West Shore severed as a through route

Does anyone know when and where the West Shore was first severed as a through-route between Albany and Buffalo? Thanks.

Charles

I know that Albany to Rotterdam Jct. was abandoned in 1961 as was Churchville to Oakfield at or about the same time. I'm not sure about Fayetteville to Fairport but I recall that my copy of Waldo Nielsen's guide to abandoned railroads lists it as sometime between '61-'66. I believe on a previous forum regarding the West Shore someone mentioned that it was single-tracked west of Albany sometime in the 1930's and that most of the traffic after this point was westbound.
I hope this helps out. I'd like to know of an up-to-date publication or source(perhaps on the internet?) that lists info like this. I have as of yet to find one.

Thanks, that does help.

Charles

rls62 wrote:I know that Albany to Rotterdam Jct. was abandoned in 1961 as was Churchville to Oakfield at or about the same time. I'm not sure about Fayetteville to Fairport but I recall that my copy of Waldo Nielsen's guide to abandoned railroads lists it as sometime between '61-'66. I believe on a previous forum regarding the West Shore someone mentioned that it was single-tracked west of Albany sometime in the 1930's and that most of the traffic after this point was westbound.
I hope this helps out. I'd like to know of an up-to-date publication or source(perhaps on the internet?) that lists info like this. I have as of yet to find one.

West Shore was never abandoned between Albany and Rotterdam Jct -- nor was it single-tracked. Actually, the West Shore route never went "through" Albany at all. A line was built from Ravena (South of Albany) to Albany, but the main route of the West Shore went from Ravena up through New Scotland, Voorheesville, and Guilderland to get to Rotterdam Jct. This double-track part of the West Shore still exists today as the CSX route through Selkirk yard (Conrail's Selkirk Branch).

A piece of the original route between Feura Bush and Ravena through South Bethlehem was abandoned in sections over the years after Selkirk was originally built (1924) and when it was rebuilt (1967).

The West Shore was, indeed, single-tracked from Rotterdam Jct westward, and was stub-ended at Ft. Plain in the 60s.

I checked my 1969 publication of Waldo Nielsen's "Guide to Abandoned Railroads" and here's what I dug up on the West Shore abandonment:

Vernon to Utica 1966
Syracuse to Fairport '51-'61
Churchville to Oakfield '51-'61

I'd picked up the Albany to Rotterdam misinformation somewhere on the internet.

What about from Utica to Ilion? Did the NYC service the Remington Arms factory?

Actually, the first break was Canastota to Kirkville Jct before 1961. The Ilion-Fort Plain break was in the early 70s.

For more info, especially Rotterdam Jct to Syracuse, see:
http://www.rosshorwood.com/RailSiteLink ... ories.html

I remember as a boy the NYC/PC running through Oneida on the West
Shore. Yes it did leave the main at Canastota on a switch back and ran
east to Vernon 3 days a week. My love of RS3's came in this time. My
dad told me about the time the Century detoured on the Shore as there
was a wreck on the main. This was in the early 50's before my time.
(1955). I spent a good many hours up there watching the switching
action at the Beacon Feed Mill, Dalton Lumber(dad, whats pea coal?)
Chapman Gas ( propane in those long tank cars), coal for Oneida
LMTD, and a few customers (feed, grain, farm machinery) in Vernon.
With all that though I never knew what the train symbol was, this job
out of Dewitt. Anybody know? Thanks.

STEAM ON
/--OOO--:-oo--oo-

Wait a minute. I thought the West Shore was off the CSX main between Fairport and town of Riga. Now I'm confused. Is there another West Shore?

Today's Wesy Shore Branch runs from Chili to Fairport... this is but a short segement of the West Shore Railroad, which once ran from Suspension Bridge/Niagara Falls/Buffalo area, across New York State, and then made a right and went down the west shore of the Hudson River to Weehawken. The line from New Jersey to Selkirk is today's CSX River Line.

Ah, ok then. All I know other than what's already here is the segment in Monroe County was upgraded sometime near 1985 or '86 to ribbon rail. It appeared to be pretty much dead before then. A story my dad told me once about this line before the upgrade: "A man once tried to commit suicide so he layed down on these tracks and waited. He starved to death". I know that was just his sense of humor. But since it was converted to higher speed and volume of freight, it really gets my attention.

I would really like to find some older maps plotting the course of the West Shore during the times 0-6-0 had mentioned. I will go see what I can find for map links. Thanks everyone.

The posts about the West Shore being dead before the mid-80s upgrade are misleading and inaccurate. In the late 1960s I lived near the Shore for a while and mainline trains frequently were sent that way. Somewhere I have a photo taken at the West Henrietta Road crossing in the very early 1970s of a tri-level of new Corvettes. (Back then the auto racks were open so you could see what kind of cars were on them).

One factor which has not been mentioned. There is another thread here about the Regional Market, which expanded into a discussion of the Genesee Junction Traveling Switcher. When the JCT got permission to run from the Market to Case Hoyt, or to hold the Shore main while switching Georgia Pacific, or whatever, that obviously kept the dispatcher from using the Shore for mainline traffic until the switcher was cleared up - although there were times it worked the other way too, with the traveling switcher sitting while a road train or two went by. Once the local business died off, there were less obstacles (i.e. the local crew) to sending more thru trains that route.

It's likely that numerically there are more trains there now, and probably the welded rail and better surfacing allow better speeds. But some folks are giving the impression that prior to that the Shore was only used once in a while for mainline traffic and that's not the case.

Since most of us knew that Westshore line paralled by chicago line within few miles of eachother. Since you mentioned "Suspenion br" which I believe is at NF. I thought that the line that went by HUGE quarry next to thruway in Depew, run south by Buffalo airport and connected to Froniter yard on north part where the current RIP tracks are (where all bad oder cars set off which can be clearly seen from intersection of Walden and harlem. Since I thought wrong, then what line was that?

(videobruce - please check your PM I hope u're still around on this forum)

ken

Otto Vondrak wrote:Today's Wesy Shore Branch runs from Chili to Fairport... this is but a short segement of the West Shore Railroad, which once ran from Suspension Bridge/Niagara Falls/Buffalo area, across New York State, and then made a right and went down the west shore of the Hudson River to Weehawken. The line from New Jersey to Selkirk is today's CSX River Line.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Today's Wesy Shore Branch runs from Chili to Fairport... this is but a short segement of the West Shore Railroad, which once ran from Suspension Bridge/Niagara Falls/Buffalo area, across New York State, and then made a right and went down the west shore of the Hudson River to Weehawken. The line from New Jersey to Selkirk is today's CSX River Line.

The West Shore ended at Frontier Yard, not Suspension Bridge (that'd be the Falls Branch of the NYC).

Les- thanks for backing me up. I thought what I always believe it was... I'm glad that I'm not alone and insane! LOL

ken

nessman wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:Today's Wesy Shore Branch runs from Chili to Fairport... this is but a short segement of the West Shore Railroad, which once ran from Suspension Bridge/Niagara Falls/Buffalo area, across New York State, and then made a right and went down the west shore of the Hudson River to Weehawken. The line from New Jersey to Selkirk is today's CSX River Line.

The West Shore ended at Frontier Yard, not Suspension Bridge (that'd be the Falls Branch of the NYC).