SARANAC LAKE UNION
DEPOT
Railroad
service first reached Saranac Lake on the Chateaugay Railroad in late 1887, just
months after Robert Louis Stevenson arrived here for his health.
The marvelous coincidence of easy rail access and national publicity –
generated by the visit of the newly famous author of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde –
enabled tuberculosis treatment here to flourish.
Saranac
Lake’s Union Depot was built in 1904 by the Delaware & Hudson Railroad,
consolidating the passenger operations of the Chateaugay Railroad from the east,
and the New York Central Railroad from the west.
This depot is on the same site as the old Chateaugay depot, which was
moved across the tracks and attached to the old freight house as an office.
The NYC’s former passenger depot on Broadway continued in service as
their freight house.
The
largest on the line north of Utica, Union Depot handled 18 to 20 scheduled
passenger trains per day (half retuning from Lake Placid) during its busiest
years, 1912 to 1940. The Railway
Express Agency building east of the depot was built around 1924.
NYC closed Union Depot in 1965, when passenger service ended.
It was restored in 1997-98 with federal ISTEA funds, administered through
New York State’s Department of Transportation, in anticipation of renewed
tourist rail service, which was restored by the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in
late 2000.
Saranac
Lake Union Depot is owned by New York State Department of Transportation, which
received it from the Penn-Central Railroad bankruptcy.
The Village of Saranac Lake leases it from NYS.
Historic Saranac Lake manages it for the Village.
For additional information, contact Historic Saranac Lake, PO Box 1030,
Saranac Lake, NY 12983, (518) 891-0971,
www.historicsaranaclake.org.
(Text and information for this site provided by Historic Saranac Lake.)
Directions:
Depot Street extends north from Bloomingdale Avenue (Route 3) between Broadway
and Church Street. Turn between
Stewart’s Shop and the playground. Look
for road signs directing you to the railroad.
This
page was created to help promote the Adirondack Scenic Railroad and tourism along
the 141-mile long corridor of the railroad. The
Adirondack Scenic operates seasonal trains from several locations including
Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Utica, and Old Forge/Thendara, NY.
For a full schedule and other information visit the website at www.adirondackrr.com.
This page was created by Tom
Trencansky, for www.newyorkrailroads.com
Email contact for this page: publicity@newyorkrailoads.com
updated 10/16/04tt