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Re: (erielack) Coal, Iron Ore and Steel

The power station in "Big Flats" is the former NYSEG Hickling Station.  It 
is actually located in East Corning, Steuben County.  Big Flats is just over 
the line in Chemung County.  Hickling Station has been closed for some time. 
I believe NYSEG has sold it.

I don't know if NYS Dept. of Corrections at Collins/Gowanda received coal 
from the railroad but when the facility was Gowanda State Hospital it most 
assuredly did from Erie/EL, and I believe into Conrail.  There was a spur 
that went right onto a deck girder coal unloading trestle that was about 100 
feet long with concrete containment on three sides.  Corrections removed 
some of the coal unloading bridgework in the 1990's.  It's possible all of 
it is gone by now.  I have been meaning to get back there to see what's 
left.  I'm sure the goons (guards) will be all over me if I tried it.  There 
is a shooting range somewhere back there now - they may have even put it in 
the old coal bins - would have made a great pistol range.

Off Topic Comment - The Gowanda area sometimes took a razzing for having 
Gowanda State Hospital (it cared for the mentally ill) but in retrospect it 
was a real asset to the surrounding community.  The campus was clean and 
neat with many stately old buildings.  It was well-run, provided a lot of 
good jobs, provided a good service to people in need, and was really part of 
the local community - a good neighbor all around.  It housed a model 
railroad club (still there) and a beautiful old-style baseball stadium 
reminiscent of the old "Rock Pile" in Buffalo.  What a shame when the State 
closed down the hospital.  On the other hand, the arrival of the prison has, 
overall, been a disaster.  Most of the jobs are held by folks from the 
Buffalo suburbs, not local people.  The place is all fenced up, of course, 
making the campus ugly and very unfriendly.  Most of all, the prisons (there 
are three) have brought many, I don't know how else to say it, 
"undesireables" (this has nothing to do with race) to the area so they can 
more easily visit their convict or await his release.  Property owners, law 
enforcement, and the school system have to contend with all the social 
problems such people have brought to the community.  The prison was touted 
as a good thing by NYS.  Instead, it has contributed to the decline of an 
area that was already severly depressed economically.

J.N. Adam was another NYS facility in the Gowanda area (it cared for the 
mentally retarded).  Located in Perrysburg, on the EL Dunkirk Branch, it 
took in coal by rail for its power station.  There was a coal tipple down by 
the depot in the village.  The coal was trucked from there to the power 
plant.

Moench Tanning in Gowanda took in coal by rail.  Didn't they have a small 
generating station for the tannery?

The Groveland State Hospital in Sonyea, NY had a coal unloading trestle 
which fed its power plant.  It was similar in design to the one at Gowanda 
State Hospital, and was served by the PRR Rochester Branch.  This part is 
speculation - maybe someone knows for sure - maybe the Dansville & Mount 
Morris served the power plant when the PRR left in the late 1950s.  If so, 
D&MM would have received its coal from the DL&W/EL at Mount Morris (the Erie 
was gone from there by that time).

As a kid I remember always seeing many Chessie hoppers in the remants of the 
EL Salamanca yard.  This would have been during the early Conrail years.  I 
don't know where they were headed - east or west?  Anyone hazard a guess?

Dave Green




- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Smtimko_@_aol.com>
To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Coal, Iron Ore and Steel


>
> In a message dated 4/2/2008 11:05:38 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>
> And besides, just how many power plants did the EL serve?
>
> .........................
>
> While not in the sense of providing unit trains, the EL delivered coal to
> the following:
>
> Ohio Edison's Mahoningside Station in Warren (closed about 1965 or  so)
> Ohio Edison's Niles Steam Station (coal moving from Lisbon, OH)
> Ohio Edison's North Avenue Steam Station in Youngstown
> Standard Oil's power plant in Cleveland
> Jamestown City Light in Jamestown, NY.
>
> I believe New York State Dept of Correction's Collins hospital/prison 
> power
> plant was served by EL (Jerry Heckman, can you assist on this?)
>
> SMT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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