User:Gyrobo/Wallkill Valley Railroad
 The Wallkill Valley rail line, drawn in 1899 while under the ownership of the West Shore Railroad | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Ulster County, New York to Orange County, New York |
| Dates of operation | 1866–1977 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Previous gauge | , converted from 6 ft (1,829 mm) (broad gauge)[1] |
| Length | 33 miles (53 km) |
The Wallkill Valley Railroad is a defunct railroad which once operated in Ulster and Orange counties in upstate New York. Its corridor stetched from Kingston in the north to Montgomery in the south, with a leased extension to Campbell Hall; it crossed both the Wallkill River and Rondout Creek.
The railroad was founded in 1866 and ceased regular service in 1977. Throughout its history, the Wallkill Valley Railroad was owned by a variety of companies, including the West Shore and New York Central railroads, as well as Conrail. After its closure, portions of the rail bed were purchased by municipalities along the corridor and were converted to rail trails.
History
[edit]The building of railroads, supplementing the water lines of communication, has opened up a large portion of the county to trade and commerce, and has been of incalculable benefit.[2]
Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester, on internal improvements within Ulster County, 1880
References
[edit]- ^ Documents of the Senate of the State of New York. Vol. 2. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons and Company. 1885. pp. 319–320.
- ^ Sylvester 1880, p. 149
Bibliography
[edit]- Best, Gerald M. (1972). The Ulster And Delaware: Railroad Through The Catskills. San Marino, CA: Golden West Books. ISBN 087095041X.
- Mabee, Carleton (1995). Listen to the Whistle: An Anecdotal History of the Wallkill Valley Railroad. Fleishmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press. ISBN 093579669X.
- Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett (1880). History of Ulster County, New York, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers: Part Second: History of the Towns of Ulster County. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck. ISBN 978-1557871305.