The Albany-Hudson Fast Line was a 1200/600VDC (it was initially planned to be 1200VDC, but was reenergised at 600VDC after a series of accidents where the third rail started arcing to the carbodies of the interurban cars) third-rail interurban railway that ran from Albany to Hudson, NY. Completed in 1891, it was built to the highest standards, and made quite a lot of money carrying passengers for the first decade of its operations. In the 1920s, profits started to crash, and by the time the great depression started, it was a dying railroad.

In 1929, the Parsons Vale & Termite Railroad purchased a controlling interest in the A-H FL and attempted to convert it into a freight-hauling railroad. This was only marginally successful, and by 1935 sections of the line had started to be abandoned, with only terminal trackage surviving past WW2.

(A brief renewal of passenger service was done of the Niverville to Hudson side of the railway at the start of WW2, but, even during wartime, the passenger numbers were not there and it was abandoned, again, in 1943.)

The last active section of the Albany-Hudson Fast Line was a spur serving the Rensselaer & Valatie Mills Valatie mill, and that was abandoned when the mill shut down in 1955.

Almost nothing remains of the A-H FL; As the ROW was abandoned it was transferred into the hands of the Niagara Mohawk Company, and then eventually to the State of New York, which has converted much of it into rail trails, three stations (North Chatham, Valatie, and Kinderhook), and two pieces of rolling stock (GE steeplecab #2, in derelict condition at the PV&T’s Portland Shops, and boxcab #21, which is at the IRM as PVRT #621.)

A-H FL history

1880

Kinderhook & Hudson chartered.

1891

First train, Hudson to Niverville.

1899

Reorganized as the Albany & Hudson, extended from Niverville to Rensselaer, and electrified.

1900

First train to downtown Albany via United Traction.

1905

Renamed to Albany & Hudson Fast Line

1909

Renamed to Albany Southern

1918

Most profitable year of operation.

1929

1. Bankruptcy (purchased by PV&T.)
2. Passenger services withdrawn (on December 21), leaving only freight operations.
3. Reorganised as the Albany-Hudson Fast Line

1931

Abandoned from East Greenbush to Niverville.

1941

Passenger service from Niverville to Hudson restarted because of WW2.

1943

… and then withdrawn.

1944

Abandoned Valatie to Stottville.

1946

Abandoned Rensselaer to East Greenbush.

1953

Abandoned Hudson to Stottville after the Stottville fabric mill shut down.

1955

Abandoned Nivervile to Valatie after the Rensselaer & Valatie Mills Valatie mill shut down.

1960

Officially abandoned.

All-time A-H FL Roster

Number	Type	Builder	Built	Notes
1	steeplecab	GE	1911	Stottville Mill switcher; scrapped 1956
2	steeplecab	GE	1911	Valatie Mill switcher; retired 1955, dumped at the Portland Shops
20	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1929
21	freight motor	Wason	1900	to Parsons Vale Rapid Transit #621 1943
22	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1929
23	freight motor	Wason	1900	scrapped 1942
24	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1929
25	freight motor	Wason	1900	Rensselaer switcher; scrapped 1950
26	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1929
27	freight motor	Wason	1900	Rensselaer switcher; scrapped 1950
28	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1927
30	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1279
32	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1279
34	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1927
36	coach	Wason	1900	To Schenectady Railway #560 1929
38	coach	Wason	1900	To Schenectady Railway #561 1929
40	coach	Wason	1900	To Schenectady Railway #562 1929
42	coach	Wason	1900	To Schenectady Railway #563 1929
44	coach	Wason	1900	To Schenectady Railway #564 1929
46	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1927
48	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1927
50	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1927
52	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1944
54	coach	Wason	1900	scrapped 1943
56	coach	Wason	1907	to Schenectady Railway 1914
60	coach	Cincinnati	1927	to Portland Traction 4006 in 1942
62	coach	Cincinnati	1927	to Portland Traction 4007 in 1942
302	combination	Brill	1914	scrapped 1943
304	combination	Brill	1914	scrapped 1943