Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad
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| Reporting mark | FJG |
|---|---|
| Locale |
Fulton County, Upstate New York |
| Dates of operation | 1867–1984 |
| Successor | Delaware Otsego |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (standard gauge) |
| Electrification | 600v DC |
| Headquarters | Gloversville, New York |
| Website | http://www.fjgrr.org |
The Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad (FJ&G) was formerly a 132-mile steam engine and electric interurban railroad that connected its namesake towns in east central New York State to Schenectady, New York. It had a successful and profitable transportation business from 1870 until the 1980s carrying workers, salesmen, and executives of the very large number of glove manufacturing companies in the area to the New York Central (NYC) station at Schenectady. From here they could catch trains south to New York City (NYC) or west to Chicago. It also handled freight and had freight interchange with both the New York Central and the Delaware and Hudson railroads. Passenger business declined starting before the Great Depression and particularly during it. Following a determined and expensive effort to recapture passenger business by acquiring five ultra modern high-speed Bullet interurban cars in 1932, the FJ&G abandoned passenger service in 1938. Freight business continued on for a few more decades, was later taken over by the Delaware and Otsego Railroad management and then eventually abandoned.
The FJ&G was formed in 1867 as a steam railroad. The first train ran from Fonda in 1870 all the way to Gloversville. Gloversville, named after the many glove companies in the area (237 in 1905), was at the northern end of the FJ&G for a few years before the railroad was pushed north by business owners. The Gloversville and Northville Railroad went from northern Gloversville through Mayfield and Cranberry Creek to Northville which became its permanent terminus. In the later 19th century Broadalbin made a connection with the FJ&G at Broadalbin Junction where trains could head east to Vail Mills and Broadalbin. The Gloversville and Broadalbin as well as the Gloversville and Northville railroads were eventually acquired by the Fonda Johnstown and Gloversville. The Fonda Johnstown and Gloversville was itself acquired by the Cayadutta Electric Railroad and both of these lines assumed the name of the FJ&G for the remainder of their lives. Across the Sacandaga River from Northville was the village of Sacandaga Park, which had become a favorite place for vacationers. The area offered a variety of accommodations, including the then-elegant Adirondack Inn, cabins and tent sites. There were beaches on the nearby Sacandaga River, and numerous amusements and rides, including a miniature train ride. Numerous FJ&G passengers detrained at Northville and continued on by horsedrawn hack or stage to Adirondack destinations to the north, including Wells, Lake Pleasant and Pesico. It was truly the "Gateway to the Adirondacks." By 1930, the State of New York had completed construction of a dam in the Sacandaga River at Conklingville, "to regulate the waters of the river", creating the Great Sacandaga Lake. The regulation was said to be needed to aid the water volume of the Hudson River to help ocean-going freighters use the Port of Albany. This flooded a large area, displacing many residents and covering many of the tracks of the FJ&G RR. A priceless photo of the era shows engine number 8 pulling a work crew, riding on top of the rising water as it covered the rails, on the last train out of Cranberry Creek. After the cutoff of the rail lines to Northville, (there were paved roads and lots of automobiles by that point), the bulk of the FJ&G's passenger service was solely by trolley on the interurban lines connecting with Fonda, Amsterdam and Schenectady.
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