New York Central Railroad

The New York Central Railroad {{reporting mark|NYC}}, known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. Headquartered in New York, the railroad served a large proportion of the area, including extensive trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts and much of New England and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. Its primary connections included Chicago and Boston. The NYC's Grand Central Terminal in New York City is one of its best known extant landmarks.

History

Pre-New York Central: 1826-1853

The oldest part of the New York Central was the first permanent railroad in the state of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was chartered in 1826 to connect the Mohawk River at Schenectady to the Hudson River at Albany, providing a way for cargo on steamboats to avoid the Erie Canal. The Mohawk and Hudson opened on September 24, 1831, and changed its name to the Albany and Schenectady Railroad on April 19, 1847.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Utica and Schenectady Railroad was chartered in 1833 and opened August 1, 1836, extending the line west from Schenectady along the north side of the Mohawk River, opposite the Erie Canal, to Utica. The Syracuse and Utica Railroad was chartered in March 1836 and opened July 3, 1839, extending the line further to Syracuse via Rome. This line was not direct, going out of its way to stay near the Erie Canal and serve Rome, and so the Syracuse and Utica Direct Railroad was chartered January 26, 1853; nothing of it was ever built, though the later West Shore Railroad, acquired by the New York Central in 1885, served the same purpose.

Related Topics:
1833 - August 1 - 1836 - Utica - March - July 3 - 1839 - Syracuse - Rome - January 26 - 1853 - West Shore Railroad - 1885

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Auburn and Syracuse Railroad was chartered in 1834 and opened mostly on July 1, 1838, the remaining 4 miles (6 km) opening in 1839. This provided an extension of the line from Syracuse west to Auburn, about halfway to Geneva. The Auburn and Rochester Railroad was chartered in 1838 as a further extension via Geneva and Canandaigua to Rochester, opening in August 1841. The two lines merged on August 1, 1850 to form the rather indirect Rochester and Syracuse Railroad. To fix this, the Rochester and Syracuse Direct Railroad was chartered and immediately merged into the Rochester and Syracuse on August 6, 1850. That line opened in 1853, running much more directly between those two cities, roughly parallel to the Erie Canal.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To the west of Rochester, the Tonawanda Railroad was chartered in 1832 and opened in May 1837, building southwest to Batavia in May 1837 and beyond to Attica in 1842. The Attica and Buffalo Railroad was chartered in 1836 and opened in December 1842, running from Buffalo east to Attica. With its opening, the first all-rail line between Buffalo and Albany was open. On December 7, 1850 those two lines merged to form the Buffalo and Rochester Railroad. In 1852 a new direct line opened from Buffalo east to Batavia, and the old line was sold to the Buffalo and New York City Railroad, later part of the Erie Railroad, and converted to the Erie's 6 foot wide gauge.

Related Topics:
1832 - May - 1837 - Batavia - Attica - 1842 - 1836 - December - Buffalo - December 7 - 1850 - 1852 - Buffalo and New York City Railroad - Erie Railroad - Wide gauge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was chartered in 1836 and opened in 1842, providing another route between the Hudson River and Schenectady, with its Hudson River terminal at Troy.

Related Topics:
Schenectady and Troy Railroad - 1836 - 1842 - Troy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad was chartered in 1834 to build from Lockport on the Erie Canal west to Niagara Falls; it opened in 1838. On December 14, 1850 it was reorganized as the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, and an extension east to Rochester opened on July 1, 1852.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Buffalo and Lockport Railroad was chartered April 27, 1852 to build a branch of the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls from Lockport towards Buffalo. It opened in 1854, running from Lockport to Tonawanda, where it junctioned with the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad, opened 1837, for the rest of the way to Buffalo.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to the Syracuse and Utica Direct, another never-built company - the Mohawk Valley Railroad - was chartered January 21, 1851 and reorganized December 28, 1852, to build a railroad on the south side of the Mohawk River from Schenectady to Utica, next to the Erie Canal and opposite the Utica and Schenectady.

Related Topics:
January 21 - 1851 - December 28 - 1852 - Mohawk River - Schenectady - Utica - Erie Canal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Albany industrialist and Mohawk Valley Railroad owner Erastus Corning got the above railroads together into one system, and merged the ten remaining ones to form the New York Central Railroad on April 2, 1853. The following companies were consolidated into this system, including the main line from Albany to Buffalo:

Related Topics:
Erastus Corning - April 2 - 1853

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Albany and Schenectady Railroad
Utica and Schenectady Railroad
Syracuse and Utica Railroad
Rochester and Syracuse Railroad
Buffalo and Rochester Railroad
:The Rochester and Syracuse also owned the old alignment via Auburn, Geneva and Canandaigua, known as the "Auburn Road". The Buffalo and Rochester included a branch from Batavia to Attica, part of the main line until 1852. Also included in the merger were three other railroads:
Schenectady and Troy Railroad, a branch from Schenectady east to Troy
Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, a major branch from Rochester west to Niagara Falls
Buffalo and Lockport Railroad, a branch from the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls at Lockport south to Buffalo via trackage rights on the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad from Tonawanda
:As well as two that had not built any road, and never would:
Mohawk Valley Railroad
Syracuse and Utica Direct Railroad

Erastus Corning years: 1853-1867

The Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad was organized in 1852 and opened in Fall 1853; it was leased to the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, which became part of the New York Central, before opening. In 1855 it was merged into the New York Central, providing a branch from Rochester north to Charlotte on Lake Ontario.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad was also merged into the New York Central in 1855. It had been chartered in 1834 and opened in 1837, providing a line between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. It was leased to the New York Central in 1853 and merged in 1855.

Related Topics:
Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad - 1855 - 1834 - 1837 - Buffalo - Niagara Falls - 1853

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Also in 1855 came the merger of the Lewiston Railroad, running from Niagara Falls north to Lewiston. It was chartered in 1836 and opened in 1837 without connections to other railroads. In 1854 a southern extension opened to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad and the line was leased to the New York Central; it was merged in 1855.

Related Topics:
1855 - Lewiston Railroad - Niagara Falls - Lewiston - 1836 - 1837 - 1854 - Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad was chartered in 1851. The first stage opened in 1853 from Canandaigua on the Auburn Road west to Batavia on the main line. A continuation west to North Tonawanda opened later that year, and in 1854 a section opened in Niagara Falls connecting it to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge. The New York Central bought the company at bankruptcy in 1858 and reorganized it as the Niagara Bridge and Canandaigua Railroad, merging it into itself in 1890.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Saratoga and Hudson River Railroad was chartered in 1864 and opened in 1866 as a branch of the New York Central from Athens Junction, southeast of Schenectady, southeast and south to Athens on the west side of the Hudson River. On September 9, 1867 the company was merged into the New York Central, but in 1867 the terminal at Athens burned and the line was abandoned. In the 1880s the New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway leased the line and incorporated it into their main line, taken over by the New York Central in 1885 as the West Shore Railroad.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Hudson River Railroad

:See also West Side Line for details on the section in Manhattan and Hudson Line for current Metro-North Railroad operations south of Poughkeepsie.

Related Topics:
West Side Line - Manhattan - Hudson Line - Metro-North Railroad - Poughkeepsie

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Troy and Greenbush Railroad was chartered in 1845 and opened later that year, connecting Troy south to East Albany on the east side of the Hudson River. The Hudson River Railroad was chartered May 12, 1846 to extend this line south to New York City; the full line opened October 3, 1851. Prior to completion, on June 1, the Hudson River leased the Troy and Greenbush.

Related Topics:
Troy and Greenbush Railroad - 1845 - Troy - East Albany - Hudson River - May 12 - 1846 - New York City - October 3 - 1851 - June 1

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cornelius Vanderbilt obtained control of the Hudson River Railroad in 1864, soon after he bought the parallel New York and Harlem Railroad.

Related Topics:
Cornelius Vanderbilt - 1864 - New York and Harlem Railroad

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Along the line of the Hudson River Railroad, the High Line was built in the 1930s in New York City as an elevated bypass to the existing street-running trackage on Eleventh Avenue, at the time called "Death Avenue" due to the large number of accidents involving trains. The elevated section has since been abandoned, and the tunnel to the north, built at the same time, is only used by Amtrak trains to New York Penn Station (all other trains use the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad to access the New York and Harlem Railroad).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vanderbilt years: 1867-1954

In 1867 Vanderbilt acquired control of the New York Central, with the help of maneuverings related to the Hudson River Bridge in Albany. On November 1, 1869 he merged the New York Central with his Hudson River Railroad into the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. This extended the system south from Albany along the east bank of the Hudson River to New York City, with the leased Troy and Greenbush Railroad running from Albany north to Troy.

Related Topics:
1867 - Hudson River Bridge - Albany - November 1 - 1869 - Hudson River - New York City - Troy and Greenbush Railroad - Troy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vanderbilt's other lines were operated as part of the New York Central Railroad; these included the New York and Harlem Railroad, Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, Canada Southern Railway and Michigan Central Railroad.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad was chartered in 1869 and opened in 1871, providing a route on the north side of the Harlem River for trains along the Hudson River to head southeast to the New York and Harlem Railroad towards Grand Central Terminal or the freight facilities at Port Morris. From opening it was leased by the New York Central.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Geneva and Lyons Railroad was organized in 1877 and opened in 1878, leased by the New York Central from opening. This was a north-south connection between Syracuse and Rochester, running from the main line at Lyons south to the Auburn Road at Geneva. It was merged into the New York Central in 1890.

Related Topics:
Geneva and Lyons Railroad - 1877 - 1878 - Syracuse - Rochester - Lyons - Auburn Road - Geneva - 1890

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On July 1, 1900, the Boston and Albany Railroad was leased by the New York Central, although it retained a separate identity. In 1914 the name was changed again forming the modern New York Central Railroad.

Related Topics:
July 1 - 1900 - Boston and Albany Railroad - 1914

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The New York Central had a distinctive character; unlike its arch rival the Pennsylvania Railroad's mountainous terrain, the NYC was best known as the Water Level Route; most of its major routes, including New York to Chicago, followed rivers and had no significant grades. This influenced many things, including advertising and most notably locomotive design.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Steam locomotives of the New York Central were optimized for speed on that flat raceway of a main line, rather than slow mountain lugging. Famous locomotives of the System included the well-known 4-6-4 Hudsons, and the postwar Niagaras, fast 4-8-4 locomotives often considered the epitome of their breed by steam locomotive aficionados.

Related Topics:
Steam locomotives - 4-6-4 - Hudsons - Niagaras - 4-8-4

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite having some of the most modern steam locomotives anywhere, the NYC dieselized rapidly, conscious of its by then difficult financial position and the potential relief that more economical diesel-electric power could bring. Very few New York Central steam locomotives still exist. All Hudsons and Niagaras were sent to the scrapper's torch. In 2004, the only surviving big modern steam locomotives are two 4-8-2 Mohawk dual-purpose locomotives.

Related Topics:
Steam locomotive - Diesel-electric - 4-8-2 - Mohawk

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The financial situation of northeastern railroading soon became so dire that not even the economies of the new diesel-electric locomotives could change things.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bypasses

A number of bypasses and cutoffs were built around congested areas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Junction Railroad's Buffalo Belt Line opened in 1871, providing a bypass of Buffalo, New York to the northeast, as well as a loop route for passenger trains via downtown. The West Shore Railroad, acquired in 1885, provided a bypass around Rochester, New York. The Terminal Railway's Gardenville Cutoff, allowing through traffic to bypass Buffalo to the southeast, opened in 1898.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Schenectady Detour consisted of two connections to the West Shore Railroad, allowing through trains to bypass the steep grades at Schenectady, New York. The full project opened in 1902. The Cleveland Short Line Railway built a bypass of Cleveland, Ohio, completed in 1912. In 1924, the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge was constructed as part of the Hudson River Connecting Railroad's Castleton Cut-Off, a 27.5-mile-long freight bypass of the congested Albany terminal area.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An unrelated realignment was made in the 1910s at Rome, when the Erie Canal was realigned and widened onto a new alignment south of downtown Rome. The NYC main line was shifted south out of downtown to the south bank of the new canal. A bridge was built southeast of downtown, roughly where the old main line crossed the path of the canal, to keep access to Rome from the southeast. West of downtown, the old main line was abandoned, but a brand new railroad line was built, running north from the NYC main line to the NYC's former Watertown and Rome Railroad, allowing all NYC through traffic to bypass Rome.

Related Topics:
1910s - Rome - Erie Canal - Watertown and Rome Railroad

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Robert R. Young: 1954-1958

The Vanderbilt interests, having steadily reduced their shareholdings, lost a proxy fight in 1954 to Robert Ralph Young and his Alleghany Corporation. Unable to keep his promises, Young was forced to suspend dividend payments in January 1958 and committed suicide that month.

Related Topics:
Vanderbilt - Proxy fight - 1954 - Robert Ralph Young - Alleghany Corporation - 1958

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Alfred E. Perlman: 1958-1968

After his death, Young's role in NYC management was assumed by Alfred E. Perlman, who had been working with the NYC under Young since 1954. Although much had been accomplished to streamline NYC operations, in those tough economic times, mergers with other railroads were seen as the only possible road to financial stability. The most likely suitor became the NYC's former arch-rival Pennsylvania Railroad.

Related Topics:
Alfred E. Perlman - Pennsylvania Railroad

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Penn Central, Conrail, CSX: 1968-2004

The New York Central became a fallen flag on February 1, 1968 when it joined with its old enemy, the Pennsylvania Railroad, in the ill-fated merger that produced Penn Central. Slightly over two years later, on June 21, 1970, the Penn Central Transportation Company filed for bankruptcy.

Related Topics:
Fallen flag - February 1 - 1968 - Pennsylvania Railroad - Penn Central - June 21 - 1970

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Conrail, officially the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was created by the U.S. Government to salvage Penn Central, and on April 1, 1976, it began operations.

Related Topics:
Conrail - April 1 - 1976

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On June 6, 1998, most of Conrail was split between Norfolk Southern and CSX. New York Central Lines LLC was formed as a subsidiary of Conrail, containing the lines to be operated by CSX; this included the old Water Level Route and many other lines of the New York Central, as well as various lines from other companies. CSX also assumed the NYC reporting mark.

Related Topics:
June 6 - 1998 - Conrail - Norfolk Southern - CSX - LLC - Reporting mark

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

◄ New York Central Railroad: Introduction

New York Central Railroad: See also ►

~ Table of Content ~

►	Introduction
►	History
►	See also
►	External links
►	References

~ What's Hot ~

~ Community ~

►	History Forum Come and discuss about History, Civilizations, Historical Events and Figures
►	History Web-Ring A community of sites, blogs and forums dedicated to History. Do not hesitate to submit your site.

This site is part of an Internet Web-ring Community hosted at World of Newave
Previous - List: history - Home: history - Forum: history - Join - Next

Some of the information on this page come from a Wikipedia article
and are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Lexicon - Privacy Policy - Spiritus-Temporis.com ©2005.