Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville

Company History: The FJ&G was chartered in 1867 to build a line from Fonda, in upstate New York on New York Central’s mainline to Johnstown and Gloversville. This area was a center for leatherworking and (obviously perhaps) Gloversville was known for gloves. The FJ&G built an amusement park and 4 hotels in the Johnstown area. In the peak passenger season of 1905, the FJ&G carried 4 million passengers. The line was extended east to Broadalbin to serve industries there. Another line to Northville would later be abandoned due to a flood control project. A competing trolley line was built from Fonda to Johnstown and the FJ&G would later buy that parallel line but with more people driving their own cars, the trolley line was pulled up in 1938. Steam powered passenger service was mostly replaced with gas electrics for a time.

In the 1950s, the FJ&G dieselized with a pair of Alco S-2’s. In 1974, the FJ&G closed their doors but the line was saved 3 months later when a small shortline group, the Delaware Otsego System, bought the line, restored service and set about making repairs. It was during this period that the folks from Model Railroader magazine paid their visit.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.