The Champagne Route - Timeline

The Bath and Hammondsport Railroad was chartered by the State of New York in 1872 and began operations on July 5, 1875 as a three-foot narrow-gauge railroad. Running just over nine miles from it namesake towns of Bath, NY northward through the fertile valley to Hammondsport, NY at the head of Kueka Lake.

Passengers would come to Bath via the Erie or Delaware Lackawana and Western Railroads and ride the B&H to Hammondsport where they could board steamboats to many a resort hotel along the lake.

Wine and champagne and grapes became major commodites for the region as production increased. Via interchange with the Erie Railroad, the B&H enabled goods from Hammondsport and Keuka Lake the fastest path to New York City and points West.

During the late 1890s and early 1900s the Erie Railroad consolidated the competing steamship lines and began aquiring stock in the B&H. In 1903 the Erie Railroad took control of the B&H. Passenger service remained active until 1917 when the steamboat service on Keuka lake was discontinued.

The Depression took its toll on the Erie and after a washout of some trackage during a flood during 1935, the Erie wanted out. If not for several local businessmen coming together to buy and restart operations the story would end here.

As it was the B&H restarted its operation in 1936, free of Erie control.

… more to come

1872

January 17

Bath & Hammondsport Railroad chartered by State of N.Y.¹

1875

April 21

Captain Wood

Hammondsport Herald, Wed., April 21, 1875

Capt. Wood has been in Smithville, N.Y., the past week, superintending the removal of the iron for our rail road. The work is being pushed rapidly forward by T.E. Rollins, of Corning, who has charge of the work. They were delayed two days last week by the fall of a foot of snow, and the washing away of a bank by the high water. The rails will be sent to Bath as fast as they can get car loads made up.

April 28

Captain Wood

Steuben Courier, Bath, N.Y., Wed., April 28, 1875

Captain-Conductor-General Superintendent Wood has measured his coaches, and finds it impossible to get the whole name on, so he has decided, we learn, to letter the cars “B. and Ham. R.R.” Don’t you wish now you had changed it to Vine City?

May 19

Captain Wood

Steuben Courier, Wed., May 19, 1875

We are informed by Captain Wood that, in all probability, trains will be running regularly on the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad by the 29th of June. The road is nine miles and a half long to the Erie depot, and the heaviest grade is 132 feet to the mile. This grade continues for about six thousand feet.

The three feet gauge cars will be an entire novelty in this region. The passenger coaches are about thirty-two feet long, and six and one half feet wide, and will accommodate thirty-two persons. The seats are arranged in the same manner as those in broad gauge cars, but on one side they will accommodate two persons, while those on the other side will accommodate but one. There will be three trains each way daily, one in the morning, one at noon, and one at night. They will connect with the Erie trains at Bath, and with the steamboats at Hammondsport. The intermediate stations will be County House, Cold Spring, and Pleasant Valley.

June 30

The B & H line is completed

Line completed

July 5

: Celebration

1889

August 17

: Track was re-laid to standard gauge

1890

Drake takes control of B&H

And the Lake Keuka Navigation Company soon after

1892

The Lake Keuka Navigation Company

absorbs the Crooked Lake Navigation Company

1906

Erie Railroad

Purchases the Lake Keuka Navigation Company

1908

Erie Railroad acquires shares of the B&H

And obtains control

Footnotes:

1. Bath and Hammondsport Railroad Organized ↩