Updated train article by Karen Cuccinello
Karen revised her article after some new information (well, not really new, but…) came to light. Here’s the updated version:
In February of 1954 the discontinuance of the passenger, mail and railway express train service on the Catskill Mountain branch of the NY Central Railroad was authorized by the State Public Service Commission. New York Central had been trying to shut down the passenger service for about a year prior against heavy opposition from the people in the Stamford area. The last train, often billed as “The Only All-Rail Route to the Catskill Mountains”, ran on March 31, 1954 with a large fanfare, after 82 years of service.
According to most reports the first passenger train of the New York, Kingston and Syracuse Railroad (N.Y., K.& S. R.R.) to make the 75 mile journey from Stamford to Kingston left on December 12, 1872, but after further review I found otherwise. The construction train (people could ride this train if they dared) made its first appearance in Stamford on December 2 and according to the December 10 (SM) the passenger train arrived on December 8. Also from the December 10 (SM)- The first lady passenger that came to Stamford was Miss Amanda Straton, of Roxbury, and the first lady to leave Stamford was Miss Mina Champion, of Stamford. The train tracks eventually made there way to Oneonta by the year 1900 to complete the run of 104 miles.
The Rondout and Oswego Railroad, chartered in 1866, went bankrupt after the tracks reached Roxbury in the summer of 1872 and was reorganized as the N.Y., K.& S. R.R. which went bankrupt in 1875 and became the Ulster & Delaware R.R. (U&D). In 1932 the U&D was merged into the New York Central and became known as the Catskill Mountain Branch, and in 1968 Penn Central took over. At its peak, in 1913, it carried 676,000 passengers.
September 1877 Stamford Mirror (SM)- New time-table went into effect on the U & D Railroad. The morning train leaves Stamford at 6:15, and reaches Rondout at 11:30. The mail train leaves Rondout at 7:30, arrives at Stamford at 1P.M.; leaves Stamford at 2, and arrives at Rondout at 5:30 PM.
May 1879 (SM)- Our people cannot complain of our facilities of travel to and from New York (City), take the 1:30 train at Stamford to Rondout, then step on board either the Baldwin or Thomas Cornell, as good and elegant floating palaces as a person can ask, spend an evening viewing the prettiest river scenery in the world, spend a night of refreshing balmy sleep, and wake up in the morning in New York, fresh for business or pleasure- all for $3.22.
September 1879 (SM)- The largest regular passenger train that ever ran over the U&D railroad was the 8:20 from Stamford on August 30th, Thomas Kennedy the conductor, upon arrival at Rondout there were 222 passengers and 174 pieces of baggage.
July 1908 Gilboa Monitor- F.A. Peck, U&D mail clerk was held up and robbed on the train near Stamford by two tramps who boarded the train at Grand Gorge. They took $17 from him, but were frightened from further depredation when the train approached Stamford and jumping off.
August 1925 (SM)- Another new industry is rapidly developing in the Stamford section- that of growing cauliflower. Within the past few days the U&D railroad has added an extra fast freight exclusively for the shipment of cauliflower, and vicinity shippers are finding this daily service a great convenience. This train leaves Stamford daily following the 1:15PM passenger train and arrives in New York City the same night in ample time for the opening of the morning markets.
On March 31, 1954 three additional coaches were added for the last passenger train ride from Kingston to Oneonta. Hundreds of people enjoyed the last ride including a full car of 60 Kingston Rotarian’s and a group of 60 Grand Gorge Central School students. The train was greeted by the Stamford Central School band under the direction of Daniel Mincarelli.
Freight runs continued after the passenger and mail service ended but they were lessened. Trucks were to be used to carry mail between Kingston and Oneonta starting on April 1st, 1954.
Following the blizzard of February 1958 a freight train and railroad snowplow went off the tracks one mile East of Stamford and held up rail traffic for three days.
In 1965 the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and interested parties met at the Delaware Inn to discuss a proposed “short line” railroad to operate between Oneonta and Bloomville as a tourist attraction. More than $14,000 had been pledged towards this $205,000 project. Sadly it did not happen.
October 6, 1976 Mirror-Recorder- On the morning of October 2nd four men in coveralls emerged from an automobile at Railroad Avenue and South St. in the village of Stamford, walked down the tracks to a location behind the Demarest feed mill where a big black locomotive stood with it’s diesel engine running. They climbed aboard the train and moved the conveyance slowly South to Kingston. They were the crew of the last train from Stamford.
This story was brought-to-mind because of a bunch of glass slides that Pat Parks, of the Stamford Village Library, found in a corner of the Libraries history room. The slides of Stamford events, mostly from the 1950’s through the 1970’s will all eventually be digitized over the next month.
May 1872 (SR)- 200 men are wanted to work on the railroad at Stamford.
September 1873 (WJ)- a team belonging to David Poppino was run over and killed by an express train near Stamford. They were valued at $300.
May 1875 (SM)- Some twenty car loads of potatoes have shipped to market by railroad from Stamford, this spring at 40 cents per bushel.
September 1877 (SM)- new time-table went into effect on the Ulster & Delaware Railroad last Saturday. The morning train leaves Stamford at 6:15, and reaches Rondout at 11:30. The mail train leaves Rondout at 7:30, arrives at Stamford at 1P.M.; leaves Stamford at 2, and arrives at Rondout at
5:30 PM. No Big Indian or Dean’s Corners trains.
1878 (SM)- last Thursday morning’s fast train from Stamford killed one of Osmar Hanes cows.
May 1879 (SM)- Our people cannot complain of our facilities of travel to and from New York, take the 1:30 train at Stamford to Rondout, then step on board either the Baldwin or Thomas Cornell, as good and elegant floating palaces as a person can ask, spend an evening viewing the prettiest river scenery in the world, spend a night of refreshing balmy sleep, and wake up in the morning in New York, fresh for business or pleasure- all for $3.22.
September 1879 (SM)- City people who have been sojourning among the mountains of Delaware and Ulster counties are now making a homeward rush. The 8:20 train from Stamford has attached two extra coaches.- the largest regular passenger train that ever ran over the U&D railroad was the 8:20 from Stamford on August 30th, Thomas Kennedy the conductor, upon arrival at Rondout there were 222 passengers and 174 pieces of baggage.
December 1879 (SM)- Sunday train leaves Stamford at 9AM, arrives in Rondout 12:45. leaves Rondout 1:30 and arrives Stamford 6:30PM.
July 1908 (GM)- F.A. Peck, U&D mail clerk was held up and robbed on the train near Stamford by two tramps who boarded the train at Grand Gorge. They took $17 from him, but were frightened from further depredation when the train approached Stamford and jumping off, disappeared.
August 1925 (SM)- Another new industry is rapidly developing in the Stamford section- that of growing cauliflower. Within the past few days the U&D railroad has added an extra fast freight exclusively for the shipment of cauliflower, and vicinity shippers are finding this daily service a great convenience. This train leaves Stamford daily following the 1:15PM passenger train and arrives in New York City the same night in ample time for the opening of the morning markets.
December 1927 (SM)- The U&D Railroad will operate a holiday train leaving Stamford December 26th and January 2nd at 3:07PM and connecting at Kingston for New York.