New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
Encyclopedia
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II
Class II railroad
A Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...

 American freight railway operating over 500 miles (800 km) of track in the northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...

 states of New York, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several smaller railroads. Passenger service, including commuter service
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...

 from Northern New Jersey to New York City, was offered until 1966.The railroad was purchased by the Delaware Otsego Corporation
Delaware Otsego Corporation
The Delaware Otsego Corporation is an American railway holding company which owns the subsidiary New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway as well as other, smaller branch line railroads, collectively known as the DO System...

 in 1980, and became a regional player during the 1980s in the intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...

 business. This saw the railroad hauling containers including Sealand and Hanjin
Hanjin
The Hanjin Group is a South Korean conglomerate, or Jaebeol. The group is a holding company that includes a shipping company, Hanjin Shipping , and Korean Air , which was acquired in 1969...

 units as part of a land bridge
Land bridge (rail)
A rail land bridge refers to the transport of containers by rail between ports on either side of a land mass, such as North America. Hofstra University defines a rail land bridge as having two characteristics: First, there is a single bill of lading issued by the freight forwarder that covers the...

 with Delaware and Hudson
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...

 and CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

 railroads. After losing the intermodal traffic in the late 1990s to CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

 and Norfolk Southern (as a result of the Conrail breakup), the freight operations continue into the 21st Century with contracts to haul commercial waste, corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...

, and other materials.

Route

The railroad is separated into two divisions at Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

 - northern and southern.

Route Through New Jersey

The line travels westward on its original alignment from the eastern terminus in North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 through Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

, Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...

 and Sussex
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...

 counties in the northern part of the state. The beginning of the line is contained within highly urban areas of New Jersey, and passes through downtown Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

. After crossing the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...

, the rails enter more suburban surroundings traveling westward. Much elevation is gained as the line reaches its peak at Stockholm
Stockholm, New Jersey
Stockholm, New Jersey is an unincorporated area, located in the southeastern part of Hardyston Township in Sussex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its ZIP Code is 07460...

, which is the highest point on rails in New Jersey at 1013 feet (309 m). From here the line travels downhill, traversing Sparta Mountain as it enters the valley below. The railroad makes an abrupt northeastern turn at Sparta Junction as it switches to use the former right of way of the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway. From Sparta
Sparta Township, New Jersey
Sparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722...

 to just past the state line, the former L&HR tracks are owned by the NYS&W.

Route Through NY and PA

Upon crossing the New York State Line at Warwick, the railway continues over Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

 trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....

 through Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...

. The line again changes at Campbell Hall to use the former Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

 Southern Tier Line towards Binghamton. This line is shared by the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...

 until Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...

, the terminus of Metro North service. Shortly after reaching Port Jervis at Sparrowbush the line is leased from the Norfolk Southern by NYS&W subsidiary Central New York Railroad
Central New York Railroad
The Central New York Railroad is a short line railroad operating local freight service along the ex-Erie Railroad Southern Tier Line in the U.S states of New York and Pennsylvania. The line begins at Port Jervis, following the West Branch Delaware River to Deposit and the Susquehanna River from...

 all the way to Binghamton. The tracks cross the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 to enter Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 at Mill Rift. From there, the rails follow the Delaware River, hugging the contours of the land. The tracks cross back into New York at Tusten
Tusten, New York
Tusten is a town in Sullivan County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 1,415 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Benjamin Tusten, a military leader killed at the Battle of Minisink....

. Back in New York, the tracks pass through the towns of Callicoon
Callicoon (town), New York
Callicoon is a town in Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 3,052 at the 2000 census. The town is in the northwestern part of the county.- History :...

, Hancock
Hancock (town), New York
Hancock is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The town contains a village, also named Hancock. The town is in the southwest part of the county...

, and Deposit
Deposit (town), New York
Deposit, New York is a town in Delaware County, New York, USA in the USA.The Town of Deposit is on the western border of the county and contains part of a village, also called Deposit.- History :...

. At Deposit, the right of way begins following the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...

 southward, dipping into Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...

. Along the 15 mi (25 km) in Pennsylvania the line crosses over the historic Starrucca Viaduct
Starrucca Viaduct
Starrucca Viaduct is a stone arch bridge that spans Starrucca Creek near Lanesboro, Pennsylvania, in the United States. At the time of its construction, the bridge was thought to be the most expensive railway bridge in the world, at a cost of $320,000 , and it was the largest stone rail viaduct in...

 before swinging northward once more towards Binghamton.

Northern division

Approximately 9 mi (14.5 km) north of Binghamton, at Chenango Forks
Chenango Forks, New York
Chenango Forks is a hamlet located in Broome County, New York in the United States. The community is partly in the Town of Chenango and partly in the Town of Barker....

, the line branches. Two lines lead to the railroad's two northernmost termini in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

 and Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....

. The western branch passes through the towns of Marathon
Marathon (town), New York
Marathon is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 2,189 at the 2000 census.The Town of Marathon contains the village of Marathon...

, Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....

, Homer
Homer (town), New York
Homer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 6,363 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Greek poet Homer.The Town of Homer contains a village called Homer...

 and Jamesville
Jamesville, New York
Jamesville is a hamlet in De Witt, Onondaga County, New York, United States, part of the greater Syracuse area.The history of the community is documented in the book Water, Wheels and Stone: Heritage of the Little Village by the Creek, Jamesville, New York, written by Jean Schutz Keough, and...

 on the way to Syracuse. On its way to Utica, the eastern branch passes through Norwich
Norwich (town), New York
Norwich is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The population was 3,836 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Norwich, Connecticut.The Town of Norwich is located near the center of the county...

, Earlville
Earlville, New York
Earlville is a village in New York, United States. The population was 791 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Earl, a canal commissioner....

 and Richfield Junction
Richfield, New York
Richfield is a town located in Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 2,423.The Town of Richfield is located at the northern border of the county.-History:...

.

Initial construction

At the end of the civil war
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, railroads in the United States expanded rapidly. The city of Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

 had seen considerable growth of its iron mills and manufacturing plants due to the war effort, and needed to obtain raw materials for these factories in the most economical means of the time: the railroad. The existing Morris Canal
Morris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....

 was slow and was shut down in winter due to ice. The Hoboken, Ridgefield and Paterson Railroad was chartered in 1866 to connect Paterson with the ports along the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 at Hoboken. At the same time, De Witt Clinton Littlejohn
De Witt Clinton Littlejohn
DeWitt Clinton Littlejohn was a brevet brigadier general in the Union Army and a United States Representative from New York during the Civil War.-Biography:...

 of Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...

 had gained power in the New York State Legislature and wanted to afford Oswego the growth possible by a rail connection to a major port. Littlejohn organized the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad (NY&OM), a route traversing much of New York State on its way to New York City. The next year saw more roads sprouting up between these points, with the New Jersey Western Railroad (NJW) working westward from Paterson, and the Sussex Valley Railroad laying track from the New York state line at Hanford, New Jersey
Wantage Township, New Jersey
Wantage Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,387.-Geography:...

 south to the Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...

. The New Jersey Western was the most profitable of the roads and, led by Cornelius Wortendyke, began operating at Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...

 in 1869. Later that year, Wortendyke signed an agreement with De Witt Littlejohn to give the NY&OM trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....

 over the NJW to reach New York City. This agreement was pivotal, as the two roads would soon see themselves merged in 1870 to form the New Jersey Midland Railway (NJM). A leasing arrangement was set up, and work began on finishing the main line. By 1872 the line was complete from Hackensack
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....

 to Hanford. Engine shops were located at Newfoundland
Newfoundland, New Jersey
Newfoundland is an unincorporated area in West Milford, New Jersey, Jefferson Township, and Rockaway Township. It is located along the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway tracks and Route 23. It is the mailing address of Green Pond, a private lake that is in Rockaway Township. Newfoundland...

. While the NY&OM ended some 14.5 miles (23.3 km) north at Middletown, New York
Middletown, Orange County, New York
Middletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...

, it leased a small railroad called the Middletown, Unionville and Water Gap Railroad (MU&WG) which connected it to the NJM. The MU&WG was a branch line, and fed into the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

. By the summer of 1872 the line was complete to Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

.

Aftermath of the Panic of 1873

Soon however, the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...

 saw the NY&OM go into receivership, and freight traffic detoured to the Erie at Middletown. James McCulloh and Garret Hobart
Garret Hobart
Garret Augustus Hobart was the 24th Vice President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897 until his death. He was the sixth American vice president to die in office....

 took ownership of the broken railroad in 1875, and after half a decade of bondholder hearings, it was reorganized as the Midland Railway of New Jersey in 1880. Subsequently, the NY&OM went through similar proceedings and emerged as the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...

.

Shortly after the panic subsided, The New York and Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

 Construction Company was founded by entrepreneurs from both of those cities to create rail routes from New York to the coal-rich Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....

 in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. Coal was the fuel of the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

 and it needed to be transported from the Pennsylvania mines to New York City and beyond. At least four railroads were chartered to build inland routes. On June 12, 1881, a meeting took place in Jersey City in which the stockholders of the following six railroads agreed to consolidate under the name "New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad Company": New Jersey Midland Railway, Paterson Extension Railway, Midland Connecting Railway, Northern Jersey Railway, Water Gap Railroad and Pennsylvania Midland Railway. Taking into account the massive project of building a railroad across the Pocono Mountains into the Scranton-area coal mines, it was decided to let the then-extant Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...

 (DL&W, or simply Lackawanna) handle coal traffic from the mines to an interchange about halfway to New York at Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state, approximately five miles from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead and Pocono Creeks. It is the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the...

, from whence it traveled over the NYS&W to port. In addition, passenger service between the growing Stroudsburg and New York City began in the fall of 1882, continuing until 1941.

Full control to Erie control

The Susquehanna was soon paying the DL&W and Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 substantial fees for hauling coal from inland Pennsylvania. In 1892, the management decided that the NYS&W should own the entire railroad from coal fields to port. The Susquehanna began buying waterfront property at Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 11,513...

 to build docks for coal shipment. The more difficult task lay westward: building a line from Stroudsburg, PA to Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...

 — the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad
Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad
The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad was a historic railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1892 to 1939.-History:The WB&E was a wholly owned subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad...

. By 1896 both projects were completed and the railroad began to build north of Wilkes-Barre to Scranton and beyond. Meanwhile, the larger railroads were not ignoring this rapid expansion. J.P. Morgan, acting on behalf of the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

, began acquiring Susquehanna stock in 1898. This continued until the Erie was a majority owner and began operating the railroad in July 1898.

Enter the twentieth century

World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 affected the Susquehanna heavily, as the USRA
United States Railroad Administration
The United States Railroad Administration was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was possibly the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency.- Background :On April 6, 1917, the...

 nationalized all railroads between 1918 and 1920. When the railroad regained control of its lines it saw former leased Erie locomotives, especially the famous “Russian” Decapods, as the motive power throughout the railroad. The Erie continued to equip the Susquehanna well, replacing aging equipment with new, state-of-the-art locomotives and rolling stock.

The Great Depression

Beyond the loss in revenue from The Great Depression, the railroad was struck a further blow by flooding in 1936, requiring costly repair of track and equipment. In 1937, a pair of mortgage bond
Mortgage bond
A mortgage bond is a bond backed by a pool of mortgages on a real estate asset such as a house. More generally, bonds which are secured by the pledge of specific assets are called mortgage bonds. Mortgage bonds can pay interest in either monthly, quarterly or semiannual periods....

s the railroad had taken out came due, and the railroad could not afford repayment. The railroad filed for federal reorganization due to bankruptcy on June 1, 1937.

Post-reorganization

Under new court-appointed trustee Walter Kidde
Walter Kidde
Walter Kidde was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1897. He was the owner of the Kidde company which manufactured fire extinguishers....

, the first act was to terminate the lease of the money-losing Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad. Coal traffic had been losing out to oil and gas since the 1930s, the ice traffic had vanished, and Susquehanna was forced to cover the line's losses as part of the lease agreement. Main line passenger service west of Beaver Lake, NJ, was discontinued in 1935, with only the mixed train between Butler and Hanford remaining, and this service finally ended in 1939. The spring of 1938 saw a one-third reduction in commuter trains from Butler
Butler, New Jersey
Butler is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,539.Butler was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1901, from portions of Pequannock Township.-Geography:Butler is located at...

 to Susquehanna Transfer
Susquehanna Transfer (NYS&W station)
Susquehanna Transfer was a passenger station on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, located in North Bergen, New Jersey at the Route 495 overpass...

, with additional runs cut that summer.

In 1940 the railroad severed the last of its ties with the Erie as it began working with the New York, Ontario and Western Railway
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...

, sharing office facilities and shops at Middletown. These shops were already working to refurbish the ex-Erie locomotives which were now the heart of the Susquehanna fleet. Now that the railroad was standing on its own again, Kidde began the task of creating a new identity for it. He ordered ACF
American Car and Foundry Company
American Car and Foundry is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches under the brand names of ACF and ACF-Brill. Today ACF is known as ACF Industries LLC and is based in St. Charles, Missouri...

 Motorailers (see right) for use in the “Streamliner” rapid transit between Paterson and New York. These would augment the transit service already provided by ex-Erie Brill railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

s. All service to Pennsylvania was dropped in 1941 with the abandonment of the Hainesburg Jct.-Stroudsburg line, and the rails removed in 1942 as part of the war effort.

Dieselization and World War II

The newly-reinvigorated railroad was able to purchase new ALCO RS-1
ALCO RS-1
The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market.The carbody configuration of...

 and S-2 diesel locomotives to replace aging steam power. Business picked up as the war broke out, though the railroad remained under court supervision. Kidde died in 1943 and Henry K. Norton, who had been an executive under Kidde, was appointed to replace him. Under Norton the railroad saw the purchase of more ACF cars and more diesel locomotives. Indeed, by the end of the war the railroad had declared itself fully dieselized —– the first Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...

 to achieve this in the U.S.

Norton also brokered the trading-in of the ACF cars for purchase of the railroad’s first Budd RDC cars by 1950. The first ACF unit, #1001, was destroyed when its engine caught fire. After this incident, Norton decided to not take any chances on the streamliners and decided to obtain more robust RDCs.

The 1950s and 1960s

The decade opened with a bright outlook for the Susquehanna; the last diesels on order were received, new stainless steel passenger coaches had been purchased in 1951 to match the look of the RDCs, and the railroad was declared fully reorganized by the courts in 1953. However, the recession of 1957 spelled the beginning of a new era for NYS&W. The Ontario and Western succumbed to the down turned economy and was torn up that same year. The Susquehanna, desperate to avoid the same fate, began liquidating assets. The stainless steel rolling stock was sold off, and the little-used Hanford branch to the connection with the Middletown and New Jersey Railway
Middletown and New Jersey Railway
The Middletown and New Jersey Railroad is one of two railroads in the city of Middletown, New York; the other being its interchange partner, Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad operates one diesel-electric locomotive along 7 miles of track, delivering polystyrene pellets to its sole customer,...

 was abandoned. The nearby Lehigh and New England Railroad
Lehigh and New England Railroad
The Lehigh and New England Railroad was a connection from northeastern Pennsylvania towards the Poughkeepsie Bridge across the Hudson River. Originally planned as a continuous line east to Boston, plans were later cut back to a section west of the river....

 folded in 1961, and the pressure mounted for the Susquehanna. In 1962 with the L&NE gone, the track was cut back to Sparta Junction with the abandoned portion eventually preserved as the 27-mile Paulinskill Valley Trail.
Irving Maidman, a real-estate developer, bought control of the railroad and immediately secured a government grant for three new EMD GP18
EMD GP18
An EMD GP18 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1959 and November 1963. Power was provided by an EMD 567D1 16-cylinder engine which generated...

s. The older diesels were in disrepair and Maidman decided to cut back on maintenance to cut costs. The most drastic measure was realized on June 30, 1966, when the final commuter train operated between Butler and New York. The railroad was now solely dependent on freight revenue. In 1968 the NYS&W continued to shrink, when the line was embargoed west of Oak Ridge, NJ (part of Jefferson Township, NJ), thereby ending the L&HR
Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast-southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie Bridge at Maybrook, New York with Easton, Pennsylvania, where it...

 freight interchange at Sparta.

Near abandonment

In 1971, Tropical Storm Doria washed out the line at Smoke Rise (west of Butler, NJ), cutting off the railroad’s vital connection with the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...

 (CNJ) at Green Pond junction (just west of Butler in West Milford), as well as to any further trackage. Soon after the washout, the CNJ abandoned its branch to the Susquehanna. The washout was not soon repaired, as there were no customers west of Butler at the time. In 1976, the NYSW was again in court over failure to pay New Jersey state taxes. The courts ordered the railroad to continue to operate while a feasibility study was conducted to see whether the line should continue some operations or abandon entirely.

1980s

In the early half of 1980 the courts accepted a bid for the railroad by the Delaware Otsego Corporation
Delaware Otsego Corporation
The Delaware Otsego Corporation is an American railway holding company which owns the subsidiary New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway as well as other, smaller branch line railroads, collectively known as the DO System...

, headed by Walter Rich. On 1980-09-01, DO took control and the railroad was saved from abandonment.

On April 2, 1982, the railroad assumed operations of the former Lackawanna Railroad's Syracuse and Utica branches after acquiring them from Conrail. However, Conrail retained trackage all the way into Syracuse. The main route was the Utica branch, where it connected with Conrail. These new New York State rail lines were dubbed the "Northern Division". The disconnected original NYS&W main in New Jersey was dubbed the "Southern Division".

As part of the purchase of the Northern Division lines, NYS&W also purchased a portion of the former Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast-southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie Bridge at Maybrook, New York with Easton, Pennsylvania, where it...

 (L&HR), from Franklin, NJ to the New York state line at Vernon, New Jersey/Warwick, New York
Warwick, New York
Warwick is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 30,764 at the 2000 census. The 2007 census population estimate is 32,669.The Town of Warwick is located in the southwest part of the county...

. Three years later, they completed the purchase of the remaining L&HR in New Jersey by acquiring the portion from Sparta to Franklin. In mid-1985 the NYS&W began an isolated service from Warwick to Sparta on this newly acquired line. They would receive cars from Conrail in Warwick and deliver them to customers in Sparta.

Seeking to link their two operations, The Susquehanna Southern Division was extended north to Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

 via Conrail haulage
Haulage
Haulage may refer to:* The business of being a haulier or hauler , also called haulage contractor, common carrier, contract carrier, or private carrier, in other words of transporting goods by road or rail for other companies or one's own company.* The horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies,...

 rights and procurement of additional existing track.
The haulage agreement with Conrail was for the Susquehanna's regular manifest trains (consisting of boxcars, tanker cars, and other common freight cars). Now along with the manifest trains, Conrail crews began to operate Susquehanna stack
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...

 trains over their lines.

During 1984-85 the Sea-Land container company entered into an agreement with the NYS&W to use the rail yard in Little Ferry
Little Ferry, New Jersey
Little Ferry is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,626.-Geography:Little Ferry is located at ....

 as an intermodal container
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...

 facility. Sea-Land rejected an offer from Conrail to share a previously-owned facility.
Already upset over losing the Sea-Land business to the NYS&W, Conrail wanted to cancel the haulage agreement altogether, and renegotiate their rates with the smaller railroad. This left the NYS&W with the choice of renegotiating the rates at a higher cost than before, or rebuilding the line west of Butler. This line was washed out and unused since 1971. Rebuilding would lead to the negotiation of cheaper trackage rights with Conrail instead of haulage rights. Trackage rights would allow NYS&W crews to operate the trains as actual NYS&W train movements over Conrail track, rather than as part of a Conrail train. Rebuilding would be a costly measure, and Conrail never thought the smaller railroad would actually do it. However in late 1985, the NYS&W announced that they would rebuild the line to Sparta, NJ. There it would join with the recently-purchased portion of the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway. Work began in the spring of 1986, and was mostly completed by October of that year. There was now a competitor in the northeast for Conrail's business for the first time since its inception a decade before.

1990s

In 1990, Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 purchased the D&H, and the CSX-financed Dash 8-40B engines were returned. Also around this time, the NYS&W ordered a new Mikado-type 2-8-2 steam locomotive from the Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works in China. The locomotive was built and placed on a Norwegian cargo ship bound for America. However, the ship sank in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...

, and the locomotive was lost. In late December 1991, the railroad completed the purchase of a similar locomotive from the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...

. This unit, now numbered NYS&W #142, was also built at Tangshan, in 1988.

1990 also saw the NYS&W end service on its Edgewater Branch, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long line connecting its former Hudson River terminal with the mainline in Fairview at Undercliff Junction. As of 2008, the tunnel carries a pipeline owned by the Amarada Hess Corporation.

In 1994 Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 purchased the former DL&W line into Syracuse, with the provision that the NYS&W operate RDC
Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...

 service in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

 between Syracuse University, Armory Square, and the Carousel Mall with the option for further routes. This deal went through, and OnTrack
OnTrack
OnTrack was a regional rail line that operated in Syracuse, New York from 1994 to 2007. During its operation, Syracuse was the smallest city in the United States to have regional train service. The line ran from Colvin Street on the city's south side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the...

 service was created. A deal to purchase the ex-DL&W station at Armory square could be not resolved, and a new station was built right next door. With operations on this new segment, the Syracuse branch was rehabilitated and the Conrail interchange relocated. Regular steam excursions were offered and RDCs refurbished for OnTrack
OnTrack
OnTrack was a regional rail line that operated in Syracuse, New York from 1994 to 2007. During its operation, Syracuse was the smallest city in the United States to have regional train service. The line ran from Colvin Street on the city's south side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the...

 use. Intermodal trains rolled beyond Binghamton to Syracuse for interchange with Conrail. After a few years, regular excursions were halted for the most part, with #142 going into intermittent storage at the Utica shops and one of the RDCs going to the Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...

 in New Hampshire.

2000s

In 2005, the NYS&W leased the former Erie Main Line from Port Jervis to Binghamton from Norfolk Southern. Operated under the name Central New York Railroad (CNYK), the railroad is maintained by Susquehanna personnel, while Norfolk Southern retains operating rights. At the time of this writing, no significant through traffic is operated by either NS or NYSW. The newly reactivated Stourbridge Railroad (SBRR) depends on the NYSW for interchange at Lackawaxen, New York.

In March 2008 the railroad started selling off its historic passenger rolling stock to various concerns. It has been stated that the railroad is no longer in the business of operating passenger excursions.

Motive Power in the Delaware Otsego Era

The motive power roster of the NYS&W was an eclectic mix during prior to the DO era, and this certainly continues to this day, to the interest of railfans. Upon purchase, the original three GP-18s remained as did some RS-1s and even one S-2. With the acquisition of the northern division, five ex New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...

 Alco C-430s were purchased from Conrail. Three were later wrecked, and the remaining two, 3000 and 3006, soldiered on until being sold in the 1990s to the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad. With acquisition of the Staten Island property, an ex-C&O SW-9 engine was added to the roster. Painted yellow and black and numbered #120, this engine saw intermittent service after the railway closed and was later used as a shop switcher in Utica before being sold to American Motive Power in Dansville, NY
Dansville, Livingston County, New York
Dansville is a village in the town of North Dansville in the eastern part of Livingston County, New York, United States. As of the census, the village population was 4,832. The village is named after Daniel Faulkner, an early settler. Interstate 390 passes next to the west side of the village.-...

, c. 2005. The NYS&W also picked up two 70-tonners when it took over the Rahway Valley Railroad in New Jersey. They were sold or donated to the United Railway Historical Society of New Jersey. One of the most unusual engines is a former NYO&W NW-2 switch engine purchased by a board member and painted into its original livery. It is one of only three known extant NW-2s from this railroad, and the only known to be operating.

As part of the Conrail haulage agreement, more engines would need to be purchased in addition to the C-430s. Originally looking to buy six axle Alcos, the Susquehanna found a better offer on thirteen former Burlington Northern Railroad SD45s
EMD SD45
The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD...

 and two F45s
EMD F45
An EMD F45 is a C-C cowled diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between 1968 and 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 20-cylinder engine which generated .-Design:...

. Originally numbered in the 6500 series, they were rebuilt, painted, and renumbered into a horsepower based numbering system in 3600s in keeping with the rest of the fleet. During the D&H operations, these engines were seen all over the D&H system from Canada to Virginia.

Four new GE Dash 8-40B
GE Dash 8-40B
The GE Dash 8-40B is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1988 and 1989. 150 examples of this locomotive were built for North American railroads. The GE Dash 8-40BW is a variant fitted with a full-width cab. Another variant is the GE Dash 8-40BP, more commonly...

 locomotives were leased in 1988, the same year the Delaware & Hudson Railway was placed into receivership by Guilford Transportation Industries
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...

. With NYS&W declared as the designated operator of the D&H, the railroad found itself short of motive power. With the financing of CSX Corp., twenty additional Dash 8-40B engines were purchased, arriving in full NYS&W lettering and paint. In 1991, the Canadian Pacific Railway was announced as the successful bidder of the D&H property. The twenty extra B40s were returned to CSX, and the SD45s /F45s went into intermittent storage. With one salvaged for parts, all but 4 SD45s and 1 F45 were later sold to the Montana Rail Link.

In 1995, the railroad purchased two former CB&Q/BN EMD E9
EMD E9
The EMD E9 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between April 1954 and January 1964. 100 cab-equipped lead A units were produced, along with 44 cabless booster B units. All were for service within the...

 units for passenger excursion service, and three brand new EMD SD70Ms for freight service. They were the roads first new power in eight years, and the first new EMD power since 1962. With the loss of stack trains, in 2001 the SD70Ms were sent to long term lease on the Indiana & Ohio Railway. With the remaining SD45s showing their age, and end of the fifteen year lease on the original four 8-40B engines fast approaching, four former Union Pacific/Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....

/D&RGW tunnel motor
Tunnel motor
Tunnel motor may refer to:* EMD SD40T-2 locomotive* EMD SD45T-2 locomotive...

type locomotives were purchased. Numbered 3010, 3012, 3014, and 3016 they were slowly rebuilt and painted on and off the property. Engines 3012 and 3016 were painted at Utica, 10 and 14 at AMPI in Dansville, NY. In 2003 the lease on the slippery B40s was not renewed and they were sent to the Providence & Worcester Railroad. To the surprise of many, ALCO/MLW C636
ALCO Century 636
The ALCO Century 636 was the most powerful single-engine diesel locomotive constructed by ALCO. The locomotive had a C-C wheel arrangement and . The locomotive rested on a pair of trucks of all-new design, known as the Hi-Ad, standing for 'high adhesion'. Visually, it is similar to the Century 630,...

 and M636 locomotives were first leased and then purchased from the Cartier Railway
Cartier Railway
The Cartier Railway is a privately owned railway that operates 260 miles of track in the Canadian province of Québec. It is operated by the Cartier Railway Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcelor Mittal, formerly Québec Cartier Mining Company...

 in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

. Additional locomotives were scrapped, salvaged, and rebuilt as management saw fit. F45 3636 was rebuilt and returned to service early in 2006. Ex-P&W
Providence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...

 GEs
GE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine...

 were leased, and then purchased. A former NS EMD GP40
EMD GP40
The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971...

 was also purchased, the railroad's second GP40. The current roster is an amalgamation of GE and EMD. As of 2007 the motive power situation is turning a corner and improving. Leased units are on the property, engine 3014 was returned from Dansville (only 3614 remains, its future uncertain as it was heavily salvaged) and the Alcos are reported sold to the LA&L
Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
The Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad is a short line railroad that operates in Livingston County and Monroe County in New York, United States...

/WNY&P, joining the two C-430s.

NYS&W in a post Conrail World

In 1999, CSX and Norfolk Southern split up Conrail between themselves, with the two railroads taking away all of NYS&W’s intermodal business. As a result, the Susquehanna spent the next few years relying on its original local customer base for revenue freight, in addition to hosting detour and overflow traffic from CSX. Afterward, the railroad acquired contracts hauling construction debris westward from Little Ferry. These are, as of late 2006, the bulk of the long-haul operations on the railway. The rest of the operations deal with servicing the remaining customers along the line and its branches. There are two designations for the main line trains that link the two divisions, SU-99 (westbound from Little Ferry to Binghamton) and SU-100 which is the reverse eastbound.
The railroad has frequently hosted detour trains from other railroads even before the Delaware Otsego era, including D&H detours on the Syracuse and Utica branches to CSX detours on the whole system between Syracuse and New Jersey. The line acted as an overflow route during the congestion following the Conrail breakup, and hosts regular CSX detours during maintenance on CSX's ex-NYC River Line. Torrential rains in late June 2006 damaged both lines, and the Utica branch between Greene and Sherburne was out of service since then due to flood damage. Because there are no customers between these two points, the NYS&W announced in February 2007 that it intends to abandon this section of the Utica Branch, the railroad's first abandonment in well over three decades.

In late 2010, Susquehanna's long term lease on the three SD70M's (4050, 4052, 4054) ended and are now back on home rails. In January, all three locomotives were servicable and were assigned to road trains, normally as the trailing units. As of June 2011, all three locomotives are out of service due to mechanic problems and the future is uncertain about them remaining on the NYSW.

Modelling

Many models of Susquehanna equipment have been offered by model companies, and also made by individuals. Shown are examples in N scale
N scale
N scale is a popular model railway scale/track gauge. Depending upon the manufacturer , the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the gauge is . The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the UK in particular N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with track gauge modelling...

 and HO scale
HO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...

.

See also

  • Delaware Otsego Corporation
    Delaware Otsego Corporation
    The Delaware Otsego Corporation is an American railway holding company which owns the subsidiary New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway as well as other, smaller branch line railroads, collectively known as the DO System...

     - Parent Company for NYS&W
  • Susquehanna Transfer (NYS&W station)
    Susquehanna Transfer (NYS&W station)
    Susquehanna Transfer was a passenger station on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, located in North Bergen, New Jersey at the Route 495 overpass...

  • Hawthorne (NYS&W station)
  • Maywood Station Museum, Maywood, NJ
    Maywood Station Museum
    The Maywood Station Museum is located in the 1872-built New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway station in Maywood, New Jersey, United States. The station underwent an extensive restoration by the volunteer, 5013 non-profit beginning in July 2002 and officially opened as a museum in September 2004...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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