The line was built as the Auburn & Syracuse in the later 1830s, and was absorbed into the New York Central System by 1853. It was sold to Finger Lakes Railway, which started running trains in 1995.
From Solvay Yard (MP 2.8), the single track line heads just south of due west, past Division Post (MP 4.7) and Fairmount, turning southwest past a shopping center on the north side of the line, with a street alongside to the south and a grade crossing into the shopping center, a grade crossing at Hinsdale Road (MP 6.43), an east-facing spur on the north side, to a north side industry, where there is a north-side siding, Camillus, where there is a depot, an acute angle grade crossing (Hilton Road, which has been alongside to the south and will be alongside to the north, west of here), a grade crossing with Knowell Street, the line rising on an embankment or north-facing hillside, much higher than the road, which then rises to track level and then drops away again, a bridge over a road.
The line bridges over a river where it turns west-northwest, past a stream alongside and below, then woods on both sides, an east-facing spur on the north side, a dirt road grade crossing, Martisco (MP 10.8), where the depot is on the north side of the line (now the NRHS Central New York Chapter's museum) and a branch to Marcellus once headed south, then west, past a bridge over a stream, a bridge over a road, a smaller stream below on the north side, a closed grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, and west-southwest, past a bridge over a road, a bridge over a stream, a bridge over a road, a stream alongside to the north, a grade crossing, a cutting, west of which the upward slope is on the north side of the line, a grade crossing, a grade crossing with Hartland Street, the 30-car south-side siding at Skaneateles Junction (MP 17.5), where the wooden depot is on the north side of the line, a road alongside to the north, and a bridge over the Skaneateles River.
The road on the north side ends, there is a grade crossing, an angled grade crossing, a formerly rail-served facility on the north side, a bridge over a road, an angled grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, and Sennett (MP 20.8), where it turns south-southwest, past a road bridge overhead, a line heading away on the north side to an industry, a siding on the north side, Hawk, a bridge over a stream, a small lake on the north side in a former quarry, the current quarry on the north side, a spur from the quarry trailing in on the north side, an angled grade crossing at North Street (SR 34), a spur on the north side at Auburn Metals, extra track (sidings) on both the north and south sides, the end of the siding on the north side, the spur from Auburn Metals trailing in, the end of the siding on the south side, two grade crossings in Auburn, a grade crossing at Seymour Street (MP 26.1), a spur trailing in on the north side, an angled grade crossing near the state prison on the north side, a bridge over a river, a street alongside to the south, a grade crossing with Peavine Street at the Auburn Trading Post (on the north side), a stream alongside to the south, a Stop sign on the railroad at the 60-car siding at Auburn (MP 26.1), where the depot is (or once was) on the north side of the line, a grade crossing at Washington Street, the river on the north side, a spur heading away on the south side, the former Lehigh valley roundhouse across the street to the south (where the LV depot was in the middle of the parking lot), the former Alco prime mover plant across the street on the south side, and a side street alongside to the north, all within the siding.