If it goes parallel to the river valley, it could be canal related, even channeling water into canal and river. If it "branches away" from or is perpendicular to the valley or the railroad, then it might even be an old lumber road or other road, even a farmer's right of way. Unless you dig into the history books and the charter files at the court house or in Albany, you'll just get dead end answers.
WShore4Ever -
You wrote: Unfinished railroad from Richfield Springs to Ft. Plain
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"I am trying to locate information regarding the subject railroad. Having grown up in the Ft. Plain area, I clearly remember seeing remnants of the ROW (cuts, fills, bridge abutments, etc), but I have never found any pictures or significant published text on this line. I believe that construction started near the end of the 19th century or early 20th century? I have no evidence that it got to the rails-on-ties stage, much less engines or rolling stock."
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This line did end up under the control of the Southern NY Railway.
There was also a plan to build another railroad from Cooperstown to Ft. Plain under the name of Cooperstown Northern. There was some grading visible of this line too. It was to come north from Cooperstown on the west side of Otsego Lake. The ROW is very visible just east of the intersection of Rts 20 & 80 on the south side of Rt 20. The ROW north of Rt 20 has a car wash on it but a cut thru the hill behind the car wash is visible.
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