In the early days of the FGLK, 1995-1996, several units were leased for a time to get things up and running:
"Due to many failures early on, and a dump truck accident within two weeks, we saw many B&P and a R&S unit on the FGLK. At least 203,207,208,209, 879,922(GP18) and the R&S (107?) SW1200
Briefly, there were no FGLK painted units running! The B&P was a huge help at that time."
            - quote from "Checkit" on the NY forum
 

B&P EMD GP9 #879  was leased for a time from 19?? to 19??.
the unit was ex-N&W, still in N&W black and still a high-hood while on FGLK.
Unit was returned and not purchased.
 

B&P EMD GP9 #207  was leased beginning in 19??
The unit was then purchased in 1998, becoming FGLK 1751.
 

BDLX 1355, an ex-NS high-hood GP40,  was leased briefly in 2003.
then returned, and went on to become NYSW 3042.
Its nose was chopped by NYSW, after it had operated on FGLK.
This unit was originally N&W 1355
 

GSRX EMD SW-9 #708 - Originally leased by Ontario Central in 19?? and based in
Victor, the lease on this unit was continued by FGLK when they took over the ONCT
in 2007. In 2008 the unit is still leased and still based in Victor.
 

The first railroad that makes up part of today's FGLK system wound its way
across the northern Finger Lakes region in 1840, the Auburn & Rochester Railroad.
The A&R became the Rochester & Syracuse Railroad in 1850, and was finally
consolidated into the all-powerful New York Central system in 1853.

For well over a Century, from the 1850's to the 1960's, this line would be known
as the New York Central's "Auburn Road", a meandering branch line between
Syracuse and Rochester, just to the south of the New York Central mainline.

Today, most of the "Auburn Road" makes up the East-West mainline of the FGLK, 
from Syracuse in the east to Canandaigua in the West. (Auburn Road tracks
between Canandaigua and Rochester no longer exist.)

The next railroad that is today part of the FGLK arrived in 1851, the Canandaigua
& Corning Railroad.  After several name changes, the route became part of the
Northern Central Railroad, and eventually became part of the Pennsylvania
Railroad's Elmira branch.

The PRR Elmira branch was used to haul coal from the PA coal fields to Lake
Ontario freighters at Sodus Bay, and is famous for being one of the last holdouts
of PRR steam, (or ANY steam for that matter) in the North East, with steam
locomotives operating on the branch as late as 1957.

Today, a remnant of the PRR Elmira branch is operated by FGLK between
Watkins Glen and Penn Yan.

And the third major Class-1 railroad making up today's FGLK system was the
Lehigh Valley Railroad, which pushed its mainline towards Buffalo in 1891. 
Today the FGLK operates two disconnected segments of former LV mainline,
from Geneva south to the Seneca Army depot, and from Shortsville, through
the LV's Manchester yard, to Victor.

The NYC and PRR merged in 1968 to form Penn Central, and PC in turn became
the largest portion of Conrail in 1976. The LV was also absorbed into Conrail
in 1976, (but Conrail abandoned and never operated the LV mainline across
Western New York.)

Conrail operated the former NYC and PRR lines around Geneva from
1976 to 1995 as its "Geneva Cluster"

In 1995 Conrail sold its "Geneva Cluster" to the newly formed Finger Lakes Railway.
 
 

Finger Lakes Railway operates its first train on July 23, 1995.
 
 

1995- July - FGLK starts up with three GP9 locomotives, 1701, 1702 and 1703,
           and a few leased units.

            The FGLK owns and operates two seperate routes, a remnant of the
            former NYC "Auburn Road" between Solvay (Syracuse) and Canandaigua.
            and a piece of PRR Elmira branch between Watkins Glen and Penn Yan.
            The two routes are connected via trackage rights on Conrail between
            Geneva and Himrod Junction.

            A third piece of FGLK trackage is the remnant of former LVRR mainline
            from Geneva south to the Seneca Army depot, however this line is not
           used on a  regular basis.

            FGLK's main access to the outside world is Conrail, which it interchanges
            with at Solvay, Lyons, Geneva and Himrod Junction.

            FGLK also interchanges with the Susquehanna railroad at Solvay, and with
            the small Ontario Central at Shortsville,
            (FGLK is the ONCT's only access to the outside world.)

           FGLK is jointly owned by Farmrail System,Inc.
           Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
           and two individuals.

1998 - A fourth GP9 joins the roster, number 1751, which had previously been
          leased from the B&P until purchased outright in 1998.

199? - The 5th unit arrives, GP10 1801, the "Mountain Laurel" unit.

1999- June - Conrail ends its sucessful 23 year reign, when it is sold and split-up
           beween CSX and Norfolk Southern.  Instead of one major Class-1 railroad
           in central and western NY, there are now two.

           NS takes over, from Conrail, the former Erie "Southern Tier Main" 
           between Binghamton and Buffalo, and also operates the former NYC
           "Fall Brook Sub" between Corning and Lyons, passing through Geneva.
           FGLK has trackage rights on NS (and Conrail before it) to access the two
           seperate parts of its system.
           FGLK and NS interchange at Himrod Junction and Geneva.

           CSX takes over the original New York Central mainline from Conrail, 
           continuing the NYC mainline as a major American rail route.
           FGLK interchages with CSX at Lyons and Solvay.

1999- June - the all-EMD all-GP streak is broken by the arrival of three GE B23-7
           locomotives. 1979, 1989 and 2004. (later numbured 2301, 1989 and 2303.)
           These are former Conrail units. The roster now stands at eight units.

200? -  A Fourth GE arrives, U23B 2211. (later 2201)
            The roster is up to 9 units.

2004? - Two more B23-7 units arrive, FGLK 2304 and 2305.
             These are the two units that began life as Southern Railway high hoods,
             and the "front" of the units was the long-hood end, in typical SOU and
             N&W fashion. Their noses were later chopped, giving them both an
             unusual looking custom low nose, and "front" was changed to the "cab end".
             The roster reaches Eleven units.

2006 -  The first unit leaves the FGLK roster. 1801, which spent its entire FGLK
             career in its Mountain Laurel paintscheme, is sold to the Seaview Railroad 
             of Rhode Island, who gives it a sparkling new paintjob in 2007.
             The roster drops from eleven to ten units.

2007 - FGLK takes over the Ontario Central from previous owner Livonia, Avon
           & Lakeville. The former ONCT trackage stretches 13 miles from Shortsville
           to Victor, and is a remnant of Lehigh Valley Railroad mainline. The ONCT
           Alco RS36 goes "home" to the LAL, leaving behind the leased GSRX EMD SW9.

2008 - March - GP9 1702 returns to previous owner, Farmrail, after 13 years serving
           with FGLK. 1702 was one of the three original FGLK units, at the startup in 1995.
           1701, 1702 and 1703 all originally came from corporate relative Farmrail.
 

2008 - Yet more B23-7's arrive, FGLK 2306 and 2307 arrive on the property, 
           for now remaining in the paintscheme of their former owner the
           Providence & Worchester.
           Bringing the current roster to 11 units.

           As of July 2008, 10 units are operating, and one (2304) is OOS in Geneva,
 

All-Time B&O roster
An unofficial Finger Lakes Railway Website
A history of Rochester Railroads
Auburn & Rochester Railroad history
CSX photo archives, B23-7 roster.
Diesel Shop FGLK roster
Diesel shop - B23-7 production roster
Diesel shop Seaboard roster
Don's Depot - Farmrail info
EMD Builder number data
Finger Lakes Railway photos on NErail
Finger Lakes Railway - Official site
FGLK on Wikipedia
Illinois Central Gulf roster
Joe Shaws FGLK photos
Northern Central Railroad history
Railpace magazine, October 1995 issue. (article by Tom Trencansky, the first magazine article about the FGLK.)
Railroad.net - the New York State forum (thanks everyone! :)
Rochester Railfan FGLK page
RRpicturearchives Farm Rail Photographic Roster
RRpicturearchives B&P Photographic Roster
RRpicturearchives P&W Photographic Roster
Roster information direct from the railroad,
My own notes and photographic record over the years, and..
The Internet

My thanks to everyone who put all those great webpages together, and thanks especially to the
on-line railfan community, who is always willing and able to share SO much knowledge.

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