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Re: (erielack) Canadian interchange around Buffalo

On Wed, 21 Jun 2000, Jason Jaquith wrote:

> I was wondering about how the Erie interchanged international traffic to 
> Canada in western New York.  I think I've read here on the list before that 
> the interchanged over the International Bridge in Buffalo, but was there an 
> interchange north of Niagara Falls as well?  The map seems to show a 
> railroad bridge in this area, and one of the bridges you can see looking 
> north from the Rainbow Bridge surely looks like a railroad bridge.  If 
> there was an interchange here as well, did the Erie use it also?  Did Erie 
> even have a branch to Niagara Falls?
> 
> Jason

Check the map at http://www.railfan.net/railpix/maps/buff1975.gif (this is for
my private use, please don't link it) which I adapted from the 1975 Trains
magazine map so I could print it for railfanning purposes. It shows the
abandoned Erie Suspension Bridge Yard as well as Erie's Niagara Yard.

Erie's Niagara Falls branch went from their East Buffalo Yard (SK now) through
North Buffalo and the Tonawandas. Here's where I speculate a bit. The
International RR interurban/trolley line shared the right of way with the Erie
from Main St. in Buffalo to Tonawanda. Did they share space with the Erie iun
the Erie's North Tonawanda depot? I think they did. The Trains map is not clear
about this. It picks up the "INT" again in Wheatfield heading northwest to the
Falls following the RoW of the old NYC downtown Niagara Falls route. A third
dashed (abandoned) line is shown and unmarked, what this the Erie's line to
their Suspension Bridge Yard? At what seems to the be near the location of the
Erie's Suspension Bridge Yard is a small yard serving the chemical plants in
the Falls. I don't think it is the same location though. Interpolating from the
map, it appears that the latter day method of reaching the Erie's Suspension
Bridge Yard was via what is shown as the Niagara Junction Railway from the
Erie's Niagara Yard.

Looking where the NYC and INT (and Erie?) abandoned RoW splits from the present
day CSX Niagara Branch RoW it appears that there was some sort of good sized
relocation project undertaken at some time. Anyone know more about that?

When was the Erie's Suspension Bridge Yard abandoned? How long into Conrail did
their Niagara Falls Yard last? I know Conrail laid ribbon rail on the Erie line
shortly before ripping it up, a sore spot with a lot of local EL guys, anyone
know why they did that?

While this map answers most of your questions it also brings up quite a few of
its own.

Present day CSX track diagrams of the Niagara Falls area are available at
"Racer Rohauer's" website in the Niagara Branch section at 
http://BNLE.Railfan.net/crmap-ct.htm

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