New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad (abbreviated as NYC) is a former Class I railroad, operating between 1853 and 1968. The formation of the company resulted as an amalgamation of a number of New York state operating companies. These companies included: the Albany and Schenectady Railroad; Utica and Schenectady Railroad; Syracuse and Utica Railroad; Rochester and Syracuse Railroad; Buffalo and Rochester Railroad; Schenectady and Troy Railroad; Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad; Mohawk Valley Railroad, and Syracuse and Utica Direct Railroad.
In addition to a varied number of popular passenger rail services, a reputable rail freight service was provided.
In 1968, the railroad was succeeded by the Pennsylvania Railroad, which entered bankruptcy in 1970, surrendering to the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) between 1976 and 1999. Today, areas served by ConRail were split during an acquisition by CSX Corporation and the Norfolk Southern Railway. Today, ConRail continues to do business as an asset management and network services provider, now formally named Conrail Shared Assets Operations.
At its heyday, extensive trackage existed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and West Virginia plus additional trackage in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. At the end of 1925, the NYC operated 11,584 miles (18,643 km) of road and 26,395 miles (42,479 km) of track; at the end of 1967 the mileages were 9,696 miles (15,604 km) and 18,454 miles (29,699 km).
Named trains
New York to Chicago
Mercuries
New York to St. Louis
- Knickerbocker
- Southwestern Limited
Other
- Empire State Express
- Ohio State Limited
- Xplorer
- Cleveland Limited
- Detroiter
- James Whitcomb Riley
- Michigan
- Motor City Special
- New England States
- Twilight Limited
All-time roster
Steam locomotives
This section is incomplete.
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Class / Model | Wheel arrangement Whyte Notation |
Engine horsepower |
Gearing top speed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400-1454 9400-9406 |
1926-1948 | Lima Schenectady |
A-Class "Berkshire" |
2-8-4 |
| |||
| 1907-1918 | B-Class "(Six-Wheeled) Switcher" |
0-6-0 | ||||||
| 4307 | 1905 | Brooks | C-Class "American" |
4-4-0 |
| |||
| 300-315 317-318 |
1928-1931 | Schenectady | D-Class "Double-Ender" |
2-6-6T and 4-6-6T |
| |||
| 1900-1902 1905-1909 1911-1916 1918-1929 |
1905-1919 | Baldwin Schenectady West Albany |
E-Class "Mogul" |
2-6-0 | ||||
| 800-878, 880-882, 884, 887 9220-9224 |
1899-1915 | Schenectady McKeesport St. Thomas |
F-Class "Ten-Wheeler" |
4-6-0 |
| |||
| 1901-1914 | G-Class "Consolidation" |
2-8-0 | ||||||
| 1912-1924 | H-Class "Mikado" |
2-8-2 | ||||||
| 4321-4322 9204 |
1903-1907 | I-Class "Atlantic" |
4-4-2 | Used on NYC and P&LE. | ||||
| 1927-1938 | Lima Schenectady |
J-Class "Hudson" |
4-6-4 | Featured "bullet nose" front. Some locomotives referred as "streamlined" and "non-streamlined".
| ||||
| J-40, J-41-Class "Prairie" |
2-6-2 | |||||||
| 1911-1925 | K-Class "Pacific" |
4-6-2 | ||||||
| 1916-1944 | L-Class "Mohawk" |
4-8-2 | ||||||
| 7190-7192 | 1907-1910 | Brooks Montreal |
M-Class "Ten-Wheeled Switcher" |
0-10-0 |
| |||
| 1913-1921 | N-Class "Mallet" |
2-6-6-2 (or) 0-8-8-0 |
* Articulated sets. | |||||
| 1945-1946 | Schenectady | S-Class "Niagara" |
4-8-4 | |||||
| 1913-1944 | U-Class "Eight-Wheel Switcher" |
0-8-0 | ||||||
| 7186 7188-7189 |
1923 | Lima | Shay Class | 0-4-4-0 |
All used on NYC road. | |||
| Z-Class "Santa Fe" |
2-10-2 |
Diesel locomotives
This section is incomplete.
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Class / Model | Engine horsepower |
Gearing top speed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Passenger cars
This section is incomplete.
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
| Fleet number(s) |
Thumbnail | Year | Builder | Type | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-98 | Composite | |||||
| 99-100 | Official | |||||
| 101-299 | Composite | |||||
| 400-479 | Dining Buffet Cafe |
|||||
| 480-499 | Official | |||||
| 500-1599 | Coach | |||||
| 1600-1849 | Excursion | |||||
| 1850-2099 | Smoker | |||||
| 2100-2164 | ||||||
| 2165-2299 | Milk | |||||
| 2300-2349 | Horse | |||||
| 2350-2449 | Baggage |
|||||
| 2450-2999 | Baggage |
Subsidiary roads
NYC: New York Central Railroad; B&A: Boston & Albany Railroad; P&LE: Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad; MC: Michigan Central Railroad; IHB: Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
Notable accidents/wrecks
- 1897: Garrison train crash
- 1903: Little Falls Gulf Curve crash of 1903
- 1907: Blossvale crash of 1907
- 1940: Little Falls Gulf Curve crash of 1940
- 1953: 1953 New York Central Railroad accident
References
- ↑ The Railway Equipment and Publishing Company, The Official Railway Equipment Register (August, 1907), p 135