Albany and Schenectady Railroad
The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad (also known as the M&HRR) was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. The railroad was incorporated April 17, 1826[1] by the Mohawk and Hudson Company[2] to build a line between Albany and Schenectady, and opened August 9, 1831.
History
The prime mover behind the project was George W. Featherstonhaugh of Schenectady. He enlisted the support of Albany's Stephen Van Rensselaer who became the company's president. The railroad was intended to compliment the Erie Canal by providing passengers with a direct 16 mile (26 km) land route between the cities as an alternate to the 28 mile (45 km) canal route. Initially capitalized at $300,000, the railroad had 33 original stockholders, most of whom, including John Jacob Astor, lived in New York City.
In 1830 John B. Jervis became the railroad engineer, replacing Peter Fleming who had made little progress in constructing the line. Jervis used white pine rails capped by wrought iron strips. Stone blocks supported the tracks and a macadamized horse path ran between the rails. The horse path was required because horses were needed to pull the cars along slippery rails during the winter months. Steep grades decended to both river terminuses and 12-horsepower stationary steam engines were required to draw the cars up these inclines. On April 19, 1847, the name was changed to the Albany and Schenectady Railroad. The railroad was consolidated into the New York Central Railroad on May 17, 1853. The M&HRR was the third US railroad to use steam locomotives.
The first track of the projected double-track line opened on August 9, 1831, with a locomotive that pulled a wood car and six passenger cars from Albany to Schenectady . Regular service started the following month with one-way trips averaging 40 minutes. The Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad, which began operation in 1832, aided the M&HRR's passenger rail business by extending travel beyond Schenectady.The M&HRR's freight trade, begun in 1831, was helped by other railroads expanding west of Schenectady. By 1843, six railroads operated between Schenectady and Buffalo, ensuring another decade of prosperity for the M&HRR, renamed the Albany and Schenectady Railroad in 1847. The company acquired modern, powerful locomotives and completed its conversion to all-iron rails by 1849. Four years later, New York's first railroad merged with seven others to become New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. [3]
References
- ^ Pennsylvania RR Chronology p.5
- ^ Fortlock.com: Albany and Schenectady Railroad
- ^ Pioneer American Railraods; The Mohawk and Hudson and the Saratoga and Schenectady, Daniel F. Larkin (Fleischmanns, NY; Purple Mountain Press, 1995)
