Unfinished Railroads of New York State

[RussNelson]

Wow! All of that is great information. May I make a suggestion? Visit the county clerk's office and try to find a map for the A&GW Railroad. I've had some good luck using this method. My understanding is that railroads had to have a map registered before they could start grading. Doesn't mean that the map still exists, or that the clerks can find it (I have two of three maps of the P&SB; the third seems to have gone missing).

And yes, it would be great if you could locate whatever bits of grade you know about using Acme Mapper. A big help!

[scharnhorst]

Hay Russ have you ever thought about writing a book on this subject?

[dj_paige]

Hay Russ have you ever thought about writing a book on this subject?

The suggestion that he write a book was made, and apparently met with skepticism

[RussNelson]

Hay Russ have you ever thought about writing a book on this subject?

The suggestion that he write a book was made, and apparently met with skepticism

What would I put into the book that I haven't put onto the web page? Feel free to download it into your e-reader. There ya go, it's a book.

[RussNelson]

I found two more NY unfinished railroads: the Burt Line (graded near Oneida) and Pittsburg, Binghamton and Eastern Railroad (graded near Binghamton, but more near one town in Pennsylvania). Also listed a few railroads out of NY. Also found reference to some other railroads unfinshedin 1860, about which I know nothing, listed at the end of the page. http://russnelson.com/unfinished-railroads.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Feel free to contribute your own knowledge of any of these!

[Cactus Jack]

Fascinating stuff Russ, just fascinating.

NYSDOT has a map that shadows abandoned rail lines, which you may have seen. On it is a line running about due south out of Binghamton (not Binghampton) west of the ERIE / DL&W. Was this maybe the PB&E ? or if not what was it ?

Doug Ellison
Warren, PA

[RussNelson]

A line running about due south out of Binghamton west of the ERIE / DL&W. Was this maybe the PB&E ? or if not what was it ?

No, that's the French Grade of the Northern Electric, here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/106846806" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I found large stretches of grade between Canton and Powell: http://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/3605266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Given the claimed inclusion of Nichols and Owego, it looks like the railroad was going to go north through Sayres.

[RussNelson]

Railroad Street in Boonville is named for an unfinished railroad -- see http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 0#p1319520" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for details.

[RussNelson]

Found another one. Or, rather, Ray Kelly found one for me while looking for his passion, the Newburgh-Middletown trolley. The Monticello, Fallsburg & White Lake Railroad Company. It was to connect those three towns, starting at the NYO&W station in Fallsburg. Six of eighteen miles are reported to have been graded. I see *no* sign of it on the aerials, or historic or current USGS maps. Gonna have to go to Monticello and ask the County Clerk.

[RussNelson]

Whoa! I think I've found a gold mine of unfinished railroads: https://books.google.com/books?id=bzXjA ... ge&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Marty Feldner]

Wakefield's "To the Mountains by Rail" has info on the Fallsburg trolley line, including, as I remember, an aerial showing part of the grading. Grading also shows (again, as I remember) on USGS topos of the area- the 7.5' paper version, not the 15' ones online. I'd have to dig both out to be sure. When I was driving bus for Short Line in the 80's, there was one place on 42 where you could see the grade on a hillside.

[dj_paige]

That's some interesting reading, Russ!

Batavia, Medina and Ontario Railway Company: The road proposed to be constructed was projected to extend from Batavia, Genesee County to Olcott, Niagara County ... Surveys were completed in 1902 and road was graded for a short distance in 1909.

Buffalo, Batavia and Rochester Electric Railway Company: It appears that 850 feet of road have been graded and track laid thereon

Canandaigua Southern Electric Railroad Company: ... to construct and operate an electric railroad from the village of Canandaigua to Atlanta, Steuben County, N.Y.

I am curious as to why anyone thought there might be a business transporting people from Batavia to Olcott; or from Canandaigua to Atlanta, NY.

[Matt Langworthy]

Please keep in mind that those RRs were proposed in the era before paved highways. Olcott and Canandaigua were beachfront communities that drew alot of visitors in warmer weather. Atlanta would have provided connections to the Erie and/or DL&W- neither of which reached Canandaigua in the early 1900s. Batavia would have provided a connection to LV, which didn't have a branch to Olcott. I am guessing the Batavia-Olcott segment didn't pan out because the NYC and an interurban (which connected to the Erie) already serviced Olcott. I also think the Erie might not have liked the Canandaigua Southern very much, because it would have pulled passenger traffic away from Keuka Lake. (The Erie RR owned the steamboat line on Keuka Lake in the early 1900s.)

[RussNelson]

Wakefield's "To the Mountains by Rail" has info on the Fallsburg trolley line, including, as I remember, an aerial showing part of the grading. Grading also shows (again, as I remember) on USGS topos of the area- the 7.5' paper version, not the 15' ones online. I'd have to dig both out to be sure. When I was driving bus for Short Line in the 80's, there was one place on 42 where you could see the grade on a hillside.

I just ordered a used copy of the Purple Mountain Press reprint off Amazon. I looked on the USGS topos. Does it show up as topographic lines at right angles to the railbed with no way marked? Or does it show up as a dirt road? Or an abandoned railroad? I looked and didn't see anything. I would be pleased if you could point me to what you saw on the 7.5' maps.

[dj_paige]

Please keep in mind that those RRs were proposed in the era before paved highways. Olcott and Canandaigua were beachfront communities that drew alot of visitors in warmer weather. Atlanta would have provided connections to the Erie and/or DL&W- neither of which reached Canandaigua in the early 1900s.

That makes sense, Matt. I never looked at it that way ... although it still seems like you have a reasonable business 3 months a year, and virtually no business the other 9 months