Buffalo Central Terminal - The Big Discussion

Champlain Division wrote:With enough federal dollars anything is possible.

With all due respect to you..........there really are'nt enough federal dollars.

So, in trying NOT to turn this into another HSR debate, I'll just say the same about the prospects of BCT being resurrected to host passengers for HSR as I did about whole 11 mile "siding" between Rochester & Buffalo.

You can read about that in this thread..........

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 28&t=72600

(Edited one time for further comment)

I hear Otto's head banging and key's jingling!

Oh yeah, I haven't seen it (don't mean it ain't there), so I'll mention and wonder out loud has anyone put any serious thought to using the old New York, West Shore and Buffalo right of way for the HSR project? It could be single track with passing sidings and flyovers/jumpovers to the Chicago Line for station access.

(Yes, I'm crazy. I still think JetTrain's a possibility, for cryin' out loud!!!)

Oh, Oh, great topic, I better comment before it gets locked. (ha ha). I can add one observation to this topic. My father, a Buffalo NY NYCRR Fireman/Engineer (1941-1990) always referred to BCT as the "White Elephant". I believe he was not the only employee of the NYCRR that held that opinion.

I commend you all for your great apsirations for the great old lady (i.e. BCT), but sometimes the "boots on the ground" do a pretty damm good job of "sizing things up".

I do like the whole "with enough money anything is possible" theme, Is that from a Disney Film?

Also, it turns out that cooling large buildings (those that are close to normal occupancy) is a harder problem than heating them. It's the whole surface area to volume ratio thing. That's why elephants have big ears, the ears are the radiators !

Cheers, Kevin.

That's why elephants have big ears, the ears are the radiators !

I did not know that!

The idea of using the old West Shore ROW as a "high speed line" is one of the most ridiculous ideas that I have heard in some time. The line is long gone, much of the property has been turned over to other uses and the original line had too many curves for such use anyway.
As for the old Buffalo Central Terminal, it is not a practical facility for passenger train use today for many reasons all of
which have been discussed and discussed here before.
This topic was idle for over a year and it should have stayed idle.
Noel Weaver

I really don't want to hear one more thing about HSR in this thread. Please.

-otto-

Just FYI the central terminal does currently have tenants that pay rent for there occupied space in the building. And electrical service has been restored in a vast majority of the building.

Hi all,

Since this topic was resurrected, let me give a brief update on the status of our project.

The CTRC Board made a decision late last year to change our focus from finding a developer to becoming the developer. Our first order of business was to begin the process of developing a master plan that we can use to illustrate not only what the building could become, but also how the project can be broken up into manageable chunks. We'll then pursue funding sources and partners to bring the project to fruition.

We're doing a number of things on the organizational side to support this, such as refining our mission and vision statements, pursuing adding a grant writer and executive director to our staff, and expanding our networking to make further connections with those that will be able to help make this a reality.

In the meantime, we are continuing our building stabilization work, prepping office space for our own use, and doing a bit of restoration work in preparation for the National Trust convention being held in Buffalo in 2011. We are hoping to figure prominently into the conference schedule so that preservation specialists from across the country can see how far we've come and how far we still have to go.

We're also continuing to hold tours and events to bring in the necessary money to keep all of this going. Be sure to stop by and visit us!

I really don't want to hear one more thing about HSR in this thread. Please.

-otto-

OK, Otto, seeing as you keep saying there are other threads we can go to on the New York State Railfan Forum to discuss HSR, why don't you be a chum and tell us exactly which ones you'll permit this discussion on. ...

Have all the HSR talk you want in the HSR Forum:

http://railroad.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=137

BCT is not an HSR topic, nor is it a springboard to HSR discussion. That topic has come and gone.

-otto-

Who are these paying tenants??? Electrical service? You mean all those extension cords hanging all over the place ? Wow, it's ready for occupancy. Call some more tenants, they can move right in. Get that place in the real estate listings right away.

-B in B

terminalfanatic wrote:Just FYI the central terminal does currently have tenants that pay rent for there occupied space in the building. And electrical service has been restored in a vast majority of the building.

What percentage of the building is occupied by tenants?

Matt Langworthy wrote: What percentage of the building is occupied by tenants?

Terminalfanatic may be seeing things with overly rosy glasses. We do lease a small portion of the building space. However, I would not say the building is remotely ready for occupancy.

Maybe "vast majority" was the wrong way to put it. Considerable work has been done on the interior of the concourse in the past few seasons. And in the means of electrical work new panels have been installed to handle a greater number of outlets around the building. So it's not just extension cords all over the place anymore.

It is a work in progress and will take time, Rome was not built in a day and buildings aren't restored over long weekends.

terminalfanatic wrote:Maybe "vast majority" was the wrong way to put it... It is a work in progress and will take time, Rome was not built in a day and buildings aren't restored over long weekends.

And the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I think you may have let your enthusiasm carry you away in your earlier statement.