Dansville and Mount Morris Railroad: Route, Photos, History

Last revised: October 25, 2024

The Dansville and Mount Morris Railroad (D&MM) was a modest 15-mile system which built community ties and transformed the economy of Upstate New York.

It was one of many scattered throughout the country during the early 20th century which connected small towns to the larger national rail network. From its inception in the late 19th century through its eventual absorption into larger networks, the story of the D&MM is one of ambition, adaptation, and regional growth.

F0llowing more than a century of service, the short line was acquired by the Genesee & Wyoming in 1985. Today, the original trackage between Dansville and Groveland is still active under G&W subsidiary Rochester & Southern while Mt. Morris is still accessed via the ex-Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.

Dansville & Mount Morris 4-6-0 #304 (an ex-Nickel Plate Road unit that later worked on the Akron, Canton & Youngstown) lays over at the engine house in Dansville, New York during the 1940s. Philip Hastings photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Early Foundations: 19th Century Beginnings

The D&MM's story begins in the post-Civil War era, a transformative period for American railroads. In this climate of opportunity, local entrepreneurs recognized the potential for a rail line to support burgeoning industries in the Genesee River valley of New York State.

In 1868, the Dansville and Mt. Morris Railroad Company first emerged under the banner of the Erie & Genesee Valley Railroad Company. The vision was to build a line stretching from Burns, New York to Rochester in conjunction with the Erie Railroad via Dansville and Mt. Morris.

The region had a strong agricultural base and was poised for industrial growth with the need for improved transportation infrastructure to bring raw materials in and goods out. However, financial constraints and the rocky terrain of the region posed initial challenges to its construction.

The section that was finally constructed (Dansville - Mt. Morris) was thanks to financial backing of the Erie and completed in 1871. The larger railroad subsequently leased the line until 1891, after which time it became an independent and renamed as the Dansville & Mount Morris Railway Company.

Initially, the company aimed to forge connections with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (DL&W) at Groveland and the Western New York & Pennsylvania (PRR), at Mount Morris. The latter goal was achieved, but tensions between Erie and DL&W stymied the former.

Early Operations

The railroad quickly proved indispensable, providing crucial transporation services for local agriculture and fostering nascent industries. Freight operations were the lifeblood of the railroad, though passenger services were also available, providing a vital link for people in rural communities to access goods and services.

Timetable (1929)

20th Century Operations

The advent of the automobile and subsequent road improvements began to eat into passenger numbers and, to a lesser extent, freight traffic. The final passenger train ran the line in 1939.

Despite the Erie's longstanding opposition, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) would eventually step in and allow a connection with the DL&W at Groveland Station.

This move subsequenty prompted the Erie to tear up its tracks between Avon and Mount Morris, citing the relationship between the D&MM and Lackawanna as a key reason for this move, as it drew traffic away from Erie.

The D&MM also subsequently dismantled its original mainline running from Mount Morris to Sonyea, a 3-mile stretch that marked the end of its connection to Mount Morris. The last train to operate the full route from Mount Morris to Dansville did so on January 24, 1940, just four days after Erie officially abandoned the Avon to Mount Morris segment.

Steam ended on the railroad in the fall of 1956 following the arrival of 44-tonner #1 that year. In 1960, a merger between the Erie and the DL&W gave birth to the Erie Lackawanna (EL). Just a few years later, in 1963, the DL&W mainline between Wayland and Groveland was dismantled.

That same year, the D&MM took a step forward, building a new engine house in Dansville and making the transition from steam to diesel-powered engines.

On July 23, 1985, the D&MM's 94-year run as an independent railroad came to an end when it was acquired by the G&W. In the following year, the remaining two D&MM engines found a new home with the Bay Colony Railroad in Massachusetts.

The legacy of the Dansville and Mount Morris is a reminder of a time when railroads were the backbone of American enterprise and community life, playing an essential role in the economic and social fabric of the nation.