Schenectady and Troy Railroad

Schenectady and Troy Railroad

Restored station in Niskayuna, Mohawk River behind. There were operator-agents at Aqueduct, Niskayuna, and Crescent
Overview
Dates of operation	1836 (1836)–1853 (1853)
Successor	New York Central Railroad
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Length	20.91 miles (33.65 km)
Route map Interactive map Legend mi Hudson Subdivision Freight Line 21.4 Schenectady Hudson Subdivision Freight Line 17.6 Aqueduct 12 Niskayuna 8 Dunsbach Ferry 5.9 Crescent 3.6 Cohoes Colonie Subdivision 0.6 Green Island Troy Branch Green Island Bridge Fitchburg Railroad 0.0 Troy Troy and Greenbush Branch [1] [2] This diagram: view talk edit Diagram of branch

The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was a railroad company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1836 and opened a line between its two namesake cities in 1842. It was consolidated with the first New York Central Railroad in 1853.

History

The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was incorporated on May 21, 1836. ^[3] The city of Troy gained stock control of the company in 1838, possibly the first example of a municipally-controlled railroad in the United States. ^{[4] [5]} The building of the road began in 1841, and trains began running from Schenectady to Troy, New York in November 1842. ^[6] The completed line was 20.91 miles (33.65 km) long. ^[3] . The company did not build its own bridge over the Hudson River and instead obtained trackage rights over the bridge of the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad. ^[7] The company was consolidated with nine other railroads to form the first New York Central Railroad on May 17, 1853. ^[8]

Line

Under the New York Central system, the company's line was known as the Troy and Schenectady Branch. It continued as a through route until 1964, when it was abandoned between Aqueduct and Crescent. The line was little-used at that point, and the state of New York sought to eliminate an awkward grade crossing of the Adirondack Northway. Actual removal occurred in 1965. ^{[9] [10]} Both ends remained in use for local service. The west end between Schenectady and Aqueduct was conveyed to Conrail in 1976. ^[11] The east end between Crescent and Green Island was not conveyed to Conrail; the Delaware and Hudson Railway operated it for a period under subsidy. ^[12] Today, the right-of-way has been converted into the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail. ^[13]

Notes

1. New York Central Railroad (April 26, 1959). Time Table No. 5 (PDF). p. 72.
2. New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (February 1895). Timetable (Form 100). pp. 33–34.
3. ICC (1930), p. 607.
4. Klein (1985), p. 18.
5. Stevens (1926), pp. 240–241.
6. "Troy and Schenectady Railroad". The Buffalo Commercial . November 11, 1842. p. 2. Retrieved July 30, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. Stevens (1926), pp. 245–246.
8. ICC (1930), pp. 211–212.
9. "Northway Rail Crossing Eliminated". The Times Record . July 19, 1965. p. 13. Retrieved July 31, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. Annual report of the Public Service Commission For the Year 1964. 1965. p. 88.
11. USRA (1975), p. 246.
12. ICC (1977), p. A-18.
13. "Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail Map 2010". Capital District Transportation Committee. 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2015.

References

• Interstate Commerce Commission (1930). Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports. Vol. 27. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Interstate Commerce Commission (1977). Rail systems diagram.
• Klein, Aaron E. (1985). New York Central (1st ed.). New York: Bonanza Books. ISBN   978-0-517-46085-6.
• Stevens, Frank Walker (1926). The Beginnings of the New York Central Railroad: A History. New York: G. P. Putnam.
• United States Railway Association (1975). Final system plan for restructuring railroads in the Northeast and Midwest region pursuant to the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 (PDF). Vol. 1. Washington, DC. OCLC   2889148.

External links

• Troy & Schenectady Railroad Website (KinglyHeirs.com)