January 16, 1873, when it opened between Sodus PointSodus Point, New York
Sodus Point is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a nearby body of water, Sodus Bay. It is considered within the larger Rochester metropolitan area....
and Gorham
Gorham, New York
Gorham is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 3,776 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Nathaniel Gorham.The Town of Gorham is at the south border of the county, southeast of Canandaigua, NY.- History :...
. It became apparent that a connection at Gorham would not soon be forthcoming, and the line between Gorham and the Elmira, Jefferson & Canandaigua RR connection at Stanley
Stanley, New York
Stanley is a hamlet in Ontario County, New York, located along New York State Route 245 in the Town of Seneca. It has a post office with a zip code of 14561. The Town of Seneca justice court is located in Stanley. Stanley was formerly known as Stanleys Corners; the nearby hamlet of Hall was also...
was abandoned on February 16, 1873. The Sodus Point & Southern RR was sold at foreclosure on September 21, 1875 and reorganized on November 30, 1875 as the Ontario Southern Railroad Company.
The Geneva and Southwestern Railway Company was incorporated on May 29, 1871 in New York, to build a line from Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
(at the head of Seneca Lake and on the New York Central) to Wayland
Wayland (town), New York
Wayland is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 4,314 at the 2000 census.The Town of Wayland contains a village Wayland. The town is in the northern part of the county, northwest of Bath, New York.- History :...
. The Rochester, Hornellsville and Pine Creek Railroad Company was incorporated on March 30, 1872 in New York, to build from Olean
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
east to Hornellsville, then south to the state line to connect with the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and State Line Railroad. The Geneva Southwestern and Hornellsville Railway Company was incorporated on November 29, 1872 in New York, to extend the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. to Hornellsville and connect it with the Rochester, Hornellsville & Pine Creek Ry. Some grading was done by the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. between Geneva and Naples
Naples (town), New York
Naples is a town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 2,441 at the 2000 census.The Town of Naples contains a village, also called Naples...
, which was later used by the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
Naples Branch, and by the RH&PC between Canisteo
Canisteo (town), New York
Canisteo is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 4,005 at the 2007 census. The name is from the name of a native village located here....
and Rexville, which was later used by the New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. However, the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
brought work on these railroads to a halt, never to resume.
The Gaines and State Line Rail Road Company was incorporated on November 4, 1875 in Pennsylvania. It was intended as another outlet for the RH&PC, to run from a connection at the state line through Potter
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
and Tioga Counties
Tioga County, Pennsylvania
Tioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro....
to West Branch Township, Pennsylvania
West Branch Township, Pennsylvania
West Branch Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 392 at the 2000 census. There are two Pennsylvania state parks in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs State Park is a popular destination for astronomical observation...
. On November 12, 1875, the Geneva & Southwestern Ry. was consolidated with the Geneva, Southwestern & Hornellsville Ry. to form The Geneva and Hornellsville Railway. The Geneva & Hornellsville Ry., Gaines & State Line RR, and Rochester, Hornellsville & Pine Creek RR were consolidated on January 13, 1876 to form The Geneva, Hornellsville and Pine Creek Railway Company.
The Geneva, Hornellsville & Pine Creek Ry. was merged with the Ontario Southern RR on December 17, 1879 to form The Lake Ontario Southern Railway Company. One of the backers of the Sodus Point & Southern RR was E. H. Harriman
E. H. Harriman
Edward Henry Harriman was an American railroad executive.-Early years:Harriman was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harriman, an Episcopal clergyman, and Cornelia Neilson...
, who hoped to sell it to the Erie or the Northern Central. It was sold at foreclosure on September 4, 1882, and reorganized as the Sodus Bay and Southern Railway Company on November 5, 1882. In 1884, it became a subsidiary of the Northern Central, who built a coal trestle at the terminus at Sodus Bay.
Consolidation and Operation
The Chemung RR, Elmira, Jefferson & Canandaigua RR, and Sodus Bay & Southern Ry. were consolidated on December 31, 1886 to form the Elmira and Lake Ontario Railroad Company, a continuous line from the Erie interchange at Horseheads to Sodus Point, with a branch from Stanley to Canandaigua. It was leased and operated by the Northern Central, which reached it via the Elmira and Williamsport Railroad, another subsidiary, and trackage rights over the Erie from ElmiraElmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
to Horseheads. The lease was transferred to the PRR, which controlled the Northern Central, on January 1, 1911.
A short line from Canandaigua to a pier on Canandaigua Lake was built by the Canandaigua Lake Railroad Company, incorporated July 21, 1887, which was merged into the Elmira & Lake Ontario on December 27, 1888.
The principal purpose of the railroad was to serve as an outlet for coal shipments from the mines tapped by the Northern Central, using the coal pier at Sodus Bay to ship to markets on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
On January 31, 1956, the Elmira & Lake Ontario was merged into the Northern Central.