[3] Walter Rich, the owner of the Delaware Otsego Corporation (DO), believed the branch could be reorganized as a profitable freight operation, and he was interested in expanding his company's short line assets.

[4] The CNYK initially turned profits for DO, since they served a number of freight customers who still relied on rail services, such as Agway's propane distribution firm.

[3] In 1982, DO purchased two former EL routes out of Binghamton, New York, from Conrail, one of which provided the CNYK's connection to the National rail network.

[5] The CNYK and the two routes quickly became labeled as the Northern Division of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W), another DO subsidiary.

[1] All trains the CNYK operates are powered by locomotives owned by the NYS&W, which interchanges with Norfolk Southern at Binghamton and Warwick.