New York, Ontario and Western Railway
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | New York and Oswego Midland Railroad |
| Founded | 1868 |
| Founder | Dewitt C. Littlejohn |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and complete abandonment ordered by court |
| Headquarters | New York City area (Weehawken, New Jersey terminal) , United States |
Area served | New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania |
Key people | Charles Sanger Mellen (briefly oversaw operations) |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail services |
| Parent | New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (control during 20th century) |
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway (commonly known as O&W or NYO&W) was a regional rail line established in 1868. Its final journey took place in 1957, running from Norwich, New York to Middletown, New York, after which a U.S. bankruptcy judge mandated its dissolution. Notably, it was the first Class I railroad in the United States to be completely abandoned.
Initially created as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad by Oswego entrepreneur Dewitt C. Littlejohn in 1868, the railroad’s primary route connected Weehawken, New Jersey—situated across the Hudson River from New York City—to Oswego on Lake Ontario. It also operated several branch lines reaching Kingston, Port Jervis, Monticello, Delhi, Utica, Rome, and Scranton, Pennsylvania. South of Cornwall, the railroad utilized trackage rights over the New York Central Railroad's West Shore Railroad for operations.
19th century
Incorporated in 1866 under the guidance of DeWitt C. Littlejohn, the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad sought to establish a direct rail link from docks opposite New York City to Lake Ontario at Oswego. Construction north of Middletown commenced in 1868 and was completed by 1873. Branch lines extended to Ellenville, Delhi, and New Berlin; meanwhile, an Auburn branch originating from Norwich reached only as far as Scipio Center before being sold in 1876. Beginning in 1872, access to New York City was facilitated through connections with the Middletown, Unionville and Water Gap Railroad and the New Jersey Midland Railway. The company utilized the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Exchange Place station in Jersey City for ferry transfers to Manhattan. However, financial turmoil caused by the Panic of 1873 led to monetary strain and severed relations with NJM and MU&WG.
By 1880, O&W had acquired these lines and improved its main corridor by extending service from Middletown to Cornwall on the Hudson River, then onward to Weehawken Terminal via trackage rights over the New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railway (later absorbed by New York Central). In 1886, O&W expanded its network by purchasing the Utica, Clinton & Binghamton Railroad and Rome & Clinton Railroad from the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. This acquisition included building a new line reaching Sylvan Beach on Lake Oneida’s eastern shore—a prominent seasonal resort destination. By 1889, branches connected New Berlin with Edmeston and linked Port Jervis to Monticello.
The most significant growth occurred in 1890 with the construction of a 54-mile branch from Cadosia through Carbondale to Scranton, Pennsylvania—providing access to valuable anthracite coal fields in Wyoming Valley. This Scranton Division substantially increased revenue streams and financed further enhancements. The railroad introduced its distinctive W-in-O emblem in 1892.
20th century
During the reorganization of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NH), NH gained control of O&W and briefly appointed NH president Charles Sanger Mellen to oversee operations. Plans to exchange O&W with the New York Central Railroad for other concessions were hindered by regulatory challenges.
Passenger traffic experienced a steep decline throughout the 1940s. By 1941, service on the Summitville-Kingston line was limited to summer months only. The rise of improved roadways eliminated O&W’s passenger routes serving resort areas in the lower Catskill Mountains and rural Upstate New York; the final summer train from Walton, New York to Weehawken ran in 1948. Additionally, passenger service on the Walton-Delhi branch was discontinued. The last passenger train departed from Roscoe, New York heading to Weehawken Terminal on September 10, 1953.
By 1948, operating deficits had surpassed $38 million (equivalent to over $69 million in 2024 dollars). Declining demand for coal heating and reductions in dairy freight severely weakened its primary freight business. Although NH proposed purchasing O&W in 1952, it retracted its offer due to its own financial difficulties. Local resistance against abandonment invoked claims of unpaid back taxes as investments; however, despite legislative approval, state assistance was denied by the civil defense commission.
The bankruptcy court ultimately mandated complete abandonment of operations; the last freight train traveled from Norwich to Middletown on March 29, 1957. The subsequent liquidation proceeded swiftly—major scrap companies acquired rights-of-way and dismantled most rails and bridges by 1959. Diesel locomotives were sold off while much of the rolling stock was scrapped. Certain track segments serving industrial customers were transferred to other railroads: lines near Utica and Scranton went to Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, while sections between Fulton and Oswego as well as around Rome, Oneida, and Kingston were acquired by New York Central. Later transfers included portions handed over to the Erie Railroad. Some track stretches remained active into the early 21st century under operation by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.
Legacy
Railway historian George Drury observed that the O&W "was always frail and arguably should never have been constructed," spanning only "541 miles."
Portions of the Summitville to Kingston line, terminating at Kingston, have been transformed into a rail trail. Certain depots, such as the Alligerville station in High Falls, New York, have found new purposes; since 2001, it has operated as a recording studio under the ownership of Gerry Leonard. Meanwhile, the Starlight station located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, serves today as the Municipal Building for Buckingham Township.
On September 27, 1955, a 50-car O&W freight train in Hamilton, New York, failed to halt at a siding switch despite brakes being fully engaged and consequently crashed through a coal trestle. The leading 213-ton EMD FT diesel locomotive traveled more than 150 feet beyond the trestle from an elevation of 15 feet. Although two crew members sustained serious injuries, no deaths occurred. A state police inquiry could not determine why the switch had been thrown. In recognition of their actions, the crew received plaques and were inducted into the O&W's "Flying Diesel Corps," which included cast replicas of their F-unit locomotives provided by EMD.
One of the freight cars involved was carrying chocolate bars produced at Nestlé’s nearby Fulton factory. Following the accident, local children reportedly gathered spilled candy, which temporarily impacted candy sales within Hamilton.
During the 1949 rebuild of the Savannah and Atlanta 750 locomotive, it was fitted with a new tender and components salvaged from an ex-NYO&W Y-series 4-8-2 engine that had been acquired in 1945 and later dismantled.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- American companies disestablished in 1957
- American companies established in 1880
- Defunct New Jersey railroads
- Defunct New York (state) railroads
- Defunct Pennsylvania railroads
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Interstate 86 (Pennsylvania–New York)
- Railway companies established in 1880
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment