West Shore Historical Railroad Utica NY

Abandoned railroad right of way from Frankfort NY to Clark's Mills NY as it traverses the city of Utica NY.
Notes:
Between Dudley Ave. and Neilson St. is Seymour Ave. (not labeled).
Abandon dates, sometime not the same as track removal dates.
Fort Plain to Little Falls 1971.
Little Falls to Ilion 1973.
Ilion to Harbor {east Utica} 1980.
Harbor to New Hartford 1971 a little left to serve the New York Mills branch still used today.
New Hartford to Vernon 1964.
GE radios made in Utica
• 1959 General Electric ...

[@CamboGuy07]

Faded out right at the trestle crossing over the Oriskany Creek in Clark Mills. Played on that trestle many times as a kid in the 60's, and hiked on the tracks from Woods Rd. (Woods Hwy now) to downtown Utica and back once. It was already abandoned back then.

[@vicnis625]

I heard they where gonna take it down soon, i hope not because its basicly become a landmark in town now

[@orvillespooner1]

There have been several requests as to how I did this. I am a part 107 drone pilot as well as an instrument rated private pilot. I take safety seriously. I applied to the FAA for a waiver to operate from a moving vehicle in a populated area. I did not specify clearly enough how I would do this safely in the event of any foreseeable failures with contingency plans. They needed detailed plans. Therefore I was denied. I then had to do this on multiple days from stationary positions along the way. It took several weeks over several months. I only operated early on Sunday mornings. Then the traffic would be light and pedestrian traffic was nearly non existent. I did not have the guts to fly under high tension wires at Dyke road or through the bridge over Rt 5s. But in that case it would involve flying over moving vehicles, in a precariously confined area. If anything went wrong, the aircraft would be on the highway. The weather was a problem, and therefore visibility varies. It became so difficult to find Sunday mornings with exact matching weather that I just did the best I could. The equipment was a DJI Phantom 4, except the section over Savage Arms/Charlestown was done with a Mavic Pro, not as good of a camera. It is a good idea to use an orange safety cone and wear a lime vest when operating from the shoulder of a road. It provides safety as well as gives a professional image. The few persons who happened upon my takeoff/landing sites steered clear of me and did not talk to me at all. Confrontations while flying are one thing to avoid if possible. Thank you for the kind words, it was a labor of love for the city of Utica. I believe the altitude was 120 feet throughout after Dyke road. Speed was as fast as possible in non-sport mode, 12mph average. Before Dyke road the scenery is boring so I sped it up in post production.

[@SupaFly10579]

Terrific job! Love your commentary too!

[@Terk131]

This video was great. Thank you.

[@sanddabz5635]

This was just fantastic, well done!

[@midstaterustics4507]

Awesome video my friend. I lived on Steuben street back when the West Shore was in operation, we used to either run up or ride our bikes to the crossing so we could wave to the engineer as the train passed. If only things were like back then, I sure do miss the old days. Thank You for putting this together, I look forward to more of your work in the future.

[@vettebecker1]

Very cool, a lot of the right of way is still visible today

[@mmi16]

Amazed that most of the right of way has been 'claimed' by utility company pole line, there are way too many 'formerly' industrial concerns identified and I suspect a number of property owners have no idea why their property and buildings are oddly shaped.

[@mimelio]

Very enjoyable video !!!

[@orvillespooner1]

I dug up one of my Utica history books. Tidbit; Savage Arms Corp. used 15 - 20 rail cars a day. Utica Radiator ( Steam Engine and Boiler ), used 20 - 30 rail cars a day. The area that The WEST SHORE went thru at Park Side Crt. and Auburn Ave. John Butterfield drove the first horse drawn street car on tracks Sept.14, 1863. The line was completed in time to service the 1863 NY State Fair. We where the FIFTH city to have street cars in the country. The trolleys where electrified in 1890.... The first commercial telegraph instrumemts were manufactured in UTICA by Samuel W. Chubbuck ( 1799 -1875 ). Samuel Morse`s second wife was a Utican. Gordon S. Utica NY

[@orvillespooner1]

Was told that at approximately 21:25 there was a station for Rhodes Hospital (where the business park is now). Wounded WWII soldiers would be unloaded after arriving by rail from New York City, after coming in from overseas.

[@railroadingrambler218]

There was also a small freight house on the GE/ConMed side of Chenango Ave

[@MrOwwl]

Taking a ride on a ghost train, I love it!

[@jimdep6542]

Thanks for your comments below regarding the corresponding historical events. This really was a great city.

[@orvillespooner1]

Crossings at Steuben, High, James, Elm, Kemble, Oneida. It was large area of commerce. It contained independent companies. as fallows. Roberts Fuel ( coal), Cutter Coal, Philip Thomas Lumber, ( latter Sunset Lumber which burned to the ground ), Wear house for Scyhlar Knitting mill, Utica water board yard. James, Kemble School. We skip forward to Shepard Pl. where ( Grand Union ) Price Chopper backs on. There was a small fright yard incorporating a loading dock on the south side of the yard. It crossed Genesee St. There where numerous car dealers in proximity. There was a Rail office on north side, at Genny. if I remember correctly ! Farther up the line at Sunset Ave. There was another coal yard. [It handled fuel oil in later years} The name alludes me. Going out towards French Rd. at the Dix Mix Memorial Park There where several " Auto Blocks " allowing the different RRs to cross each other. Namely the NY. Ontario & Western and the West Shore { New York Central }. I won`t complicate with addition of Delaware Lackawanna & Western which curves to the south !!!! .... The West Shore passes through the Yahanundasis Lake and heads into the village of Clarks Mills... In the early part of the century, many of the signals were Battery operated. Communication was done by telegraph on wires.. Telegraphy speeds where at 40 Words a minute, on a strait key... It beats the heck out of Texting these days!!! At the crossings in the city and elsewhere , CROSS BUCKS where used. DOT . changed that over the years. Gordon S. Utica

[@spuds6423]

Excellent job .... learned a lot

[@p40warhawkp40]

I appreciate you, your talent and your high level of safety filming this. Well done !

[@bruceraykiewicz6274]

Very very enjoyable. I had not idea so much trackage was ripped out of the West shore. I'm originally from Paterson, NJ. so much of the Erie and the Lackawanna was taken out of service or ripped up when I was a young adult. I now live in SW Florida. Unless you know what to look for, no trace of the Seaboard Air Line RR is visible. It was taken out in 1952. Thank you again for the great airiel video, and super sound effects.

[@mattcrossway3463]

Great footage!! I can't say enough how interesting this, and others like it are, especially with the historical photos and landmarks added in! THANK YOU!!

[@rickdaystar477]

Sarge's service station! My dad used to get his car serviced there. What memories this video brings back.

[@sanddabz5635]

Indeed!😀

[@jimdep6542]

GREAT video...well done ! The sound track is excellent !

[@zekemedia1310]

Past by my house in the Town of Frankfort. Great video

[@jeffryseitz9699]

I remember the Amsterdam to Fort plain section as a little kid. Conrail abandoned that section in 1981. From Fort Plain to Ilion in 1972 by the PC. I have 2 train books about railroads in the Mohawk Valley. Good piece of history.

[@rickdaystar477]

I found it and will watch. Appreciate your work.

[@intercityrailpal]

I did get to ride this on a train twice. Once a special train, the other time a detour of the North Shore Limited. A NY City to Detroit train via the North Shore of Canada. Albany to Utica.

[@christopherdibble5872]

Lived in Frankfort center; the engineers don't wave from the trains anymore, not like they did back in 1954.

[@Timdubz002]

Awesome drone video. I live in the mills area and wanted to do footage of the memorial walkway looks nice from up there. How many stop and goes did you have to do.

[@orvillespooner1]

Never took time to count. Done over several weeks, mostly early Sunday mornings. Every time there is a cross fade, that’s a stop and start. Rich

[@detailerny1]

back in the late 60s and early 70s,,,,i lived off rosevelt dr in utica ny,we would ride our bikes up to the tracks,where they went along rosevelt dr,,,,and had a BIG Crossing link,,,,that went towards new hartford ,and the other way along rt 12........i think,lol,,,,we would play up there along the tracks watching trains all day,The Penn Central,The Erie Lacawana,The NY,,,,,,,,,,,those were the best days,,,i can still hear the old horns in the night,,,,,,we lived on Barton Ave :}

[@orvillespooner1]

Do you recall when the last trains ran along the West Shore RR through the city? Can’t seem to find that answer.

[@railroadingrambler218]

@@orvillespooner1 About 1970 or 1971

[@SupaFly10579]

@@railroadingrambler218 Are there any pictures?

[@franciscampagna2711]

The interurban line was part of an experiment toward electrifying their New York to Buffalo line. The depression killed it off. Electrification was studied again after world war II. The cost/benefit ratio looked good at the time. The Central correctly decided a decline in traffic would turn the project into a disaster.

[@franciscampagna2711]

Too bad the NYC wasn't as prescient about those hundreds of passenger cars they bought. Thank you very much for your videos. Would it be possible to explore eastward?

[@twotabbymom2688]

It will be so cool to take the train to tupper for an overnight or weekend n return on train the next day

[@christopherdibble5872]

Pumped gas on bud's shell, back when gas was 30 cents a gallon, and love was only 60 cents away, that was on john Street, close to Genesee street, when we had the old gas wars in utica!

[@orvillespooner1]

Was told it is Cornhill..... not “Corn Hill”.

[@55westend1]

Can’t wait for Part 2! Keep going all the way to Weehawken, please! How much of this section of West Shore is now a hiking trail? Excellent job!

[@orvillespooner1]

It’s tough, a lot of private property west of Clark’s Mills....

[@christopherdibble5872]

Went to a one room school in Frankfort new york!

[@timtraver7152]

Parts of the former Erie Canal here and there?

[@intercityrailpal]

Arrow straight most of the way. Maybe because it was built so late? If we had a honest govenrment not controlled by the billion dollar oil, and highway industry. This would be a excellent place for a high speed rail line. In places up on a Pergola of course like in California that just got rid of 119 miles of dangerous level grade crossings! Long Island RR did that too. But they keep speeds to 65 and 70mph. Our federal government hates rail....they are paid to. So there is not big money for trains. Just taxes on private property of railroads and in the past tickets used to build highways like those empty billion dollar roads in the video! The answer is always more roads at any cost.

[@railroadingrambler218]

Holy Cow, what a great video! Lots of dedication, thanks so much for doing this. I'd like to do a drone video of the ex-O&W ROW from Utica-Deansboro, thanks for inspiring that thought!

[@railroadingrambler218]

I just wanted you to know that you were the inspiration for me doing a drone video (posted on my channel yesterday) of the O&W from Utica-New Hartford. Thanks again for making this video!

[@orvillespooner1]

Will watch when I have time, but very excited to know you did that! Rich V. (OrvilleSpooner1).

[@intercityrailpal]

Please do it, love to see it!

[@mattcrossway3463]

I've watched a video of that, I assume yours (it was several months ago), and LOVED it! SO MUCH to be seen that can't be from a car, and as with O. Spooner's here, the additions of historical photos and landmarks really bring it to life! THANK YOU!!

[@paulschortino3681]

Any idea when they removed the( black)bridge over Tilden Ave ?

[@leonardoglesby1730]

That was interesting, and for me a blast from the past. I had strong roots in the area. My father worked at Savage Arms 1940-42 when he went into the USAAF for the duration of the War. I had one uncle who worked at Chicago Pneumatic until the mid 1970's, and another who worked at Bendix. I lived in Utica from 1971-74 when I made my move to California. I still have cousins, and cousins grown kids who live in the area. All part of my old stomping grounds. Thanks for that.

[@valeriebassett3107]

Really great video. I'm so glad that I decided to watch this. Thank you for sharing.

[@orvillespooner1]

At 17:11 to the left of the title "Minit Car Wash" there is a blue historical marker that I had not seen before stating the RR was abandoned in 1971. Holland Ave. & Parkway. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4fMmqWKrtSCe5I