Batten Kill Railroad
 | |
 BKRR Engine #4116 heading northbound at North Old State Road near Eagle Bridge, New York. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Greenwich, New York |
| Reporting mark | BKRR |
| Locale | New York |
| Dates of operation | 1982 (1982)–present |
| Predecessor | |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 32 mi (51 km) |
| Other | |
| Website | https://www.snerr.us/ DBA Southern New England Railroad |
The Batten Kill Railroad (reporting markBKRR) is a class III railroad operating in New York. The BKRR was formed in 1982 beginning operations on October 22[1] of a pair of abandoned Delaware and Hudson Railway branch lines, totaling about 30 miles of track.
History
The Greenwich and Johnsonville Railway (G&J) was incorporated in the late part of the 19th century, and built a rail line between Greenwich and Johnsonville, New York.[2]
Around 1900, G&J became a subsidiary of the Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H). By 1907, the G&J (with support from parent D&H) had built a branch from Greenwich to Greenwich Junction (just south of Salem) where it connected to the D&H's Washington Branch that was built circa 1856. The old G&J route to Johnsonville was abandoned in July 1932 and all traffic henceforth went via "The Junction" in Salem.[3] Most of the abandoned section to Johnsonville eventually became (Washington) County Route 74.
Following the 1980 closure of the Georgia Pacific pulp & paper mill in Thomson, New York, the D&H planned to abandon the G&J along with the adjoining Washington Branch, which ran from Eagle Bridge, New York to Castleton, Vermont. In 1982, Mohawk-Hudson Transportation, owned by Ron Crowd, purchased the railroad from the D&H, forming the Batten Kill Railroad. Crowd had the distinction of being the first African-American to own and operate a railroad in the United States.[4]
While initially financially successful, a series of national railroad strikes in the mid-1980s left the railroad in a less profitable state. In 1994, the railroad was turned over to NE New York Rail, a non-profit, and the BKRR remained the operator. Passenger excursions were started, but were terminated by late 2003 due to declining ridership.[5] In November 2008, William (Bill) Taber purchased the Batten Kill from Mohawk Transportation and the estate of the late Ron Crowd. Taber is the current President and CEO of the railroad.
Rail assistance programs
In 2016, the Batten Kill Railroad got a $1.3 million state grant funding installation of new cross ties onto about 4 miles of track.[6]
Route
The Batten Kill's sole interchange location is in Eagle Bridge, New York where it connects to the main line of Berkshire and Eastern Railroad (formerly Pan Am Railways and the Boston & Maine). The line runs north from Eagle Bridge, through Cambridge, New York and Shushan, New York, to Greenwich Junction. From there, a short remnant of the D&H Washington Branch continues north into Salem, New York. This segment is out of service. This north-south component of the line is paralleled by NY Route 22. The other route from the junction continues west to the village of Greenwich, paralleled by NY Route 29. The line running west from Greenwich to Thomson, New York, is also out of service. In Greenwich, the railroad maintains a small engine house and the former G&J depot as an office.
Subsidiaries and locomotive roster
The Batten Kill Railroad currently operates a subsidiary called the Southern New England Railroad (reporting mark SNEX), which is located at the same facility.[7] There are a total of six locomotives in use, with four of them being operated under the subsidiary.
- BKRR Engine #605 is an Alco RS-3 built in 1950, originally Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad (L&HR) Engine #10.[8]
- BKRR Engine #4116 is an Alco RS-3 built in 1952, originally Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H) Engine #4116 and later under the Greenwich & Johnsonwille Railway (G&J)...its subsidiary. The engine continues to keep lettering for the G&J.[8]
- SNEX Engine #5012 is an Alco RS-36 built in 1962, originally Atlantic & Danville Railway (A&D) Engine #2. It was acquired from the Delaware Coast Line Railroad (DCLR) in 2018.[9][10]
- SNEX Engine #5015 is an Alco RS-36 built in 1963, originally Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H) Engine #5015. It was acquired from the Lucas Oil Rail Line (LNAL) in 2020.[9]
- SNEX Engine #361 is an Alco RS-11 built in 1957, originally Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) Engine #361. It was acquired from Ontario Midland Railroad (OMID) in 2023.[11][12]
- SNEX Engine #408 is an Alco RS-36 built in 1962, originally Norfolk & Western Railway Engine #408. It was acquired from Ontario Midland Railroad in 2023.[13][14]
Additional locomotives used by The Batten Kill Railroad
- D&H Engine #3021 is an Alco S-2 built in 1943, originally Engine #7108 for the U.S. Army (USATC). It was acquired by the Raven Rail sometime around 2021 to be used as a heritage locomotive for excursions, shared with the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson Railway (SCH). The engine is currently in the design of the Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H), formerly as Engine #821. Occasionally, Engine #3021 sees freight service on The Batten Kill Railroad. It has been a heritage locomotive since 2010.[15][16]
- RPCX Engine #3501 is an Alco RS-1 built in 1951, originally Engine #107 for DuPont under the U.S. Department of Energy.[17] It was acquired by the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson Railway (SCH) in 2023 as a heritage locomotive for excursions, but it is also used from time to time by The Batten Kill Railroad.[18]
References
- ^"New railroad begins operation", Gannett Westchester Newspapers, October 23, 1982, accessed July 15, 2011.
- ^Nestle, David F. (January 1, 1983). Rails Along the Battenkill: A History of the Greenwich & Johnsonville Railway (1st ed.). David F. Nestle. ASIN B003I803UI.
Fascinating history of the Greenwich & Johnsonville Railway, a small upstate New York railroad which ran from about 1870 until its demise in 1981 (although portions were carried on as the Batten Kill Railroad). The book also covers the Greenwich & Schuylerville Electric Railway. With locomotive and equipment rosters.
- ^Nestle, David F. (January 1, 1983). Rails Along the Battenkill: A History of the Greenwich & Johnsonville Railway (1st ed.). David F. Nestle. ASIN B003I803UI.
- ^"Ronald Edward Crowd", "Post-Star", April 1, 2008; accessed July 14, 2011.
- ^Youker, Daniel "Rail owner: 'My goal is survival'", "Post-Star", August 16, 2002, accessed July 14, 2011.
- ^Toscano, Bill (June 7, 2016). "Batten Kill Railroad gets $1.3 million state grant". Glens Falls Post-Star. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
This is the second time the Batten Kill has received similar funding. Ten years ago, Taber said, the company was able to repair 2.75 miles of track and a bridge with $1 million in funding.
- ^Southern New England Railroad, Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^ abRR Picture Archives, Batten Kill Railroad Photographic Roster, Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026
- ^ abSouthern New England Railroad, SNERR Equipment, Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^https://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5239161 RR Picture Archives, SNEX #5012 (formerly DLCR #2), Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^RailPictures.net, SNEX #361 (formerly OMID #36), Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^RR Picture Archives, SNEX #361 (formerly OMID #36), Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^Flickr, SNEX #408 (formerly OMID #408), Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^RR Picture Archives, SNEX #408 (formerly OMID #408), Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^The Raven Rail, Equipment, Retrieved Jan. 3, 2026.
- ^RR Picture Archives, Pictures of DH 3021, Retrieved Jan. 3, 2026.
- ^RR Picture Archives, Pictures of RPCX 3501, Retrieved Jan. 2, 2026.
- ^RailroadFan.com, Batten Kill Railroad, Retrieved Jan. 3, 2026.
