Railroad car Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad

The Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad was a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. The Middleburgh–Schoharie Railroad served not only as a major passenger line in the Schoharie Valley but also as an artery of industry.

Hops Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whi ...

were frequently sent over the line when

Schoharie County Schoharie County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county ...

was one of the major grower of hops. Fares for the railroad were cheap for the contemporary times and encouraged travel across the Schoharie Valley. This had not happened before this except for travel by horse or walking. The Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad operated in conjunction with the Schoharie Valley Railroad, although they were separate companies, they frequently used each other's locomotives, equipment, and facilities. The Schoharie Valley Railroad ran between Schoharie and Schoharie Junction.

History

The Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad was founded in 1867. The first chairman of the railroad was Jacob Vroman and S.L. Mayham was named secretary. David Becker was named president of the railroad in 1868. The railroad was constructed at a cost of $105,000. Despite the construction, shares in the railroad dropped by ninety percent. The Railroad was aided by the fact that most of the terrain between Middleburgh and Schoharie is flat, reducing costs and engineering complexity.

Decline

After the rise of automobiles and the fall of the hop crop, the Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad began to decline. The railroad's last day of service was September 24, 1936. The railroad had become unprofitable during the twentieth century. Reluctantly the historic railroad was closed, although there is speculation that it could be reopened in modern times as a tourist attraction. The sister railroad, the Schoharie Valley Railroad continued operation until September 17, 1942, when it too was closed due to changing times.

Remnants

The railway stations of Middleburgh and Schoharie still exist. The one in Schoharie is preserved and the other has been used as a house. The depot in Middleburgh has recently been purchased by the village and will be restored as a museum.Community News
A passenger car and a caboose of the old line are preserved in Schoharie and are open to the public. Within the passenger car is a model railroad of the original M&S. Possibly converting the old right of way into a

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

has been brought up.

Locomotives

Presidents

*David Becker (1868–1870) *Daniel D. Dodge (1870–1878) *G.N. Frisbie (1878–1902) *Duryea Beekman (1902–1916) *D.D. Frisbie (1916–1931) *Christopher S. Best (1931–1935) *G.A. Hill (1935–1935) *John B. Bingham (1935–1936)

References

External links

Schoharie Valley Railroads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleburgh Schoharie Railroad Schoharie County, New York Defunct New York (state) railroads