Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad

Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1845
Founder	George Parish
Fate	Purchased by Rutland Railroad in 1901
Headquarters	Ogdensburg, New York , United States
Area served	Northern New York, connecting Ogdensburg and Rouses Point
Products	Freight rail transport, including agricultural commodities

The Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad originated in 1849 under the name Northern Railroad, establishing a line between Ogdensburg and Rouses Point, New York. It operated under lease by rival Central Vermont Railroad until 1896, before being purchased by the Rutland Railroad in 1901 and designated as its Ogdensburg Division.

Chartering and Construction

Chartered on May 14, 1845, the Northern Railroad was created to connect Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence River with Rouses Point on Lake Champlain. George Parish, the company’s founder, initially served as president but was succeeded by T.P. Chandler amid disagreements concerning the route's alignment.

By October 1, 1850, the railroad reached Rouses Point. A notable development occurred in 1851 with the construction of a floating bridge over Lake Champlain, linking to the Vermont and Canada Railroad and thereby extending access into New England markets. This connection enabled substantial freight movement, particularly agricultural commodities such as New York-produced butter destined for urban centers like Boston. The company is credited with introducing refrigerated railcars in June 1851 to improve transport of perishable items.

In addition to rail services, the company expanded its facilities by building docks and a grain elevator at Ogdensburg to support steamship freight operations, enhancing its integrated transport capabilities.

Later History

The Ogdensburg Division represented the Rutland Railroad’s reach into northern New York, connecting to Great Lakes ports via the St. Lawrence River. This line remained a remote rural corridor until revenue service ceased following a union strike in the fall of 1961. Track removal between Rouses Point and Norwood Junction (a distance of 93 miles) took place in 1964. The remaining 26 miles, serving grain elevators, port facilities, and a hospital coal furnace, were taken over by New York State and the Ogdensburg Port Authority. Various shortline operators leased this segment over time, including the Ogdensburg & Norwood Railroad from 1967 to 1972. Later, operations were managed by the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority and since 2002 have been handled by Vermont Rail System’s New York & Ogdensburg subsidiary.

The extant portion of the O&LC has experienced increased business activity along with track improvements during 2012–2013. Typically, two to three weekly trains run on this line powered by older EMD diesel locomotives.

A critical structure—the wooden trestle spanning Lake Champlain between Alburgh and Rouses Point—was heavily damaged in 2011 and left in ruins. Along the northern New York right-of-way, several former stations have been repurposed: Mooers Junction has been restored; Mooers Forks functions as a thrift store; Ellenburgh serves an animal rendering business; Chateaugay’s brick station is deteriorating; Malone’s station is now a bank; Brushton is used for storage; Moira operates as a church; and Lisbon houses a museum. Freight depots remain intact at Winthrop and Champlain.

Route and Station listing

Milepost	Town	Station	Image	Opened	Closed	Notes	Position
	Ogdensburg	Ogdensburg
	Lisbon	Lisbon				Currently serves as Lisbon town Museum
	Madrid	Madrid
	Norwood	Norwood				Also referred to as Potsdam Junction; junction with Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad
		Knapps				Also known as North Stockholm
	Stockholm	Winthrop and Brasher
	Lawrence	North Lawrence				Also called Lawrence
	Moira	Moira
		Brushton
	Bangor	Bangor
	Malone	Malone				Original station construction supported by Vice President William A. Wheeler
		Morton Siding
		Malone Junction
	Burke	Burke