Wallkill Valley Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1866 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Fate | Abandoned; portions converted to rail trails |
Area served | Ulster and Orange counties, New York |
Key people | Thomas Cornell (president) |
| Products | Freight and passenger rail services |
| Parent | West Shore Railroad (from 1881), New York Central Railroad (from 1884), Conrail (later) |
The Wallkill Valley Railroad was a local rail line serving Ulster and Orange counties in upstate New York. Its route stretched from Kingston at the northern end down to Montgomery in the south, with an additional leased segment extending to Campbell Hall. The railroad crossed important waterways such as the Wallkill River and Rondout Creek along its path.
Incorporated in 1866, the railroad discontinued regular operations by 1977. Over its lifespan, ownership transferred among prominent rail companies including the West Shore Railroad, New York Central Railroad, and eventually Conrail. After service ended, various local governments acquired portions of the former rail corridor for conversion into recreational rail trails, repurposing the former transportation infrastructure for public use.
Wallkill Valley Railroad
Founded originally as the Wallkill Valley Railway in 1866, the company initially employed the Erie Railroad’s six-foot broad gauge to enable freight interchangeability. The Erie managed operations for about ten years following construction. By 1870, the line reached New Paltz, and by 1872 critical structures such as the bridge over Rondout Creek and the crossing of the Delaware and Hudson Canal were completed.
In that same year, politician and steamboat businessman Thomas Cornell took over as president. Although he oversaw completion of the line to Kingston, Cornell’s leadership was troubled by financial strain and controversy culminating in bankruptcy. He regained control in 1877, rebranding the company as the Wallkill Valley Railroad. Seeing potential in the forthcoming West Shore Railroad connection to New York City, Cornell negotiated an extension into territory chartered by West Shore near Kingston. This strategic expansion positioned Wallkill Valley as a valuable branch line for West Shore, which purchased it in 1881 for close to $1 million.
New York Central
Following acquisition by West Shore Railroad, the line operated as its rural Wallkill Valley Branch despite local resistance rooted in earlier financial losses. Plans to extend service toward Pennsylvania coal regions to increase revenue were unsuccessful. In 1884, the New York Central absorbed West Shore Railroad amid declining passenger volumes on rural branches. The southern endpoint remained at Montgomery where it linked with Erie Railroad’s Montgomery-to-Goshen route. Passenger operations ceased entirely in 1937.
After passenger service ended, some lightweight locomotives formerly used by Ulster and Delaware were reassigned to the Wallkill Valley Branch because their low axle load was suitable for crossing the Rosendale Bridge. By 1949, diesel engines replaced steam locomotives on this branch concurrently with dieselization of NYC’s Catskill Mountain Branch.
Conrail
While Conrail largely abandoned the Wallkill Valley Branch, it briefly evaluated using it as a potential route to Allentown, Pennsylvania via Kingston, Campbell Hall, and connections with the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway. In 1977, structural damage caused by shifted piers on the Rosendale Viaduct rendered repairs financially impractical. The line was officially abandoned in 1982; between 1983 and 1984 most infrastructure was dismantled and sold for scrap except for key remnants including the Rosendale trestle, a spur line from Walden to Campbell Hall, and a team track located in Kingston.
Norfolk Southern Railway and Remaining Infrastructure
Norfolk Southern continues to provide freight operations along the remaining spur extending from DeGroodt's Paving in Walden to the Campbell Hall Metro-North station. The New Paltz station still exists along the trail, whereas the Gardiner station was destroyed by fire in 2002. The Walden station was moved to a village park where it has been preserved. Currently, freight services are managed by the Middletown and New Jersey Railroad.
Rail Trails
Portions of the former rail line located in Ulster and Orange Counties have been transformed into rail trails, described here in a north-to-south sequence. North of River Road in Rosendale, the Wallkill Valley Railroad corridor traverses the Rondout Valley.
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail extends from Gardiner through New Paltz to Rosendale. In 2009, an additional segment was opened, lengthening the trail northward to Kingston.
The Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail features a paved surface running from NY 208 in Wallkill southward to Walden in Orange County. Parking options are limited to street-side spaces. The rail corridor north of Route 208 up to Birch Road is owned by the Town of Shawangunk but remains undeveloped. A 1.4-mile stretch from Birch Road northward to Denniston Road—the southern endpoint of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail—is state property and closed to public access due to nearby correctional institutions.
Stations
- Kingston Union Station
- Binnewater
- Rosendale
- New Paltz
- Gardiner
- Wallkill
- Walden
- Montgomery (Interchange with Erie Railroad)
- Campbell Hall
Bibliography
- The Old "Up and Down" Catskill Mountain Branch of the New York Central
External links
- Articles with short description
- Pages using infobox company with unknown parameters
- Wallkill Valley Railroad
- Defunct New York (state) railroads
- Predecessors of the New York Central Railroad
- Railway companies established in 1877
- Railway companies disestablished in 1952
- Transportation in Ulster County, New York
- American companies established in 1877
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment