Did the Hojack line originate from the Falls Road line?

I was tracing the Falls road line on google maps, to see if I could find where it met up in Lockport to the main lines..

I might have passed that point. As I followed the track I saw another line that curved off to the north and headed towards Newfane.. I wondered if this was the beginning of the Hojack Line..

Thanks for the replies.

That point where you see the line run North toward Newfane isn't the "Hojack", but was originally
the former right-of-way of an old interurban trolley line now in use as part of the "Somerset Railway"
which CSX trains run loaded coal to the power-plant in Somerset.

Between Appleton and West Somerset,that line makes a sharp right hand curve onto what was originally
the old Hojack and runs East on the ROW until it curves again to the North and into the power plant.

The Hojack itself runs more along the Lake Ontario shoreline, a good distance from the Falls Road line itself.

Charlie

And no, the Hojack line did not originate from the Falls Road line.
They were completely unrelated when they were built, and were only related in a later ownership sense. (New York Central)

The "Falls Road" was built first, in 1853, 20 years before the Hojack.
Running from Rochester to Niagara Falls.
Originally the Rochester & Lockport Railroad, then the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, which was known as the "Falls Road".
(and it kept "Falls Road" as a nickname even after NYC control)
It was pretty much always under New York Central control, from the very start.


The Hojack came 20 years later, and first came through as the "Lake Ontario Shore Railroad", which built through Rochester in 1873, and continued west.
In 1875 it became part of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg.
In 1891 the RW&O became a subsidiary of the New York Central.
and in 1913 the RW&O was merged into the NYC.

Scot

Thanks guys, for the detailed response. That sets me straight. I grew up across the street from the Falls Road in the 70's, when it carried trains through Rochester, then later moved to North Greece near the Hojack line, but by then it had been torn up. Made a great BMX bike trail in my 'wonder years'.

I had a job as a security gaurd at the Rochester Yacht club and got to see some late night moves of the old Hojack Swing Bridge. I lived in Charlotte for a while as Russel station was still receiving coal cars, on that line or something close to it.

Now I store some cars in Hamlin, and as I was looking at an old ROW near the barn, I said, holy smokes this is remnants of the Hojack line, and A buddy showed me an old trestle that still stands across a creek just before the line crosses Brick Schoolhouse Rd.

Neat stuff. Wish trains still went that way...would be so cool!

Yep, there are still a few bits and pieces of the Hojack. There is an old bumping block right next
to the Parma Grange building in Hilton on the corner of Lake Ave. and Old Hojack Lane, and if you
look carefully, you'll see that the parking lot behind the Parma Grange utilizes old pieces of the rail
as part of guard-rails for the lot. Also, there is an old concrete mile-post on Old Hojack Lane near
Henry St. that says P-104 (104 miles from Pulaski NY).

There is more stuff between Hamlin and points west on the old ROW amongst the over-growth. Here's
an example. This trestle is located at Burt, NY just south of Olcott Beach, NY and crosses 18-mile creek.

I could go on and on about this line........I also have great interest in this line, spurred by watching a slow
moving train cross the Waterport trestle over Oak Orchard Creek when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I still
remember the cars moving ever so slowly heading west across the bridge.

Charlie

Wow, cool Charlie, thanks for the info!

Waterport bridge has been gone for many years. Looks like the trestle in Burt.

It is the Burt trestle, as mentioned in the above post..........I was mentioning when watching
a train cross the Waterport trestle (I was about 4 years old) was one of my first experiences
with trains, which spurred my interest in this line for the first time. That's about as far back as
my memory goes to this point as I approach my mid-40s!

I do wish I had the opportunity to capture the Waterport trestle before it was taken down; that's
something I regret not doing.

Charlie

Train fan Mark wrote:I was tracing the Falls road line on google maps, to see if I could find where it met up in Lockport to the main lines..

I might have passed that point. As I followed the track I saw another line that curved off to the north and headed towards Newfane.. I wondered if this was the beginning of the Hojack Line..

Thanks for the replies.

Going back to the original question, the Hojack line originated just east of the Suspension Bridge going over the Niagara River to Canada off the line that going west was the Falls Branch of the NYC. Continuing west down the Falls Branch some 16 miles you will hit a yard in Lockport where the Falls Road Railroad originates.

nessman wrote:

Train fan Mark wrote:I was tracing the Falls road line on google maps, to see if I could find where it met up in Lockport to the main lines..

I might have passed that point. As I followed the track I saw another line that curved off to the north and headed towards Newfane.. I wondered if this was the beginning of the Hojack Line..

Thanks for the replies.

Going back to the original question, the Hojack line originated just east of the Suspension Bridge going over the Niagara River to Canada off the line that going west was the Falls Branch of the NYC. Continuing west down the Falls Branch some 16 miles you will hit a yard in Lockport where the Falls Road Railroad originates.

From the Suspension Bridge the Falls Branch heads east toward Lockport. Heading west, you would cross into Canada.