Below are a series of articles on the Utica Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The line between Utica and Norwich was originally standard gauge, was changed to wide gauge in 1874, and changed back to standard gauge in 1876. All the articles are from the Utica Morning Herald in Utica, NY and were provided by Richard Palmer.
April 14, 1874
Broad Gauge – There is now a prospect that the long contemplated broad gauge on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, between this city and Norwich, will become a reality. Sectionmen along the route have received orders to commence hewing down the ties, in anticipation of the spreading of the track.
May 12, 1874
Railroad Matters
The chief topic among the employees of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company, is the broadening of the gauge between this city and Norwich. The work is to be commenced Monday, May 18, and four days will be devoted to the work. The widening is to be accomplished in sections. The first day will suffice for the work from Norwich to Hubbardsville, the second day will be devoted to the distance between Hubbardsville and Richfield Junction to this city, and Friday, May 22, will see the broad gauge cars running into the depot in this city. Several weeks ago, the Herald alluded to the great trestle being built in West Utica for the Transshipment of coal from the broad gauge jimmies to those of the narrow gauge, to be distributed along the line of the New York Central and connecting roads. This trestle has been nearly completed. It is quite a large structure, having sixteen pockets, and is built in a most substantial manner. Much “third rail” has been already laid in this city to allow the narrow gauge cars to be shifted in and about the yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Company. New switches have also been built.
May 18, 1874
Changing the Gauge. – The following is the program for the four days which will be consumed changing the gauge of the track on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad: For the purpose of changing the gauge of track all trains will be abandoned between Norwich and Hubbardsville on Monday. Freight trains will be abandoned between Utica and Norwich for four days commencing on Monday. No passenger train between Hubbardsville and Richfield Junction on Tuesday; none between Utica and Richfield Junction on Thursday.
May 19, 1874
Broad Gauge. ___ The Improvement of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. ___ For a long time the authorities of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad have had in contemplation the widening of the gauge between this city and Norwich. There was no reason, except expense, why this should not be done, and there was every reason why it should be done. It would be a measure of convenience, it would finish the broad gauge route from the coal region to this city and intermediate points, and would save the transshipment of much freight. Regardless of somebody who wickedly paraphrased Watt’s hymns by writing, broad is the gauge that leads to death, the authorities commenced preparing for the change. The ties put in in repairing were longer ties, and the rumor at first obtained that the road was to be “third rail.” This was not so, the road as contemplated is to be simply a broad gauge road, nothing more or less.
Yesterday’s Work
The work planned for yesterday was to widen the gauge between Norwich and Hubbardsville, a distance of twenty three miles. Previously spikes had been driven to each tie to exactly the width of the new gauge, and yesterday’s work was to move the rails out to these spikes and fasten them securely in place. This was the more difficult, perhaps, because the rails of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western road are connected with a fish joint, and several lengths of track had to be moved together.
The working force was distributed in gangs along the twenty three miles, there being, perhaps, 175 men engaged in the job. Superintendent Thompson was on hand in person and superintending the gang. The massive form of Major Everts was leaning pensively on a pick handle as he watched the operation of a gang under his charge, trackmaster Hall and his clay pipe leading on his hand to sledgehammer glory; – all these might have been seen on the road between Hubbardsville and Norwich had any enlightened being walked that distance over the cast-off sharp iron spikes which lay promiscuously around and between the ties.
But as no man did walk that distance, they were not seen collectively. But for all that they did their work effectually, and when darkness and rain put an end to their labor, the gauge from Hubbardsville to Norwich had been graded.
The Mail.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad could of course deliver no mails between Norwich and Hubbardsville yesterday. The morning mail went down on the Midland, and was taken over the new brad gauge road last night. There was a slight error in the announcement yesterday, that there would be no train through on the D.L.& W. road yesterday. There was one train each way which ran through; the evening train from this city both made connections at Hubbardsville – that is, they met there – and these trains will make such connections each night this week. The time card, which the company has distributed along the line of their road, reads as follows: Trains will be abandoned as follows:
May 19. Trains 9 and 10, between Hubbardsville and Richfield Junction, and trains 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23 between Utica and Norwich. May 20. Trains 25, 26 and 27 on Richfield Springs branch; trains 13 and 14, between Utica and Richfield Junction, and trains 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23, between Utica and Norwich. May 21. Trains 9 and 10 between Utica and Richfield Junction; trains 13 and 14, between Utica and Richfield Junction, and trains 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23, between Utica and Norwich.
The Rolling Stock
Yesterday afternoon the inhabitants of Schuyler street were surprised at seeing a long string of passenger coaches, box cars, platform cars and coal jimmies, with here and there and engine sandwiched in, passing down their usually quiet avenue. This was the rolling stock at this end of the road, being taken to a narrow gauge switch. The have been 12 or 13 narrow gauge locomotives in constant use at this end of this division. Of these, five have been and two more are to be shipped to Mountain View, via the Midland road. The rest are destined for the Oswego and Syracuse division of this same road. To take the place of these, engines equal in number are expected from the main line of the road. As to passenger coaches the road is tolerably well supplied. The division has several new broad gauge coaches, and at Norwich, yesterday, workmen were busily engaged in placing broad gauge trucks under cars which had been used on narrow gauge tracks. They will answer every purpose.
The Misunderstanding
The statement published yesterday that there was a failure to agree between the D.L.& W. and the New York Central railroads, as to the former’s longer use of the latter’s track, was founded on a solid basis of fact, but the officials of the companies now hope to settle the matter amicably.
May 20, 1874
The Broad Gauge. – The broad gauge of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad was completed from Hubbardsville to Richfield Junction yesterday. A late train came through last night. Today there will be a through freight train, the freight being transshipped at the Junction, and today the usual trains will run except on the Richfield Springs branch, the change of passengers being made at the Junction. Also, tomorrow the last section of the road – that between this city and Richfield Junction, will be completed.
May 22, 1874
The Broad Gauge Completed. __ Through Trains on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. __ The first train from Utica on the broad gauge track of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad left that company’s yard, in this city, at 5:30 p.m. yesterday. The southern passengers were taken on the narrow gauge coaches from the Central depot to the end of the broad gauge track, and were transferred to the through train, when they rode through to Richfield Springs, Norwich and Binghamton without further changes. Superintendent Thompson, Roadmaster Hall, and their men, pushed the work from the Junction toward this city very rapidly yesterday. Conductor Everts, on a broad gauge train from Richfield Springs, followed the workmen as closely as possible, and came into Utica before the departure of the southern bound train. Of course there is considerable work to be accomplished before the task of widening the track can be called complete, but the tracks are all ready for the passage of trains, and the remainder of the labor can be done at leisure.
Today
It is probable that trains will run regularly from this city , today and hereafter. Until the arrangement for the laying of the extra rail into the Central railroad depot in this city is perfected, passengers will be taken to the terminus of the broad gauge track in the old coaches and transferred at that point.
Bad Luck.
It is said that four of the six narrow gauge locomotives of the D.L. & W. railroad, that were transferred to the Midland company for transportation to other sections of the road, have been smashed up by recent collisions.
May 23, 1874
The Broad Gauge. – Practically the broad gauge of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad is completed. Trains left this city as usual, yesterday. At present the road runs a narrow gauge train from the Central depot to their freight-house, and there a transfer of freight and passengers is made to broad gauge coaches. Today the mechanics will place broad gauge trucks under several handsome new passenger coaches in this city, and they will at once be put on the road.
An Oswegonian who started from this city last evening calculated the number of trains he had taken passage on in order to get to Richfield Springs and back. He took the morning train at the depot, and made his first transfer at the freight house. He got on the wrong car, and at Richfield Junction changed again.
Returning on the train which usually connects with the down freight at Richfield Junction, there was no freight to connect with. The train was run to Washington Mills, where it was met by a wild cat passenger from this city, and another transfer was made. Again at the freight house in this city he made another change, and finally arrived at Bagg’s Hotel in safety. Along the road there are gangs of men distributed a work, finishing the hasty work of the four days in which he change was made. Some switches have yet to be connected, and many spikes have yet to be driven. Monday the road will be in its usual health.
May 25, 1874
A circular from the superintendent’s office dated the 22d, at Syracuse, announces that trains will arrive at Binghamton from Utica, today, and hereafter at 12:55 and 9:10 p.m. We hear of no change at this point.