 On June 30, 1851, the state of New York issued a charter to the Erie and New York City Railroad, giving it authority to build a railroad line from Salamanca, New York, westward through Randolph and Jamestown to the Pennsylvania border.Work began in 1853, but the railroad ran out of money in 1855 and became moribund.Business interests in Ohio greatly desired a cross-state railroad which would link with the Erie at some point.