Three ways to Rochester - Just on the New York Central

At one time in Rochester's history, a passenger who found themselves in Syracuse, NY had at least three choices of how they could come to Rochester by rail...   Just on the New York Central!   From the Central's Water Level Route main line coming out of Grand Central Terminal in New York City to the Hojack Line or the Auburn Road, a passenger had choices on how to get to Rochester and its surrounding communities.

Here we have three New York Central cash fare receipts from the Rochester Chapter's archives for three different routes that included both Syracuse and Rochester which lets us see just how many communities one railroad served and how one could travel just between two of upstate New York's larger cities and beyond.

  New York Central - Main Line
Fare was for travel between Rochester & Buffalo

New York Central - Auburn Road
Fare was for travel between Camillus and Martisco

New York Central - Hojack Line
Fare was for travel between Rochester and Forest Lawn (one stop from Webster, NY)

 While a passenger no longer has three choices, they still can travel between Rochester and Syracuse by rail via Amtrak on the former New York Central 'Water Level Route' main line.

More to come... From the archives...