Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad

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The Canajoharie and Catskill Rail Road (C&C) ran from Catskill, NY to Potter's Hollow, NY. Chartered in 1830, it never achieved its intended goal of connecting its namesake villages.[1] Construction commenced in 1836 and continued to 1841 by which time a total of 26ΒΌ miles of track had been laid.[1] The track consisted of wooden rails topped with strap iron.[1] The track generally followed Catskill Creek, and the communities served included Cairo and Leeds. The first trains, consisting of cars hauled by horses, ran in 1839.[1] The line's only locomotive, Mountaineer, began operation in 1840.[1] The C&C carried both passengers and freight.[1] Commodoties carried included iron, brick, wood, various agricultural products, and household goods including such items as candles, tea, salt, snuff and raisins.[1] The railroad appears to have operated until 1842, when financial failure resulted in the entire line being sold and scrapped.[1] The only known depiction of the railroad is Thomas Cole's River in the Catskills at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.[1]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Helmer, William F., (1999). Rip Van Winkle Railroads. Hensonville, NY: Black Dome Press. ISBN 1-883789-20-6.