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The NYO&W - March 29th, 1957

cmscanuckcmscanuckOGR Forum Member

     Tonight at 11:59 marks 59 years since the New York, Ontario, & Western Railway (aka the Old & Weary, or the Old Woman) ceased operations. For those unfamiliar with the railway, it was a Class 1 railroad that ran from Oswego, NY to Cornwall, NY, with trackage rights south to Weehawken, NJ. It also had several branches including the Utica Division, leading from Hamilton, NY to Utica, NY, the Scranton Division, leading from Cadosia, NY to Scranton, PA, the Rome Branch, from Clinton, NY to Rome, NY, along with several other smaller branches.

     It began its life as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad in 1868. After that railroad failed, it was restructured as the NYO&W. The railroad hauled primarily coal, milk, and passenger traffic to the Catskill Mountains in its golden years. As those revenue sources dried up, it became mainly a bridge carrier for other major railroads in the region. It has the distinctions of the being the first Class 1 railroad to be entirely abandoned and be among the first to entirely convert over to diesel power, through their roster of GE44 Tonners, NW2's, and FT & F3 sets.

     The O&W today enjoys a cult following. The Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society publishes quarterly newsletters, distributed online via The Ontario Express (http://ontarioexpress.org/), yearly publication of their Observer, books which cover various aspects of the O&W, and maintains both a yahoo discussion group and several Facebooks groups devoted to history and modeling.

     Just wanted to share the day for a railroad that has brought me a lot of enjoyment over the years. My first experience with the O&W was watching the old rail bed carve its way through the Catskills on the way to my grandparents in Binghamton, NY. I now enjoy learning its history and modeling it both in O and HO gauges.

Last edited by cmscanuck
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PRR8976PRR8976OGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Chris,

 Thanks for posting this. It was indeed a very interesting railroad and one with many nicknames. Even in 2016, some remnants still remain, like the station in Middletown, NY. I belonged to the historical society for several years before finding the Pennsylvania Roadroad Technical & Historical Society. Both are great organizations if you are interested in railroad history.

The O&W Railway Museum is always worth a visit... http://www.nyow.org/museum.html

 One of the best books, is Bob Mohowski's Milk Cans, Mixed trains and Motor Cars. It is pretty much my favorite all time railroad book (or at least in the top 5).

 Also, The William Helmer's The Long Life and Slow Death of the New York, Ontario and Western Railway says it all!

Tom

Mohowski_O&W_

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cmscanuckcmscanuckOGR Forum Member

This is my own collection of books regarding the O&W, along with the various Observers the society has put out:

The Final Years New York, Ontario and Western RyJohn Krause & Ed Crist
Hard Coal and Coal Cars : Hauling Anthracite on the New York, Ontario & Western RailwayMartin Robert Karig III
A Guide to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway's Southern Division : Cornwall to Liberty Volume ICharles M. Breiner & William E. Scott
A Guide to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway's Monticello, Port Jervis & Kingston Division Volume IICharles M. Breiner & William E. Scott
A Guide to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway's Southern Division : Liberty to Sidney & Delhi Branches Volume IIICharles M. Breiner & William E. Scott
A Guide to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway's Northern Division : Sidney to Munnsville Including the New Berlin Branch and the Pecksport Loop Volume VCharles M. Breiner & William E. Scott
A Guide to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway's Northern Division : Munnsville to Oswego Including the Rome Branch and Utica Branch Volume VICharles M. Breiner & William E. Scott
The New York, Ontario & Western : In ColorPaul Lubliner
New York Ontario & Western : In the Diesel AgeRobert E. Mohowski
The New York, Ontario And Western RailwayJoe Bux
The New York, Ontario And Western Railway : Milk Cans, Mixed Trains, and Motor CarsRobert E. Mohowski
The New York, Ontario And Western Railway Northern DivisionJohn Taibi
O&W : The Long Life And Slow Death Of The New York, Ontario And Western RailwayWilliam F. Helmer
Rails Along the OriskanyJohn Taibi
Remembering the New York, Ontario & Western Railway : Oswego to Sidney & BranchesJohn Taibi
To The Mountains By Rail…Manville B. Wakefield
Wood And Steel Signatures : Lineside Structures of the N.Y.O. & W. RY. Diagrams, Images, And DrawingsMalcolm H. Houck & Carl A. Ohlson
Center Cabs and Kitchens : Double Cab Locomotives of the New York, Ontario and Western RailwayMalcolm H. Houck
Coach And Engine EquipmentO&WRHS
The Flying Diesel CorpsO&WRHS
A Hill, a Branch, and the Pecksport LoopJohn Taibi
Memories of Pop and the O&W Railway/Train Control on the N.Y.O.&W. RailwayClyde R. Conrow/Robert E. Mohowski
Motive Power Series: The W's and W-2'sO&WRHS
Motive Power Series: The Y-2'sO&WRHS
The New York, Ontario And Western Railway's Middletown Branch : Part I Cornwall to BurnsideDouglas J. Barberio
Ridin' The Rails - Passenger Equipment of the N.Y.O. & W. Ry.Malcolm H. Houck
NYO&W - Kindred Bretheren - Class X 2-10-2 "Bullmoose" and Class 4-8-2 "Big 400"Malcolm H. Houck
Walton And The Delhi Branch on The O&W, Volume 1Mark Kennaugh
Last edited by Rich Melvin
Number 90Number 90OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Even though I lived clear across the country, and was in 5th grade when the O&W folded, I did know of the railroad through pictures and a Trains article, so I was was puzzled by the news of its end.  After all, it was a real main line railroad, not some dirt-track short line or branch line, and it did not look like a failing carrier (unless, probably, you were living in the territory it served.  After all, it had CTC signaling, EMD cab and booster diesels, a multiple-crossarm pole line, and other trappings of a Class One railroad -- which it was.  Later, I understood, so, when the Rock Island shut down, I was sad, but not surprised as I was by the O&W's last day.  

I'll raise a glass to the memory of Old Woman this evening.  

cmscanuckcmscanuckOGR Forum Member
FloydS posted:

Walter

How long did the FTs stay @ Croxton? I have some Kodak Brownie pics of cabs stored there and one FT B builders plate.  

Btw.....the Middletown Station is in deep disrepair now.  Any one know of any restoration efforts?

Floyd

There are no restoration efforts unfortunately... The station is in bad shape between a leaking roof and the damage from a fire post abandonment. It was to be turned into some sort of medical complex at one point, but the developers have decided to use another building. I am sure once they saw the price tag of salvaging the current structure, they thought better of it.

PRR8976PRR8976OGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

I had mentioned the O&W Museum, which is in Roscoe earlier. Then I remembered that I took a couple of pictures there the last time I passed Roscoe a few years ago. I never had luck with the Museum being open when I passed by. The caboose is across the street. This morning, I happened to find the video which includes footage inside. 

Video: https://youtu.be/7aX1PJynnik

Tom 

IMG_20131027_143342IMG_20131027_143433

 

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PAUL ROMANOPAUL ROMANOOGR Forum Member
cmscanuck posted:
ecd15 posted:

That caboose looks a lot like an ex-Erie Dunmoore caboose.  I didn't realize the O&W had any.

Good eye... That is in fact not an O&W caboose, just painted up like one. I am pretty sure it is an Erie.

I remember there had to be at least twenty five O&W cabooses stored at the old Camp Shanks area in Orangeburg, NY. They were there for years and were finally burned in a controlled fire in 1968. What shame........

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