▁company ' s ▁management ▁realized ▁that ▁rail ro ads ▁were ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁transport ation , ▁and ▁began ▁invest ing ▁in ▁stock ▁and ▁track age . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁the ▁canal ▁carried ▁its ▁last ▁loads ▁of ▁coal ▁and ▁was ▁dra ined ▁and ▁sold . ▁The ▁next ▁year ▁the ▁company ▁dropped ▁the ▁" Can al " ▁from ▁its ▁name . ▁The ▁remaining ▁fragments ▁of ▁the ▁canal ▁were ▁designated ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁Del aware ▁and ▁Hudson ▁Company ▁( R ail road ▁Corporation ) ▁As ▁rail ro ads ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity , ▁the ▁canal ▁company ▁recognized ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁replacing ▁the ▁canal ▁with ▁a ▁rail road . ▁The ▁first ▁step ▁of ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁Jefferson ▁Rail road , ▁a ▁line ▁from ▁Car b ond ale ▁north ▁towards ▁New ▁York , ▁char tered ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Rail road ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Er ie , ▁running ▁south ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁line ▁at ▁L anes bor o ▁to ▁Car b ond ale . ▁Also ▁built ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁this ▁line ▁was ▁a ▁continu ation ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁D & H ' s ▁gravity ▁rail road ▁at ▁H ones dale ▁sout heast ▁to ▁the ▁Er ie ' s ▁Pennsylvania ▁Co al ▁Company ▁rail road ▁at ▁Haw ley . ▁The ▁Jefferson ▁Rail road ▁( and ▁through ▁it