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User:Gyrobo/Wallkill Valley Railroad

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Wallkill Valley Railroad
The Wallkill Valley rail line, drawn in 1899 while under the ownership of the West Shore Railroad
Overview
LocaleUlster County, New York to Orange County, New York
Dates of operation1866–1977
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Previous gauge, converted from 6 ft (1,829 mm) (broad gauge)[1]
Length33 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

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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

A stereoscopic view of the Rosendale station, directly south of the Rosendale trestle
The Binnewater station, destroyed in May 1989

References

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  1. ^ Documents of the Senate of the State of New York. Vol. 2. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons and Company. 1885. pp. 319–320.
  2. ^ Sylvester 1880, p. 149

Bibliography

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  • 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.
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