Template:RoadName/Delaware-Hudson

The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company — later the Delaware and Hudson Railway — is one of the oldest transportation enterprises in American history, organized in 1823 to build a canal connecting the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region near Honesdale with the Hudson River at Kingston, New York, and thence to New York City markets. The company operated a pioneering stretch of railroad at the Honesdale end of its system as early as 1829 — among the first steam-operated railroads in the United States — before its canal was eventually superseded by an all-rail line. The D&H evolved over the 19th century into a conventional railroad, ultimately operating a system connecting Albany and the Hudson Valley with Montreal to the north, Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania to the south, and Buffalo to the west.

The Delaware and Hudson developed a strong identity as a northeastern bridge carrier, its main line forming a key link in the route between Montreal and New York for both passengers and freight, and its territory encompassing the Adirondack foothills of New York and the anthracite region of Pennsylvania. The railroad was a committed user of Alco diesel power through the transition era, operating large fleets of Baldwin RF-16 Sharknose units, C-420s, and FA cab units that gave it one of the most Alco-intensive rosters in the Northeast. The D&H was acquired by Guilford Transportation in 1984 and eventually passed to Canadian Pacific, which continues to operate its former lines.

The Delaware and Hudson's blue and gray paint scheme, with its distinctive yellow crown and D&H herald, is one of the most elegant northeastern railroad liveries and gives the railroad a strong visual identity that belies its relatively modest size. The D&H's heavy Alco and Baldwin diesel roster — particularly the distinctive RF-16 Sharknose units in D&H colors — makes it a natural choice for modelers interested in the Alco and Baldwin traditions that flourished on northeastern roads, and the railroad's Hudson Valley and Adirondack setting gives layouts featuring D&H equipment a distinctly northeastern American character.