The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad was chartered on April 14, 1832. It completed between

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

and

Ballston Spa Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, wa ...

on March 19, 1836. The railroad was largely conceived and built by businessmen of Troy in response to Albany's construction of the

Mohawk and Hudson Railroad Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...

and the extension to Saratoga called the

Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad The Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad was incorporated on February 16, 1831. The founders were Henry Walton, John Clarke, William A. Langworthy, John H. Steele, Miles Beach, Gideon W. Davison, and Rockwell Putnam. The line was opened from Schene ...

. Despite its name, the railroad only reached to

and relied on the Saratoga and Schenectady to give it access to

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. When an agreement was not forthcoming, investors seized an opportunity to buy up Saratoga and Schenectady stock and take control of the railroad. Later acquisitions included trackage to

Whitehall, New York Whitehall is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 4,035 at the 2000 census. The Town of Whitehall contains a village also named Whitehall. Hi ...

and a line of steamers that plied Lake Champlain, allowing tourists to travel from Troy to Canada entirely by steam conveyance for the first time. The last expansion before the merger with the

Delaware and Hudson Canal Company The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP operates D&H ...

involved building new sections of track between Green Island and Watervliet that linked Albany and Troy for the first time. All of the leases, purchases, and road construction carried out by the Rensselaer and Saratoga resulted in a little railroad empire consisting of 175 miles of track and control of the Upper Hudson and Champlain Valleys. The Green Island Shops were built in 1871. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying photographs''
/ref> The

leased the line on May 1, 1871,

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminat ...

, 116 I.C.C. 611 (1926)
Valuation Docket No. 328, Delaware and Hudson Company et al.
pp. 729–730, 737 and it was consolidated into the

Delaware and Hudson Railroad The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP operates D&H ...

effective January 30, 1945.

Moody's Transportation Manual Moody's Investors Service, often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its historical name. Moody's Investors Service provides international ...

, 1984, p. 724

References

Bibliography

* From the Coalfields to the Hudson: A History of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, Larry Lowenthal (2009) * * Early Railroads of New York's Capital District, Timothy Starr (2011) * Interstate Commerce Commission, State of New York (1926) * Moody's Transportation Manual (1984)

External links

The Delaware and Hudson Historical Society

D & H Canal Historical Society

Railroads of New York's Capital District

City of Saratoga Springs
— Official site

City of Troy Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rensselaer Saratoga Railroad Defunct New York (state) railroads Predecessors of the Delaware and Hudson Railway Railway companies established in 1832 Railway companies disestablished in 1945 Defunct Vermont railroads Passenger rail transportation in New York (state) 1832 establishments in New York (state) 1945 disestablishments in New York (state) American companies established in 1832 American companies disestablished in 1945