Adirondack Branch (now MA&N Newton Falls)

I went for century bike ride around south-central St. Lawrence County today (making note of the 8 railroad ROW's as I crossed them). I noticed that the Adirondack Branch bridge over NY Rt. 3 in Oswegatchie has a plaque saying "New York State DOT" and "N.Y.C. & H.R. R.R". Didn't have time to stop and look at the plaque, but the bridge itself looked to date from the 1950's or 1960's. Was the NYC's official name still "New York Central & Hudson River Rail Road" at that time?

"NYC&HR" was not used by NYC after 1914, when it and the lines of the Lake shore & Michigan Southern (and others west of Buffalo) came to be simply referred to as the "NYC Lines". The plaque you refer to was apparently a restatement of history, created in "recent" years, as the NYDOT acquired the Lake Placid Branch in the early 1970's - during the administration of then-Governor Malcolm Wilson.

I thought the whole idea of bike rides was being able to stop and enjoy the scenery when you want to - and read bridge plaques as well!

Coupla things. The line at Oswegatchie was not related to the Lake Placid line. It was originally the Carthage and Adirondack Branch of the New York Central. (Lake Placid was on the Adirondack Division of the New York Central) Conrail operated it until 1991 when the new Mohawk & Adirondack Northern took it over. So it hasn't been New York Central for a while. I'd guess the Old New York Central name was put on as a historical reference. This was also done recently in Thendara on the Adirondack Division. The new bridge over route 28 and has New York Central on it.

Oops!! Thanks for the clarification, Frank: I failed to note the Newton Falls reference in parentheses!

This branch, with the paper mill at Newton Falls - and nothing else for traffic - was seriously in risk of abandonment by 1990. We had encouraged some transload business to locate at Newton Falls for OWD at Tupper Lake, but other than that, there was little else to grow revenue, yet the need to renew ties on the branch had become increasingly urgent by then.

State-mandated seasonal fire patrols behind trains and beaver dams were cause for much attention by our MW forces, who were exceptionally resourceful in keeping this branch in serviceable condition...

BR&P wrote:I thought the whole idea of bike rides was being able to stop and enjoy the scenery when you want to - and read bridge plaques as well!

I was on a schedule. Otherwise I would have ridden the Post Henderson Trail just east of Star Lake... formerly the Post Henderson railroad. It's less than an hour's drive from me, so I can go back any time.

R Paul Carey wrote:Oops!! Thanks for the clarification, Frank: I failed to note the Newton Falls reference in parentheses!

This branch, with the paper mill at Newton Falls - and nothing else for traffic - was seriously in risk of abandonment by 1990. We had encouraged some transload business to locate at Newton Falls for OWD at Tupper Lake, but other than that, there was little else to grow revenue, yet the need to renew ties on the branch had become increasingly urgent by then.

State-mandated seasonal fire patrols behind trains and beaver dams were cause for much attention by our MW forces, who were exceptionally resourceful in keeping this branch in serviceable condition...

Current status of that line is being discussed here: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=52171 but from what I've heard, it would take a miracle to get that line back in service. As you say, lots of beaver dams and many sad/bad ties. Just knocking down the brush and spraying would be tens of thousands of dollars.

Russ,
As a child, my Dad was stationed at Cranberry Lake, and all that area was within his patrol area. I can
remember the ore trains coming out of Benson Mines....seemed like they were a mile long....with a mixture
of units on the headend. I have seen EMD F's and Alco FA's struggling with tonnage out of there. I don't know
what the train frequency was out of there, but, it had to be daily...maybe more than one a day? Also, the
mines had their own locomotives to work the operation....GE 44 tonners as I recall. Used to see them near
the fenceline by SH 3 near the main gate area....always by a long corrugated metal building parallel to the
highway. There was a VHS issued about 10 years ago (?) by what I believe was the Central NY Chapter about
the NYC. I bought it from Tom Jarvis at the Norwood Hobby Shop. One part showed a fan trip (by the NYC)
that ran right to the mines...great film! If you get a chance to watch it, don't miss it! Lots of "last trips"
around the Central System in NYS.'