Delaware and Hudson Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad transportation |
| Founded | 1823 |
| Founder | William Wurts |
| Fate | Purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1991 |
| Headquarters | Albany, New York , United States |
Area served | Northeastern United States, New England, Canada |
Key people | Walter G. Rich (former president and CEO) |
| Products | Freight rail transport, passenger rail (historical) |
| Parent | Canadian Pacific Kansas City (since 2023) |
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) operates as a railroad within the Northeastern United States. Established in 1823 under the name "The President, Managers and Company of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co.," its original purpose was to enable transportation between the Delaware River and the Hudson River. Often referred to as "The Bridge Line to New England and Canada," D&H linked New York with Montreal and New England, earning distinction as "North America's longest continuously operating transportation enterprise."
After more than a century and a half of independent operation, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 1991. CP administered D&H through its subsidiary, Soo Line Corporation, which also manages the Soo Line Railroad. Following CP’s merger into Canadian Pacific Kansas City in 2023, D&H continues to serve as an integral part of their regional rail system.
On September 19, 2015, Norfolk Southern Railway completed its purchase of the 282-mile D&H South Line from CP. This route extends from Schenectady, New York, to Sunbury, Pennsylvania, encompassing both the Sunbury Line and the Freight Line. The Sunbury Line incorporates the historic Nicholson Cutoff, once operated by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
Based in Albany, New York, D&H benefits from its strategic location and historic infrastructure, which contribute to its strong position within northeastern freight rail markets.
History
By the late 18th century, industrial hubs were struggling with shortages of charcoal used for fueling kilns and foundries due to diminishing local timber resources. During a fuel crisis in Philadelphia amid the War of 1812, an associate of industrialist Josiah White successfully experimented with igniting anthracite coal, overcoming doubts about its practicality as a fuel source.
White, along with partner Erskine Hazard, established the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and constructed the Lehigh Canal. This infrastructure facilitated exploitation of anthracite reserves near Carbondale, Pennsylvania, fueling Scranton’s expansion. By 1824, their mills and consistent anthracite deliveries transformed Philadelphia’s market outlook, ensuring dependable supply despite obstacles like flooding along the Lehigh River.
Inspired by these advancements, William Wurts spearheaded efforts to supply anthracite coal to New York City by building a canal connecting the Hudson and Delaware Rivers and linking to Coaldale coal fields. He founded the Pennsylvania-based Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad to move coal to this canal. This cable-driven railroad eventually evolved into the prominent Delaware and Hudson Railway, broadening the company’s operations worldwide and enhancing its influence within the coal industry.
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company
In the early 1820s, Philadelphia merchant William Wurts identified large anthracite coal deposits in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Recognizing commercial opportunities, he partnered with his brothers to finance a canal designed to efficiently transport coal to New York City, addressing increasing energy demands amid depleted local timber supplies and restrictions on British bituminous coal imports. This initiative aligned with broader industrial expansion and rising fuel expenses in eastern U.S. cities, prompting significant investment in coal transportation infrastructure.
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company received charters in New York (1823) and Pennsylvania (1826), empowering William and Maurice Wurts to construct both the Delaware and Hudson Canal and an accompanying gravity railroad. Following a successful public stock offering in 1825 that raised $1 million, construction commenced that July; the canal opened in October 1828. It linked Rondout Creek near Kingston, NY, with the Delaware River at Honesdale, PA, enabling coal transport from mines around Carbondale via the Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad.
Authorized by Pennsylvania in 1826, this railroad featured the Stourbridge Lion, notable as the first locomotive to operate on U.S. rails in 1829. Through the mid-19th century, the company expanded rail access into new mining regions and introduced passenger services west of Carbondale by 1860. Adapting to changing transportation trends, D&H discontinued canal operations by 1898, divested canal assets, and rebranded as Delaware and Hudson Company in 1899.
This deliberate shift from canal-based transport to rail infrastructure supported company expansion, solidifying its dominance in coal shipping while fostering a competitive edge that sustained its evolving business approach. The remaining canal structures were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.
Delaware and Hudson Company
With the rise of rail transportation, the Delaware and Hudson (D&H) shifted its focus from canal operations to railroads. The Jefferson Railroad, chartered in 1864 and inaugurated in 1872 by the Erie Railroad, established a connection from Carbondale northward toward New York, enhancing D&H’s network through trackage rights agreements. In 1870, D&H secured a lease on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad for $490,000 per year, extending its reach southwest from Albany to Binghamton. This expansion involved integrating the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Railroad and leasing the Schenectady and Susquehanna Railroad, thereby linking Albany with Schenectady.
In 1871, D&H leased the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad Company, extending its lines north to Saratoga Springs and Rutland, Vermont, while also gaining eastern routes via trackage rights. The establishment of the New York and Canada Railroad in 1873 led to a northern extension reaching the Quebec border by 1875, with branches connecting to Montreal through Grand Trunk Railway links.
By 1886, D&H further extended southwest using trackage rights over the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad to Wilkes-Barre. In 1889, it acquired the Adirondack Railway branch running along the Hudson River. Strategic infrastructure investments included building large repair shops at Green Island (1871), Oneonta (1872), and later at Watervliet’s Colonie Shops in 1912, which supported larger locomotives and employed thousands of workers.
Although some board members expressed reservations about acquiring lines in northern New York—considering existing canal routes—the company prioritized creating an all-rail system less susceptible to winter interruptions and independent of other railroads. The canal ceased operations in 1891; by 1899, D&H officially removed canal operations from its corporate identity.
In the early 20th century, D&H expanded by consolidating regional railroads into the Chateaugay and Lake Placid Railway (1903) and acquiring assets of the Quebec Southern Railway (1906), which were later sold to Canadian National Railway in 1929. The Napierville Junction Railway (1906) connected Rouses Point to Montreal using Grand Trunk trackage rights, forming a vital corridor between New York City and Montreal.
In 1912, D&H collaborated with Pennsylvania Railroad to establish the Wilkes-Barre Connecting Railroad, improving freight interchange while circumventing downtown Wilkes-Barre. The company continued facility upgrades with a $2.5 million investment in Colonie Shops.
On April 1, 1930, ownership of Delaware and Hudson Company assets transferred to Delaware and Hudson Railroad Corporation. By 1938, D&H operated as an essential bridge line facilitating freight movement between connecting railroads.
Following World War II, D&H gradually curtailed passenger services amid industry-wide declines. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, passenger operations on many branch lines were discontinued. Notable remaining services included the Laurentian and Montreal Limited trains running between New York City and Montreal until Amtrak assumed responsibility for long-distance routes in 1971. Amtrak later restored service on the D&H line with the Adirondack train in 1974.
Delaware and Hudson Railway (1968–1988)
In 1964, Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) acquired both the Nickel Plate Road and Wabash Railroad under the condition that it also take over Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) along with Erie Lackawanna Railway (EL). N&W placed EL and D&H under its holding company Dereco, reorganizing D&H as Delaware and Hudson Railway. Following multiple bankruptcies among northeastern railroads during the 1970s, N&W lost control of Dereco stock; while EL became part of the federally created Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), D&H was excluded to maintain competition. Without external financial backing, D&H continued operating independently.
In 1980, Conrail sold its former DL&W main line segment from Binghamton to Scranton to D&H, allowing abandonment of the less efficient Penn Division route. D&H expanded its reach by obtaining trackage rights over Conrail lines to Newark, Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Washington, D.C., although its relatively small size limited competitive capacity. The remaining portion of Penn Division was abandoned after enlargement of Belden Hill tunnel in 1986.
Facing financial difficulties and deteriorating infrastructure, Guilford Transportation Industries acquired D&H in 1984 for $500,000. Guilford aimed to build a regional railroad network stretching from Maine and New Brunswick to the Midwest and major urban centers but was unable to realize these ambitions. After two significant labor strikes, Guilford filed for bankruptcy protection for D&H on June 20, 1988, leading to cessation of operations. At bankruptcy filing, Guilford valued D&H’s assets at $70 million. Subsequently, Lackawanna County purchased the Carbondale-Scranton route which began serving local industries under management of Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad.
Although initial plans by Interstate Commerce Commission intended for D&H’s integration into Conrail, Walter G. Rich—president and CEO of New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W)—successfully opposed this due to existing intermodal agreements with NYS&W and CSX Transportation. The federal bankruptcy court appointed NYS&W as temporary custodian of D&H until a new owner could be found. CSX financially supported NYS&W’s takeover by covering all operational losses incurred by D&H.
Canadian Pacific period (1991–present)
In 1991, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) purchased the Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H) for $25 million, aiming to connect Montreal with the New York City metropolitan area as part of its transcontinental system. CPR assumed full control of D&H operations and gradually phased out the D&H brand. The company undertook track improvements while eliminating surplus routes. Though briefly profitable under CPR's management, losses reemerged by 1996, leading CPR to consolidate D&H and other unprofitable eastern lines into the subsidiary St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway, which was reintegrated into CPR in 2000.
D&H primarily serves rural regions of New York State, with limited industrial customers along the corridor between Binghamton and Rouses Point. However, business conditions have strengthened due to haulage agreements that increased traffic volumes and CPR’s introduction of advanced high-horsepower alternating current locomotives on D&H lines, replacing older equipment. Significant investments in signal systems and track infrastructure have further improved operational reliability.
By 2012, ownership of trackage and haulage rights over D&H between Sunbury and Mechanicville transferred to Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), incorporating this segment into NS’s "Patriot Corridor" and redirecting most traffic flows to NS. CPR completed modernized signaling installations in 2017 and initiated extensive track upgrades in 2018 in anticipation of growing demand.
Partial Line Acquisition by Norfolk Southern
In October 2014, Canadian Pacific’s Delaware & Hudson announced the sale of rail lines stretching south from CP's Mohawk Yard in Glenville, New York, down to Sunbury, Pennsylvania, as well as the former Albany Main line from Delanson to Voorheesville, New York. SMS Rail Services operated the Voorheesville segment under contract. CP/D&H retained critical sections including the Freight Mainline Subdivision from Mechanicville to South Schenectady (Mohawk Yard), the Canadian Mainline from Rouses Point to the Freight Main connection, and the Colonie Mainline between Mechanicville and Albany to preserve profitable Bakken crude oil shipments. The majority of traffic on the lines offered for sale consisted of Norfolk Southern intermodal container trains and autoracks bound for Ayer, Massachusetts via Pan Am Southern.
On November 17, 2014, Norfolk Southern purchased these lines for $217 million and officially took control on September 19, 2015, thereby expanding its presence on former D&H mainline routes.
Legacy
The Delaware and Hudson Railway was one of the longest-operating class I railroads in United States history. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, President L.F. Loree preserved numerous large locomotives off mainline service primarily to maintain employment levels despite their operational readiness. In 1939, D&H was a pioneer in adopting welded rail technology well ahead of many peers.
The branch line between Lake Village and Glens Falls, New York was converted into the Warren County bikeway over a period spanning 1978 to 2000.
Amtrak continues to operate its Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express services along former D&H tracks.
Significant historic landmarks connected to the railroad include the Lyon Mountain Railroad Station, listed in 2002, and the Mediterranean Revival-style Delaware and Hudson Passenger Station at Lake George, which was added to historic registers in 2013.
The city of Delson, Quebec, along with the village of Delanson, New York, were named after the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, underscoring its regional significance. Delanson also functioned as an important junction point and coal storage facility on the Susquehanna Division.
Subsidiaries and Branch Offices
- Napierville Junction Railway
- Greenwich and Johnsonville Railway
- Baltimore Coal & Union Railroad
- Northern Coal & Iron Company
- Plymouth & Wilkes-Barre Railroad and Bridge
Locomotive Fleet
The Delaware and Hudson railway maintained a diverse locomotive inventory featuring equipment manufactured by Alco, General Electric (GE), Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), and Baldwin Locomotive Works. As a prominent user of Alco locomotives, the company had close ties to Alco’s primary facility located in Schenectady, New York.
| Road Numbers | Model | Manufacturer | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-19 | PA-1 / PA-4 | ALCo | Former ATSF units |
| 200-209 | C-420 | ALCo | |
| 301-316 | U23B | GE | |
| 401, 404-415 | C-420 | ALCo | |
| 451-463 | C-424m | ALCo / GE | |
| 501-508, 1976 | RS-3m | ALCo / Morrison-Knudsen | |
| 601-618 | C628 | ALCo | |
| 650-656, 751-762, 1776, 2301–2316 | U33C / U23B / U30C | GE | |
| 801-803 | SD45 | EMD | |
| 1205, 1216 | RF-16 | Baldwin | |
| 7314-7325, 7401-7420, 7601-7620 | GP38-2 / GP39-2 | EMD |
| Road Numbers | Whyte Classification | Class Designation | Year of Manufacture | Builder(s) | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Transit' | 2-2-4T | 1889 | Schenectady (pre-Alco) | Used for inspections | |
| 'Saratoga' | 4-4-0 | 1904 | D&H | Converted from G-1c; inspection duties | |
| '3, 7; 16; 20–29; 30–56; 80–87; 91–100; 151–164' | Various (0-6-0 to 0-8-0) | B to B-7 classes | (1880–1907) | (Dickson, ALCo, Schenectady) | |
| '135'; '61,63,65...'; '139,142,145'; '58–60...'; '119...' | 2-6-0 | C classes | (1875–1893) | Dickson | Some units converted to oil firing |
| '397 (orig.148)'; '423–426'; '421'; '422'; '374–378'; '379'; '380–387'; '391–393' | 4-4-0 | G classes | (1866–1895) | Various manufacturers
Includes rebuilt and pre-Alco models | |
| '442–457' | 4-4-0 | G-5 | (1903–1904)
ALCo Converted from camelback to single-cab design | ||
| '500–561' | 4-6-0 | D classes | (1903–1907)
ALCo/D&H | | ||
| '600–653' | 4-6-2 | P and P-1 classes | (1914–1931)
ALCo/D&H |Each with distinct valve gear configurations | ||
| '712–785' | 2-8-0 | E classes | (1899–1902)
ALCo/D&H | | ||
| '786–889; 894,987...; 999; 1000–1096; 1111–1220' | 2-8-0 | E subclasses (E3a, E40...) | (1902–1930)
(ALCo/Schenectady/D&H) | | ||
| '1400–1403' | '2-8-0 / 4-8-0' | 'E7 / experimental' | (1924–1933)
ALCo | | ||
| '1500–1539' | '4-6-6-4 / others' | 'J and H classes' | (1910–1946)
(ALCo/D&H) | | ||
| '300–314' | '4-8-4' | 'K (Laurentians)' | (1943)
ALCo | |
Executive Leadership
- Philip Hone: 1825 to 1826
- John Bolton: 1826 to 1831
- John Wurts: 1831 to 1854
- George Talbot Olyphant: 1858 to 1869
- Thomas Dickson: 1869 to 1884
- Robert M. Olyphant: 1884 to 1903
- David Wilcox: 1903 to 1907
- Leonor F. Loree: 1907 to 1938
- Thomas L. Hunter: 1938 to 1941
- Joseph Nuelle: 1941 to 1954
- William White: 1954 to 1967
- John P. Hiltz Jr.: served in 1967
- Frederic C. Dumaine Jr.: from 1967 through 1968
- Frank W. McCabe: held office in 1968
- John P. Fishwick: led from 1969 to 1970
- Gregory W. Maxwell: tenure from 1970 to 1972
- Carl B. Sterzing Jr.: directed between 1972 and 1977
- Selig Altschul: in office during part of 1977
- Charles E. Bertrand: from 1977 until 1978
- Kent Shoemaker: served from 1978 through1981
- Charles McKenna: leadership from1981 to1986
- Timothy Mellon: guided company during Guilford Transportation Industries ownership,1984 to1988
- Walter Rich: headed Delaware Otsego Corp/NYS&W era,1988 to1991
- Robert J. Ritchie: presided under Canadian Pacific ownership,1991 to2006
- Fred Green: led CP operations from2006 until2012
- Stephen C. Tobias (Interim): served briefly in2012
- E. Hunter Harrison: chief executive from2012 through2017
- Keith Creel: incumbent leader since2017
Heritage locomotives
On June 4, 2025, Norfolk Southern's EMD SD70ACe unit #1080 was presented in the Delaware and Hudson's distinctive gray and blue paint scheme at the Altoona Shops located in Altoona, PA.
Later, on June 23, 2025, the Delaware-Lackawanna's ALCo RS-3 locomotive #4068 received a fresh coat of the D&H gray and blue colors at their Scranton Shops in Scranton, PA.
See also
- Batten Kill Railroad
- SUNY Plaza
- Delson, Québec
- Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail
- Lacolle railway station
- Delaware Canal – A companion canal serving urban Philadelphia that connects with both the Morris and Lehigh Canals at their respective terminals in Easton.
- Delaware and Raritan Canal – A New Jersey waterway linking markets in New York and New Jersey, historically transporting coal and iron ore.
- Chesapeake and Delaware Canal – This canal links the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware Bay, traversing the Delmarva Peninsula.
- Delaware and Hudson Canal – An early coal transportation canal operating alongside the Lehigh and Schuylkill navigations.
- Lehigh Canal – A vital coal canal that supported early industrial expansion in the United States by connecting the Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia.
- Pennsylvania Canal System – A comprehensive network of canals and railroads authorized in 1826.
- Schuylkill Canal – A navigation route between Reading, PA and Philadelphia; played a significant role in developing anthracite coal transport through the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company.
References
Further reading
External links
- Delaware and Hudson Railway
- American companies established in 1968
- Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiaries
- Companies based in New York (state)
- Defunct Maryland railroads
- Defunct Vermont railroads
- Defunct Virginia railroads
- Defunct Washington, D.C., railroads
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Former regional railroads in the United States
- History of Orange County, New York
- History of Ulster County, New York
- New Jersey railroads
- New York (state) railroads
- Pan Am Railways
- Pennsylvania railroads
- Predecessors of the Canadian Pacific Railway
- Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1987
- Railway companies established in 1968
- Transportation in Sullivan County, New York
- American companies established in 1899
- Railway companies established in 1899
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