Kaydeross Railroad

Kaydeross Railroad
Abandoned Kaydeross Railroad bridge crossing Kaydeross Creek near Rock City Falls in 2016
Overview
Other name(s)	Ballston Terminal Railroad
Type	Tram
Status	Ceased operation
Locale	Saratoga County, New York
Termini	Ballston Spa, New York Rock City Falls, New York
Services	1
Operation
Opened	1896
Closed	1929
Character	At-grade
Technical
Line length	12 mi (19 km)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	Trolley wire

The Kaydeross Railroad, earlier known as the Eastern New York Railroad and Ballston Terminal Railroad, was an electric-powered trolley line that served industries along the Kayaderosseras Creek in the town of Milton, Saratoga County, New York. It was a terminal railroad, which means it had an interchange at one end (in Ballston Spa) but terminated without any other interchange.

The railroad's primary purpose was to serve the dozen water-powered paper mills and a large tool factory that were situated along the creek. These included the paper mills and bag factory of "Paper Bag King" George West, the famous Ballston Scythe & Axe Works of Isaiah Blood, the paper box mill of the National Folding Paper Box Company, and the straw paper mill of Chauncey Kilmer (later the Cottrell Paper Company).

The railroad was unique for being one of the few trolley railroads in the country to have a primary function of hauling freight cars. At least eight freight cars could be hauled by the George West trolley car to the Delaware and Hudson Railway interchange track on present day New York State Route 50.

Construction started in 1896 when an investor group headed by Arthur B. Paine was granted a franchise by the Village of Ballston Spa. By 1902 the railroad reached its greatest extent of twelve miles. It served the villages and hamlets of Ballston Spa, Bloodville, Factory Village, Craneville, Milton Center, West Milton, Rock City Falls, and Middle Grove. A regular schedule was instituted to accommodate passengers.