Utica and Schenectady Railroad

Utica and Schenectady Railroad

Overview
Dates of operation	1833 (1833)–1853 (1853)
Successor	New York Central Railroad
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Length	78 miles (126 km)
Route map

The Utica and Schenectady Railroad was a railway company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1833 and opened a line between Utica and Schenectady, New York, in 1836. The railroad was consolidated with nine other railroads in 1853 to form the first New York Central Railroad.

History

The Utica and Schenectady Railroad was incorporated on April 29, 1833. ^[1] As its planned route ran parallel to the Erie Canal, the state barred it from carrying freight. This restriction was relaxed in 1844: the railroad was permitted to carry freight during the seasonal closings of the canal. This traffic was still subject to a toll. ^[2] The line opened between Utica and Schenectady on August 1, 1836. It connected in Schenectady with the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. ^[3] The company gained a westbound connection on August 3, 1839, with the opening of the Syracuse and Utica Railroad. ^[4]

Albany businessman Erastus Corning served as president of the company for the entirety of its existence. The Utica and Schenectady was consolidated with nine other railroads to form the first New York Central Railroad on May 1, 1853. Corning became president of the new company. ^{[5] [2]}

Notes

1. ICC (1930), p. 592.
2. Klein (1985), p. 16.
3. Stevens (1926), p. 104.
4. Klein (1985), p. 17.
5. ICC (1930), pp. 211–212.

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.
• 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.