When did the West Shore get merged into the NYC?

[erie2521]

When the NYC&HR took over the West Shore, they renamed it the West Shore Railroad and let it keep its identity and run its own show for a number of years. About when did the West Shore get integrated into the NYC? I know by the 1930's, the West Shore between Syracuse and Wayneport was referred to in employee timetables as "Tracks 5 & 6." Ted

[scottychaos]

I have:

1884 - The New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railroad builds through the south side of Rochester. (NYC West Shore)
1885 – NYC gains control of the West Shore RR.
1892 – West Shore RR and Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg RR formally merged into NYC.
1960 - NYC West Shore abandoned east of Fairport.
1963 - NYC West Shore abandoned west of Churchville.

http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos/rochester/

Scot

[erie2521]

Thanks for the info, Scot. What I had in mind is more when the NYC integrated the actual operations. As late as the turn of the century, West Shore operations such as passenger excursions were advertised as "West Shore".

In particular, I was curious as to the freight operations on the West Shore between Syracuse and Buffalo from, say, 1900-1930. As I said, sometime during that period, the NYC referred to the WS as Tracks 5 & 6. We moved to Pittsford in 1928 and the West Shore was pretty busy then. During the depression, the WS became single track from Syracuse to Buffalo and signals set for one direction. From Wayneport west, almost all trains except wayfreights were westbound and were exclusively 130- car empties. From Wayneport east, the trains were eastbound for a way, anyhow, but I don't know what they were.
Another thing that may or may not have affected operations were grades. From Fairport to Pittsford, it was a bit of a climb to get up over the canal although the grade was evened out somewhat in 1920 or so. (If you look under the bridge over Marsh Road, you will see two dates, one for the original bridge and a second showing when they raised it and by how much.) Beyond Pittsford, it was pretty flat. The WS had no Byron Hill to deal with. Ted

[timz]

Two different questions: when did West Shore quit being an operating RR? Maybe that was 1885; in any case it was before 1910.

Other question: when did it merge with NY Central? Drury says 1952; anyone have any reason to think he's wrong?

[kinlock]

Only NY Central Annual Report I have is 1950. West Shore shows up as an investment of $10,000,000 in stock at par value (ledger value of $1,000) and Improvements on Leased or Controlled Properties of $27,703,960. No other mention. Note that the "New York Central System" shown in the Annual Report consisted of "New York Central, Michigan Central, Big Four, Boston & Albany, Pittsburgh & Lake Erie"