Terminal Railway
Encyclopedia
The Terminal Railway of Buffalo was a part of the New York Central Railroad
system southeast of Buffalo, New York
. It built the Gardenville Branch or Gardenville Cutoff, allowing through trains to bypass Buffalo. The cutoff has since been abandoned in favor of other parallel lines.
main line at Depew
(42.9087°N 78.7146°W) southwest through Gardenville
to the NYC's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
at Lackawanna
(42.8043°N 78.8344°W). The line, intended to ease congestion in Buffalo, opened on September 20, 1898.
When originally built, the southwest end only provided direct access towards Buffalo, merging with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern at the West Seneca Yard. A connection was soon built allowing for through New York City
-Chicago traffic without turning at the yard. A connection was also built, in or soon after 1923, from the northeast end at Depew north to the New York Central's West Shore Railroad
(42.9325°N 78.7191°W). This allowed trains on the West Shore, which paralleled the NYC main line, to also use the cutoff.
The Terminal Railway was merged into the New York Central Railroad
on December 22, 1914.
The line passed into the hands of Penn Central in 1968 and Conrail in 1976. By 1995 the line was gone south of the Pennsylvania Railroad
(Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway) crossing at Ebenezer
(42.8492°N 78.7706°W), abandoned in favor of the PRR's West Seneca Branch and the Lehigh Valley Railroad
's Lehigh and Lake Erie Railroad. North of Ebenezer the branch continued to serve local traffic from a connection with the old PRR line to the NYC lines at Depew, but that has been cut back to a short section near Ebenezer. The 1998 breakup of Conrail assigned the remaining section to Pennsylvania Lines LLC
, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.
The connection to the West Shore at Depew is now owned by New York Central Lines LLC
, a CSX subsidiary, and is used to move trains between the old NYC main and West Shore lines.
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
system southeast of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It built the Gardenville Branch or Gardenville Cutoff, allowing through trains to bypass Buffalo. The cutoff has since been abandoned in favor of other parallel lines.
History
The Terminal Railway was chartered on June 12, 1895 to connect the New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
main line at Depew
Depew, New York
Depew is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 16,629 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
(42.9087°N 78.7146°W) southwest through Gardenville
Gardenville, New York
Gardenville, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the town of West Seneca in Erie County, New York, USA.-References:...
to the NYC's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, NY to Chicago, primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana...
at Lackawanna
Lackawanna, New York
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County, New York, U.S., located just south of the city of Buffalo in the western part of New York state. The population was 18,141 at the 2010 census. The name derives from the Lackawanna Steel Company...
(42.8043°N 78.8344°W). The line, intended to ease congestion in Buffalo, opened on September 20, 1898.
When originally built, the southwest end only provided direct access towards Buffalo, merging with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern at the West Seneca Yard. A connection was soon built allowing for through New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-Chicago traffic without turning at the yard. A connection was also built, in or soon after 1923, from the northeast end at Depew north to the New York Central's West Shore Railroad
West Shore Railroad
The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City, north along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York and then west to Buffalo...
(42.9325°N 78.7191°W). This allowed trains on the West Shore, which paralleled the NYC main line, to also use the cutoff.
The Terminal Railway was merged into the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
on December 22, 1914.
The line passed into the hands of Penn Central in 1968 and Conrail in 1976. By 1995 the line was gone south of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway) crossing at Ebenezer
Ebenezer, New York
Ebenezer, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the town of West Seneca in Erie County, New York, USA.-References:...
(42.8492°N 78.7706°W), abandoned in favor of the PRR's West Seneca Branch and the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
's Lehigh and Lake Erie Railroad. North of Ebenezer the branch continued to serve local traffic from a connection with the old PRR line to the NYC lines at Depew, but that has been cut back to a short section near Ebenezer. The 1998 breakup of Conrail assigned the remaining section to Pennsylvania Lines LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.
The connection to the West Shore at Depew is now owned by New York Central Lines LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, a CSX subsidiary, and is used to move trains between the old NYC main and West Shore lines.
See also
- Junction Railroad, which built the NYC's Buffalo Belt Line northeast of downtown
- Lehigh and Lake Erie Railroad, a parallel cutoff built by the Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
- West Seneca Branch, a parallel cutoff built by the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....