Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad

The Canajoharie and Catskill Rail Road (C&C) ran from Catskill, NY to Potter's Hollow, NY. Chartered in 1830, it never achieved its intended goal of connecting its namesake villages.Helmer, William F., (1999). "Rip Van Winkle Railroads". Hensonville, NY: Black Dome Press. ISBN 1-883789-20-6.] Construction commenced in 1836 and continued to 1841 by which time a total of 26¼ miles of track had been laid. The track consisted of wooden rails topped with strap iron. The track generally followed Catskill Creek, and the communities served included Cairo and Leeds. The first trains, consisting of cars hauled by horses, ran in 1839. The line's only locomotive, "Mountaineer", began operation in 1840. The C&C carried both passengers and freight. Commodoties carried included iron, brick, wood, various agricultural products, and household goods including such items as candles, tea, salt, snuff and raisins. The railroad appears to have operated until 1842, when financial failure resulted in the entire line being sold and scrapped. The only known depiction of the railroad is Thomas Cole's "River in the Catskills" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

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