New York and Massachusetts Railway
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | April 13, 1893 |
| Defunct | 1907 |
| Fate | Purchased by New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad; merged into Central New England Railway |
| Headquarters | Poughkeepsie , United States |
Area served | Dutchess County, Columbia County, New York |
The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway holds the distinction of being the inaugural rail line extending eastward from Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1907, it was purchased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and subsequently integrated into the Central New England Railway.
Origins
Incorporated on April 13, 1866, the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad aimed to establish a route beginning at Poughkeepsie on the Hudson River, stretching northeast to Boston Corners in Columbia County, NY, then continuing southeast to the Connecticut border where it connected with the Connecticut Western Railroad leading to Hartford, Connecticut.
Operations commenced on January 24, 1871, with service between Poughkeepsie and Stissing. At Stissing, the P&E utilized trackage rights over the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad to reach Pine Plains. The entire stretch from Pine Plains to the state boundary opened on October 1, 1872.
The primary yard and locomotive facilities for the P&E were situated at Smith Street Yard in Poughkeepsie. This complex included a passenger depot, freight house, turntable, and engine shed. The railway provided service to communities such as Pleasant Valley, Salt Point, Clinton Corners, Stanfordville, Stissing, Pine Plains, Boston Corners, and State Line near Millerton.
Anticipated revenue was expected from transporting iron ore mined in Columbia County alongside local dairy products; however, these income sources fell short of projections.
Financial Difficulties
On June 24, 1874, the company entered receivership. Following a sale in April 1875, it was reorganized as the Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad on May 15. Continued financial hardship led to bankruptcy; in 1884, the segment southeast of Boston Corners was acquired by the Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad. The remaining portion was sold in late 1886 and reorganized as the New York and Massachusetts Railway in January 1887.
Ongoing losses resulted in a third receivership beginning February 1893. After foreclosure on March 2, it reemerged on April 13 as the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway Company. The company faced receivership once again starting June 17, 1898.
A significant event took place on July 12, 1904: a passenger train was inadvertently diverted onto a siding at Salt Point where a freight train was stationed; this incident caused injury to the conductor.
In 1907, ownership transferred to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which merged the line into the Central New England Railway on June 25.
The CNE had constructed a competing line—the Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad—during the late 1880s after unsuccessful attempts to purchase the P&E. In 1910, the segment of P&C between Salt Point and Pine Plains was abandoned with traffic rerouted over the P&E line. The P&E section from Ancram Lead Mines to Boston Corners was discontinued in 1925; thereafter, only the P&C served east of Pine Plains until its closure in 1932. The remaining portions of the P&E were abandoned by 1938.
Station listing
Mileage figures correspond to post-1910 consolidation periods when the former Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad was considered as part of Poughkeepsie’s entry point. Prior to 1910, service operated from a station west of Smith Street in Poughkeepsie (with minimal mileage variation). Between Stissing Junction and Pine Plains, operations ran under trackage rights over the Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad (ND&C).
| Miles (km) | Municipality | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 (0.0) | Poughkeepsie (city) | Poughkeepsie | |
| 1.8 (2.9) | Poughkeepsie (town) | – | Connection with Poughkeepsie and Connecticut Railroad |
| 3.8 (6.1) | Van Wagner's | ||
| 6.1 (9.8) | Pleasant Valley | Pleasant Valley | |
| 10.7 (17.2) | Salt Point | ||
| 12.2 (19.6) | Clinton | West Hibernia | |
| 13.2 (21.2) | Clinton Corners | ||
| 14.2 (22.8) | Stanford | Upton Lake | |
| 15.8 (25.4) | Willow Brook | ||
| 17.77 miles (28.6 km)* | Stanfordville | ||
| 19.8 (31.8) | McIntyre | ||
| 21.1 (34.0) | Stissing Junction | Connection with ND&C | |
| 22.9 (36.8) | Pine Plains (town), New York | Attlebury | |
| 25.1 (40.3) | Briarcliff Farms | ||
| 26.3 (42.2) | |||
External links
- Companies associated with the Central New England Railway
- Former railroads in New York (state)
- Transportation within Dutchess County, New York
- Transportation within Columbia County, New York
- Forerunners of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
- Railway firms founded in 1893
- Railway firms dissolved in 1907
- 1893 establishments in New York (state)
- Companies affiliated with the Central New England Railway