ROW thru Florida, NY (Orange County)?

Was recently in this small town and saw what was an obvious railroad ROW, partially built upon. It runs roughly parallel between Maple St and Rt 17A, turning northeast towards Goshen upon leaving town. It's probably either Erie or L&NE related. Does anyone have info on this? I am new to Orange County and I am really curious about all it's railroad history.

The line from Goshen to Florida (NY) and on to Pine Island was built by an Erie RR subsidiary, the Goshen & Deckertown RR. It was 11.64 miles long and was opened from Goshen to Florida in April 1869 and on to Pine Island that November. Like the main line, it was built as a 6 foot gauge line, and narrowed to standard in the early 1880's. In November 1889 another railroad, the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston RR completed a route from Slatington, PA, using trackage rights on the NYS&W through New Jersey, to a junction about a mile north of Pine Island. Trackage rights were obtained over the Erie up to Goshen and Campbell Hall, NY where it connected with the newly built Central New England Ry. forming a through route via the Poughkeepsie bridge to Hartford and Boston. During 1892 and 1893 the PP&B was leased to the Philadelphia & Reading RR, which soon recame bankrupt. The PP&B was reorganized as the Lehigh & New England RR which started operations January 1897. The L&NE was controlled by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co. and was the heaviest user of the line. L&NE ceased operations Oct. 31, 1961, while the Erie's Pine Island branch was abandoned in 1963. The lines were torn up soon after abandonment. The secion between Florida and Pine Island was built on soft "muckland" and used extra long ties to help keep the track from sinking. Deckertown, NJ is now known as Sussex, NJ and was to be the Erie's destination, but was only reached by a mile long branch of the L&NE.

Trackage was Erie's Pine Island branch, between Goshen and Pine Island; used by the L&NE, via trackage rights, to reach the Maybrook hub.

Orange County railroad history? Could (and has) filled several books. Erie, New York Central, New York Ontario & Western, Middletown & New Jersey, Lehigh & New England, Lehigh & Hudson River, New Haven, and several predecessor roads, going back to the 1840's or so.

I looked up the town of Florida NY in the SPV Railroad Atlas for the Northeast.

On the map on Page 39, it shows the line running from Goshen, through Orange Farm,
through Florida, through Big Island to Pine Island Jct. From the railroad listing along
that line, it appears it was first owned by the LNE, then the Erie and finally the Erie
Lackawana. The line north of Goshen to Campbell Hall shows that it was first the LNE,
then the Erie and finally Conrail,

I came across this page showing stations in Pine Island, Florida and Goshen NY
including a bit of text on the railroad.
http://www.gingerb.com/lne_trackage_rights_on_erie.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Station at Pine Island
http://tinyurl.com/nbqesvy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Existing RR stations in Orange County NY
http://ny.existingstations.com/counties/Orange.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Map of the LNE including Florida..
http://www.gingerb.com/lne_lines_in_ny.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope these items are of help.

A few more tidbits in this Railroad.net thread.
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 79&t=78611" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for all the info, guys.