Original Walton station - John Taibi collection
Walton Reporter, February 21, 1936
The old postcard above shows the Ontario & Western railroad’s main station in 1906, thirty years ago. The depot was built in 1903 and replaced an antiquated structure which dated back to the first days of the railroad in the 1870’s.
The Ontario & Western then had a large passenger business served from Walton by four trains running both ways, including the “Utica Flyer,” the “Nightline, “Mountain Express,” and trains 1 and 2, besides the coaches on milk trains.
The “Nightline,” passengers through Walton north-bound about one o’clock in the morning, carried hundreds of immigrants to Chicago, running from Oswego or Syracuse over the New York Central or Wabash trackage to Chicago.
The war ended the immigration business and resulted in the Nightline being discontinued soon after. The other trains survived until the serious inroads made by automobiles and buses resulted in loss of business and failure to pay expenses of the trains.
The Utica Flyer, operating between Delhi and Utica, was the first to go, being taken off five or six year ago, to be followed by the Mountain Express. Now trains 1 and 2 constitute the only passenger service between Walton and Weehawken.
The Bridge street depot wad erected in 1911 to accommodate the large number of passengers who then took the Flyer at Walton or who rode from the “platform” to the main depot to take the Mountain Express, southbound in the morning, thus saving the long walk to the main station.
A plank road ran between the Walton House and the hotel stables so that one could walk out there and wait for the Utica Flyer. Later John R. Bryce bought the stable site and erected his garage on the lot in 1921. The plank walk was torn down at this time.
The “platform,” which was just what the name indicates, a wooden platform extending from Bridge street to East Brook, and a small toolhouse -like shelter for rainy weather were used by waiting passengers until Bridge Street station was built in 1911. The platform was later torn up. The Bridge street station has been unused by the railroad for some years and now houses the market of George Broughton.
Wicks North, father of William F. North, conducted the restaurant in the old wooden main depot and after the new station was built in 1903 he continued in business for a number of years. He lived to be over 90. Reduction of traffic, both passenger and freight, caused the restaurant to be eventually closed because of lack of patronage.
The room is now unused and the former waiting room is also closed, the main room formerly used as a trainmen’s room being large enough to accommodate the passengers.
For years there was no chance for a ride between the two Walton depots and there was a real thrill in a first ride on the Flyer, which “flew” between stations at 15 or 20 miles an hour. Eventually a ten-cent ticket charge took the joy out of the life of most of the younger generation.
