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Ithaca and Owego, NY - Further Railroad Info
Biking and Exploring History
Below are a few interesting tidbits and links to various sites that contain a wealth of photographs and historical information on the history of railroading in the Ithaca/Owego area.
South Hill - Inclined Plane and Switchback
- Ithaca used two inclined planes to pull cars 593 feet to the peak of the hill. Utilizing two sets of tracks with large cables to which cars are attached. As one car ascends, another other descends. Horses were used to provide the power to move the cable.
From the steamboat landing, the route extended in a semicircle to the foot of the inclined planes. The lower inclined plane ran straight up South Hill from the present junction of Albany St. and Elmira Rd, just under the south end of what is now the Emerson Power Transmissions factory to the lower cable house, near the intersection of Aurora St. and Coddington Rd, in the vicinity of the Ithaca College Campus Safety Building. The upper plane paralleled the high-tension lines from Coddington Rd. past the Ithaca College Garden Apartments to the site of the upper cable house.
Watercolor by W. Glenn Norris, 1957 Source- Accident
There was a spectacular accident in 1842 when a passenger car's braking system failed and it went cascading down the incline... Details - The Switchback
"At that point, the line was about 500 feet above the city. Originally, an inclined plane had been used, but it had been replaced by a switchback in 1850. There was a sensational view of the city and the lake. The track between the upper and lower switches of the switchback was 1.1 miles with a gradient of 100 feet per mile. It took five and a half miles to cover what a crow did in one and a half miles."
The Railroads
Ithaca & Owego Railroad
- One of the earliest railroads ever built in America, it was finally abandoned in 1956. Originally called the Ithaca and Owego Railroad, it later became the Cayuga and Susquehanna Railroad. Wikipedia >
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W)
- Connecting New York City to Buffalo, the DL&W traversed through Pennsylvania's coal country and coal and milk were it's primary freight. Wikipedia >
- 1922 Official Railroad Map
- It was famous for it's flagship passenger train the "Phoebe Snow" which promoted the clean-burning coal that Lackawanna's trains used.
Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR)
- LVRR History
- 1941 Official Railroad Map
- LV Train Station Photos
- Photos (Large Assortment to scroll through)
- NY Existing Train Stations (pick Tompkins and Tioga Counties)
- The Black Diamond Express
- Wikipedia >
- Owego Shortlines
The “Short Line” (an Interurban)
- New York, Auburn and Lansing Railroad - Wikipedia >
Ithaca Railroad History (including Streetcar/Interurban)
- History of Intercity Rail Transportation in Tompkins County, NY
- Quick Overview
- A very complete Summary
A History of Railroads in Tompkins County (90 page PDF)
- Ithaca had its own 19th century railway rush Article
- Ithaca Streetcar/Trolley History
- Photos of Historical Railroad Remnants in the area Flicker 1 | Flicker 2
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