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DeWitt Clinton LittlejohnThe man responsible for it all -- Dewitt Clinton Littlejohn of Oswego, NY -- designed and planned the New York & Oswego Midland, but
in 1872 resigned when the company went into bankruptcy. At the time some felt that he laid awake at night dreaming up impractical railroad schemes. |
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Crumb Hill, DeRuyter, NYStone slab culvert thru the base of the fill under the right-of-way. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Crumb Hill, DeRuyter, NYNY&OM right-of-way on Crumb Hill as it looks today. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Crumb Hill, DeRuyter, NYNY&OM right-of-way on Crumb Hill as it looks today. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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DeRuyter, NYNY&OM DeRuyter freight depot on Railroad Street as it looks today. Built in 1871, it is owned by DeRuyter Contractors. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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DeRuyter, NYNew York State historical marker in front of the NY&OM's DeRuyter, NY freight depot. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999FREIGHT DEPOT
BUILT 1871 BY MIDLAND R.R.
MOVED FROM 300 YDS EAST OF
HERE 1880 BY LEHIGH VALLEY
R.R.-TICKET STATION BURNED
APRIL, 1970
DERUYTER CONTRACTORS 1997 |
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Wibert Trestle, DeRuyter, NYArtist's conception of the Wibert Trestle on Crumb Hill east of DeRuyter, NY. It was officially designated "Section 28" bridge on the Auburn branch. It was 75 feet above the gorge at it's highest point and some 400 feet long. |
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DeRuyter, NYOld postcard view of the DeRuyter, NY passenger (foreground) and freight (background) depots with a Lehigh Valley train.
Both buildings were moved 300 yards to the west by the LV c.1880 after the Midland abandoned the Auburn branch. It continued in operation as part of the LV's Canastota branch until 1966 when the line was abandoned.
The passenger station was burned in April 1970 for fire practice, the freight depot still stands. Richard Palmer collection. |
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DeRuyter, NYOld postcard view of the DeRuyter, NY passenger (foreground) and freight (background) depots with a Lehigh Valley train. Colorized version of above by AJ Kleipass. |
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DeRuyter, NYC.1870s view looking west from the Utica Street crossing. The trestle work was built right down the middle of the Tioughnioga River at this point. Beyond the trees was the Midland depot. Photo courtesy of Dave Ball. |
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DeRuyter, NYC.1870s view looking west from the Utica Street crossing. The trestle work was built right down the middle of the Tioughnioga River at this point. Beyond the trees was the Midland depot. Photo courtesy of Dave Ball. |
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Plymouth, NYNY&OM Plymouth, NY depot as it looks today. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Plymouth, NYNY&OM Plymouth, NY depot as it looks today. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Cuyler, NYFront of the NY&OM's Cuyler Depot as it looks today. Built c.1871, the station was acquired by the Cuyler Historical Society after
the Lehigh Valley abandoned the line. There where originally 2 tracks past the station. This was the location of the famous "Cuyler Railroad War" of 1876. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Cuyler, NYDetail of the Agent's bay window on the NY&OM's Cuyler Depot. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Cuyler, NYBack of the NY&OM's Cuyler Depot. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Cuyler, NYOld feed mill operated in the early 1900s by Whitmarsh Brothers, then by Stensland Brothers. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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Truxton, NYNY&OM's Truxton, NY depot as it looks today. It was built c.1871 in a design similar to that of the Cuyler Depot. The station is owned by the Town of Truxton, NY. Photo by Richard Palmer - © 1999 |
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New York & Oswego Midland R.R. TicketNY&OM Utica to Cortland, NY ticket #1764, unissued. |
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New York & Oswego Midland R.R. TicketNY&OM Utica to Cortland, NY ticket #1764, unissued.
Red print reads :" This Ticket sold at
reduced fare upon the
agreement between
the purchaser and the
Co.,that it is good only
for one continuous
passage within two (2)
days from its date." |
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North Lansing, NYThe Beardsley's Gulf Trestle, at North Lansing, NY, was opened on September 17, 1872. It was 480 feet long, stood 74 feet high, and took 250,000 feet of lumber to construct it.
Built of green timbers, usually fresh-cut hemlock, these trestles required constant maintenance to cope with dry-rot. In 1882 the Ithaca, Auburn & Western, which purchased the "Western Extension" from the Midland, replaced this trestle with and iron bridge.
Still later, a third railroad, the Ithaca-Auburn Shortline, built a fill accross the gulf. |
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Otselic Center, NYRainbow Trestle, Otselic Center, NY. The structure, which carried the Auburn Branch over the Otselic River, was 700 feet long and 48 feet high. The house in the background, which still stands, was the home of Chauncey Duncan. Photo courtesy of the Chenango County Historical Society. |
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Steam Hand Car # 3Steam handcar # 3 was built at the Midland's shops in Middletown, NY in 1877 and made occasional trips over the Auburn branch. Exactly how long this machine was in service is not known, but it doesn't appear to have ventured outside the shops much after Master Mechanic
John Minshull was killed during an inspection trip on August 12, 1879. As the car approched a crossing at East Branch, NY Minshull decided to jump because he felt the car was about to strike a team of horses pulling a log wagon. In doing so he fell, fracturing his skull. A tongue-in-cheek caption under this photo appearing on page 104 of the May, 1943 issue of Railroad Magazine states :
"Old-time O&W officials didn't like this quadrocycle built for four; contended they wanted no beefsteaks dropped in their laps. But then, they'd never heard of a meat shortage." Photo courtesy of Robert Groman. |
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CARTOONFiddletown & Copperoplis cartoon with an NY&OM related caption added by Richard Palmer. |
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CARTOONFiddletown & Copperoplis cartoon with an NY&OM related caption added by Richard Palmer. |
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CARTOONFiddletown & Copperoplis cartoon with an NY&OM related caption added by Richard Palmer. |
