The Saratoga, Mount McGregor and Lake George Railroad was a railroad owned by businessman Joseph William Drexel. It started at North Broadway in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA, and passed through the towns of Saratoga Springs, Wilton, Moreau, and Corinth. The railroad extended for about 12 miles (19 kilometers) to the top of Mount McGregor.

History

Construction began on March 17, 1882, and was finished on July 17, 1882. The railroad was built to transport building materials and later passengers to the Hotel Balmoral located at the top of Mt. McGregor. The railroad used a narrow gauge of 3 feet (914 mm).

In November 1883, Leo Daft tested the electric locomotive named Ampere. The locomotive produced 12 horsepower (some sources say 25). It pulled a 10-ton load up a 1.5 percent grade in 11 minutes.

Subsequent ownership

The company entered receivership in 1888 and was sold on October 13, 1888. It was reorganized as the Mount McGregor Railroad on April 18, 1889. This new company lasted two years before again entering receivership. The company was sold to new ownership in 1893 and then acquired by the Saratoga and Mount McGregor Railway on April 23, 1897. The road remained financially troubled, and another new company, the Saratoga Northern Railway, took ownership in June 1898.

In December 1897, the hotel at the top of the mountain burned. After foreclosure proceedings, the hotel and railroad property were sold in auction on March 6, 1893. In 1913, a sanitorium was constructed. It was used for different purposes until it became the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility.