• Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway

  • This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.
This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.

Moderator: Nicolai3985

  by D Alex
 
I'm trying to find what little still exists of the R&E in and around the Rochester area. There are traces of the old right-of-way east of Victor, and a concrete abutment in Fishers where it crossed over the Lehigh Valley, but I'm not finding many other recognizable traces. Probably to be expected, seeing that it went bankrupt in 1930.

Anybody have any sightings of remnants?
  by TB Diamond
 
As late as the late 1960s into the early 1970s there still existed a fair amount of R&E R Rwy relics.

Between Mertensia Road and NY Rt. 332 east of Victor, at a location called Hathaways which was out in the middle of a large cow pasture, one could find two concrete catenary poles. A passing siding had been located there but today a housing development has obliterated all evidence of the R&E. However, just to the east was a short bridge over Beaver Creek which may well still be extant.

Further east, south of Seneca Castle and east of Ontario Co. road 20, the R&E passed under the PRR Sodus Bay Secondary Track via a long cut. Explored this one day back in the early 1970s and found a concrete catenary pole standing just west of the PRR r/o/w. At some point in time the PRR had removed their bridge over the R&E and replaced it with a fill. To the east of the fill one could still make out where a R&E/PRR interchange had been located.

In April, 1974 I undertook a hike on the R&E R Rwy r/o/w from Victor-west. Found several catenary poles on the ground and one still standing in a cut south of Bushnells Basin. At the time much of the r/o/w was extant and in good condition. Crossing the NYS Thruway took some time and today it would no doubt take much longer given the increase in traffic. Found one short bridge still extant and several broken glass insulators. Today one would have difficulty replicating this hike account development.

On Maple Ave. in Victor the R&E station still exists. This was, back in the 1970s, the Victor Library.

Out on Ontario Co. Rd. 4 at Gates Rd. stands what was a R&E R Rwy substation that was long ago converted to a home.

On the internet site existingstations.com one can find several R&E stations that still stand.
  by D Alex
 
I have a fairly good idea of where the route went (at least from Rochester to Victor/Farmington), but a couple parts have me confused. I know that it used streetcar tracks on Monroe from the canal in the 'Rowlands' erea (essentially Monroe/590) until the Subway opened up (and it took that route until bankruptcy), and I'm pretty certain it used what is now the Marsh road bridge over the canal into Bushnell's basin. What I'm not certain of is the section from "Rowlands" to Pittsford. I know that it split from the Auburn route somewhere before ending up at the intersection of N. Main and Washington. Somewhere, it crossed the Auburn route, but I'm not sure if it did so at ground level, or with an overpass. I know where what still exists of the route is east of there, which ain't much.
  by D Alex
 
Looking on old topo maps, it seems that the RERR continued along Monroe where Pittsford plaza now is, until French road, where it veered slightly until it crossed the Auburn road (I think I know the place along the rail trail...), heading toward the intersection of East and Washington. There is a small section used as a neighborhood rail trail west of Marsh road; the parts in-between have long since been obliterated...
  by TB Diamond
 
R&E R Rwy stations between Rochester and Pittsford prior to the opening of the Rochester Subway in 1928:

Terminal at Court and Exchange Sts.
Cobbs Hill-City Line
Brick Yard Wye
12 Corners
Sugernors
Rowlands
Greek Road
Clover St.
Eatons
Pinehurst
Gears (Longmeadows)
Grove St.
Pittsford

Info from Bill Gordon's THE ROUTE OF THE ORANGE LIMITED.
  by D Alex
 
I thought that the R&ERR used the old Marsh rd bridge to cross the canal at Bushnell's Basin, but last weekend I took a ride down the canal trail, and about 100 yards east of Marsh rd, there was a concrete bridge abutment on one side, and a large earthen rise on the other. I assume this is where it crossed the canal?