The Oneida Railway Company's 3rd rail system map
The Oneida Railway Company 3rd rail system (as shown below)connected with Utica and Syracuse city trolley lines that used the overhead system for collecting power for use by their cars. This was one element of the ORCo's operation that made it unique.
Below- This map shows the Oneida Railway Company's interurban route into and out of the City of Syracuse. By the date of this map, 1914, the ORCo had become the Oneida Lines of New York State Railways. The ORCo cars entered and exited Syracuse Rapid Transit's city trackage at Eastwood (to the right of this map) where a connection had been made to join the West Shore Railroad.
Below- At South Utica the West Shore Railroad (the former New York, West Shore & Buffalo Ry.) crossed the DL&WRR and Genesee Street at grade. When the electrified 3rd rail Oneida Railway Company began service in 1907, the interurban cars entered and exited the WSRR immediately east of the DL&W crossing and then proceeded to and from the Utica terminal across from Union Station by using Genesee Street. The trackage between the DL&W crossing and Genesee Street became known as the changeover point where the 3rd rail's cars changed power collection to/from th 3rd rail and overhead trolley line.
At Third Rail Stops where a WSRR station did not exist, the ORCo built wooden platforms and upon them placed standard design small shelters. Such was the case at Stop 37- Dewitt, as shown below.
Below- Stop 16's Vernon station grounds was typical for Stops using a existing West Shore station as well as an ORCo shelter house to accommodate Third Rail passengers. The 3-track section from Clark Mills ended at Vernon's block station VO that is marked B.S. on the map below.
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