Saranac Lake Union Depot

Last updated
Saranac Lake
Image-Adirondack Scenic Railroad - Saranac Lake Stn - Front.jpg
General information
Location42 Depot Street, Saranac Lake, New York 12983 [1]
Coordinates 44°19′51″N74°07′57″W / 44.33083°N 74.13250°W / 44.33083; -74.13250
Owned by New York State Department of Transportation [2]
History
Opened1904 [1]
Closed1965 (passenger service) [3]
1972 (freight service) [1]
Rebuilt199798 [1]
Previous names New York Central
Services
Preceding station Adirondack Railroad Following station
Tupper Lake
toward Utica
Main Line Lake Placid
Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Delaware and Hudson Railway Following station
Ray Brook
toward Lake Placid
ChamplainLake Placid Bloomingdale
toward Champlain

Saranac Lake Union Depot is a former New York Central Railroad station in Saranac Lake, New York. It was built in 1904 by the Delaware and Hudson Railway. [1] In its heyday, the station served several daily trains going north to Malone, New York, on to Montreal, Quebec, and south to Utica, New York and Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Passenger coaches went direct from New York City to Saranac Lake until late 1952 or early 1953. [4] Direct sleeping cars from trains such as North Star and then Iroquois continued as late as 1964 to the station. [5] Tourist trains were operated on the 8-mile sector between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid by the Adirondack Railroad between 2000 and 2016. The tracks were removed in 2022 to enable construction of a rail-trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, to be completed in 2024. [6] [7]

Station c. 1910 UnionDepotSaranacLake.jpeg
Station c.1910

On April 24, 1965 the NYC ran its final train on the Adirondack Division route through Saranac Lake Union Depot to Utica Union Station. [8] [9] The station houses historic exhibits, a visitors center and gift shops, [10] During its heyday, the station handled eighteen to twenty scheduled passenger trains per day. [11] [12]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Union Depot at Historic Saranac Lake". LocalWiki. Archived from the original on March 20, 2011.
  2. "New York Railroads, Saranac Lake Union Depot page". Archived from the original on 2004-11-09.
  3. Gove, William. 'Logging Railroads in the Adirondacks,' Syracuse, NY: 2006, p. 71.
  4. New York Central Railroad timetable, April 26, 1953, Table 60 and consist table: 'Pullman, Coach and Dining Car Service'
  5. New York Central Railroad timetable, October 25, 1964, 'Sleeping Car, Sleercoach, Coach and Dining Car Service'
  6. "State Agencies Announce Key Milestone for Adirondack Rail Trail - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation". New York Department of Environmental Conservation. October 22, 2020. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  7. "Adirondack rail trail takes another step closer to reality". Adirondack Daily Enterprise . Associated Press. March 14, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  8. New York Central timetable, October 1964, Table 8, last timetable showing service
  9. Gove, William. 'Logging Railroads in the Adirondacks,' Syracuse, NY: 2006, p. 71.
  10. "Historic Union Depot and Adirondack Scenic Railroad". Adirondack Scenic Byways. Adirondack North Country Association.
  11. Office of NYS Senator Betty Little. "Union Depot and REA Building in Saranac Lake to Receive Energy -Efficiency Grant". NYPA.gov (Press release). Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  12. "Historic Saranac Lake". Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2011.