Massena Terminal Railroad
{{good article}}
{{Short description|Class III railroad in New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox rail
|railroad_name=Massena Terminal Railroad
|gauge={{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
|old_gauge=
|marks=MSTR
|locale=Massena, New York
|start_year=1900
|end_year=present
|hq_city=Massena, New York
|length={{convert|3|mi|km}}
|website={{Official website|https://www.gwrr.com/mstr/}}
|image=File:Massena Terminal Railroad Bridges.jpg
|caption=The company's current and former bridges over the Grasse River
|logo=Massena Terminal Railroad Logo.svg
|map={{Massena Terminal Railroad}}
|map_state=collapsed
|parent_company=Genesee and Wyoming}}
The Massena Terminal Railroad {{reporting mark|MSTR}}{{Cite news |last=Johnston |first=John |date=April 26, 2007 |title=RailAmerica reorganizes; five smaller regions |page=4 |work=Boca Raton News |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiZPAAAAIBAJ&dq=Massena+Terminal+Railroad&pg=PA3&article_id=6726,2807290 |access-date=October 1, 2022}} is a Class III terminal railroad operating in the U.S. state of New York. It operates {{convert|3|mi|km}} of track from a connection at the CSX Transportation yard in Massena north to the Alcoa plant, the railroad's only customer. It was built in the early 20th century, beginning operations in 1900.{{cite journal |date=June 2010 |title=RailAmerica's Empire |journal=Trains Magazine |publisher=Kalmbach Publishing}} In 2005, the railroad was purchased by holding company RailAmerica. Shortline holding company Genesee & Wyoming acquired the Massena Terminal Railroad in 2012 as part of its purchase of RailAmerica. The railroad's traffic comes mainly from aluminum and petroleum products. The MTR hauled around 4,300 carloads in 2008.
History
The Massena Terminal Railroad was incorporated in May 1900, to connect a power plant of the St. Lawrence Power Company to the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad and Grand Trunk Railway at Massena.{{Cite news |date=1900-05-03 |title=Terminal Company Chartered |pages=2 |work=New-York Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110586183/terminal-company-chartered/ |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114211059/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110586183/terminal-company-chartered/ |archive-date=14 November 2022 |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last=New York (State) Board of Railroad Commissioners |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QgdBAQAAMAAJ&dq=Massena+Terminal+Railroad&pg=PA1533 |title=Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioners of the State of New-York |date=1903 |publisher=C. Van Benthuysen |pages=1532–1533 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=W. F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FtlAydjQKkMC&dq=Massena+Terminal+Railroad&pg=RA5-PA42 |title=The Official Railway Guide |date=July 1902 |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |pages=42}}{{Cite book |last=United States Federal Trade Commission |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ox2p3BtXjeUC&dq=Massena+Terminal+Railroad&pg=RA1-PA607 |title=Utility Corporations: Letter from the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Transmitting, in Response to Senate Resolution No. 83, a Monthly Report on the Electric Power and Gas Utilities Inquiry |date=1928 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=607 |language=en}} The New York Central Railroad took over rail operations for the MTR in 1915, with the latter remaining owner of the physical infrastructure.{{Cite news |date=1966-10-14 |title=Central to Purchase Alcoa Railroad Line |pages=39 |work=The Post-Standard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110589363/central-to-purchase-alcoa-railroad-line/ |access-date=2022-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006185809/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110589363/central-to-purchase-alcoa-railroad-line/ |archive-date=6 October 2022 |url-status=live}}
Significant traffic was carried by the Massena Terminal Railroad during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway; new tracks were laid to support the project, and then removed upon its completion. When the company had its bridge across the Grasse River replaced in 1946, it included an Alcoa-designed all-aluminum bridge span that was reportedly the first in the world.{{Cite news |date=1946-09-28 |title=Aluminum Bridge Span Installed |pages=1 |work=The Berkshire Eagle |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110519658/aluminum-bridge-span-installed/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001162301/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110519658/aluminum-bridge-span-installed/ |archive-date=October 1, 2022 |url-status=live}}
The New York Central Railroad announced an agreement to purchase the MTR from Alcoa in 1966, with Alcoa citing "improved operating efficiencies" as the reason for the sale. Alcoa ultimately continued to own the railroad until 2005, when it was purchased by shortline holding company RailAmerica.{{Cite news |date=October 3, 2005 |title=It's official: RailAmerica adds Alcoa's four roads to short-line roster |url=https://www.progressiverailroading.com/m_a/news/Its-official-RailAmerica-adds-Alcoas-four-roads-to-short-line-roster--6875 |access-date=February 1, 2025 |work=}} The railroad was assigned to RailAmerica's Northeast Region in 2008. RailAmerica was itself purchased by fellow shortline holding company Genesee & Wyoming in 2012, which became the Massena Terminal Railroad's owner.{{Cite news |last1=Ananthalakshmi |first1=A |last2=Roumeliotis |first2=Greg |date=2012-07-23 |title=Genesee & Wyoming to buy RailAmerica for $1.4 billion |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-genessewyoming-railamerica-idINBRE86M0EF20120723 |access-date=2022-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128190614/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-genessewyoming-railamerica-idINBRE86M0EF20120723 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |url-status=live}} The railroad received a $1.6 million grant from the New York State Department of Transportation in 2013 for infrastructure improvements.{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2013 |title=Rail News - New York, Susquehanna & Western, Massena Terminal Railway receive state funds for freight-rail projects |url=https://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/news/New-York-Susquehanna-Western-Massena-Terminal-Railway-receive-state-funds-for-freight-rail-projects--34797 |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Progressive Railroading |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114205837/https://www.progressiverailroading.com/short_lines_regionals/news/New-York-Susquehanna-Western-Massena-Terminal-Railway-receive-state-funds-for-freight-rail-projects--34797 |archive-date=14 November 2022 |url-status=live}}
Operations
The company's primary customer is an Alcoa facility in Massena. The MTR connects this facility with a CSX Transportation line also in Massena. In 2008, the company reported approximately 4,300 carloads. As of 2024, the Massena Terminal Railroad has a total of {{Convert|3|mi|km}} of tracks.{{Cite web |title=Massena Terminal Railroad – A Genesee & Wyoming Company |url=https://www.gwrr.com/mstr/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006161653/https://www.gwrr.com/mstr/ |archive-date=6 October 2022 |url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Railways}}
- [https://www.gwrr.com/mstr/ Official site]
{{New York railroads}}
{{Genesee & Wyoming}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massena Terminal Railroad}}
Category:New York (state) railroads
Category:Switching and terminal railroads