Timothy Starr 128 pages softcover
New York's Capital District
was ideally situated to become one of the nation's earliest and most
important transportation crossroads. The Mohawk River was the only water
level gap in the Appalachian range to the west, which led to the
construction of the Erie Canal. Soon after its completion, the state's
first railroad began operating between Albany and Schenectady in 1831.
Other pioneer railroads followed, heading north to Canada, south to New
York City, west to Chicago, and east to Boston. Over the next century,
railroads like the New York Central, Boston & Albany, Boston &
Maine, and Delaware & Hudson built extensive passenger stations,
freight and classification yards, and repair shops in the tri-city
region. Passenger operations continue today at the Schenectady and
Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak stations, while the Selkirk Yard is still an
important classification point for CSX Transportation.
