Delaware & Hudson Timeline

  • March 13, 1823 - Pennsylvania State Legislature authorizes the Wurtz Brothers to canalize the Lackawaxen River

  • April 23, 1823 - New York State passes act incorporating the "The President, Mangers and Company of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co."

  • March 8, 1824 - Philip Hone elected as first President of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co.

  • April 5, 1826 - Pennsylvania State Legislature authorizes construction of a railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale

  • August 8, 1827 - Stourbridge Lion makes history as the locomotive to run on rails in the United States

  • September 9, 1827 - Second run of the Stourbridge Lion confirms fears that the locomotive is too heavy for the track as built.

  • January 8, 1831 - New York State Assembly authorizes the Incorporation of the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad.

  • April 14, 1832 - Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad Company incorporated by special act of the New York State Legislature.

  • January 6, 1847 - Delaware and Hudson selects John Roebling to build three suspension aqueducts to widen and improve the navigability of the canal.

  • 1851 - Albany & Susquehanna Railroad Incorporated to build from Albany to Binghamton, NY.

  • May, 1867 - Delaware and Hudson petitions State of New York to amend it's charter to include all rights and privileges accorded to railroads.

  • September 2, 1868 - D&H enters into contract to build a railroad (Jefferson Railroad Co.) North out of Carbondale to connect with the Erie at Lanesboro, PA

  • February 24, 1870 - Albany & Susquehanna Railroad enters perpetual lease with the Delaware and Hudson

  • May 1, 1871 - Rensselaer and Saratoga leased by the Delaware and Hudson

  • Sept. 23, 1883 - Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen formed in Caboose #10 in Oneonta Yard.  This organization blossomed into the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen on October 23, 1889.

  • June 13, 1899 - Abandonment of the Canal

  • November 5, 1902 - Adirondack Railway Co. officially merged with the D&H

  • April 9, 1907 - Napierville Junction Railway Purchased by the D&H    

  • 1940 - First Purchase of Challengers

  • 1943 - Purchase of 15 Northerns

  • 1944 - Purchase of the first 2 diesels on the D&H (Alco S2's #3000-3001)

  • 1946 - Last Purchase of Challengers

  • 1953 - Last Steam retired on the D&H      

  • 1968 - Arrival of the 4 remaining Alco PA's

  • 1968 - D&H Placed under the control of N&W via Dereco

  • 1972 - Damages caused by Hurricane Agnes put the Erie-Lackawanna into receivership, dissolving Dereco 

  • August, 1974 - Arrival of the two RF16 Sharks

  • April 1, 1976 - Creation of Conrail, conveyance of locomotives, rolling stock & trackage rights to the D&H 

  • 1978 - Departure of the C628's, U30C's, SD45's & PA's to Mexico

  • April, 1978 - Sale of Sharks to Private Owner

  • January 5, 1984 - Completion of Purchase of the D&H by Guilford Industries

  • June 20, 1988 - Placement of the D&H into receivership by Guilford

  • 1990 - Purchase of the D&H by Canadian Pacific