rochester’s rail-trails

by Sue Freeman

Early in the 20th century many railroad and trolley lines criss-crossed the Rochester area. Pulled by steam engines, the trains hauled products to market from farms, factories, and mines, and fueled an economic boom. Likewise, electric trolleys transported people to work and exotic vacation locales such as Canandaigua Lake and Niagara Falls.

Today local towns, government agencies, and volunteer organizations are purchasing this land and building recreational trails for all to enjoy on bicycle or on foot. Rail-trails are great for family outings with small children. They’re generally flat, with hard-packed dirt or cinder bases and a tree canopy providing shade, making them equally fun to walk or bicycle.

One of Rochester’s major railways was the Lehigh Valley Railroad that ran from Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario through the Lehigh River Valley. It was built in 1891 to transport cargo. It also carried passenger trains between Buffalo & New York. The Lehigh Valley Trail now runs east-west from Victor to Rush for 14 miles. In 2005 it was resurfaced with crushed stone and a bridge was built spanning the Genesee River at the western end.

Across the Genesee River, the Lehigh Valley Trail meets the north-south Genesee Valley Greenway. This trail was once the towpath of the abandoned Genesee Valley Canal (1840-1878), then the Pennsylvania Railway (1880-1960s). 26 trail miles are open from Chili to Cuylerville.

The Rochester & Auburn was the first railroad east of Rochester. It opened in 1840 and closed in 1960. This rail line, now called the Auburn Trail, runs from Farmington to Fishers and meets the east end of the Lehigh Valley Trail in Victor.

Another rail line, the Lake Ontario Shore Railroad, ran east-west along Lake Ontario. It became known as the Hojack Line when a nameless farmer’s mule-drawn buckboard stopped halfway across the tracks when a train was coming. The farmer shouted “Ho Jack! Ho Jack!” to get his mule to move. The amused trainmen picked up the chant and the name stuck. Several segments of this line in Webster, Hilton and Hamlin are now trails.

Two electric trolley lines crossed through Rochester, the Rochester, Syracuse, & Eastern Trolley and the Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway. The RS&E operated from 1906 to 1931, from Rochester to Auburn. A 4.4-mile trail on the old trolley bed is now the Perinton Hikeway Bikeway from the Erie Canal in Fairport to Egypt. Another 1.3-mile segment connects East Rochester and Fairport.

The Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway operated from 1903 through 1930 and served towns from Rochester through Victor to Geneva. Portions of this trolley bed form the Electric Trolley Trail in Pittsford as well as segments of the Auburn Trail in Victor.

These and many other trails are described and mapped in the guidebook Take Your Bike! Family Rides in the Rochester Area (www.footprintpress.com). Pick up a copy, hop on your bicycle or lace on your hiking boots, and explore Rochester’s railroad and trolley history for yourself. Along the way you’ll see cement pillars with a “W” telling the conductor to blow the train’s whistle. You’ll find old battery boxes, tunnels under the New York State Thruway, and an abundance of nature to enjoy.