Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad, originally the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad, was a link in the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
system in New York state.
northeast and north to the New York and Harlem Railroad
at Craryville
. However, the Columbia County towns through which it would pass did not support the plan, and the route was changed to turn east at Pine Plains to the New York and Harlem Railroad at Millerton, continuing east to the Connecticut
state line and a connection with the Connecticut Western Railroad. Construction began in 1868, and the line opened from a dock
in the Hudson River and a connection to the Hudson River Railroad at Dutchess Junction north to Pine Plains on July 1, 1869. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/V4/9.htm The rest of the line, east to the state line, opened in 1871.
From opening, the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad leased the line, hoping to use the line southwest of the future Hopewell Junction as part of its line to the Hudson River. But the BH&E went bankrupt without completing the link, and in March 1870 the D&C began independent operations. In November 1871 the Connecticut Western Railroad (completed the next month) leased the short part of the D&C from the state line to the New York and Harlem Railroad
at Millerton.
Also using the line was the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, completed in 1872, and its successors. The P&E obtained trackage rights
over the part from Stissing Junction
north to Pine Plains, with its own line continuing at each end. The easternmost part of the P&E later became part of the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad, and the rest was merged into the Central New England Railway
(the H&CW's successor) in 1907.
The New York, Boston and Northern Railway was formed on November 18, 1872 as a consolidation of the D&C with several other railroads, planned to build from New York City
north into Vermont
and on to Montreal. The D&C would have been used as part of the main line from near the future Hopewell Junction north to Pine Plains. However the NYB&N went bankrupt too (after a renaming January 21, 1873 to the New York, Boston and Montreal Railway), due to the Panic of 1873
, and the D&C went bankrupt in 1874.
The D&C was sold on August 5, 1876 and reorganized January 25, 1877 as the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad. The New York and New England Railroad
, the successor to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, acquired trackage rights
on the ND&C south of Hopewell Junction, opening in 1881 to Hopewell Junction. That same year the NY&NE built a new line from northeast of Dutchess Junction west across the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and then north along the Hudson River to docks in Matteawan (now Beacon). At those docks the NY&NE floated cars
across to the Erie Railroad
's Newburg Branch.
However, in 1888, the Poughkeepsie Bridge
opened, making the car float operation less useful. In 1905 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
acquired the ND&C, and merged it into the Central New England Railway
, the successor to the Connecticut Western Railroad and part of the NYNH&H system since 1904, on June 25, 1907. In 1916 the line to Dutchess Junction was abandoned, leaving only the line into Beacon at the south end.
The ND&C had one branch, from Clove Branch Junction (north of Hopewell Junction) to Clove Valley. It was chartered in 1868 and opened in 1869 as the Clove Branch Railroad, only running to Sylvan Lake
. It was meant to be part of the New York, Boston and Montreal Railway, which failed in 1873, and in 1877 the extension to Clove Valley was built along the grade of the NYB&M. Operations were suspended in 1897 and it was abandoned in 1898.
The first main line abandonment was from Shekomeko
(about halfway from Pine Plains to Millerton) east to Millerton, abandoned in 1925 in favor of the more northerly Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
or Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad. In 1935 came the abandonment of the part from Shekomeko west to Pine Plains. In 1938 both remaining sections north of Hopewell Junction were abandoned - from the junction north to Pine Plains and from Millerton east to the Connecticut state line (and beyond to Lakeville
on the Central New England Railway
). http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/V4/15.htm
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
was merged into Penn Central in 1969; by then the former ND&C was known as the Beacon Secondary Track. After the Poughkeepsie Bridge
closed in 1974, the former Dutchess County Railroad was abandoned west of Hopewell Junction, and the former ND&C, as well as the former New York and New England Railroad
(then the Maybrook Branch), became the Danbury Secondary Track. Conrail acquired Penn Central in 1976, including the remaining part of the HD&C. The remaining part of the line from Hopewell Junction to Beacon is now owned by the Metro-North Railroad
as part of its Beacon Line
.
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
system in New York state.
History
The Dutchess and Columbia Railroad was chartered September 4, 1866 to build a line from Fishkill on the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
northeast and north to the New York and Harlem Railroad
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
at Craryville
Craryville, New York
Craryville is a hamlet in Columbia County, New York, United States. Its ZIP code is 12521.-Education:The Taconic Hills Central School District operates the following schools in Craryville:* Taconic Hills High School* Taconic Hills Middle School...
. However, the Columbia County towns through which it would pass did not support the plan, and the route was changed to turn east at Pine Plains to the New York and Harlem Railroad at Millerton, continuing east to the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state line and a connection with the Connecticut Western Railroad. Construction began in 1868, and the line opened from a dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
in the Hudson River and a connection to the Hudson River Railroad at Dutchess Junction north to Pine Plains on July 1, 1869. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/V4/9.htm The rest of the line, east to the state line, opened in 1871.
From opening, the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad leased the line, hoping to use the line southwest of the future Hopewell Junction as part of its line to the Hudson River. But the BH&E went bankrupt without completing the link, and in March 1870 the D&C began independent operations. In November 1871 the Connecticut Western Railroad (completed the next month) leased the short part of the D&C from the state line to the New York and Harlem Railroad
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
at Millerton.
Also using the line was the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, completed in 1872, and its successors. The P&E obtained trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the part from Stissing Junction
Stissing Junction
Stissing Junction was a railroad junction where the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad joined with the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, and the Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad...
north to Pine Plains, with its own line continuing at each end. The easternmost part of the P&E later became part of the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad, and the rest was merged into the Central New England Railway
Central New England Railway
The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York...
(the H&CW's successor) in 1907.
The New York, Boston and Northern Railway was formed on November 18, 1872 as a consolidation of the D&C with several other railroads, planned to build from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
north into Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and on to Montreal. The D&C would have been used as part of the main line from near the future Hopewell Junction north to Pine Plains. However the NYB&N went bankrupt too (after a renaming January 21, 1873 to the New York, Boston and Montreal Railway), due to 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...
, and the D&C went bankrupt in 1874.
The D&C was sold on August 5, 1876 and reorganized January 25, 1877 as the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad. The New York and New England Railroad
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
, the successor to the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, acquired trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
on the ND&C south of Hopewell Junction, opening in 1881 to Hopewell Junction. That same year the NY&NE built a new line from northeast of Dutchess Junction west across the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and then north along the Hudson River to docks in Matteawan (now Beacon). At those docks the NY&NE floated cars
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...
across to the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
's Newburg Branch.
However, in 1888, the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
opened, making the car float operation less useful. In 1905 the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
acquired the ND&C, and merged it into the Central New England Railway
Central New England Railway
The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York...
, the successor to the Connecticut Western Railroad and part of the NYNH&H system since 1904, on June 25, 1907. In 1916 the line to Dutchess Junction was abandoned, leaving only the line into Beacon at the south end.
The ND&C had one branch, from Clove Branch Junction (north of Hopewell Junction) to Clove Valley. It was chartered in 1868 and opened in 1869 as the Clove Branch Railroad, only running to Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake, New York
Sylvan Lake is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Beekman, New York, United States. It is named after the lake it sits on, which was formed during the Ice Age. The early Indians originally named it "poughquag" which means "round body of water". A smaller lake known as Hidden Lake is where...
. It was meant to be part of the New York, Boston and Montreal Railway, which failed in 1873, and in 1877 the extension to Clove Valley was built along the grade of the NYB&M. Operations were suspended in 1897 and it was abandoned in 1898.
The first main line abandonment was from Shekomeko
Shekomeko, New York
Shekomeko was a historic hamlet in the southwest part of the town of North East, New York, United States in present-day Dutchess County. It was a village of the Mahican people. They lived by a stream which Anglo-Americans later named Shekomeko Creek, after their village.In 1740 Moravians from...
(about halfway from Pine Plains to Millerton) east to Millerton, abandoned in 1925 in favor of the more northerly Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway was the first railroad to run east from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was taken over by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and assigned to the Central New England Railway in 1907.-History:...
or Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad. In 1935 came the abandonment of the part from Shekomeko west to Pine Plains. In 1938 both remaining sections north of Hopewell Junction were abandoned - from the junction north to Pine Plains and from Millerton east to the Connecticut state line (and beyond to Lakeville
Lakeville, Connecticut
Lakeville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Salisbury in Litchfield County, Connecticut, on Lake Wononskopomuc. The village includes Lakeville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district represents about of the village center...
on the Central New England Railway
Central New England Railway
The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York...
). http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/V4/15.htm
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
was merged into Penn Central in 1969; by then the former ND&C was known as the Beacon Secondary Track. After the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
closed in 1974, the former Dutchess County Railroad was abandoned west of Hopewell Junction, and the former ND&C, as well as the former New York and New England Railroad
New York and New England Railroad
The New York and New England Railroad was a major railroad connecting southern New York state with Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed by...
(then the Maybrook Branch), became the Danbury Secondary Track. Conrail acquired Penn Central in 1976, including the remaining part of the HD&C. The remaining part of the line from Hopewell Junction to Beacon is now owned by the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
as part of its Beacon Line
Beacon Line
Metro-North Railroad's Beacon Line is a non-revenue line connecting the railroad's three revenue lines east of the Hudson River. West to east, they are the Hudson Line, Harlem Line, and the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line...
.
Station listing
| Milepost | City | Station | Opening date | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon | junction with New York Central Railroad New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States... (Dutchess Junction) to the south originally Matteawan |
|||
| Matteawan | ||||
| Hopewell Junction | junction with New England Railroad (NYNH&H) and Dutchess County Railroad (NYNH&H) | |||
| Clove Branch | junction with Clove Branch | |||
| Billings | ||||
| Verbank | ||||
| Millbrook | ||||
| Shunpike | ||||
| Bangall | ||||
| Stissing Junction | junction with Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad (NYNH&H) | |||
| Attlebury | ||||
| Briarcliff Farms | ||||
| Pine Plains | junction with Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad (NYNH&H) and Central New England and Western Railroad (NYNH&H) | |||
| Shekomeko | ||||
| Millerton | junction with New York and Harlem Railroad New York and Harlem Railroad The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem... (NYC) |
|||
| State Line | junction with Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad (NYNH&H) |