West Shore Railroad
Encyclopedia
The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey
, across the Hudson River from New York City
, north along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York
and then west to Buffalo
. It was organized as a competitor to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, but was soon taken over by that company.
The first part of the line was built as the Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad, incorporated April 16, 1864 and opened in Spring 1866. After only about a year of independent operation, the line served as a branch of the New York Central Railroad
, splitting at Athens Junction near Schenectady and running southeast and south along the west side of the Hudson River
to Athens
. Early plans included acquiring the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad as a northern extension. The Saratoga and Hudson River was bought and merged into the New York Central as their Athens Branch on September 9, 1867. The terminal at Athens was destroyed by fire in 1876. The line ran intermittently from then into the 1880s, with its tracks being torn up for good in 1888. It had been called the "White Elephant" Railroad for most of its existence because it quickly outlived whatever usefulness it may have had. Today a row of brick houses known as the Brick Row Historic District
which was built in 1850 for the workers of the failed railroad stand in Athens as the only remaining structure related to the "White Elephant" Railroad project.
At the south end of the route, the Ridgefield Park Railroad was incorporated April 4, 1867. This was planned as a branch of the New Jersey Rail Road, splitting at Marion Junction and running north on the west side of the New Jersey Palisades
via Ridgefield Park to the state line at Tappan, New York
. Across the state line, the Rockland Central Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870 to continue the line to Haverstraw, and the Rockland Central Extension Railroad, incorporated May 29, 1872, was to continue further north along the west side of the Hudson River
. The Rockland Central and Rockland Central Extension merged on July 29, 1872 to form a new Rockland Central Railroad, and that company merged with the Ridgefield Park to form the Jersey City and Albany Railroad on June 24, 1873, with the intention of building a full line from Jersey City
to Albany.
The line first opened in 1872 as a spur of the New Jersey Midland Railroad, which had built the section south of Ridgefield Park. At that time, the northern terminus was at Tappan; the extension north to Haverstraw
opened in 1879.
Bankruptcy
struck soon, and the New York section of the line was sold on September 28, 1877 and reorganized October 12, 1878 as the Jersey City and Albany Railway. The part in New Jersey was sold August 17, 1878 and reorganized with the same name, and the two companies merged in January 1879 (January 25 in New Jersey and January 28 in New York) to form a consolidated Jersey City and Albany Railway.
The North River Railway was incorporated April 3, 1880 to continue the built line north to Albany with a branch to Schenectady and a connection to the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
at Cornwall. (The Hudson River
was also called the North River.) The North River Railway was consolidated with the Jersey City and Albany on May 5, 1881 to form the North River Railroad, again forming a single planned line between Jersey City and Albany.
The Hudson River West Shore Railroad was incorporated February 16, 1867, and the West Shore Hudson River Railroad was incorporated October 28, 1867, absorbing the Hudson River West Shore on February 16, 1867. This was a second proposed line on the west shore of the river from New Jersey to Albany. The New York, West Shore and Chicago Railroad was incorporated July 13, 1870, and absorbed the West Shore Hudson River on July 21, 1877, with a planned line not only to Albany but then west along the south bank of the Mohawk River
to Buffalo
. That company was sold and reorganized as the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on February 18, 1880, and on June 14, 1881 the North River Railroad was merged into it, forming one company in charge of the whole route from New Jersey to Buffalo.
The company leased the Athens Branch of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, the old Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad, and incorporated it into their main line between Coxsackie and Fullers
. At Ravena
, along the Athens Branch, the main line turned northwest towards Schenectady, while a new branch continued north to Kenwood Junction
on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad
in Albany
. At the south end, a new alignment was built along the east side of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
(formerly the New Jersey Midland) to North Bergen, where the new alignment turned east into the Weehawken Tunnel under the Bergen Hill
, ending at Weehawken Terminal
. This full line opened January 1, 1884, forming an immediate threat to the New York Central's monopoly.
In addition to its owned trackage, the West Shore also had trackage rights
over the Suspension Bridge and Erie Junction Railroad and Erie International Railroad, providing a route from Buffalo to Ontario. After the New York Central took over the West Shore, this was useless, as the New York Central had a parallel line, the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad
.
The West Shore also had relations with the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway, which would have run from the Hoosac Tunnel
in Massachusetts
west to Buffalo. Instead the BHT&W built only to Rotterdam Junction west of Schenectady; it was later taken over by the Fitchburg Railroad
.
In 1881 the West Shore had been planned as a link in a new cross-country line from New York to San Francisco
, using the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (Nickel Plate Road), Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, Northern Pacific Railroad and Oregon Navigation Company. However, William Henry Vanderbilt
of the New York Central had bought the Nickel Plate in 1882, killing that plan. The New York Central then proceeded to drive the New York, West Shore and Buffalo into bankruptcy
. The Pennsylvania Railroad
realized that the West Shore would make a great addition to their system, allowing them to penetrate deep into New York Central territory. At the same time, the New York Central was building the South Pennsylvania Railroad
across southern Pennsylvania
, the Pennsylvania Railroad's territory. The two railroads came to an agreement, where the New York Central would buy the West Shore and stop building the South Pennsylvania (sections of which were later used for the Pennsylvania Turnpike
). The New York Central bought the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on November 24, 1885 and reorganized their new acquisition as the West Shore Railroad on December 5, immediately leasing it for 475 years from January 1, 1886.
, which had been merged into the New York Central.
Part of the West Shore around Schenectady was used as a freight bypass, both to keep through freight out of Schenectady and to avoid steep grades on the main line. To access this, two connections, known collectively as the Schenectady Detour, were built on each side of Schenectady. The Hoffman's Connection opened in 1900, connecting the New York Central main line at Hoffman's, west of Schenectady, southeast to the West Shore; this allowed trains bound for New Jersey to bypass Schenectady and Albany. The Carman Cut-Off opened in 1902, running from the New York Central main line at Carman, east of Schenectady, southwest to the West Shore, completing the bypass. The new route was 1.16 miles longer but saved time.
The Hudson River Connecting Railroad, also called the Castleton Cut-Off, was incorporated in 1913 and opened in 1924, providing a full bypass for the New York Central around Albany. This new route split from the West Shore southwest of Albany, at Unionville, ran southeast to cross the West Shore's Albany Branch at Selkirk
onto the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
. From there the line split, with one branch turning south to merge with the New York Central at Stuyvesant, and the other continuing east to a merge with the New York Central's Boston and Albany Railroad
at Post Road Crossing. This latter branch became the B&A's Post Road Branch.
. The line now serves as CSX Transportation
's principal freight route from Western points to the Metro
New York City area (New Jersey), via the former NYC Selkirk Yard, southwest of Albany, New York. http://nyc.railfan.net/ws-jk.html
started out as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad, running from Oswego on Lake Ontario
southeast to the New Jersey
border at Unionville, where the New Jersey Midland Railroad continued to Jersey City. After the reorganization in 1880 of the New York and Oswego Midland (and the New Jersey Midland), the newly-organized New York, Ontario and Western built a new route in New York, from the old route at Middletown
east to Cornwall on the Hudson River
. The opening of the West Shore in 1884 gave the New York, Ontario and Western trackage rights
from Cornwall south to Weehawken, which it kept through the reorganization and buyout by the New York Central.
in the vicinity of Allied Chemical, the right-of-way was not visible because there were so many operating tracks in the area that it was impossible to pinpoint the right-of-way. The right-of-way was evident, however, from Warners, New York
west.
Most tracks, ties, signal facilities, bridges and depots have been removed, however, some overpasses remain around Palmyra
and Newark
. These were put in by farmers to get to adjacent fields. The right-of-way, however, was still in operation near Newark
, Macedon
and Egypt in order to serve local customers on the line.
The terrain through which the right-of-way passes is generally flat. This is in part due to the fact that the right-of-way parallels the old Erie Canal
. The principal land use of abutting properties is varied. From Syracuse
to Warners
it passes through commercial and residential development in the villages and towns.
The right of way is in close proximity to several major highways including Route 31
.
Along the west side of the Hudson River the former West Shore line is operated as the River Subdivision of CSX Transportation
.
Montgomery
Athens and Fullers
The branches from Coxsackie south to Athens
and from Fullers
northwest to Athens Junction were part of the original Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad.
Albany
Earlville
Buffalo Creek
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
, across the Hudson River 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 along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
and then west to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It was organized as a competitor to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, but was soon taken over by that company.
History
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...
, splitting at Athens Junction near Schenectady and running southeast and south along the west side of the Hudson River
Hudson 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...
to Athens
Athens, New York
Athens, New York can refer to:* Athens , New York* Athens , New York...
. Early plans included acquiring the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad as a northern extension. The Saratoga and Hudson River was bought and merged into the New York Central as their Athens Branch on September 9, 1867. The terminal at Athens was destroyed by fire in 1876. The line ran intermittently from then into the 1880s, with its tracks being torn up for good in 1888. It had been called the "White Elephant" Railroad for most of its existence because it quickly outlived whatever usefulness it may have had. Today a row of brick houses known as the Brick Row Historic District
Brick Row Historic District
The Brick Row Historic District in the village of Athens, New York is a smallrow of brick row houses that were built as apartments for the workers ofthe booming clay mining industry in the late 19th century to early 20th century....
which was built in 1850 for the workers of the failed railroad stand in Athens as the only remaining structure related to the "White Elephant" Railroad project.
At the south end of the route, the Ridgefield Park Railroad was incorporated April 4, 1867. This was planned as a branch of the New Jersey Rail Road, splitting at Marion Junction and running north on the west side of the New Jersey Palisades
New Jersey Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson Palisades are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in northeastern New Jersey and southern New York in the United States. The cliffs stretch north from Jersey City approximately 20 mi to near...
via Ridgefield Park to the state line at Tappan, New York
Tappan, New York
Tappan is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Old Tappan, New Jersey; east of Nauraushaun and Pearl River; south of Blauvelt and west of Palisades and Sparkill...
. Across the state line, the Rockland Central Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870 to continue the line to Haverstraw, and the Rockland Central Extension Railroad, incorporated May 29, 1872, was to continue further north along the west side of the Hudson River
Hudson 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...
. The Rockland Central and Rockland Central Extension merged on July 29, 1872 to form a new Rockland Central Railroad, and that company merged with the Ridgefield Park to form the Jersey City and Albany Railroad on June 24, 1873, with the intention of building a full line from Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
to Albany.
The line first opened in 1872 as a spur of the New Jersey Midland Railroad, which had built the section south of Ridgefield Park. At that time, the northern terminus was at Tappan; the extension north to Haverstraw
Haverstraw, New York
Haverstraw is the name of two locations in Rockland County, New York:*Haverstraw, New York, a town*Haverstraw , New York, a village located entirely within the townIt may also refer to:*West Haverstraw, New York*Haverstraw Bay*Haverstraw Indians...
opened in 1879.
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
struck soon, and the New York section of the line was sold on September 28, 1877 and reorganized October 12, 1878 as the Jersey City and Albany Railway. The part in New Jersey was sold August 17, 1878 and reorganized with the same name, and the two companies merged in January 1879 (January 25 in New Jersey and January 28 in New York) to form a consolidated Jersey City and Albany Railway.
The North River Railway was incorporated April 3, 1880 to continue the built line north to Albany with a branch to Schenectady and a connection to the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...
at Cornwall. (The Hudson River
Hudson 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...
was also called the North River.) The North River Railway was consolidated with the Jersey City and Albany on May 5, 1881 to form the North River Railroad, again forming a single planned line between Jersey City and Albany.
The Hudson River West Shore Railroad was incorporated February 16, 1867, and the West Shore Hudson River Railroad was incorporated October 28, 1867, absorbing the Hudson River West Shore on February 16, 1867. This was a second proposed line on the west shore of the river from New Jersey to Albany. The New York, West Shore and Chicago Railroad was incorporated July 13, 1870, and absorbed the West Shore Hudson River on July 21, 1877, with a planned line not only to Albany but then west along the south bank of the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. That company was sold and reorganized as the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on February 18, 1880, and on June 14, 1881 the North River Railroad was merged into it, forming one company in charge of the whole route from New Jersey to Buffalo.
Fullers, New York
Fullers is a hamlet in the town of Guilderland, Albany County, New York. The hamlet lies along US Route 20 .-History:Fullers owes its origins, name, and early growth to the Fuller family...
. At Ravena
Ravena, New York
Ravena is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2010 census. The village is in the southeast part of the town of Coeymans.- History :The village of Ravena incorporated in 1914...
, along the Athens Branch, the main line turned northwest towards Schenectady, while a new branch continued north to Kenwood Junction
Kenwood, Albany, New York
Kenwood is a neighborhood in the city of Albany, New York. Prior to annexation by the city in 1916 a hamlet in the neighboring town of Bethlehem, also in Albany County. The hamlet once spanned both sides of the Normans Kill along the Albany and Bethlehem Turnpike...
on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad
Albany and Susquehanna Railroad
The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad running from Albany to Binghamton, operating 1851 to 1870-History:Construction began on April 19, 1851 from Albany to Schoharie Junction, New York, a distance of 35 miles . This phase was completed in 1863...
in Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. At the south end, a new alignment was built along the east side of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
(formerly the New Jersey Midland) to North Bergen, where the new alignment turned east into the Weehawken Tunnel under the Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
, ending at Weehawken Terminal
Weehawken Terminal
Weehawken Terminal was the waterfront intermodal terminal on the North River in Weehawken, New Jersey for the New York Central Railroad's West Shore Railroad division. It opened in 1884 and closed in 1959. The complex contained five ferry slips, sixteen passenger train tracks, car float...
. This full line opened January 1, 1884, forming an immediate threat to the New York Central's monopoly.
In addition to its owned trackage, the West Shore also had 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 Suspension Bridge and Erie Junction Railroad and Erie International Railroad, providing a route from Buffalo to Ontario. After the New York Central took over the West Shore, this was useless, as the New York Central had a parallel line, the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad
Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad
The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad was a part of the New York Central Railroad system, connecting Buffalo, New York to Niagara Falls. It is still used by CSX for freight and Amtrak for passenger service.-History:...
.
The West Shore also had relations with the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway, which would have run from the Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
west to Buffalo. Instead the BHT&W built only to Rotterdam Junction west of Schenectady; it was later taken over by the Fitchburg Railroad
Fitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
.
In 1881 the West Shore had been planned as a link in a new cross-country line from New York to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, using the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (Nickel Plate Road), Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, Northern Pacific Railroad and Oregon Navigation Company. However, William Henry Vanderbilt
William Henry Vanderbilt
William Henry Vanderbilt I was an American businessman and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Childhood:William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821...
of the New York Central had bought the Nickel Plate in 1882, killing that plan. The New York Central then proceeded to drive the New York, West Shore and Buffalo into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. 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....
realized that the West Shore would make a great addition to their system, allowing them to penetrate deep into New York Central territory. At the same time, the New York Central was building the South Pennsylvania Railroad
South Pennsylvania Railroad
The South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
across southern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the Pennsylvania Railroad's territory. The two railroads came to an agreement, where the New York Central would buy the West Shore and stop building the South Pennsylvania (sections of which were later used for the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
). The New York Central bought the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway on November 24, 1885 and reorganized their new acquisition as the West Shore Railroad on December 5, immediately leasing it for 475 years from January 1, 1886.
Life as a New York Central line
In many sections, the West Shore ran on a straighter path than the New York Central, and was thus used for through freight. For instance, between Oneida and Utica, the West Shore followed the general line of the never-built Syracuse and Utica Direct RailroadSyracuse and Utica Direct Railroad
The Syracuse and Utica Direct Railroad, chartered in 1853, a rival company to the Syracuse and Utica Railroad, threatened to build a line from Syracuse, New York to Utica by a more direct route, by way of Vernon. This reduced the total travel time from four hours to three and one-half hours...
, which had been merged into the New York Central.
The Hudson River Connecting Railroad, also called the Castleton Cut-Off, was incorporated in 1913 and opened in 1924, providing a full bypass for the New York Central around Albany. This new route split from the West Shore southwest of Albany, at Unionville, ran southeast to cross the West Shore's Albany Branch at Selkirk
Selkirk, New York
Selkirk is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. It is located south of the city of Albany, it is an suburb of that city....
onto the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge
The Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the Hudson River at Castleton-on-Hudson and Selkirk, New York in the United States....
. From there the line split, with one branch turning south to merge with the New York Central at Stuyvesant, and the other continuing east to a merge with the New York Central's Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
at Post Road Crossing. This latter branch became the B&A's Post Road Branch.
End of passenger service on the line
Passenger service on the line was discontinued in 1959, ending direct train service on the west side of the Hudson River to Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. The line now serves as CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's principal freight route from Western points to the Metro
New York City area (New Jersey), via the former NYC Selkirk Yard, southwest of Albany, New York. http://nyc.railfan.net/ws-jk.html
Relations with the New York, Ontario and Western
The New York, Ontario and Western RailwayNew York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...
started out as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad, running from Oswego 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...
southeast to the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
border at Unionville, where the New Jersey Midland Railroad continued to Jersey City. After the reorganization in 1880 of the New York and Oswego Midland (and the New Jersey Midland), the newly-organized New York, Ontario and Western built a new route in New York, from the old route at Middletown
Middletown, Orange County, New York
Middletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...
east to Cornwall on the Hudson River
Hudson 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...
. The opening of the West Shore in 1884 gave the New York, Ontario and Western 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....
from Cornwall south to Weehawken, which it kept through the reorganization and buyout by the New York Central.
Road condition
By 1974, the roadbed was in good condition and there was little evidence of flooding, landslides, or encroachments over the entire length. Portions of the right-of-way were slightly overgrown, but generally it was visible and was in good condition. Around the village of SolvaySolvay, New York
Solvay is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, and a suburb of the city of Syracuse. According to the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 6,845...
in the vicinity of Allied Chemical, the right-of-way was not visible because there were so many operating tracks in the area that it was impossible to pinpoint the right-of-way. The right-of-way was evident, however, from Warners, New York
Warners, New York
Warners is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States....
west.
Most tracks, ties, signal facilities, bridges and depots have been removed, however, some overpasses remain around Palmyra
Palmyra, New York
Palmyra, New York may refer to:*Palmyra , New York*Palmyra , New York...
and Newark
Newark, New York
Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, U.S., south east of Rochester. The population was 9,682 at the 2000 census.The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of Wayne County.- History :...
. These were put in by farmers to get to adjacent fields. The right-of-way, however, was still in operation near Newark
Newark, New York
Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, U.S., south east of Rochester. The population was 9,682 at the 2000 census.The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of Wayne County.- History :...
, Macedon
Macedon, New York
Macedon may refer to two municipalities in Wayne County, New York in the United States:*Macedon , New York*Macedon , New York, located entirely within the town...
and Egypt in order to serve local customers on the line.
The terrain through which the right-of-way passes is generally flat. This is in part due to the fact that the right-of-way parallels the old Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. The principal land use of abutting properties is varied. From Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to Warners
Warners, New York
Warners is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States....
it passes through commercial and residential development in the villages and towns.
The right of way is in close proximity to several major highways including Route 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
.
Along the west side of the Hudson River the former West Shore line is operated as the River Subdivision of CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
.
Branches
New Jersey Junction RailroadNew Jersey Junction Railroad
The New Jersey Junction Railroad was part of the New York Central Railroad and ran along the Hudson River in Hudson County, New Jersey, from the West Shore Railroad yards at Weehawken Terminal south to Jersey City...
Montgomery
Athens and Fullers
The branches from Coxsackie south to Athens
Athens, New York
Athens, New York can refer to:* Athens , New York* Athens , New York...
and from Fullers
Fullers, New York
Fullers is a hamlet in the town of Guilderland, Albany County, New York. The hamlet lies along US Route 20 .-History:Fullers owes its origins, name, and early growth to the Fuller family...
northwest to Athens Junction were part of the original Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad.
Albany
Earlville
Buffalo Creek
See also
- Highland Falls Railroad DepotHighland Falls Railroad DepotThe Highland Falls Railroad Depot in Highland Falls, New York, is a former West Shore Railroad train station built in the 1880s. It was later used by the New York Central Railroad...
, former West Shore station building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) - Milton Railroad StationMilton Railroad StationThe Milton Railroad Station is located on Dock Road at the Hudson River in Milton, New York, United States. It is a frame rectangular structure built for the West Shore Railroad in the late 19th century....
, also on the NRHP