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There is a story in the Budd Family in Australia, that someone ? went to America and had a connection with the Railways.
In possession of the Budd Family in Australia is a photograph, dated Dec.18,1874, of a James AITKEN, Chief Engineer of Penna and Sodus Bay N.R. Etz (Photographer),Trumansburg N.Y.
I assume this is the Pennsylvania and Sodus Bay Northern Railway, New York, which runs from the Coal Fields of Pennsylvania to Sodus Bay on the Great Lakes.
It is unclear whether James Aitken was involved with the construction of the Railway or the maintenance of it and its Rolling Stock once constructed.

In the U.S.A. 1880 Census, a James Aitken, his wife, and two children are resident at Seneca Falls, Seneca, New York.
James gives Scotland as the birthplace of both his Parents.
James wife, Maggie, gives New York as the birthplace of both her Parents.

NAME	AGE	OCCUPATION	BIRTHPLACE
James Aitken Maggie Aitken Edith Aitken Norman Aitken	47 28 9 6	Civil Engineer Keeping House - -	Scotland New York N.Y. N.Y.

It is unknown how the Aitken and the Budd families are connected ?

However James Obituary appeared in the 13 April 1883, Newspaper issue of the Seneca Falls Reveille.

Death of James Aitken.
Seneca Falls Reveille. April 13th. 1883.

Intelligence was received here on Wednesday morning of the death of Mr. James Aitken, a former welI known resident of this village, which occurred at Rochester on Tuesday evening. He died of pneumonia after a brief illness, aged 50 years. Deceased came to Seneca Falls about twelve years ago, and soon after became an engineer on the Pennsylvania and Sodus Bay railway. At one time, and before the failure of the railway he was its chief engineer. About a year ago he moved to Rochester with his family. Mr. Aitken was born in Scotland and received his education as an engineer in that country. Before coming to this country he had had extensive experience as a mining engineer, having spent many years in the mines of Australia. lie was a man of fine education and an accomplished engineer. Only one failing pre-vented him from attaining distinction in his profession, and that doubtless hastened his death. He was a man of kindly impulses, of personal accomplishments and of great kindness of heart. Those who knew him best were pained to hear of his death, and deeply sympathize with, his afflicted family. His wife and two children survive him. The remains were conveyed to Walkill, Ulster county, for burial.

In the same edition of the Sentinel was a note that an attempted sale of the railway was in progress.

It appears that James spent several years as a Mining (Gold?) Engineer in Australia. Is this the connection ?

No rail was ever laid, though all the grading, trestles, fencing, crossing signs and gates etc were put up. Some delay caused the iron rail to not be delivered when it was supposed to be. A competing line opened. It does seem strange that this group got the towns and villages to come up with the money for its construction, while another group, building a parallel railway track a couple miles east of the failed line relied on its own funds. The railway was to connect farming communities to haul out grain and produce and to bring in supplies. The towns who funded the railway were left with massive debts that the taxpayers spent years paying off. The failed line (Pennsylvania and Sodus Bay RR) had its organizational meeting May 19 1870, the sucessful line (Geneva & Ithaca RR Co.) met first May 6 1870 and completed its track Sep 13 1873. In 1876 due to financial problems, it was taken over by the Lehigh Valley RR.

I must thank the Ulysses Historical Society, Trumansburg, NY, for supplying the Obituary and the information surrounding the Railway.

I have taken the liberty of changing Railroad (in the original transcrition) to Railway.