PRR Elmira Branch

The Pennsylvania Railroad‘s Elmira Branch ran from Williamsport, PA through Elmira to Sodus, NY. It was primarily a freight line, though there were passenger trains on it, including to tourist attraction like Watkins Glen and Penn Yan where passengers could board boats on Keuka Lake.

History

The portion of the Elmira Branch that operated in New York State was always controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad, though the Northern Central Railway operated it under its name for many years. There is much more information on the Northern Central page, but the key dates for construction of the Elmira Branch are:

1850: The section from Elmira to Watkins was built by the Chemung Railroad as a broad gauge (6 feet) line.
1851: The Watkins to Canandaigua section, passing through Stanley was built by the Canandaigua and Corning Railroad as a broad gauge (6 feet) line. The line was operated in conjunction with the Erie Railroad.
1866: The Northern Central leased the companies and converted the line to standard gauge,
1873: The section from Sodus to Stanley was built by the Sodus Point and Southern Railroad

The Northern Central Railway gained control of all companies operating the line in 1872 and operated the line under its name until around 1914 when the Pennsylvania Railroad (which had owned the Northern Central since its inception) started operating the line under its own name.

The line was commonly referred to as the “Northern Central” both before and after the Northern Central Railway company operated the road. For example, the 1891 Travelers Official Guide has timetable for trains on the “Northern Central Railway” as a subset of timetables for the “Pennsylvania Railroad System.”

Stations

The following were the stations on the main line of the New York section of the line (from north to south):

Sodus Point * Wallington * Sodus Center * Calciana * Zurich * Fairville * Newark Station * Newark * Outlet * Phelps Junction * Orleans * Seneca Castle * Flint * Stanley * Hall * Bellona * Benton * Penn Yan * Milo * Himrod Junction * Starkey * Lakemont * Glenora * Rock Stream * Watkins * Montour Falls * Millport * Pine Valley * Horseheads * Elmira Heights * Elmira * Southport Junction * Southport * State Line

Canandaigua Branch

Canandaigua * Lewis * Stanley

Clippings

Timetables

A timetable effective November 25, 1867 of trains leaving Canandaigua, NY on the Northern Central Railway. Ontario County Times. Canandaigua, NY. March 4, 1868.

A timetable effective July 20, 1873 of departures from Buffalo on the Northern Central Railway. Evening Courier & Republic, Buffalo, NY, 15 August 1873, p. 4, NYS Historic Newspapers.

Timetable of trains to and from Elmira, NY as of January 23, 1882. Elmira [NY] Daily Advertiser, 23 May 1882, p. 7, NYS Historic Newspapers.

A timetable of trains leaving Penn Yan, NY on the Northern Central Railroad from a July 28, 1916 newspaper. Penn Yan [NY] Democrat, 28 July 1916, P. 2, NYS Historic Newspapers.

Learn More

Hall, Clayton Colman. 1912. Baltimore, Its History and Its People. Lewis Historical Publishing Co: Baltimore, MD.
Wikipedia. “Elmira and Lake Ontario Railroad“.
Wikipedia. “Northern Central Railway“.
Wilson, William Bender. 1895. History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.