N.Y. R.R. Law § 180
Any street surface railroad may operate any portion of its road by cable, electricity, or any power other than locomotive steam power, which said locomotive steam power is primarily generated by the locomotive propelling the cars, and in the use of which either escaping steam or smoke is visible, which may be approved by the commissioner of transportation and consented to by the owners of one-half of the property bounded on that portion of the railroad, with respect to which a change of motive power is proposed; and if the consent of such property owners can not be obtained, the determination of three disinterested commissioners, appointed by the appellate division of the supreme court of the department in which such railroad is located, in favor of such motive power, confirmed by the court, shall be taken in lieu of the consent of the property owners. The consent of the property owners shall be obtained and the proceedings for the appointment and the determination of the commissioners and the confirmation of their report shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in sections one hundred and seventy-one and one hundred and seventy-four of this article, so far as the same can properly be made applicable thereto. Any railroad corporation making a change in its motive power under this section, may make any changes in the construction of its road or roadbed or other property rendered necessary by the change in its motive power. Where a street surface railroad in the counties of Herkimer and Hamilton is located wholly outside the limits of an incorporated city or village, such railroad may, with the approval of the commissioner of transportation, be operated by locomotive steam power, provided that such steam power is generated by oil from and including April fifteenth to and including November thirtieth, and by either oil or coal from and including December first to and including April fourteenth.
N.Y. R.R. Law § 180