Auburn and Rochester Railroad

Auburn and Rochester Railroad

Company type	Private
Industry	Railroad
Founded	May 13, 1836 (1836-05-13) in New York, United States
Founder	Henry Bicker Gibson
Defunct	August 1, 1850 (1850-08-01)
Fate	Merged with Auburn and Syracuse Railroad to form Rochester and Syracuse Railroad
Headquarters	Canandaigua, New York , United States
Key people	Henry Bicker Gibson (president), Charles Seymour (secretary and treasurer)
Products	Passenger and freight rail transport

The Auburn and Rochester Railroad was a railroad enterprise established in 19th-century New York.

Introduction

The Auburn and Rochester Railroad Company sought to link Canandaigua with broader regional and national markets. Its 78½-mile track ran southeast from Rochester through Geneva to Canandaigua, making it longer than the nearby Auburn and Syracuse Railroad Company.

Although chartered on 13 May 1836, progress was hindered by the Panic of 1837 and the engineering challenge of spanning the Genesee River. The railroad reached Geneva by September 1840 and extended to Canandaigua in November 1841. Initially, passenger traffic accounted for 90% of operations; however, local business leaders persuaded the company in 1841 to initiate weekly freight services.

History, 1836 to 1850

Distinctively, its charter from the state outlined a precise route—from Auburn to Rochester passing through Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Geneva, Vienna, Manchester, Canandaigua, and Victor—with a connection to the Tonawanda Railroad in Rochester.

Henry Bicker Gibson, a prosperous banker from Canandaigua and one of the founders, served as president and principal investor. By March 1837, there were 541 stockholders representing Canandaigua and neighboring areas, demonstrating substantial commercial backing. The state legislature provided bond guarantees to fund the railroad.

At that period, canals enjoyed exclusive market privileges within New York. The company's charter permitted transporting passengers and property but limited merchandise carriage to protect Erie Canal revenues—a restriction that remained unchallenged legally until canal regulations changed in 1844.

Gibson held the presidency throughout the railroad's operation; Charles Seymour acted as secretary and treasurer. After merging into the Rochester and Syracuse Railroad in August 1850, both continued their roles until that entity was absorbed by the New York Central.

Robert Higham, an engineer formerly with the Utica and Schenectady, conducted route surveys in 1837. His findings highlighted gentle inclines (maximum of 28 feet per mile), minimal need for extensive excavation, durable construction using timber combined with iron components, and plans for double tracks anticipating increased traffic—demonstrating strategic foresight for future expansion.

Passenger fares were initially limited to three cents per mile; however, lobbying efforts raised this ceiling to four cents in 1837 to encourage investment.

By 1848, construction expenses had surpassed $2.65 million—nearly twice the original budget—yet revenues exceeded expectations. Although double tracking was planned, only a single track was laid using strap rail technology as a cost-saving measure; this approach increased risks like "snakehead" incidents, with only one such event recorded before 1848.

The line opened in stages: Rochester to Canandaigua (September 1840), Seneca Falls (June 1841), Cayuga (September 1841), and Auburn (November 1841). Due to track conditions, trains averaged speeds near 14 mph.

In 1842, wage rates established by the board reflected operational expenses:

• Engineer/superintendent: $3,000 annually
• Ticket receivers: $25–50 monthly
• Conductor: $50 monthly
• General clerk: $50 monthly
• Freight agent: $40 monthly
• Baggage handler: $25 monthly
• Locomotive engineer: $2 daily

A significant operational difficulty involved non-adjacent terminals in Rochester. The Auburn and Rochester terminal was located several blocks away from the Tonawanda Railroad’s ticket office at the Erie Canal. Due to pressure from local hotels, passengers had to use hack transfers between stations until legislation compelled Tonawanda to extend its line directly to Auburn’s terminal—enhancing customer convenience and competitive positioning.

When trains ran on time, the complete journey covered seventy-six miles in about three hours and forty minutes.

Demise

On August 1, 1850, the Auburn and Rochester Railroad combined with the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad to create the Rochester and Syracuse Railroad. Shortly thereafter, just five days later, it merged with the Direct Railway between Syracuse and Rochester, ultimately becoming part of the New York Central Railroad in 1853. Presently, the segment from Auburn to Victor is operated by Finger Lakes Railway, whereas the stretch from Victor to Rochester has been abandoned and partly transformed into a trail. In 1992, the Cobblestone Railroad Pumphouse, constructed around 1845 in Fishers, Ontario County, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.