NYSW Utica-Sangerfield Schedule (UT-1)

Yes, that was a branch of the West Shore.

It is often thought that it connected to the NYC Chicago main, or to the DL&W's "Blue Line" ( An industrial spur that ran along Oriskany Boulevard for a good distance), which is understandable considering that it came reasonably close to both. But, it did not connect to either. It dead ended about where it can still be traced today, just a little ways North of O.W Hubbell.

The line was under control of Penn Central until Conrail came in 1976. After the West Shore main that ran across East Utica was abandoned and removed in 1971, Penn Central would access the New York Mills industrial line via trackage rights over the Erie Lackawanna from the EL yard, to the site of the old West Shore / DL&W diamond east of the French Road Crossing. (The diamond was rebuilt into a switch after the WS main across East Utica was abandoned and subsequently removed).

Now, this is where things got a little...interesting. I'll try to explain this best I can..

Returning to the subject of the O&W New Hartford Industrial Line, The old West Shore / O&W diamond near present day Domino's Pizza was actually still in place for a long time into the Erie Lackawanna era, and was used to access the former O&W New Hartford industrial track. This means the section of former O&W, the right of way of which can still be seen across French Road from Home Depot, was also still in use by EL.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe the connection between the EL and former O&W (Where the DL&W and O&W parted after running parallel along what was known as Canal Branch) was built during or just after the former DL&W was moved over to the old O&W alignment along Canal Branch. This would have been done when the Arterial was built in the early 1960's, in place of the former DL&W main (As stated, The O&W and DL&W ran parallel along Canal Branch South from the DL&W / O&W diamond near Oswego Street).

So, the Erie Lackawanna used the old O&W from this point to access the New Hartford industrial until I believe the same era as the consolidations above (1970-1971) when that section of O&W South of Burrstone Rd Overpass was removed, and the O&W/ West Shore diamond was rebuilt into a switch as it remains today. After that point, EL would access the ex-O&W New Hartford industrial via the switch at the site of the DL&W / WS diamond (The section that Chenantry's Market is along today).

But here's the part I still haven't figured out. From 1971 until Conrail took over in 1976...Which of the two railroads (Penn Central or Erie Lackawanna) owned the section of track between the former DL&W / WS diamond and the former WS / O&W diamond? For either one that would have owned it, trackage rights would have been required by the other even over that short distance of roughly half a mile.

Alek S

Thanks again Alek. So I guess that (NY MIlls I.T.) was to the West shore sort of like the spur to Oneida WH etc. was for O&W, or the "blue line" for DL&W. Speaking of which, if memory serves wasn't some of that branch still in use into the NYS&W era? Do you know how far , or what was served? I know the switch was still there at the north end of Schuyler St. at least into the 1980s, if not later.

I have no idea, but if I'm following how things took place in your timeline, I would -guess- the DL&W to O&W section remained as NYC/PC ownership- since it was originally the PC connection to the West SHore to NY MIlls after the West SHore east of the DL&W was abandoned. So PC ran on EL to that switch, and EL ran on PC to the O&W switch, would be my -guess- if I've followed the timeline correctly. I can't recall now if I knew before that PC ran on the EL down Schuyler St. etc. Now that I think about it, I may have sorta known that at one time.