Rutland and Washington Railroad

[1] One of the company's founders was Merritt Clark, a Vermont politician,[2] and another was Thomas Canfield, later involved with the Northern Pacific.

[3] In order to build in New York, the company, on June 24, 1850, took a perpetual rent-free lease of the franchise rights east of Salem of the Troy and Rutland Railroad, which had been chartered in that state on July 2, 1849.

The property of the Troy and Rutland (Eagle Bridge to Salem) was sold on July 11, 1863, to Jay Gould.

On February 1, 1867, the Salem and Rutland Railroad was incorporated and received the portion in Vermont.

The Delaware and Hudson Company leased the Rensselaer and Saratoga, including the Eagle Bridge-Rutland line, on February 24, 1870.