New York residents could discover a route to discovery through a new statewide railroad promotion project.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Paul Shinal, Central New York Model Railroad and Historical Society member, stands among the model railways at the Skaneateles Junction museum in Elbridge. Finger Lakes Railway has teamed with the society and other state railway institutions to publish a Web site and brochures about the state's railroads in an effort to promote rail-based tourism.
Paul Shinal, Central New York Model Railroad and Historical Society member, stands among the model railways at the Skaneateles Junction museum in Elbridge. Finger Lakes Railway has teamed with the society and other state railway institutions to publish a Web site and brochures about the state's railroads in an effort to promote rail-based tourism.
“Tourist Railroads and Museums of New York” aims to raise public awareness of the state's railways and associated sites - including the Cayuga County-crossing Finger Lakes Railway and a handful of historic stops bordering its tracks.
Inspiring people to learn about the rail lines in their vicinity could prove valuable to New York state as a tourism initiative. Deb Najarro, the Finger Lakes Railway's manager of public relations and passenger services, feels the lure of passenger railways could reach both local residents and visitors.
“Railroads are offering train rides right in our backyards,” she said. “We're telling people about it in a 'do something' kind of way.”
The Finger Lakes Railway partnered with 16 of the state's railroad institutions - rail lines, museums and enthusiasts - to publish a Web site and a brochure detailing New York's railroads for distribution in the state's tourism offices.
One dot on the brochure's map is the Skaneateles Junction depot, which was built between 1870 and 1880, said Central New York Model Railroad and Historical Society member Paul Shinal. The Finger Lakes Railway itself was installed in 1839. One of the oldest railways in the country, the line first linked Syracuse to Auburn and reached out to Rochester two years later. In 1853, the track was absorbed by the New York Central Railroad.
“These tracks are still in the exact spot of the first (line),” Shinal said. “Some areas have had construction changes, but most of the whole main line is exactly where the original was.”
Though situated in Elbridge, Skaneateles Junction received its name from a connecting route south to the lakeside town. A switch stand indicating which line the track would follow - to Syracuse/Rochester or Skaneateles - is currently displayed in the depot. There the sign joins historic photos and other artifacts, such as the original head lamp of the last steam engine to travel the Skaneateles rail line.
Trains regularly stopped at Skaneateles Junction through 1972, when a group of railway enthusiasts bought the station and converted it into a museum. They also installed a model railroad line that occupies about two-thirds of the space.
“The model takes everyone's attention away,” Shinal said.
Shinal believes the presence of the Skaneateles Junction museum along the Finger Lakes Railway strengthens the line's appeal as a tourist destination. In Cayuga, riders often stop near another historic railroad site: the former New York Central Passenger and Freight Depot, which currently houses the Village of Cayuga's offices.
Railroad enthusiasts seeking out all of Cayuga County's historic sites could also visit the brick roundhouse near the old Bombardier plant in Auburn. Steam engines on the Lehigh Valley Railroad were once serviced in the building, which is located off the Finger Lakes Railway. The path of railroad history continues outside Cayuga County in both directions, such as Seneca Falls, where riders can visit 100-plus-year-old passenger and freight depots.
Though the railway depends on freight traffic to stay afloat economically, publicizing the historic fixtures of Cayuga County's rail system could boost already healthy passenger train traffic.
“It fills up almost every excursion,” Shinal said. “Everything we've done with (Finger Lakes Railway) has sold out a week or two prior.”
Shinal and Najarro each point to unique perks of riding trains that they hope New York residents and visitors will also discover through “Tourist Railroads.” For Shinal, the big draw is the ease of boarding and leaving the train. In the time between, riders can read, work on a laptop or simply relax in a quiet atmosphere.
The scale of railroad equipment amazes Najarro. As modes of transportation go, the train's size and intricacy is dwarfed only by that of an airplane, she said. But two tiny steel rails guide that massive machinery on its way.
“It goes through tight areas and countryside you don't see from the common road way,” she said. “The scenery is always changing and completely new.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
Inspiring people to learn about the rail lines in their vicinity could prove valuable to New York state as a tourism initiative. Deb Najarro, the Finger Lakes Railway's manager of public relations and passenger services, feels the lure of passenger railways could reach both local residents and visitors.
“Railroads are offering train rides right in our backyards,” she said. “We're telling people about it in a 'do something' kind of way.”
The Finger Lakes Railway partnered with 16 of the state's railroad institutions - rail lines, museums and enthusiasts - to publish a Web site and a brochure detailing New York's railroads for distribution in the state's tourism offices.
One dot on the brochure's map is the Skaneateles Junction depot, which was built between 1870 and 1880, said Central New York Model Railroad and Historical Society member Paul Shinal. The Finger Lakes Railway itself was installed in 1839. One of the oldest railways in the country, the line first linked Syracuse to Auburn and reached out to Rochester two years later. In 1853, the track was absorbed by the New York Central Railroad.
“These tracks are still in the exact spot of the first (line),” Shinal said. “Some areas have had construction changes, but most of the whole main line is exactly where the original was.”
Though situated in Elbridge, Skaneateles Junction received its name from a connecting route south to the lakeside town. A switch stand indicating which line the track would follow - to Syracuse/Rochester or Skaneateles - is currently displayed in the depot. There the sign joins historic photos and other artifacts, such as the original head lamp of the last steam engine to travel the Skaneateles rail line.
Trains regularly stopped at Skaneateles Junction through 1972, when a group of railway enthusiasts bought the station and converted it into a museum. They also installed a model railroad line that occupies about two-thirds of the space.
“The model takes everyone's attention away,” Shinal said.
Shinal believes the presence of the Skaneateles Junction museum along the Finger Lakes Railway strengthens the line's appeal as a tourist destination. In Cayuga, riders often stop near another historic railroad site: the former New York Central Passenger and Freight Depot, which currently houses the Village of Cayuga's offices.
Railroad enthusiasts seeking out all of Cayuga County's historic sites could also visit the brick roundhouse near the old Bombardier plant in Auburn. Steam engines on the Lehigh Valley Railroad were once serviced in the building, which is located off the Finger Lakes Railway. The path of railroad history continues outside Cayuga County in both directions, such as Seneca Falls, where riders can visit 100-plus-year-old passenger and freight depots.
Though the railway depends on freight traffic to stay afloat economically, publicizing the historic fixtures of Cayuga County's rail system could boost already healthy passenger train traffic.
“It fills up almost every excursion,” Shinal said. “Everything we've done with (Finger Lakes Railway) has sold out a week or two prior.”
Shinal and Najarro each point to unique perks of riding trains that they hope New York residents and visitors will also discover through “Tourist Railroads.” For Shinal, the big draw is the ease of boarding and leaving the train. In the time between, riders can read, work on a laptop or simply relax in a quiet atmosphere.
The scale of railroad equipment amazes Najarro. As modes of transportation go, the train's size and intricacy is dwarfed only by that of an airplane, she said. But two tiny steel rails guide that massive machinery on its way.
“It goes through tight areas and countryside you don't see from the common road way,” she said. “The scenery is always changing and completely new.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
