​    The history of the Oneida Railway Company of Oneida, New York (its official name until shortened to simply Oneida Railway Company on August 4, 1903) is a complex combination of endeavors by people and corporations to provide modern transportation, improve community and personal prosperity, and make money. This involved history of the ORCo goes far beyond the scope, comprehension and posting via this Internet site. Yet, some details need to be provided so as to perpetuate the memory of this unique and historic trolley and interurban company.
    The Oneida Railway Company of Oneida, New York was incorporated on May 14, 1885 as a 1.5 mile horse drawn trolley car system. Its purpose was to connect the downtown New York Central & Hudson River Railroad station with the New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railway – New York, Ontario & Western Railway union station named Oneida Castle. Trackage between these two terminals ran via Oneida’s Main Street. The NYWS&BRy, of course, was soon to become a possession of the NYC&HRRR; the latter having little need for what would become known as the West Shore Railroad. (Right, top - The first two Oneida Railway Company horse drawn trolleys proceed down Oneida's Main Street on opening day, July 4, 1885.)
    Horse drawn trolley service expired after seventeen years because – by 1902 – Frank Sprague had successfully developed the needed technology to propel rail transportation vehicles by electricity. It was the genius of Mr. Sprague that made it possible for the electric railway boom all across the United States during the early years of the Twentieth Century. (Left, top - Last day of horse drawn service, July 29, 1902.)
    On July 29, 1902, the ORCo’s horses went to the barn for the final time, and the company’s service was discontinued so that the conversion for overhead electric operation could commence. In addition to its electrical conversion, the ORCo added additional track so that its mileage increased nearly four fold. This included a second track within Oneida’s Main Street, a new track laid within Lenox Avenue, as well as an extension of the line to Wampsville that was soon to become the county seat of Madison County.
    Electric conversion and new trackage were completed so that electric operation could begin on December 2, 1902. Further change was in the wind for the ORCo as Cleveland (Ohio) traction magnates Horace E. Andrews and John J. Stanley would gain control of it as they had previously done with the Utica & Mohawk Valley Railway and would soon do with the Syracuse Rapid Transit Company. It was the goal of these two men to lace together existing trolley lines so as to connect New York State’s Mohawk Valley with its western cities of Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Andrews and Stanley also had a novel vision. Since the West Shore Railroad was little used and without substantial purpose, why not equip it for electric operation. The difficulty, of course, was that the WSRR was owned by the Central who were keenly aware of inroads being made into its passenger service by neighboring and competing trolley lines. (Right, middle - Formal portrait on opening day of electric trolley operation, December 2, 1902.)
    The Central, to its own benefit, realized that instead of losing revenue to the trolley lines it could make money by owning them so it began acquiring lines that paralleled its existing steam propelled lines. During the midst of these acquisitions, Horace Andrews met (often) with Central officials so that eventually an alliance between the Andrews-Stanley Syndicate and the NYC&HRRR was formed. All of this took place over several years but, the end result was, Andrews became a Central vice-president – as did William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. who became the railroad’s chief of electric holdings. Andrews was – and remained – the president of the ORCo, U&MV, and SRT systems, all of which became properties of the Vanderbilt Road.
    It was through this Syndicate-Central alliance that Andrews and Stanley were able to lobby for electrifying portions of the West Shore Railroad; overtures of which were warmly received by the Central. It should be remembered, however, that it was the Syndicate’s dream to develop an electric transportation system while the Central looked to make money by finally having something that its WSRR was good for. Thus began the planning for and implementation of electrical apparatus to convert a portion of the WSRR between Utica and Syracuse from a steam road to an electric interurban system. Actual construction commenced on July 25, 1905. And, in a surprising move, the Oneida Railway Company was the corporation charged by the Central to equip the electric line for operation.
Using the Oneida Construction Company, which had been formed earlier for the ORCo’s electric conversion – a company headed by C. Loomis Allen who was a crony of the Syndicate and a vice-president of the ORCo, U&MV, and SRT – Andrews and Vanderbilt were able to control the conversion of the West Shore line while at the same time making a few bucks for their respective companies.
    There was much to do to convert the Utica to Syracuse portion of the West Shore for interurban operation: Installing new rail and ties, acquiring and building an electrical supply and transmission system(s), erecting sub-stations, adding additional trackage, building connections between the WSRR and the connecting city transit systems in both Utica and Syracuse, acquiring rolling stock, and building new shelters for Stops and Block Stations for a new signal system. But, most urgently was that a decision had to be made as to the type of electrical delivery system; an overhead catenary or third rail. The Andrews-Stanley Syndicate considered the overhead delivery system the type to employ because that was what the U&MV and SRT used at both ends of the section to be electrified. NYC’s Chief Engineer William Wilgus, however, desired to use the underrunning third rail system that he and Frank Sprague would receive a patent for on December 29, 1908.
    It is important to remember that at the time of the West Shore’s conversion that the NYC was also beginning its electrification of the “Electric Zone” into and out of Grand Central Terminal in New York City, which itself was to be completely revamped with a grand new terminal constructed with Wilgus leading its charge. And, in consideration of the Pennsylvania Railroad – the Central’s chief rival – using an overhead electrical delivery system for its suburban territory it’s understandable that Wilgus’ Central selected the 3rd rail system for the electrification of the West Shore as well as its Electric Zone. This decision brought about the ORCo’s chief unique feature; third rail usage amongst neighboring catenary systems.
    During the WSRR conversion, the entire process of re-equipping an existing railroad for electric service had to be learned; somewhat by trial and error. It could therefore be said that to some degree the electrification of the WSRR by the ORCo was a test bed, or prototype, for the Electric Zone work that was soon to follow. Installation and conversion techniques were honed on the upstate system so that similar – if not improved – methods could be employed down state.
    The Oneida Railway Construction Company’s work on its WSRR conversion proceeded uninterrupted except during the winters of 1905-06 and 1906-07 when work was suspended. All of the work proceeded mostly from east to west so that by the end of 1906 the railroad from Utica to Canastota was mostly set up for turning on the juice. There was some thought given to having this portion of the line opened to service, but it was decided to wait until the entire system could be opened simultaneously.   
    During this work, a new hydraulic power station had to be built (along the Hudson River near Glens Falls, N.Y.) and a 100-mile transmission line had to be built to bring its power to Utica for delivery to the 3rd rail system at Clark Mills where sub-station #1 was situated. From sub-station #1 to sub-station #4 at Manlius Centre (later Minoa) the Archbold-Brady Company (of Syracuse) had to erect the ORCo’s 60,000 volt AC transmission line. This consisted of spacing 392 towers between the two points, with each tower lying approximately 500 feet apart and supporting a three line system whereby each line carried 30,000 volts. In this manner, any two of the lines could transmit the needed power to each sub-station that would be more easily able to start rotary converters to provide the 600 volt DC power that was to be delivered to the third rail system. In addition to sub-stations at Clark Mills and Manlius Centre, two nearly identical facilities were also built, at Vernon and Canastota. (Exterior and interior views of Sub-station #1 are shown at left and right.)
    Also undertaken during the WSRR conversion was completely relaying the existing double track line with new Dudley 80lb rail produced by the Lackawanna Steel Company. And, throughout the 44.09 line conversion segment of the WSRR all new ties were placed to support the new rails; each fifth tie being one-foot longer (9.5 feet) than a regular tie so that brackets could be fastened to hold the 3rd rail in place. In addition to modernizing the existing WSRR trackage, the ORCo added a third track between Clark Mills and Vernon over Vernon Grade amounting to 13.6 miles, and a fourth track (where three tracks were already in place) 1.91 miles in length between Oneida (Clockville Road) and Canastota. All trackage on the 3rd rail electrified WSRR would eventually total 105.6 miles. All this meant that 105.6 miles of Dudley designed 70lb “bull-head” 3rd rail would have to be placed, 55,756 long ties (at least) and an equal number of brackets would have to be placed and fastened one to the other, and 111,514 insulating blocks would be needed to connect the 3rd rail to the brackets. The rail was also produced by Lackawanna Steel, and the porcelain insulating blocks were made by the Ohio Brass Company. (Procuring enough porcelain insulating blocks for initial installation proved difficult, so a majority of wood blocks were milled for insulating the bracket from the 3rd rail by a Utica lumber company.)
    For insulating the 30,000 volt AC wires from the (mostly) 39-foot tall transmission towers were large (44 pound) pin-type insulators made by the Thomas Company of Lisbon, Ohio. Because three of these type insulators were needed for each tower a total of 1,176 insulators had to be acquired.
    On this 44 mile section of the WSRR, existing stations at Clark Mills, Hecla, Vernon, Oneida Castle, Canastota, (North) Chittenango, Manlius Centre, and Kirkville were planned for use by ORCo passengers. At these locations, shelters also had to be placed for passengers on the track side opposite the depots. At rural locations, shelters and platforms had to be fabricated for both sides of the track. In total, there would be 41 Stops on the electrified third rail system. These existing stations and rural shelters would be where three types of service was planned for the electric operation: Limited trains (stopping only at Canastota and Oneida between Utica and Syracuse terminals), Local trains (which were scheduled to stop at a majority of Stops but could be signaled to stop at unscheduled Stops), and Package/Express service (for most of the station located Stops). Enhancing the ORCo’s operation of this portion of the WSRR was that the NYC&HRRR would suspend all passenger service between Utica and Syracuse (on the West Shore line) so that only the Oneida Railway Company would handle passengers. The NYC&HRRR, however, would continue to run one through passenger (steam) train in both directions as well as steam powered freight trains as needed.
   Because of the increase in trackage, as well as the fact that high speed interurban cars would have to interact with slow moving freight trains, a Block Station system was installed to enhance signaling and safety. Block stations (towers) were built at West Utica, New York Mills, Clark Mills (2), Vernon Grade, Vernon, Oneida (Main Street), Oneida (Clockville Road), Canastota, (North) Chittenango, Kirkville, Manlius Centre, and Eastwood (a Syracuse suburb). These towers were coded (respectively) WU, NF, CR, AK, VG, VO, YO, CV, CD, CT, KR, MU, and WX. (CR tower did not operate long as it was deemed to be unneeded for operational purposes.)
    And, of course, the ORCo had to have interurban cars to provide the service, to which fifteen cars for passengers were purchased from the J.G. Brill Company as well as two express cars. These cars were numbered 500-528 (passenger) and 406-408 (express), even numbers only, and all cars were single ended. (An express car from the U&MVRy, #404, was also added to the rolling stock roster.) Since the 3rd rail cars also had to run over city systems at both ends of the route, all the cars were equipped for both 3rd rail and overhead delivery pickup. At both South Utica and Eastwood, where the 3rd rail line connected with the U&MV and SRT lines, changeover points had to be built whereby trackage contained both types of delivery systems so that cars could (and had to) stop to change collection systems depending on whether they were entering or leaving 3rd rail territory. (When the 3rd rail WSRR system was finally connected to the Oneida city system in 1912, changeover points also had to be built at Oneida [Main Street] and Oneida - Clockville Road.)
     While the above information provides only a fraction of what had to be undertaken by the ORCo under direction of Loomis Allen to ready the WSRR for interurban service, it does show the degree and complexity of the work that had to be accomplished. But, the OCCo and NYC forces were equal to the task so that Horace Andrews could announce that opening day of the Oneida Railway Company’s electrified third rail line would be June 15, 1907 (for officials and invited guests) and the following day for public usage.
    On the official opening day of June 15, 1907, three trains were run to pick up dignitaries along the line and bring them to Utica, and to provide round-trip inspection service for these same men. The following day third rail service was opened to the public; the ORCo’s operation was an immediate success. Just how successful you may be wondering? During July 1906, the NYC&HRRR carried slightly more than 11,000 passengers between Utica and Syracuse on both its main line and West Shore trains. One year later, during July 1907 (the first full month of ORCo service) the third rail line (only) carried over 110,000 passengers! Everyone was happy; the Central was making money rather than seeing revenue being made by competing trolley lines and the general public was provided service that allowed speedy travel between two of upstate New York’s largest cities and made it possible for rural folks to travel into the cities for work. That was the beauty – and success – of the electrification. It made communities more proximate. Not in changing the distance between them, but in changing the time it took to travel between them. This was the great success of Frank Sprague’s electrical inventions. (Left- On June 15, 1907, ORCo cars #502 and 504 proceed up Utica's Genesee Street carrying dignitaries who received a commemorative ribbon - right - as a keepsake of the event.)
    After the electrified third rail line’s service began on June 16, 1907, there was little change in operation or schedule as time passed. In addition to the afore mentioned connection to the Oneida city trackage, which allowed the institution of Workingmen’s trains (run between Oneida [downtown at Lenox Avenue] and Vernon for the convenience of Oneida Community Limited workers at Sherrill), and the development of the Sherrill-Kenwood Trolley – officially the Kenwood Extension – that opened on December 1, 1909, little else changed during the coming years of the line’s electric operation. It was, however, the improvement of highways – notably Route 5 that paralleled the ORCo line – that brought about the public’s changing attitude towards rail transportation. Riding a 3rd rail car at 50mph in 1907 was exhilarating and a great service. But, by 1930, people were driving their own vehicles at that speed AND at their own convenience.
    Consequently, ridership on the ORCo cars (which had become a component of the New York State Railways in 1912) slowly deteriorated to the point that New York State’s Public Service Commission allowed abandonment of the electric service on December 31, 1930. All good things must come to an eventual end, and as good as the service and operation of the Oneida Railway Company – later Oneida Lines of the New York State Railways – was, it is a human characteristic to employ what is best for oneself. The public made the third rail line a success, and the public brought about its demise. But, during its life, the Oneida Railway Company’s electrified third rail line brought prosperity and convenience to large and small communities alike, as well as to legions of residents who could shop, work, live, and travel more efficiently than ever was thought could be the case. Time, and change, marches on. Now the ORCo is but a fond memory; its legacy being that it was a unique operation that for a short period of time was the grandest electric operation on the entire NYC&HRRR.
    Horace Andrews and John Stanley had hoped that the ORCo would be the first phase of re-equipping the entire WSRR. But, that was not to be. The NYC, it seems, was content to corral electricity in only this corridor and not let it infect other steam regions.
    Yet, consider this. During its heyday, Limited cars operating between downtown Utica and Syracuse traveled between these terminals in 55 minutes. Although the New York State Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is in operation between these two cities today it is impossible to go downtown to downtown in that same 55 minutes. Long live the memory of the Oneida Railway Company, a Lilliput trolley line that became a Goliath interurban system.